"Family Town" Tennessee?

[hiknapster]

Mia, you are going to have to visit, I think. Small towns in TN are very, very small; rural, really. Cities like Knoxville tend to have a large town feel. It's very different than anything I am use to.

Weather should probably pay a big part in your decision. Violent weather is worse in West TN, then Middle TN and the eastern part has a lot less, often a rarity. Most complaints I got were from people that moved to West Tn and thought they made a big mistake, but there were a few people from Middle TN, too.

There is a local on here that was born and raised in Murfreesboro and really hates the heat, there. Last year, I followed the weather through the National Weather Service and it does seem to be brutal. West and Middle TN seem to get quick hot and cold changes and that causes most of the violent weather.

There is also a very different vibe from West to East TN.

[WhitewaterVol]

Originally Posted by mia_magination

So a list of important factors in our new area would be:
1) Good schools
2) Outdoor activities
3) Good air/water quality
4) safe
5) family friendly activities
6) good medical
7) mild climate (not too much snow)

I would look at either Maryville or Oak Ridge. Both are smaller communities near Knoxville. Knoxville has some excellent hospitals and is large enough to have almost any kind of medical care you need. Both of these towns are far enough from Knoxville to get that small community feel.

Both Oak Ridge and Maryville are known for excellent schools.

As far as outdoor activities, both are close to the Smokies and all that they offer.

Water quality - don't know about Oak Ridge but Maryville draws most of its water from the Little River that flows out of the National Park - hard to beat that!

Almost any city on the West side of the mountains is going to have some summer days where those with allergies or asthma suffer a bit. The way the air flows allows the mountains to form a damming effect, trapping some of the pollutants. As someone who suffers from allergies this wasn't usually a big deal for me and with the tradeoff being that I could see the Smokies out my front door, it was well worth it!

Family friendly activities - both towns are bedroom communities. Oak Ridge has a great museum in town and lots of parks. Maryville has several yearly festivals and a great greenbelt park system. Lots to do and even more to do nearby in the national park or national forest.

Good medical - as I said, both communities are close to Knoxville which offers several great hospitals (UT medical center, Baptist, etc.). Maryville has a small hospital - not sure about Oak Ridge.

Mild climate - that's one thing I always loved about East TN - not too much snow in the winter. That said, if I wanted snow all I had to do was get in the car and drive to the National Park and head up the mountain. Summers can get hot but again, if it's too hot, just get in the car, drive to the mountains, and find a cold, clear creek to cool off in - bring a picnic and make a day of it!

I'd move back to East TN in a heartbeat if I could find a job there in my field.

[hiknapster]

Allergies are an issue throughout the south. With all of those beautiful flowers everywhere, even on the trees, there is bound to be another side and that is it. Some people it doesn't bother, but if you look at an allergy map a lot of southern cities are listed because of this.

[J&Em]

Originally Posted by VolstuckinNC

I would look at either Maryville or Oak Ridge. Both are smaller communities near Knoxville. Knoxville has some excellent hospitals and is large enough to have almost any kind of medical care you need. Both of these towns are far enough from Knoxville to get that small community feel.

Both Oak Ridge and Maryville are known for excellent schools.

As far as outdoor activities, both are close to the Smokies and all that they offer.

Water quality - don't know about Oak Ridge but Maryville draws most of its water from the Little River that flows out of the National Park - hard to beat that!

Almost any city on the West side of the mountains is going to have some summer days where those with allergies or asthma suffer a bit. The way the air flows allows the mountains to form a damming effect, trapping some of the pollutants. As someone who suffers from allergies this wasn't usually a big deal for me and with the tradeoff being that I could see the Smokies out my front door, it was well worth it!

Family friendly activities - both towns are bedroom communities. Oak Ridge has a great museum in town and lots of parks. Maryville has several yearly festivals and a great greenbelt park system. Lots to do and even more to do nearby in the national park or national forest.

Good medical - as I said, both communities are close to Knoxville which offers several great hospitals (UT medical center, Baptist, etc.). Maryville has a small hospital - not sure about Oak Ridge.

Mild climate - that's one thing I always loved about East TN - not too much snow in the winter. That said, if I wanted snow all I had to do was get in the car and drive to the National Park and head up the mountain. Summers can get hot but again, if it's too hot, just get in the car, drive to the mountains, and find a cold, clear creek to cool off in - bring a picnic and make a day of it!

I'd move back to East TN in a heartbeat if I could find a job there in my field.

That's just about everything I would have said! Maryville would fit the bill for nearly everything on the list.

[mia_magination]

Thanks for the insight...we are actually staying in Sevierville for a few days to check out Maryville and was going to hop to Nashville to see that side of TN and then end the trip in Chattanooga again so we can see everything. That should help us the best with finding what we are looking for, just wanted to have a list of places to look into while we are there. With any luck we will be moving over the summer to our permanent home

[WhitewaterVol]

If you have time in there somewhere on the way to or from Nashville, make a side detour to Fall Creek Falls State Park. You won't be disappointed.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by VolstuckinNC

If you have time in there somewhere on the way to or from Nashville, make a side detour to Fall Creek Falls State Park. You won't be disappointed.

Agreed. Fall Creek Falls is the crown jewel among Tennessee's beautiful state parks. It's where I want my ashes spread when I die.