Knoxville vs Nashville (Chattanooga, Franklin, Brentwood: sales, coupons, opthamologist)

[BarbG]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

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

Me either. All I've heard from those I work with and go to church with is good.

[ThatTNGuy]

Originally Posted by TKyle

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

It's always interesting when people try to characterize the citizens of an entire city as "more friendly" or "less friendly" than the citizens of another city. I'm not trying to pick on you here, but everybody seems to have something different to say when it comes to this particular topic, regardless of which part of the country they're living in - some have had great experiences, others not so much. That's why I try to avoid broaching this subject if at all possible. Personally, I've met more wonderful people than I can count here in Knoxville, but I'm not naive enough to think that everybody else will have a similar story to tell.

Saying the difference is "night and day" is very misleading, simply because both Nashville and Knoxville have a mixed bag of great and not-so-great people - that's how it is in every city. I realize you may have had some bad encounters, but the above comment is completely unfair.

[JMT]

I have to say that my experiences with health care in Knoxville have been absolutely wonderful. Everyone I know who has had to endure hospital procedures in Knoxville has had wonderful experiences, too.

Knoxville may have its drawbacks, but our health care system is not one of them. We are blessed to have three excellent health care systems in Knoxville (U.T., Baptist-St. Mary's, and Fort Sanders). While Nashville has outstanding health care, too (Vanderbilt, Baptist, Saint Thomas, and the entire HCA chain), let's not forget that people in Nashville routinely had to come to Knoxville for serious pediatric care since Knoxville had a children's hospital long before Nashville did.

[IngleDave]

I don't think bringing up something that "used" to be is quite on target. NOW, and this is NOW we're talking about, there's the Monroe Carrel Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Our gazillion dollar pediatric facility is pretty cool.

[mjb62676]

For me, this would be a REALLY hard decision if they were both located in similar areas in terms of outdoor activities and scenery.

West TN (or that's what I consider Nashville) reminds me of Kansas City (where I'm from). East TN is just amazing. What Knoxville lacks in "city things", it more than makes up for in Lakes, Mountains, and scenery in my opinion.

That being said, Nashville is a great place I wouldn't mind living.

Chattanooga, I want to check out, but it seems like it would be quite nice. Also want to check out Asheville.

[goodbyehollywood]

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, but I do think it's helpful to separate personal preferences from facts when comparing differing entities.

Knoxville and Nashville both have excellent health care, and Nashville has just as much, if not more, violent crime than Knoxville. Knoxville does have worse air quality and it's worse for allergies and asthma, too. It has fewer jobs and less cultural and entertainment opportunities, though there is ample to do. It also has less traffic and fewer shopping options than Nashville, which is undeniably more cosmopolitan and has more of an urban feel. Knoxville has plenty of restaurants, though they tend to be chains, and an increasing selection of retail outlets in newer upscale shopping districts. Turkey Creek reminds me of Green Hills. Knoxville does not have a Costco or a Trader Joe's like Nashville and those are missed. These are facts.

As for the people being friendlier in whichever city, that is strictly a personal observation. I have found people in both cities to be outgoing and helpful. That "night and day comparison" is Tkyle's own experience. YMMV... and V a lot.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by IngleDave

I don't think bringing up something that "used" to be is quite on target. NOW, and this is NOW we're talking about, there's the Monroe Carrel Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Our gazillion dollar pediatric facility is pretty cool.

I didn't mean to imply that Nashville doesn't have agood pediatric care NOW. I was merely pointing out to the person who said Knoxville's health care is inferior to Nashville's that Knoxville actually had a children's hospital before Nashville, so how could Knoxville's health care network be so inferior?

[hiknapster]

Nice, balanced information from tornadotnx and JMT and then you get the individual posts about personal experiences and they seem less unbiased.

Like goodbyehollywood says, your mileage may vary, and that is true even for different AREAS of a city.

When I didn't have a job, I hated this area. When I got a job, I like it a whole lot more.

When I rented in an area with a lot of transients and hostile people, I really hated it. When I bought my first house here and loved the welcoming neighbors I thought I was in heaven.

When I lived in north Knox County, practically in another county, I hated it. When I moved to Fountain City, closer to the city, I found my perfect place.

Your place is something that you have to find. We can only give you info.

As far as the health care goes, I guess there could be some rogue doctor out there wreaking havoc on patients, but that hasn't been my experience. I have lived with several health problems for about a decade, and finally, after moving here, I have been treated correctly and feel great. And that is not because I found one good doctor. I've had four doctors and two hospitals.

[IngleDave]

JMT, I know you didn't. I just had to plug Vandy.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by IngleDave

JMT, I know you didn't. I just had to plug Vandy.

That's extremely helpful for city-data readers.