Anyone move from the Coast of NC to the Mountains of TN on this forum? (Knoxville: tornadoes)

[mattbward]

This is kinda a specific thread. Just wanting to reach out and see if anyone else has already made the move I am about to.

I currently reside in Carolina Beach, NC just south of Wilmington, NC on the SE NC Coast. I will be moving to somewhere near Knoxville Tennessee August 1st of this year.

I am originally from Ohio where I lived for 30 years of my life. I am just wanting to see if anyone else that frequents this board has made the same or similar move to Knoxville from the coast of the Carolinas, or more specifically North Carolina.

If so, what are the biggest changes you have experienced. I want to here your stories. All those that have done this, what was your entire experience like and what new differences do you uncover still, good or bad in living in Tennessee versus North Carolina.

Thank you in advance for reading this and I look forward to all of your posts! The more detailed the better!

Matt Ward
Moderator cut: link cut

[itsjustme64]

Did not do what you are doing, but when we moved from the north to the south, we were choosing between coastal NC and western NC/eastern TN. Business reasons pulled us here, but I think we would have been just as happy in coastal NC.

[snapdragon]

I grew up in Charleston, I know it's not NC, but I think it's close. I also lived in Cleveland for a year, and now we live here in Knoxville.

I find that it rains a lot here in the winter as compared to the coast. It's also not as hot or humid, which is good (sort of). Like I have a hard time swimming here because it is so cold, I'm used to the high 90's and lots of humidity. Technically it is not cold here in the summer.
It is pretty, so get great mountain views everywhere you drive. But you won't smell that wonderful ocean smell here. You will be protected weather wise here. There are no earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes (I think they do come around rarely though). I think it's because we live in a valley, so we are "protected", but because of that we also have poor air quality. I think the air is fine but tests say it's not. (Something to think about if you have asthma)
I also find the overall area to be very conservative. More than I am used to.
Good Luck, it's a hard decision.

[piedmont]

We moved from the piedmont of NC to east TN last year.

It is a different place, culturally, geographically and demographically. It feels much more midwestern to me than the piedmont of coastal plains of NC and SC. Others might say it is southern mountain culture, vs southern plains/piedmont culture. Knoxville is a much more politically/religiously conservative area compared to central NC or Asheville.

Weather here is about 5 degrees cooler, especially during the summer and winter. But there are also more cloudy days than in NC. Air quality, as mentioned, can be not so nice, especially up towards Knox. The air kind of gets stuck between the Plateau and the mountains and hangs out. It is better where I am (between Chattanooga and Knoxville), as the valley is wider.

We used to go to the outer banks + Wilmington beaches regularly when we lived in NC; now it would be a major trip to get to the gulf or SC beaches, so we are spending more time enjoying the Smokies and the Cumberland Plateau. If you need to see the ocean regularly, you might not find this area a great match.

[mattbward]

That is the kinda input I needed. Gives me an expectation to have. Granted, I find NC to be pretty conservative, especially near the wealthier coasts. I could see a different type of conservatism existing in TN, but I don't think that will be hard to adjust too.

[leonard]

Originally Posted by mattbward

This is kinda a specific thread. Just wanting to reach out and see if anyone else has already made the move I am about to.

I currently reside in Carolina Beach, NC just south of Wilmington, NC on the SE NC Coast. I will be moving to somewhere near Knoxville Tennessee August 1st of this year.

I am originally from Ohio where I lived for 30 years of my life. I am just wanting to see if anyone else that frequents this board has made the same or similar move to Knoxville from the coast of the Carolinas, or more specifically North Carolina.

If so, what are the biggest changes you have experienced. I want to here your stories. All those that have done this, what was your entire experience like and what new differences do you uncover still, good or bad in living in Tennessee versus North Carolina.

Thank you in advance for reading this and I look forward to all of your posts! The more detailed the better!

Matt Ward
Moderator cut: link cut

I used to live in Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks.

The humidity in TN is not as bad and there is more to do in TN. I miss the ocean, having grown up on the So Cal coast, but love the area. I haven't moved yet, but will be in doing so in August, to just south of Knoxville.

[Kitties of Domination]

Originally Posted by piedmont

We moved from the piedmont of NC to east TN last year.

It is a different place, culturally, geographically and demographically. It feels much more midwestern to me than the piedmont of coastal plains of NC and SC. Others might say it is southern mountain culture, vs southern plains/piedmont culture. Knoxville is a much more politically/religiously conservative area compared to central NC or Asheville.

Weather here is about 5 degrees cooler, especially during the summer and winter. But there are also more cloudy days than in NC. Air quality, as mentioned, can be not so nice, especially up towards Knox. The air kind of gets stuck between the Plateau and the mountains and hangs out. It is better where I am (between Chattanooga and Knoxville), as the valley is wider.

We used to go to the outer banks + Wilmington beaches regularly when we lived in NC; now it would be a major trip to get to the gulf or SC beaches, so we are spending more time enjoying the Smokies and the Cumberland Plateau. If you need to see the ocean regularly, you might not find this area a great match.

According to the weather channel, Knoxville and Raleigh have exactly the same annual temperature. Raleigh averages 111 sunny days, Charlotte 109, Knoxville 109. Be careful not judge an area based on one or two years. The years before you arrived were warmer and sunnier.