Knoxville vs Nashville (Chattanooga, Maryville, Sevierville: low crime, new home, neighborhoods)

[chicagofamily]

My family and I are considering a move to TN. My husband is in medicine & we have 2 young children. We visited Nashville and loved it (the weather, the scenery, the people, and the music scene). However, due to job considerations, we may need to expand our search.

In comparison to Nashville, what is Knoxville like? What about Chattanooga? I know it's hard to generalize, but any info would be greatly appreciated. We are looking for an area with good schools, low crime, and things to do (restaurants, outdoor activities).

Thanks!

[tntornadox]

Knoxville is a great city that sticks out somewhat against the traditional Southern background- great educational opportunities abound with some of the best colleges and universities in Tennessee being found in the Knoxville area, sporting some great public school systems as well.

Knoxville is a 30 minute drive to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as Dollywood (Tennessee's only theme park) and other great activities in the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. The city itself is quite large and sprawls over the surrounding area. Downtown features alot of interesting cultural centers (such as the Museum of Modern Art, the History Center, Tennessee, Bijou, Riviera Theaters) as well as shopping, dining, and plays host to many of the larger events in the city throughout the course of the year (Sundown in the City on Market Square, 4th of July Celebration at World's Fair Park, Boomsday on Volunteer Landing, and of course, who could forget UT Football Saturdays?) Downtown also features several walking trails (such as the 'Cradle of Country Music' trail showcasing Knoxville's involvement with said music). The outlying areas feature their own unique identity for you to explore.

Knoxville is re-inventing itself- a growing downtown, the new South Waterfront, being ranked as one of the best places in America to do business with a great transportation network (well, once I-40 reopens) equals a great city to raise a family and work.

I reccomend you do some research and figure out if Knoxville and the surrounding area matches your family and what you expect and need from a new home. If so, I am sure you will enjoy it, this is a great place to live.

P.S. Knoxville vs. Nashville comes down to: do you want to live in a very large city, or not? There is not much that can be found in Nashville that couldn't be found in Knoxville or East Tennessee.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by tntornadox

P.S. Knoxville vs. Nashville comes down to: do you want to live in a very large city, or not? There is not much that can be found in Nashville that couldn't be found in Knoxville or East Tennessee.

I was with you until I got to your last sentence. While I love living in Knoxville, Nashville does indeed have quite a few things that Knoxville doesn't have:

• professional sports
• a big airport with cheap air fares (thanks to Southwest Airlines)
• more freeways
• more colleges and universities
• more concerts
• more live music venues
• real skyscrapers with more on the way
• more 4- and 5-star restaurants
• more ethnic diversity
• a huge art museum (the Frist)
• a symphony hall
• professional ballet and opera
• upscale shopping
• walkable urban neighborhoods

Nashville also has more crime, more traffic, and higher property taxes. But that doesn't seem to make much of a difference since about half of the growth taking place in the entire state of Tennessee is taking place in the Nashville area.

[tntornadox]

Much of that is attributed to the music industry, mind you. I am not entirely sure Nashville would be half its size if it weren't for country music...

[JMT]

Originally Posted by tntornadox

Much of that is attributed to the music industry, mind you. I am not entirely sure Nashville would be half its size if it weren't for country music...

That could very well be. There's no denying that the country music industry has been very good for Nashville, and Nashville has been very good for the country music industry. The country music industry has also spawned a huge recording industry in Nashville that includes musicians from other genres, particularly rock stars who take advantage of Nashville's wealth of musical talent, Tennessee's favorable tax structure, and Nashville's more laid-back lifestyle which means the rich and famous can eat out and go shopping without being hounded by reporters and autograph seekers.

One of Nashville's biggest open secrets is that all those country music stars give lots of money to the Nashville Symphony meaning Nashville has one of the best-funded symphonies and one of the most beautiful symphony halls in the country, particularly for a city its size. Knoxville can make no similar claim.

