Boyfriend and I have our eye on TN. From New York... (Knoxville: transplants, sales)

[Evilinacloset716]

Hi all,
My boyfriend and I are 26 years old and have our eye on TN. You all have heard the same tune from us up here - cost of living issue, too fast paced, rude people... We live right right outside of New York City. I have been in NY most of my life. Im hoping for some guidance before I go really really deep into researching cities.. Him and I are all over the place. We looked into NC first, many hours...days..of research there. Liked the idea of Asheville best but too expensive and employment issue. I feel that I cannot grow where I live.. I'd have to commute to NYC to be able to make it here and I really really do not like the city... I do not like the crowds. I do know that I'd have to work in/near a large city to afford bills..I definitely understand that but NYC gives me anxiety and is way too big... It's the only major city I know really so I cannot compare to others yet . I'm tapped out at around 30k at my current job in my town.. Not enough..I will not grow here with just a BA and the idea of going back to school again for a MBA makes me cringe cause I don't have a set direction and more loans gahhh nope . More info on us:

I work in accounts management/sales/customer service with 3+ years experience... So anything office related is what I would be searching/applying for before moving anywhere. I work with clients all over the country so through that I have seen the major personality differences.. I have never been down south before but everyone seems so friendly. Everyone in this area needs things yesterday.
My boyfriend is a personal trainer... So he'd have to build a client base with that. Gyms would be necessary. I'm not sure where in TN would be the best fit for him with that. Him and I are trying to find a balance where it would work for both of us of course.

No kids, we'd definitely be renting first not buying a house so that's not a concern as of now.

Obviously crime, but I am aware every area has its good and bad spots.

Him and I are outdoorsy... More him than myself haha but we love parks and if the weather is nice want to be outside as much as we can be. To go for a run or to be right by a river or lake sounds wonderful. I like mountains but I know that's associated with snow which is not good because I absolutely hate the snow...but I'd be able to deal with some of it since I'm so used to it here...just not too too much .

I have social anxiety and anxiety when it comes to driving (one of the reasons I hate snow but I understand freezing rain may be more of an issue down here though) so I'd want to be somewhere where everything is close in proximity. Right now I'm walking distance to a grocery store and literally 2 minutes away from a hospital which is a nice set up but my boyfriend and I cannot afford living here.
I lived in rural Pennsylvania for about a year. It was beautiful, loved the pace and the people.... But way too much driving to get anywhere. Also I'm used to New York drivers and bad attitudes....bad attitudes when it comes to most things....so I want a change haha.

With my salary now anything over 1100/MO for rent is a huge problem here so I still live at home. I understand I'd take a paycut if I were to move down south...I'm going to say no more than 700/mo we'd like to spend.

I'm sorry that this is all over the place. I know that I have so much research to do... I'm just looking for someone to point a finger in the correct direction so I don't spend days upon days on wasted research again. And before I sift through hundreds of posts on here from NY transplants to see what they've done

Thank you!

[Jim37680]

Something for most of your non-career desires can be found in the eastern end of the state, especially the border counties just across from Asheville.

Careers choice are a problem for anyone searching from a distance. It does sound like you would be looking for a professional track entry level opening. Eastman Chemical in Kingsport has job postings for all locations here: View Jobs & Apply

I retired from Eastman last year and there seems to be good growth prospects at the company (except for IT which is mostly contracted). They are completing a new HQ building and will be concentrating more HQ jobs at this site. There will be folks transferring in but I suspect some new administrative and sales openings will need staffing.

Of the larger cities in the state Nashville seems to be seeing the most growth but you will find the same traffic and population issues that beset NYC in a smaller footprint.

[Rangerred]

You really should take a look at the Tri-Cities region of TN (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City). Finding employment will be a challenge but the jobs you are looking for can be found. The area is beautiful, cost of living low, and Asheville is only an hour or so away with some of that vibe, just a little, spilling over the mountains into Johnson City. Johnson City is the largest city in the region at 65,000 and is the retail/cultural center. It is the home of East TN State University giving the city a younger population and more liberal leanings in an otherwise very conservative area. There is also a large medical facility and VA hospital bringing in a host of transplants.

You can browse the threads on the Tri-Cities sub-forum for more about the area.

[JMT]

Also check out Cookeville. It was recently listed as #2 in the country's "Best College Towns That Are The Most Affordable." Knoxville was #1, by the way, so you might want to check it out, too.

Cookeville is home to Tennessee Technological University, which is ranked by U.S. News and World Report in the “Top 8 Public Schools in the South” every year from 2007-2012 and named a “Best College Value” by the Princeton Review in 2006 and 2007. Other highlights include a bustling arts scene—with the Appalachian Center for Craft, the newly renovated Cookeville Performing Arts Center, and the Bryan Symphony Orchestra all located in the area. Not huge on the arts? Cookeville also caters to lovers of boating, fishing, hiking, and golf (there are ten championship golf courses located within 35 miles of the town!).

