Idaho family relocating to TN.....

[shinestx]

I agree that Cookeville is a good candidate... but also look at Cleveland or Maryville. Cleveland is a city of about 40,000 and it is 30 miles to the NE of Chattanooga. It has a direct highway into Georgia too for when you need to take advantage of the Atlanta airport (flies everywhere) at two hours away. Cleveland has the second largest private university in the state located right in the heart of town... Lee University. The downtown looks like a TV set (despite a rather homely courthouse in the middle of the square). It has several midsize and large corporations headquartered there and even more factories, from appliances to chocolates. It is only one hour from the mountains. Plus, two of the largest trucking firms in America are headquartered in Chattanooga. US Express and Covenant. The schools in Cleveland are excellent, notwithstanding a recent scandal involving the Superintendent of Cleveland City Schools... for which he was fired.

Maryville also has a private college (Maryville College) located at the edge of its very quaint downtown. It has about 30,000 and is located just south of Knoxville, so you would have easy access to the K'ville airport, which is a "step up" from the Chattanooga airport. It's a 30 minute drive to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and directly accessible to Ft. Loudon Lake.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I agree that Cookeville is a good candidate... but also look at Cleveland or Maryville. Cleveland is a city of about 40,000 and it is 30 miles to the NE of Chattanooga. It has a direct highway into Georgia too for when you need to take advantage of the Atlanta airport (flies everywhere) at two hours away. Cleveland has the second largest private university in the state located right in the heart of town... Lee University. The downtown looks like a TV set (despite a rather homely courthouse in the middle of the square). It has several midsize and large corporations headquartered there and even more factories, from appliances to chocolates. It is only one hour from the mountains. Plus, two of the largest trucking firms in America are headquartered in Chattanooga. US Express and Covenant. The schools in Cleveland are excellent, notwithstanding a recent scandal involving the Superintendent of Cleveland City Schools... for which he was fired.

Maryville also has a private college (Maryville College) located at the edge of its very quaint downtown. It has about 30,000 and is located just south of Knoxville, so you would have easy access to the K'ville airport, which is a "step up" from the Chattanooga airport. It's a 30 minute drive to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and directly accessible to Ft. Loudon Lake.

In would recommend the Maryville/Knoxville area sa well as it has a lot to offer and being at the junction of the 75 and 40 you can be in a LOT of different States from the Gulf Coast, to the Atlantic, Chicago and more in a days drive (or less). Surrounded by beauty and history.

I lived in ID, Twin Falls, and while I enjoyed it the Winters were too long and cold compared to here and a long way to anywhere.