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Yes, N.C. has had the NY-NJ pipeline for several years now and that state, in the eyes of many, is now ruined.
We visited Raleigh about 2 years ago. We did so because we had heard about how wonderful it was. I think "ruined" might be a good word to describe it. It was incredibly sprawly and... "MCmansiony". I didn't find it exactly appealing. Perhaps it is if you're from NJ. That said- the type of development there- or at least the style in which it has been developed- wouldn't look out of place in Knoxville either. Its the same kind of freeway-based chain stores and restaurant and housing development pattern. Its just that Knoxville is a lot smaller and as of now- still sort of off the radar.
We visited Raleigh about 2 years ago. We did so because we had heard about how wonderful it was. I think "ruined" might be a good word to describe it. It was incredibly sprawly and... "MCmansiony". I didn't find it exactly appealing. Perhaps it is if you're from NJ. That said- the type of development there- or at least the style in which it has been developed- wouldn't look out of place in Knoxville either. Its the same kind of freeway-based chain stores and restaurant and housing development pattern. Its just that Knoxville is a lot smaller and as of now- still sort of off the radar.
What a stereotypical answer. There's a lot more to New Jersey than Trenton and Newark. It also has some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country. And speaking of which, a lot of Jersey is rural and breathtaking.
Drive down to Florida if you want to see ruined. In fact most of the populated areas in this country have McMansions and strip malls. Where I come from in New England is one of the few places that are still charming because they are against EVERYTHING. They've even been very successful at keeping Walmart at bay.
What a stereotypical answer. There's a lot more to New Jersey than Trenton and Newark. It also has some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country. And speaking of which, a lot of Jersey is rural and breathtaking.
I lived in the Northeast for several years. The weather was awful, the cost of living is high, and so are the taxes. My response was more to do with the reasons I hear from those who move from the Northeast to the Southeast: They can't afford a house up there and the cost of living in general is too much for them to enjoy the middle class lifestyle desire they seek. Thus they're only too happy to come on down South and buy a house in the burbs. Thus they can afford to buy what they can't up North and thus why you see so many cookie-cutter housing developments in the Southeast: Build affordable housing and they would come. There's nothing wrong with that. Apparently most people find that attractive. I don't tend to like that myself because I grew up in a rural area outside of Knoxville and like having a yard. Different strokes for different folks.
As I said, I'm from New England and I had never seen cookie-cutter or McMansions until I moved to Florida. New England is very set in their ways, abhor billboards, strip malls, large chains and above all Walmart. They also are very good at finding any excuse for growth although wetlands is their usual go-to reason. In fact, in the town that I graduated from high school they successfully kept out a regional grocery store until last year. The town I was born and raised in? They still only have local markets.
I'm from about one hour out of Boston and not only grew up with an enormous yard but was surrounded by picturesque rolling hills. Every house on my street was different, from the stately turn-of-the-century Victorians and Gothics to the Colonial-period farmhouses and the mid-century moderns.
Stereotyping, again.
I know you abhor us carpetbaggers but, once again, living in San Francisco, it could be said that you are invading their turf, too.
But more importantly, do you think the carpetbaggers were the ones to build these developments? Were they the ones to sell their land? Or was it the locals that sold out?
And finally, I live in an older neighborhood of Knoxville with a large yard. It's heavily wooded and reminds me of my hometown neighborhood. However, my Knoxville neighborhood is slightly cookie-cutter, although developed in the 1950s, probably before you were a twinkle in your dad's eye.
We visited Raleigh about 2 years ago. We did so because we had heard about how wonderful it was. I think "ruined" might be a good word to describe it. It was incredibly sprawly and... "MCmansiony". I didn't find it exactly appealing. Perhaps it is if you're from NJ. That said- the type of development there- or at least the style in which it has been developed- wouldn't look out of place in Knoxville either. Its the same kind of freeway-based chain stores and restaurant and housing development pattern. Its just that Knoxville is a lot smaller and as of now- still sort of off the radar.
I've lived in NJ for almost 20 years, and Knoxville has way, way more sprawling "box house" developments that in northern NJ. The towns I'm familiar with have charming downtown areas, homes that were built in the range from 1900 to 1960s with property. Before I visited Knoxville, I had never seen so many sprawling developments with McMansions sitting on tiny lots (.2 acre). In the Bergen, Passaic, Morris county areas of NJ, you don't see those kind of sprawly developments.
I have never once said that anyone was a "carpetbagger" and once more- please re-read what my response was to the initial reaction: The reasons Knoxville might appear more ideal to someone from NJ ( Perhaps I should have been generic and said the entire Northeast) was due almost entirely for economic reasons. If that was misinterpreted then I'm sorry.
Look- I've lived in New England and the West Coast. Both areas have had the same things in common: longstanding Anti-growth NIMBYism that makes new housing development nearly impossible. Sure- in the end that retains the old world charm but also turns a lot of those areas into picturesque upscale enclaves for the wealthy. The cute and charming SF Bay Area neighborhood I live in is full of darling little homes built from the 1890's-the 1930's... and you can buy one of these little jewels for a cool $600,000 or so. Anything new that ever gets proposed- whether it be a bus stop, a shopping mall, or a new housing development- is shot down almost immediately. Everyone goes on and on and on about the "Quality of life" and how that building new houses would ruin everything, which to me is ironic because some of these people have kids and you wonder where the kids are going to live someday.