Best College Towns That Are The Most Affordable - The Simple Dollar

Money Magazine also ranked Tennessee Tech the 2nd best university in the state (Vanderbilt in Nashville was ranked the best) and is the highest-ranked public university in the state. While you said you don't really want to get an MBA, if you decide to do it, TTU is a great choice.

Money's Best Colleges

ESPN's "Fittest Man on Earth" has his gym in Cookeville. Maybe your husband can get on there?

CrossFit Mayhem - 41 South Cedar Ave, Suite A Cookeville, TN 38501

Here's the Cookeville photo thread:

//www.city-data.com/forum/cooke...ea-photos.html

Downtown Cookeville is a very walkable area where you can do most of your errands by foot, or certainly by bike: supermarket, banks, post office, hospital, bookstores, toy stores, clothing stores, antiques, outdoor gear, day spa, interior designers, furniture, coffee shops, library, farmers market, green market, bakeries, art galleries, museums, performing arts center, parks, and gobs of restaurants including one of The Daily Meal's top 25 doughnut shops in the country. As with pretty much anywhere outside of NYC and Chicago, you'll need a car, but it is entirely possible to live, work, and play all in downtown Cookeville and barely step foot inside your vehicle.

Cookeville is surrounded by a beautiful countryside dotted with waterfalls, lakes, and lots of state parks. Plus you're only an hour away from Nashville for those times when you just have to feel the vibe of a big city. In addition, if you plan on flying back to NY (or to anywhere else), Nashville has the largest airport in the state, by far--it's about twice as busy as the rest of the state's airports combined--with lots of nonstops to NY and all over the country and at generally much cheaper air fares, too.

As far as jobs, there have been some big announcements the last few months: Academy Sports is building a 1.6 million square foot distribution center in Cookeville that will employ 700, Ficosa is building a rearview mirror factory that will employ 900, and the Oreck/Hoover/Dirt Devil factory is adding another couple hundred jobs. Cookeville is also the headquarters of the large trucking company Averitt Express which employs hundreds in the area including hundreds in customer service. Between those places and the university, there's actually quite a large demand for office type workers. Just remember that with the lower cost of living come lower wages, generally.

No matter what you decide, good luck with your move! Please feel free to return and ask any other questions you have. The people here in the Tennessee forum are a friendly bunch and love helping out.

[creeksitter]

Are you able to drive at all?

I'm thinking you could have a good life in Knoxville, there's a bit of the Asheville spirit but it is not overwhelming and yes, there are jobs. Just off the top of my head I'm thinking 1/4 - 1/3 of the accounts management/sales/customer service jobs will be within walking distance of an apartment complex and/or bus line. So you will have to do some research on where you apply. Can I presume your BF is comfortable driving?

[Serious Conversation]

$700 will get you something in the Tri-Cities. Not great, but it's something. You will pay no income tax in TN, but the sales tax is 9.5%+. From Johnson City, you may want to do your big shopping in Virginia, where the sales tax is 4% or so.

The Tri-Cities fits the bill for excellent outdoors, reasonable cost of living, and things fairly close by (as long as you live in one of the cities or the close suburbs), but the job market is beyond atrocious.

[creeksitter]

Oops, there I go responding to a post without looking closely at the screen name. I hope you find peace wherever you wind up.

[Evilinacloset716]

Thank you all so so very much for the responses and kind words! I really appreciate it. Would've gotten back sooner but was expecting an email notification that never came . I'm going to check out all of those areas listed. I didn't really look at Knoxville yet but that's a must now. I was looking at Nashville a bit but yes I noticed rent there is expensive. 700/mo is definitely low especially to split but I've been looking at jobs and I see a lot in the 15/hr max range for me so I'm just trying to be careful. I am able to drive I just have an issue with the unknown/high traffic areas. My boyfriend drives everywhere no problem. If I'm comfortable I could get used to things rather quickly. I just sell myself short need to get into routine and I'm fine.
I was looking at Chattanooga but wages there do seem very low... Nice apartments for 750-800 though I noticed.
Should I rule that out?? I read that it's up and coming also in the downtown area. I know a friend there so I was going to ask him as well.
I do see most gyms are in knoxville area though and that's really important for my boyfriend. I'm going to start there and check out those tri-cities too

[Serious Conversation]

If you don't have a lot of money or don't get a high paying job, I couldn't recommend Nashville. Knoxville and Chattanooga are all bigger than the Tri-Cities and should offer more employment options and probably higher wages.

[Evilinacloset716]

Yeah you're right. I need to do a lot of research. I made a ridiculous financial decision and have a new car that I bought 2 Yrs ago that I'm paying 400/mo for as well. Which is rent!! Ugh! That won't work there... That's also a reason for walkability. If I sell the car I'd be able to afford much more but I'm stuck and need to figure that out before moving anywhere. Thank you very much for your help