[goodbyehollywood]

Nashville has a large, and growing, influx of entertainment industry professionals and wannabes. These people want options in retail, restaurants, arts and entertainment and cultural experiences, so Nashville is providing these. Knoxville can't compete in these areas.

And the Knoxville airport is lame. Really, really lame. Few flights, high fares and almost-guaranteed layovers. IMO, the airport, more than anything else, is holding Knoxville back. It makes business travel very difficult, so companies think twice before moving operations to Knoxville. Correspondingly, professionals have difficulty finding work. More companies would mean more jobs and the cultural, shopping and dining options that come with a rise in the professional population. Knoxville's growth is going to be limited until it becomes more attractive to relocating companies, who will bring new jobs and new opportunities to East TN. Right now, those companies are choosing middle TN.

Also, as JMT points out, Knoxville isn't very walkable, and many parts of Nashville are. Urban mixed-use neighborhoods with coffeeshops and stores within walking distance of residential areas are scarce in Knoxville. Locals don't want them. People from urban areas do. Knoxville has many fine qualities, but as a city lover, I'd pick Nashville every time. Families with small children looking for a quiet suburban lifestyle might prefer Knoxville. It's really a personal preference and life cycle choice.

[TKyle]

tntornadox, I have to agree with JMT, there really is no comparison between Nashville and Knoxville. Having lived in Knoxville for 3 years now I wish we lived in Nashville. Before this we lived in Austin, TX, Portland, OR and Oklahoma City.

First, medical care. There are not as many specialists in Knoxville and the quality of the medical care is questionable. I thought it was my wife's poor luck until a co-worker, just this week, had a VERY bad experience.

Next, Nashville has CostCo, Noshville, and in general more and better restaurants.

There are other things to consider. We have had a TON of air alert days in Knoxville this summer and for those with breathing disorders, or small children, this is very bad. Nashville's air qulaity has not been as bad though they have had yellow days compared to our string of orange days.

We have also found people to not be as friendly here as in Nashville. It is a night and day comparison.

I'm sure there are bad things about Nashville, such as traffic congestion or increased crime. But crime is not low in Knoxville and tends to be more violent. We've had murders within 2 miles of our house and we live in a pretty good part of Knoxville on the west side.

My suggestion is to start looking at the local news sites to see what gets reported.

[BarbG]

As you can see by the above posts, comparing Knoxville and Nashville are like comparing apples and . . . carrots.

My suggestion would be to visit Knoxville and Chattanooga (as you did Nashville), and if you can swing it, spend at least a week in each place, checking out the two metro areas. This will give you a better feel for both areas, and which would suit you better.

I like rural, but with big city within a couple of hours or so. You know, nice to visit but wouldn't want to live there? That's me. And that is why I prefer the greater Knoxville area. I have friends who prefer 'the city', and Knoxville wouldn't do it for them. Nashville would be their choice.

Also, I've had the opposite experience with health care that others in this thread have had. Some of the best physicians I've ever seen are right here in Knoxville.

And, we live in Maryville. Maryville has some great restaurants, and well, the Smokies are our front yard. The school district is right there at the top in the state, and our area is safe, with low crime (we have a policeman living in our neighborhood). But, we are smaller, and can't offer the variety that a large city does.

So, as I said, only you can decide what will work for you. Hope you can visit soon!

[hiknapster]

I've never been to Nashville, but I have to disagree about the healthcare in Knoxville.

I've lived in Mass., and Florida and Knoxville's care is fantastic. We've been here three years and I have had surgery and been to the doctor and hospital numerous times, as have my husband and child. St. Mary's and Fort Sanders have been professional, kind, quick, accurate, caring and top-notch.

I have never heard anyone complain about Knoxville health care. This is a first!

[mysticfire0213]

We didn't spend MUCH time in Nashville when we went there, but I would have to disagree on the people and friendliness aspect of it as well! Maybe we just met quite a few people on "bad" days, but I would take my E TN people over the people we dealt with in Nashville ANY day!