A few questions about Hardin Valley and other spots (Knoxville: house, school)

[NW Crow]

I have heard some good things about Hardin Valley. I assume it is an unincorporated area. Is it going to stay that way?

Any area like it or better in south Knoxville?

What would you consider the quietest / most wooded / even semi-rural areas within 20 miles of downtown?

I've been going thru the old threads but would appreciate any new tips as well.

[hiknapster]

Hardin Valley is just a section of Knoxville, an area. There are several areas like this that are usually called by their prominent street. For instance, Cedar Bluff, Northshore. They are not really communities.

There are lots of sem-rural area about 10 to 20 minutes out of Knoxville, mostly to the north, east and south of the city. But even west of the city there are large pockets of wooded, quieter areas. Just because Kingston Pike is busy it may seem like all of West Knoxville is built-up but it really isn't. It just seems that way to locals because they remember it as a lot of farmland not that long ago.

By the way, Hardin Valley is not that over-built as well, with pockets of undeveloped land.

Really, Knoxville needs to be visited to really understand how "uncity-like" it is.

[NW Crow]

Thanks for the reply. I think I like the low-density but yes I need to see and feel it directly. I used to go thru there several times a year, but always just passing thru and it was a long time ago. Trying to learn what I can by internet right now and might visit later in the year.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Thanks for the reply. I think I like the low-density but yes I need to see and feel it directly. I used to go thru there several times a year, but always just passing thru and it was a long time ago. Trying to learn what I can by internet right now and might visit later in the year.

I did the same thing before I moved in 2005. There wasn't a CD forum but I incessantly researched until I had a chance to visit. I really wanted nothing to do with city living. I was a small town gal from the northeast and after living in Florida and their fast pace I wanted a small town feel. So I rented just north of Powell. The area is very rural but you can be in downtown Knoxville in about 15 to 20 minutes. After awhile I realized that Knoxville isn't very "city-like" although it now has a pretty fun downtown and I hated being so far from everything the city had to offer so I bought a house in the city limits.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

I have heard some good things about Hardin Valley. I assume it is an unincorporated area. Is it going to stay that way?

Any area like it or better in south Knoxville?

What would you consider the quietest / most wooded / even semi-rural areas within 20 miles of downtown?

I've been going thru the old threads but would appreciate any new tips as well.

Hardin Valley is located outside of the city of Knoxville and is not located in either Knoxville's or Farragut's urban growth boundary. This means that, in theory at least, it will never be annexed into either Knoxville or Farragut. So for at least the forseeable future Hardin Valley will remain an unincorporated area.

There are some gloriously secluded areas in East Knox County that make you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. Check out the Kimberlin Heights area (Kimberlin Heights Rd., Huffaker Ferry Rd., Seven Islands Rd.) and the Peters Mill area (Kodak Rd., Curtis Rd., Smith School Rd.). Those areas are filled with mountains, valleys, farms, forests, and not much else. It's one of my favorite areas to take a Sunday drive, especially in the fall. It's hard to believe that it's within Knox County and only 15-20 miles from downtown Knoxville.

To illustrate what I'm talking about, here are some images of this area:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/...46fc3a4e25.jpg
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL164.../379399329.jpg
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/ep...-tennessee.jpg

Johnson Bible College (a small college located in the Kimberlin Heights area). I'm posting this only so you can see what the countryside is like, not because I'm recommending the college.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...campus2002.jpg

[hiknapster]

Great info as usual, JMT. I will add that those sort of views can be had in the north, south and west as well. It is one of the very neat features of Knoxville.

[NW Crow]

Thanks JMT for the follow-up, very specific reply on locations and pics. Kimberlin Heights is the kind of fairly near in area I was looking for. I will research further.

I will press my luck and ask a few other questions.

How tough is the traffic going into the Smokies N.P. on weekends? I did not like having to go thru Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg when I used to visit the Smokies long ago. Has it changed much in the last 10-20 years? Are roads like Rich Mtn and Greenbriar good alternatives to get into the park with less traffic and crowds? Your favorite access road from north of the park?

Anybody have any reactions to the comparison of Knoxville to Austin, Texas? I see the surface case for the writer's comment but I wondered how locals react to it. Is Knoxville changing in that direction fairly fast or does it feel more like a crawl? If you think the comparison to Austin is too big of a stretch, what other city do you think is closer overall?

What would you say is the most surprising or misunderstood part of the current Knoxville reality for outsiders?

How do you feel about the air quality? Has it been getting worse? Is it worse in summer or winter?

Thank for any additional replies.