Need Help Narrowing Down Towns in Tennessee

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by groovamos

I remember working in Atlanta in the '70's and one of the drivers where I worked didn't like doing delivery in Nashville because of "too many hills". And that lower elevation thing, wondering if contributor actually checked the elevation.

But then again the contributor calls the mountains along the NC border hilly.

All a matter of reference I guess. Nashville is at an elevation of 597 feet-lower than NE Tennessee, where Gatlinburg is nearly 1300, and JC at 1630. And lower than the lowest point in my current (soon to be former) state. Though to be honest, I only saw a couple routes south and east of Nashville, which were "rolling hills", but TBH there might well have been mountains around that I didn't see.

As far as East TN being "hilly", well, yes. Mountains, well, at the least the peak is well above the treeline, say 7000 ft or higher. OK, my definition, but that's a matter of living near the Rockies. Love East TN, rather you want to call them hills or mountains.

ETA, actually got me curious to see what the definition was between a hill and a mountain, and there doesn't seem to be a really clear consensus. https://outdoorinquirer.com/differen...-and-mountain/

[Beretta]

Folks - please take a moment to review the original post and let's make sure we are staying on topic. Feel free to open new threads as appropriate in the appropriate forum. Thanks!

[MBassH97]

Originally Posted by Ted Bear

It is VERY different living in TN than what you are used to OP. Take it for what it is, and don't try to make it urban CT or NYC environs. It just isn't, in as many ways as you can imagine.

Thanks. What you mention here is precisely what I am trying to escape. I specifically want down-to-earth people, not the liberal, faux-sophisticate types where we currently are. I mention the affluence of the area mostly for business needs.

[brentwoodgirl]

Based on your original post, I would definitely recommend Brentwood or Franklin. Both are upscale areas with tons of professionals. Belle Meade is great, but good private schools in Nashville are still $30,000 a year.
Brentwood and Franklin have tons of big families and great schools, so private school wouldn’t be necessary.

[crltn19]

Originally Posted by MBassH97

Good Morning:

My family and I are currently exploring options to move to a new state, with Tennessee being a prime candidate. Currently we live in a very affluent suburb in Fairfield County, CT.

We are currently planning on visiting Tennessee this summer and need a little help narrowing down towns that might be of interest to us. A little background:

1. We are a large family with 5 children under the age of 12. Our kids are generally very bright, so good school systems are important, but in particular we would like a school system where kids can be challenged. Private schools are also an option, so long as they are not outrageously expensive. Where we live currently, good private K-12 schools can run $40k+ per year per kid, which is too much.

2. We'd like to be somewhere in the vicinity of a good hospital system for kids, just in case.

3. I can generally work remotely so location isn't a huge issue, but I might open an office where I am anyway.

4. Our housing budget is $1.5-2.5M. We generally like more traditional homes with character, but are not totally averse to new build.

5. For my work, being somewhere near other professionals is a plus. We currently live in a very affluent town and we have fairly high HHI, but the people in the town are not for us (principally this is manifested in the schools more than anything).

6. We are very conservative politically, which comes into conflict with #5 as our current town is very liberal even for the Northeast. Ideally, we'd like a higher income town that is on the conservative end of the spectrum. That said, given that Tennessee is far more conservative politically overall than Connecticut, we'd be okay in a moderate town as well given the overall vibe of the state.

7. We may in the near-ish future buy a second home in Europe, so being near an international airport is helpful (say, within 2-3 hours) but not a deal-breaker.

8. Finally, we tend to prefer colder weather to hotter, so if, for example, being in Knoxville is at least noticeably cooler than Chattanooga, we might prefer that.

I am happy to do a deep dive on the Tennessee subforums, but I'd like to try to get a handle on particular counties/areas and towns that would be good starting points for more detailed research.

Many thanks in advance to any advice and recommendations.

In terms of schools, Farragut, Maryville, Oak Ridge, etc. have ranked consistently on top in the state. AFAIK Farragut has tons of transplants and professionals just like yourself and you might find something you like there if budget is not an issue.

[creeksitter]

In terms of schools, Farragut, Maryville, Oak Ridge, etc. have ranked consistently on top in the state. AFAIK Farragut has tons of transplants and professionals

Of these 3 I feel Farragut is the best fit

I specifically want down-to-earth people, not the liberal, faux-sophisticate types where we currently are. I mention the affluence of the area mostly for business needs.

Knoxville attracts down to earth people, probably more so than Nashville. You will likely have some liberal neighbors because professors and scientists move there for the kids. But it sounds like you can tolerate that. Your state representatives will be moderate republicans.

As for the airport, I'll point out that Knoxville is 2 hours to ATL... by plane! OK give yourself 2 1/2 hours in the unlikely event there's a line at TSA. I find flying out of Knoxville a pleasant experience and have rarely encountered a late plane on Delta. I suspect price isn't an issue for you but out of curiosity I priced a mid September flight to CDG - to my shock it was $549 from Knoxville and $ 1022 from Atlanta. Go figure. More likely to see the reverse 1150 from TYS and 800 from ATL but often it's only a $100 difference RT.

We have a BNA booster who will argue BNA is far superior and I agree it's better for a road warrior type but for occasional trips to Europe TYS works very well for me. BTW flights were $549 from BNA as well.