Best lakes to live on with 30 minute or less commute to bigger city?

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I'm from New England. I grew up in a town of about 12,000 people and lived there for 33 years. I am here to tell you that rural around here is very, very rural. When I first moved here I rented in north Knox County, near the Anderson County line, and I did not like it. And Caryville, from that perspective, is light-years away. I think there is only a couple of thousand people and it is MUCH farther away from Knoxville.

Would I move to the Caryville area? Never. I think it's great for the second-home set that can get quickly home by traveling up I-75. But you are probably going to be happiest surrounded by people that live and work in this area. Drive-wise, it has nothing to do with snow. We rarely get snow, and nothing - absolutely nothing - like WV. It just has to do with time.

Everyone does the same thing. Even we did it. We looked - by internet - at towns quite removed from Knoxville. On paper it looked great. Then I hooked up with a local that told me that I would want to move closer. There was no City-Data back then. Thank goodness that I took her advice. Even then, I didn't move close enough. We ended up buying in the city limits. I am not a city gal but this city seems more like a big town. My street looks much like the small town I grew up in.

I'm not here to argue. You will ultimately do what you want. But I've seen this scenario play out over and over again.

And the bottom line, of course, is if you need jobs you will end up buying where you can find work and that could be anywhere. You also need to visit and see for yourself what you are dealing with.

Quick aside: I have to tell you that a town of 45,000 to 55,000 is the "big time" to me. REALLY.

It all depends on what you want. Some folks would rather be a bit more isolated, where they can do their own thing, have privacy, and be away from the bigger city noise and traffic.

I'm not going to 'advise' someone to move to the Caryville area...I haven't lived there, so I can't speak on what it is like, day-in and day-out. But it might be exactly the type of place the OP is looking for, you never know.

I would strongly suggest that anyone who is considering moving anywhere actually take a few days to drive around the area, get oriented and used to the roads and highways, and see exactly what does or doesn't appeal to them.

Campbell County is not a very populated place (about 41,000 people in an area of 480 sq mi - 85 per sq mi). There are about 2,500 people in Caryville, and a little over 2,000 in neighboring Jacksboro...and 8,000 people right up the road in La Follette. There is almost continuous development between the 3 up US 25W. Collectively, they are a decent sized small town.

Aside from that, the Clinton/Norris exit in Anderson County is 12 miles down the interstate (some shopping opportunities), 22 miles to the Powell exit, and 26 miles to the Merchants exit, where there are plenty of places to eat and shop. It's not a terrible location drive-wise...you just have to drive to get anywhere of real size. Would I pick to live there? Probably not. But I also like living closer to the city.

[It'sUs]

Okay, then explain to me why we would want to move closer?

Is it because we would have to drive on dirt roads most of the way to get to Knoxville?

Everybody says "it's too rural" rural meaning what?

To me, rural is driving through a creek to get to your house, driving for 45 minutes on a windy road at 30 mph to get a loaf of bread and milk, putting the truck in 4WD to get up the driveway or parking on the dirt road because the house is on a cliff and there is no room for a driveway and last but not least a mud room is essential because you got covered in it from the car to the front door. <------THIS is not what we want.

To others, rural is driving past cows, not having Wendy's, Olive Garden, and a Mall within 10 minutes (counting stoplights) of you. <--------We do not necessarily want this either.

We don't mind driving past cows but would prefer to live on a road with two yellow lines and white lines on either side.

We have been on 11 and to Bean Station and Mallard Baye areas. We like that kind of rural (and that is up for debate as people have different views of rural) but we could stand to go out a little farther. I prefer to not go much farther than that. Hubby says he doesn't mind as long as we are in a house we love.

He works in higher education in Administration for the last 13 years, He has been in Management for about 19 years. I could wait tables or work in a Landscape/Nursery/Flower store. His job is diverse enough that he could find something. I have worked all kinds of jobs so I could fit in somewhere.

And no, I know you aren't trying to argue. I completely understand. You are just trying to help.

I need to hire a Buyer's Agent but really haven't had the guts to pull the trigger yet.

We have looked alllllll over TN and I don't want to hire someone until we know for sure where we want to live because until we know, there is not point. We even looked on Lake Tansi but realized they didn't allow jet skis so that was immediately crossed off the list.

Every time we turn around though, we find yet another source of homes listed which makes me squeal with delight, but also is daunting because kt takes us to another place we hadn't looked before.

With all the advice we have been given, I am sure we'll find just the right place for us

Off to look some more!

[It'sUs]

We absolutely love looking down on a lake. We don't like looking straight into woods. We would be very happy with a nice lake view and ability to rent a boat slip annually in a gated community.

Of course if there were to be a nice house on a flat lot in Norris Lake/Cherokee Lake with a nice dock already built and within our price range, we'd certainly have a good look at it and seriously consider buying it

[tsimmu]

Since you have family in NC and GA (it is quite the haven for WV'ians from what I've seen...) why don't you look into the mountains of western NC or north GA?

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by tsimmu

Since you have family in NC and GA (it is quite the haven for WV'ians from what I've seen...) why don't you look into the mountains of western NC or north GA?

Excellent idea! This area's climate and terrain is nothing like WV. I'd also try northeast TN, and places like Abingdon, VA as well. They will surely be disappointed with our lack of snow.

I worked with a girl from WV and she use to laugh at the local's claim that it snowed around here. It does - barely - but not like that.

Unless they consider a few inches a season a lot of snow. This year was brutal and what did we get? Eleven inches for the entire winter. And that was more than I've seen, all together, for the past several years.

Even the Cumberland Plateau will get a bit more, but I'd head more northwest.

[It'sUs]

Because we have family in WV still. We want to be in between.

Thanks for the help.

[moving123]

Tims Ford Lake in Winchester TN is idea. < 1 hr from Nashville and Chattanooga and 45 mins from Huntsville AL. PM me and I will give you some neighborhoods if you would like.....

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by It'sUs

Because we have family in WV still. We want to be in between.

Thanks for the help.

All the more reason to look into northeast TN.

Best of luck in whatever you decide!

[Blue502]

Well, being biased myself. I would suggest Chattanooga. Tennessee River runs right through us with TONS of places to live either on the water or have a private marina. From Browns Ferry Rd (near the GA line) Birchwood, Hwy 58 area, Lakesite (which has some great building property), Sequoyah ,you have Chester Frost Park, Chickamauga Lake, Harrison Bay, which are all recreational lakes that all connect to each other. I love Summer/Fall for boating. Even moving to the Birchwood area wouldn't put you past your 30 minute mark of commuting to work. Downtown Chattanooga, although nice , couldn't give you anything more than any of those areas could with their close ammenities (other than nicer restaurants, and the festivals, free music, etc) I just mean you don't have to live close downtown to enjoy everything.

[KentT]

I second the earlier recommendation of Norris Lake. It'll be about an hour commute to Knoxville but traffic on I-75 is not a tough as I-40, and you'll be reminded of West Virginia. Waterfront any closer to Knoxville is going to be very expensive. I did that search about 5 years ago, and decided on mountain property in Walland instead. Happened to find a lot with over 400 feet of frontage on a pond (not a lake) in the mountains... Best of both worlds.