Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband and I are considering relocating to north central TN in July. We have a 7 year old daughter. I am interested in obtaining information on school
districts, real estate, climate and topography as well as just some basic info about life in this area of the US.
I would appreciate comments from anyone who would like to share tips on areas near Harrogate that we should consider for residency. Although we live in a rather remote area currently; the views are amazing and our daguhter attends an excellent school with a diverse population. We are excited about the prospect of moving to this lovely area and are looking for a great school for our daughter, amazing views and a moderately priced home. Thanks!
Hi!
I wanted to let you know that we thought that Tazewell was, well, rather depressed looking.
We we through there and Harrogate a few weeks ago, and the area seems like it has really seen much better times.
Don't let me discourage you, though, as I realize that different people are looking for different things. There are just so many areas not so far from there that seem much nicer and cared for.
Hi Country Girl,
Thanks for the info. I would be interested in considering the other areas that you mentioned. We are not restricted to any certain area. We could live commuting distance in any of the tri-state area. Do you have any suggestions? We are actually considering this. Feel free to send private email.
Years ago, we relocated from NC to Middlesboro, Ky. Our family made a couple of scouting trips to get the lay of the land, etc. The wife and kids said no way ....ever ! We returned twice more and we found Harrogate to be just the place to raise kids. We lived there for 10 plus years thru the time the kids were in college and then relocated to the Greenville, Tn area.
My wife, the kids and I would without a doubt give the Harrogate area a thumbs up and rate it a 10 for having friendly / helpful people. We truly miss the friends we made there and would speculate the area is just as friendly now as then.
Hello, Island Girl. I vote for Harrogate. It has great scenery, reasonable living costs and the university (LMU). You can find almost everything you'll need in nearby Middlesboro, KY and save substantially on sales tax.
I grew up in the area before going to Johnson City for school. Tazewell is rather depressed, I agree with the other posting. Harrogate is the area where you would want to live, more nice housing, etc. there. You would be going to Middlesboro or Tazewell (10 minutes either way) to do the majority of your shopping, eating out, etc but Harrogate is far and away better to own a home in than Tazewell or Middlesboro. I would rather live in Speedwell than Tazewell, you can get affordable housing with great views in Speedwell, but it would be a little longer to commute (10 min from LMU; 20 to Middlesboro). The area as a whole is a bit depressed simply by the lack of employment. Most people who graduate high school in the area go elsewhere to college and never come back. Those few that go to LMU (LMU's enrollment doesnt consist of many locals) have to leave the area for employment after college unless they are a nursing or education major.
As for real estate in the area, well I am a real estate agent in Johnson City and could probably refer you to a good agent in the area. There isnt enough action in the real estate market to support many full time realtors, so many of them are part time. You can, however, get a nice house for a very affordable price. If you need a referral, just let me know!
School Districts- I am biased here, but I believe the Harrogate area is also best for schools. Ellen Myers elementary, H.Y. Livesay Middle, and Cumberland Gap High are all fine schools. The only negative I see about the schools from your comments, are the diversity. Things have changed a little, but I graduated high school in 2001 and went through my entire education without having a minority in any of my schools (except one foreign exchange student from Japan). The situation is a bit better now, but the area is still predominantly white with very few minorities. This is not, however, to say that a minority would not feel comfortable in the schools. One thing about the area, the people are some of the most friendly in the country!!
My husband and I made a substantial investment in two side-by-side lots at Woodlake with the expectation of building a home within the next year. After reading casual observations noted, is this unwise on our part? What do you know at Woodlake?:confused:
Trammel,
It depends on what you are looking for. For all the negative things that I said about Tazewell, when you turn off the main road toward Woodlake its like entering a different city. The golf course, scenery, and homes are all amazing. If you bought two lots, you obviously are going to build another beautiful home. There is still a huge lack of employment in the area, the education is still suspect, but my comment about not wanting to live in Tazewell really doesnt apply at Woodlake. If you want a very relaxing lifestyle without alot of traffic, shopping, eating at restaurants, etc., the Woodlake area could be a very comfortable place to live.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thanks!
Tazewell, Etc
