East Mall area questions (Knoxville: section 8, for sale, apartment complexes)

[EmilyLaura]

Hi Everyone,
There are a few houses for sale that I am possibly interested in looking at. I have a few questions about the area:
1. Is East Mall and Knoxville Center Mall the same thing? And, I have *read* other's opinions that crime is higher in the East Mall area as opposed to West Knox shopping areas. (Like there is a police hq inside of the East Mall because of past trouble there?, etc.) I have no idea if this is true or not and I would really appreciate opinions on the relative safety of this area, please.

2. The few houses that are located in this area of the East Mall are 1 mile South/Southwest (South of the 640).....One house is in the area South of the 640 and North of Washington Pike. The other house is just South of Buffet Mill Road and West of 640. I realize that crime can happen anywhere, but are these areas more prone to crime or known as rough areas or are they not?

Thank you for any help that you can provide! Appreciate the help.

[MetropolitanTN]

I dont think crime in those areas, around Knoxville Center mall, is so high I would completely avoid it. It probably is higher than West Knoxville but not so high it's incredibly dangerous. There are much worse areas of the city.

[Pam& Bill]

I used to live in the vicinity of East Town Mall/Knoxville Center Mall. I always felt safe around there.
Buffet Mill is a nice area.
The area you are talking about is fine to live and a nice area I think, I always felt safe around there. I lived there over 4 years and my complex was off of Washington Pike/Millertown Pike.
The times I was at the mall, again I never felt unsafe.
All the best,
Pam

[hiknapster]

By the way yes, East Town Mall is the same as Center Town Mall. They changed the name quite awhile back to Center Town Mall, I think to try and shake the bad rap the east part of the city gets. The old name still sticks around, though. The biggest problem is there isn't a lot going on at that mall. Dillard's was there and closed. Belk is still open but they don't carry all of the same brands as they do at West Town Mall. It just seems very empty. Year in and year out people say it is on it last legs, that it is about close, yet it still holds on.

[WinterStar]

About three years ago a shooting (murder) took place at Knoxville Center Mall and it made CNN news. Shortly thereafter, Dillards was outta there. It just feels creepy in that area for some reason. The Mall is empty and nothing new going up there. Go west!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by WinterStar

About three years ago a shooting (murder) took place at Knoxville Center Mall and it made CNN news. Shortly thereafter, Dillards was outta there. It just feels creepy in that area for some reason. The Mall is empty and nothing new going up there. Go west!

Wrong. Dillard's closed before the shooting. In fact, they closed two months before the incident and announced it a few months before that. Who knows when the actual decision was made. We talked about both on City-Data.

The shooting was a hot topic since former county commissioner Lumpy Lambert happened to be in the mall with his gun. Years before he had received national attention for selling used cars and gave away guns as an incentive. Anyway, Lumpy headed toward the commotion the fateful day of the shooting until he spied the crazed gunman. Then he backed away.

Long story short, the shooter was a nut that was disgruntled about his clothing purchase and killed a store employee. It's not an ordinary occurrence.

By the way, there is a police presence at both malls. Having said that, I prefer to shop at West Town.

Dillard's to close Knoxville Center store » Knoxville News Sentinel

Police: Knoxville Center Mall shooting result of argument over clothes » Knoxville News Sentinel

http://community.seattletimes.nwsour...7&slug=4039079

[JMT]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Knoxville Center Mall. Yes, it's not nearly as hectic as West Town, but that's one reason I like it. I don't care if it has a Dillard's or not or if Belk has as much stuff as at West Town, it's got all that I need and with a fraction of the traffic and hassle. There's a Sam's Club adjacent to Knoxville Center, and within a few hundreds yards of the mall there's also a very large Target, Kohl's, Walmart SuperCenter, Home Depot, Lowe's, Ross, Old Navy, Marshall's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.

Buffat Mill is one of my favorite roads in Knoxville. (Note the spelling, by the way. It's pronounced "buff it" and not "buff ay.") It's got some great views of the mountains. If you're looking at a house that's south of Buffat Mill, make sure it's not too far south, as then you're getting into some gritty industrial areas with a rather busy railroad track. I have several friends who live just south of Buffat Mill, including two who live right on Buffat Mill, and they love it. When I go to Walmart I usually go via Buffat Mill (aka "the back way") just because of the spectacular views of the mountains.

As for Washington Pike, even though it's just a couple of blocks from Buffat Mill I'd be a little more cautious. The city has allowed some large Section 8 apartment complexes nearby on Valley View as well as some smaller apartment complexes on Washington Pike, Fairmont, and Edgewood, and property values have been stagnant around there ever since. If you're concerned about resell, don't buy in that area. But if you're not concerned about resell, you can find some great homes with large yards there, and the location is super convenient. My parents live just off Valley View near Whittle Springs golf course and absolutely love the location.

[creeksitter]

I have a friend who lived in the Loveland community east of Spring hill road. No crime problems and she walked a lot for exercise. Hers was a working class neighborhood and she had good neighbors looking out for her.

That is the key and it could vary from block to block. My advice is to talk with the immediate neighbors.

[hiknapster]

Well, if you are someone that is not that into shopping, I think that mall is fine, to say the least. If you enjoy shopping, I don't think Knoxville Center Mall is the place for you.

Surrounding is surrounded by several stores. Bear in mind that the area is not the shopping mecca that the west part of town enjoys. Yet, as JMT points out, there is several stores around the area. In fact, I head to that area during Christmas or busier times of the year - like school shopping - since it isn't as frantic. There is a serviceable Target but also Kohl's, Old Navy, Marshall's and even a nice Don Pablo's across from the mall. Also, the area boasts one of the cleaner, well-stocked, well-organized Walmart's in the area. I'm not a fan of Walmart but if I have to visit one, this is my preferred choice. I even prefer it to the Turkey Creek location. So the area is far from creepy. But the mall feels rather desolate, numerous stores have left in the past several years, and is often called the "ghetto mall" by locals.

The areas inquired about are considered more working class than most in the area. It is some of the oldest neighborhoods in the area but not necessarily the gentrified ones. As creeksitter says, it varies block by block. Lots of people happily live in the area, for sure, but it is not for everyone. The toughest neighborhoods in the city are just to the south of there and in the immediate west of downtown in Lonsdale.

[MrsMopar]

We shop primarily at the East Mall, if we are looking for a mall type store. Never had an issue.

We almost (it was so close!) purchased a home on Buffat Mill Road. We just loved the area; it was similar to where we lived in Ohio. The closeness of the neighborhood was so nice; all the homes were well kept, we were close to eveything we wanted but the house had some issues we didn't want to deal with...so we went to Sevier County.

I highly recommend that area.

As far as shopping goes, it's not the biggest mall, but it's still nice. And since we are bargain hunters, how can you not love going to Ollie's, right next door?

I guess what I like about the east mall versus the west mall is it's never overly crowded. You aren't sitting at 18 different traffic lights and waiting 10 minutes at each one. Traffic flows well at the east area and it's mall. Target and Kohl's aren't in the mall but they are just down the street. All in all, I like that area. I've never felt unsafe there and trust me, I work near Cherry/Magnolia Street, so I know what bad is all about.

I travel to the west mall very rarely...I just cannot stand the traffic and how everything around there is so jammed up together. I live in a traffic area so trust me, I try to avoid it at all costs.

People in both malls are pleasant and polite; never had issues at either location. I just like east because it's closer to me and it's less crowded.

Best of luck on your decision!