Thinking of moving to surrounding Knoxivlle area - questions and concerns from a mom (Knoxville: job openings)

[roxanneinWI]

Hi everyone!

I am a wife and mother to 3 boys (ages 1, 4, and 7) and my husband and I are thinking of moving our family to the Knoxville area. Right now we live in Milwaukee and we really dislike everything about this city. Our hopes are to find somewhere more quiet and safe where we can raise our boys. We are looking forward to boating and fishing, hiking, biking, camping and being involved in our sons' school/sports activities. Just wanted to get a feel for where to move and what to expect. Thanks to all who reply!

First, most important: My hubby is an ICU RN, and I will graduate nursing school by the time we move. We both would probably be looking for jobs in a hospital. What kinds of salaries can we expect? Are there a lot of job openings in the Knoxville area hospitals? Are most hospitals looking for bachelor's degree nurses only right now or in the near future? We have seen a lot of conflicting info about all of this on different websites and people we've talked to. Not worth moving if we aren't going to make the money!

Next, we have heard a lot about the poor quality of some of the schools in the area. Our boys have an excellent school, so we need to find a good one to send them to in TN. Is the poor quality of some schools a myth? What are the best ones in terms of academics and activities, and what are some to stay away from? What are Knoxville schools like? I am particularly interested in hearing about Maryville schools and some of the smaller county high schools.

We are a bit concerned about things we've heard about being accepted as we are not born and bred Tennesseans. We are friendly people and we do not mind adapting to different ways of doing things - might even become Vol fans! We think the TN accent is awesome and wish we had it! We've read about adults not being trusted at work or kids being made fun of in school because they are Yankees, any truth to that?

Other random questions: Best lake for boating and fishing? Best and worst areas of Knoxville? What are some good campgrounds around that area? How is traffic and how is driving in the hills and mountains?

Thanks again for your input. I appreciate it!

[Barking Spider]

I can't answer some of your questions, but I will take a stab at some.....

Knox County Schools all have the same curriculum, so they will all be fairly close. Some schools do test better than others though.

As far as not being accepted for not being born and bred TN, throw that thought out the window. Between the University and Oak Ridge National Lab, there are LOTS of people here from all over the world. You would also be surprised that not everyone here speaks with a Tennessee accent. I would say that you will be accepted well, unless you start conversations with "That's not the way they did it back home".

There are several lakes in the area, I would think it would be difficult to not be able to find one that suits you.
Best and worsts areas of Knoxville has been covered here over and over again. There are bad blocks in great areas, and great blocks in bad areas. But overall, Knoxville is a pretty safe area, with very few "bad areas".

Traffic is relative. I moved here from Los Angeles, so my perception of bad traffic is a lot different from someone that grew up in a rural area with a population of 8,000. I would say the only bad traffic you will find is the typical rush hour, and going thru Sevierville toward Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Hill and mountain driving is also based on your experience. For the most part its a non issue, but can be a challenge in Gatlinburg for people that are not used to driving in mountains, or for those that are behind those folks.

You should probably schedule a visit and see the area for yourself.

[KellyJ2007]

I live in Oak Ridge which is about 15 minutes from Knoxville. We have fantastic schools here. Our high school was actually ranked 3rd in the state. Downfall to this area though is the housing is outdated for the most part, so few options for nicer and newer if that's in your budget. Maryville also has fantastic schools and it's about the same distance from Knoxville. It is also closer to the Smoky Mountains, which is a great place to go if you like the outdoors. We have several lakes around here for fishing and also several campgrounds. We just went camping last week

We also have several hospitals in the area and they are always hiring for RNs. I'm starting nursing school in the fall myself. I'm not sure what the salary is though. I suppose it just depends on what department you work in. I've heard it's around 40k a year though, but that could be way off.

[Truthteller13]

Stay away from Windsor Court at ll costs. Drug dealing and open prostitution which the management is very aware. The prostitute blatantly runs ads on Backpage Knoxville in the Body Rubs section with her name & pictures & management refuses to do anything even after being shown the ads. Look for yourself she is Sweet Rene.

[MrsMopar]

Hi there!
You may want to try Covenant Health's webpage for openings in your field.

Here's the link:
Covenant Careers - Covenant Health

Hope this helps. Yours is a thankless job, imho. People don't realize all that nurses do for us. My mother in law is a retired nurse...boy can she share stories!

Wish you the best on your decision!!

[F250Glock]

My daughter is interviewing at LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville as an AS/RN and the starting pay is $18 an hour, which is great money for her, considering she has no debt, and lives at home. That said, the housing costs are less in most of the areas here than you'd normally see up north. I think it balances out, you might not make as much money living here, but your quality of life sure would be better.