Considering Bristol (Memphis, Johnson City, Kingsport: house, theatre, public schools)

[Mom of Angels]

Alright so here is another one looking to relocate. My husband had recently been diagnosed with Lupus and we thought that Bristol might be a good choice for us.

We are looking for mild climate with low humidity, good schools for the kids and safe family friendly living My kids love the arts activities, being outdoors and friends.

I have read many posts stating that Bristol is an ideal location and would like to plan a visit in a few weeks to investigate.

Would like to hear public opinion on the area please. Do you like it, love it, hate it etc?

Thanks!

[TNGal78]

Hmm, low humidity ? East TN is pretty humid in the summers. We are always saying "it' ain't the heat, it's the humidity !". It can get pretty sticky.

I don't live in Bristol , I live in the Kingsport area. I don't prefer Bristol because of 1 reason....Bristol Motor Speedway and the crowds it draws. Granted ...that is only a few times of year and a lot of people that live there don't seem to mind. (?) I guess the crowd problem would depend on what area of Bristol you live in but it can really tie up the interstates during the races, too.

All that being said, I am not hating on Bristol, I have friends who love it there. I just prefer the Kingsport area. A visit to the area is really the only way to get a good feel for what you like.

[Mom of Angels]

Thanks for the info TNGal I actually looked into Kingsport as well as Bristol and like both areas, just want to narrow down the area to further investigate a little so when I come for a visit in a few weeks I don't waste time. I thought that east TN. was cooler/less humid due to the mountains? I don't mind the traffic in Bristol as we lived near a major raceway before and have survived the influx of visitors before. Actually we became race fans ourselves because of it.lol

I need a family friendly, safe, active living area. We love being outdoors for everything and my hubby and kids LOVE to fish, boat, play etc. I love that Bristol still has "drive-in" theatre, I thought they were long gone. In short I would like to get a feel for good possible areas before I leave to visit so I can make the most of the time there. Johnson City was also a consideration but I think I prefer Kingsport and Bristol...but I am wide open to suggestions if any locals wish to share opinions on their area.

Thanks for the help!

[DubbleT]

Heat and humidity, well I guess it depends on what you're used too. I'm moved to Bristol fairly recently and to me the heat and humidity are nothing compared to what I'm used too. A couple weeks of what I consider to be unpleasantly hot as compared to months of hiding indoors in the AC. I suppose if you come from a cooler part of the country it might not feel the same way to you though. The milder weather is one of my biggest reasons for moving here.

I also don't find the traffic to be horrible during races, but then I am used to driving in Memphis, so again I think it depends on what you're used to. I make it a point not to drive out towards the tracks during races too, I tend to keep my business more towards the other end of town during that time.

My kids are grown, so I can't speak to a lot of the family aspect, but I do know that great schools has ranked the schools as being good Top public schools: Under $100,000 - Bristol, Tenn. | GreatSchools , and there are free movie nights and music downtown. Steele Creek park is great too.

The one thing I don't care for is that there are a lot of run down looking areas in Bristol, some of the main streets are shabby looking and many areas look like they could just use a good sprucing up. A little bit of soap and water and a couple coats of paint would help I think, lol.

I love living here, I might have liked living in Kingsport just as well, it has a lot to offer too. I wound up in Bristol because I fell in love with a house I found here, so I guess Bristol chose me.

[rccrain]

The humidity isn't like Florida or South Alabama, but summers can be pretty muggy. Somewhere with elevation would likely alleviate some of this, Mountain City, Boone, Asheville, etc.

That said the TRI is great, each of the 3 cities kind of have their own unique identities.

[Mom of Angels]

We have lived in some seriously hot/humid areas and the Tri-Cities seems like it would be a very welcome change With that said, and some deeper investigating I really like Kingsport for the family life aspect. I will be checking out both Kingsport and Bristol...I am really looking forward to taking the kids to the Bays Mountain Park.

[TNGal78]

You might want to check out....

Bays Mountain, Kingsport
Warriors Path park w/ new boundless playground, Kingsport
Gray Fossil Site/Museum, Gray
Wetlands Water Park, Jonesborough
Steele Creek park, Bristol ( has a nature center, paddle boats, and a cute train ride on the weekends).




It was muggy here yesterday...we've been putting up fence. It was in the 80's with no breeze blowing. We were sweating ! My hubby rigged up extension cords and a fan. Phew. (of course I agree it's all in what you are used to).

The elevation will be key in your weather desires.Erwin/Mountain City....that's getting into the mountainous areas with the higher elevations. Kingsport has small mountains around it, but not enough elevation to make a difference in the temps. Bays Mountain park is just as hot as Broad Street during hot weather (except for the shade factor).

(However, you can have no snow in Kingsport during the winter and take a nice drive past Erwin up into the larger mountains and see snow. )

Oh and eat at Pal's while you're visiting.....it's a locally owned chain restaurant that is only available in this area. It's a "tradition". Must get a sweet tea, razzie tea, or peachie tea and frenchie fries (at least) .