Small towns Near smoky Mountains (Knoxville, Maryville: rentals, house, find a job) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

jennifer129 · 01-24-2016, 06:18 PM

So me and my boyfriend are looking to move closer to the Smoky Mountains. I was wondering if anyone can tell me a nice, friendly town that is near the mountains? Somewhere that has a few restaurants nearby and grocery stores, maybe some entertainment. Job opportunities, as well as some house rentals that aren't super expensive. We have been to Gatlinburg on vacation a while back and loved it there. It was a little too touristy though. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

linnemj · 01-24-2016, 07:11 PM

As many others have posted in the past, I recommend that you determine where you will work and then decide on where you want to live. You should not move without having jobs.

Some towns that you will want to research include Maryville, Townsend, Gatlinburg, and Seymour. If you do searches on the forum you can find a lot of information. After researching, make time for a visit to the area and see what area best fits your needs.

jennifer129 · 01-25-2016, 03:51 PM

Well we moved to Arizona in November. We aren't enjoying it as much as we thought we would so we have decided to try Tennessee out. He works at Chilis as a server. I currently don't have a job though. Hard to find!
I've tried to search for forums on some towns but every time I search something it says no results were found. I'm new to this forum so I haven't quite figured out how to use it. We are planning on moving to Tennessee in May though. We don't really have the time or money to go out and visit the areas so that's why I came here. Thank you for the advice though!

creeksitter · 01-25-2016, 04:19 PM

My best advice is to move to Knoxville for a year and look around. It's possible none of the small towns will have the entertainment you want. Greeneville and Maryville are the only two I can think of that have concert venues.

There's a Chilis if your BF can transfer, jobs shouldn't be too hard to come by for you if you have a good work history.

That way you can look around and see which small towns suit you.

Bones · 01-25-2016, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennifer129

I've tried to search for forums on some towns but every time I search something it says no results were found. I'm new to this forum so I haven't quite figured out how to use it.

The search function has been a hit or miss for a couple of days...keep trying...

So...Search, advance search, type in keyword, (search in forums) choose state or area....

jennifer129 · 01-26-2016, 09:18 PM

So I keep seeing people say to find a job before you get to Tennessee. I don't have a job right now but I am looking. How do you find a job before you move there? I don't have much experience in anything except cashier and serving. I recently moved to Arizona from Florida, not enjoying it, and I can't find a job, so we want to move to TN. Looking at the Maryville area. Also, I've seen a lot of people saying Maryville is really nice! I was wondering if there are a bunch of retirees there? Me and my bf are mid 20s, so was wondering if it's a good town for the younger couples as well? Thank you!

hiknapster · 01-29-2016, 08:55 PM

Mesa, AZ and Blount County have about the same unemployment rate. Not only that, but it will cost a lot of money to move, deposits for a place to live and to turn utilities on. I wouldn't do it.

danielj72 · 01-31-2016, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Mesa, AZ and Blount County have about the same unemployment rate. Not only that, but it will cost a lot of money to move, deposits for a place to live and to turn utilities on. I wouldn't do it.

This is valuable advice. Cross country moves are very expensive, as are deposits for rentals. Having no money and moving to a place without a job is a real risky thing to do. I really don't want to sound negative here but I would hate to see someone get themselves into a situation that would really hurt them. I have been to Arizona and it could be a nice place to live. Maybe you have not given it enough time. If you spend your time there trying to find a job and then saving money you will be in a better position to make a change if you find you still don't like AZ after you have given it more time. Tennessee may be a place that you would enjoy, but if you don't have a good plan it may not turn out the way you want it too.
While you are in AZ you should spend some time in Flagstaff and its surrounding mountains. Very pretty in Flagstaff, nice town. Also there is a really pretty canyon south of Flagstaff full of outdoorsy type things to do. Thousands of people move to Arizona every year, must be lots to do there. There are far worse places you could be stuck in.

Beretta · 01-31-2016, 06:38 AM

Maryville is nice but with your age I would recommend Sevierville/Pigeon Forge area or Knoxville. I have to say that Knoxville is my pick though because the work is steady where tourist traffic volume has layoff potential in Sevierville/Pigeon Forge. The Smokies are right at the doorstep so to speak. With plenty of rentals available for college students in Knoxville you should be ok in that respect.

Moving across country is a big deal, you are smart to do your research. Welcome to the forum!