So- yes- I fully and totally understand the dynamic of such an area. Knoxville to me is sort of the total opposite. Build houses everywhere and anywhere. Doesn't matter. Clear off a hilltop or grade a field next to the freeway and fill er' up with vanilla houses. This is all relatively new. Hardly anything was new when I was a kid. Things were pretty sleepy back then. I'm not saying that was necessarily a good thing. It was definitely economically depressed.
So therein lies the dilemma: how to find a balance between outright sprawl and turning areas into unaffordable museums. Both have their own pros and cons. If you want to know the truth I'd probably choose sprawly and affordable over charming and unaffordable. So do most other people and that is why the Southeast is having this explosion in growth. So- do I understand why people from other places are moving to the Southeast at the rate that they are? Yes. The reasons are almost entirely economically driven. Do I blame them for "messing things up"? No. We're a migratory country and historically people will move to wherever they perceive economic opportunity. I would be lying if I said some of this didn't concern me a bit. But time marches on and places change in the name of progress and perhaps I am a bit of a curmudgeon. I'll tell you this though: I never appreciated Knoxville or the Southeast that much until I moved away. The quality of life there is so much better than any of the other places I've lived. So again- Do I blame people for wanting to move there? Not in the least.
I don't really agree. I did at one time. You and I both discussed how people were coming to the Knoxville are based solely for economic reasons. That was what I was afraid of. I have since found that not to be true in the long run.
I think there were a lot of people that moved from Florida to escape the high prices. Of course that has since cooled down. I can get a better home in swFlorida for less than I can in Knoxville.
But yes, there are still people coming from Jersey to escape the high taxes. And there are a few from The Midwest for jobs.
But I've found that they are very few and far between. And the ones that come just for pure economic reasons all eventually leave. I think Knoxville - and East Tennessee in general - has to be your cup of tea or you'll go elsewhere. I've seen my fair share of complainers that liked things better in Jersey, Michigan or Florida, but they all go away. They were never here for the friendly people or the schools or the way of life to begin with and they can't stand the place and move away.
I said then it would be a big mistake to come here based on economic reasons and I was correct.
I also closely worked with people moving in from other parts of the country. I can tell you that this area still carries a lot of stereotypes in folks' minds. There are a lot of misconceptions and contrary to what you think, people may say they want to move here but an awful lot visit, go home and don't return. It's not for everyone.
We moved here because of the schools, because of the nice folks, because manners still ruled the land, things that I am use to and it is why I continue to stay. If we end up leaving it will be because we are forced to due to economic reasons.
I can't agree enough that places like New England take "preservation" to another level and I absolutely abhor politicians lining their pockets and approving everything in sight. I got enough of that in Florida to last a lifetime. And the surely paid for it, didn't they?
I guess I am not as panicked as you, sliverbox, because I do not see this area as the second coming of Florida or Southern California. There has been growth but it isn't as bad as all that. In Florida they razed old homes, for crying out loud. Most of the older stock is gone. When we were moving away there was a huge controversy because a beautiful home in Naples, right on the water and one of the originals was going to be knocked down and replaced with condos. The local historical society fought but they lost. And all for what? To watch the market collapse two years later?
I seriously doubt that something like that would be allowed to happen in Knoxville. People have too much pride of heritage and place.
In Florida, it is new or it is nothing. It's just the way they like it and it attracts people like that. It's the same kind of people that hates historical, culture and charm. The kind of people that avoid places like Knoxville. They like gated, cookie cutter, ugly-storefronts, fake lifestyles.
You are all over City-Data complaining about the Yankees that took over your hometown. Maybe I'd feel the same way, too, but probably not. You don't even live here anymore. Are we all suppose to not move here because you don't want us, meanwhile you live in San Francisco? You tell people that you will probably move to Austin, if anywhere. I notice you like liberal areas. Maybe Knoxville is no longer your cup of tea.
But one minute you are railing against the northeasterners that love cookie-cutter (I think Midwesterners are the ones that tend to like this sort of thing, but whatever) and the next minute we are preservationists that never approve anything. I think you just have sour grapes. You have complainined about the same stuff for years and you still live elsewhere.
It's the same kind of people that hates historical, culture and charm. The kind of people that avoid places like Knoxville. They like gated, cookie cutter, ugly-storefronts, fake lifestyles.
I'd probably choose sprawly and affordable over charming and unaffordable
The nice thing about Knoxville is you can have affordable charming houses real close in. Some may not have top-notch schools but that's not an issue for everyone. And if you don't mind living among people who don't look or speak like yourself the houses can be very affordable.
I suppose someday I'll gripe about the outsiders moving in but as long as there are houses being torn down because no one cares enough to fix them up, then I'll be quiet.
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There's a lot more to New Jersey than Trenton and Newark. It also has some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country. And speaking of which, a lot of Jersey is rural and breathtaking. 
