Oak Ridge (Knoxville, Clinton, Savannah: rent, hotel, houses)

[onetoughkitty]

Okay guys, so tell me what the deal is with Oak Ridge? It seems to have a really good school, a pretty good job market, and rent /housing seems pretty cheap. Why does it seem so unpopular? Is it just it's distance from Knoxville? Is it the reputation of it being a nuclear city?

[creeksitter]

Some of the houses are cheap because they are the older mass produced pre-fab models.

Since the highly paid scientists are likely to be living in newer housing, I guess there's a glut. And some people from poorer surrounding counties have moved into the older houses. So you find snobs who don't want to rub shoulders with the poors. That's who's talking it down. I think OR is a good value for the money.

[Tarzanman]

Latent radioactivity? ;-)

[danielj72]

I like Oak Ridge. I see nothing wrong with that community, good housing stock, all the shopping and restaurants needed for a town that size and its relatively close to West Knoxville and all it has to offer. I don't understand why people run it down.

[hiknapster]

I don't like its distance from downtown Knoxville. But if you're not into that, it could be a good choice. It has an excellent high school and community center.

[Barking Spider]

Sorry, I don't consider Walmart "shopping".

[creeksitter]

You make a good point mr. Spider - OR is not a place for the recreational shopper. But it is close enough to Turkey Creek for monthly forays.

[LauraC]

I practically never go to Knoxville. I've never been downtown in 8 years and do 90% of my shopping on line. Never been to Turkey Creek. I just don't like cities. I like Oak Ridge for the sprawl.

[danielj72]

Turkey creek is only 15 minutes from OR. Downtown is not really that far either. Driving a half hour to get somewhere for entertainment is not really a big deal. However I have lived in rural areas most of my life and its just normal to me. I guess if you are a city slicker a 15 minute drive is more significant lol.

[hiknapster]

Knoxville isn't a "city slicker" kind of a place, even downtown. The city center resembles a large town and the people make it feel that way as well.

I guess it is a matter of perspective. Danielj, didn't you say you never heard of a calzone, before? I'm just teasing, but I am also making a point about people's past experiences and how they view things. (Please don't take offense.)

On the other hand, folks like LauraC worked in a big city - I think - and in retirement, want nothing to do with any cities, even if Knoxville resembles more of a big town. I think she'd be very surprised if she visited downtown Knoxville, but it is her retirement, may she enjoy it any way she pleases!

This is a forum and we all bring our very unique perspectives. Some people think it's unbearably hot and humid in the summer in East Tennessee, others find it a welcome break from places like Florida, Louisiana, Savannah, etc.

Frankly, I'm a very small town gal, hailing from a town of 14,000. But I've lived in other places. But if I lived in Oak Ridge and wanted to go to a good restaurant that wasn't a chain (not that there aren't some in OR, but not many), or wanted to attend one of the numerous festivals held in Knoxville, or a concert or event at Thompson-Boling Arena, the Tennessee Theater, the Bijou, First Friday events, concerts, plays, games, public exhibits and lectures at the University of Tennessee, living in Oak Ridge would be a huge hassle to me.

Gas is always a consideration.

I'll say that I first lived in far north Knox County, almost to the Anderson County line. It was a 19-minute drive to downtown, so very doable, but even that got old after awhile.

If I had the choice of moving back there, or to Oak Ridge, though, I'd probably choose the latter. There are a lot of professional people in OR, along with some very nice locals. They give the place a nice vibe, and there are things to do there. As I mentioned before, the community center is wonderful, complete with an indoor pool. When Oak Ridge ceased being the secret city, the federal government paid back its residents by giving them great amenities such as the center.

And the high school is the best in the area. That's saying something because there are a lot of very, very good schools in Knoxville, but Oak Ridge consistently stands above them. Just don't move to the Clinton area if you have kids. The schools are not in that range.

One other important point. The Oak Ridge Mall has been a real issue. The mayor recently said, "the current mall property is a black hole in the middle of our city that we have been trying to fill for the last 20 years." The town has been promising that it would be redeveloped for many years, but it just may come to pass in the near future. The groundbreaking and demo of the mall will happen at the end of next month. Belk and JC Penney will stay, supposedly another anchor store has agreed to come in, a hotel will be constructed, and I've heard that some residential units are possible.

I haven't heard a projected date for completion, although those are almost never adhered to, anyway.

Bottom line is, go where you can find a job. If it is in OR, by all means, check it out. Or West Knoxville, Karns, Powell, etc. But if it is in downtown Knoxville, I would not want to move to OR.

People come on here and say they don't mind a long commute. When I was a transplant, I thought the same thing. I was looking at a commute of 35 minutes to one hour, depending on the where I chose to live. A local told me that people around here try to live close to where they work, play, worship, have interests. She was right and I'm glad I followed her advice. It will make a difference with neighbors, co-workers, activities after work. People are very friendly here and interact a lot.

Hopefully, this gives you some food for thought.