So Cal to TN relocation -- Crime concerns? (Knoxville, Chattanooga: transplants, university)

[WestEndGirl26]

Hi -- I have lived in So Calif all my life and am looking for a change of scene with more greenery, four seasons and more affordable housing/lifestyle. I'm single (divorced) in my 50's, and want to be near city amenities but living in an area with open spaces and nature. I love mountains, hiking, rivers, waterfalls, and am a landscape photography buff.

I had narrowed it down to the Knoxville or Chattanooga, TN area, or Greenville, SC, possibly Fort Mill. Was getting excited, but something called my attention to crime statistics, and all these locations seem to have a lot of crime compared to areas I have lived. It may be a reason they are not on as many "best places to live" lists as I would think they would be based on other attractive factors.

I'm writing here to get opinions from residents. Does crime impact you personally? Are there communities near Knoxville that feel safe? Maryville? Was planning to visit soon but got a little spooked by some pretty surprising statistics I read, and you really can't tell a lot about crime from a 2 week visit.

Also, any So Cal transplants that have opinions on 'culture shock' warnings? I'm not extremely conservative or liberal, but not a church attender. It seems to me we are an increasingly mobile country, so culture may be 'melding' and not as much of an issue. More so in cities though and not suburbs?

Thank you!!

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by WestEndGirl26

Hi -- I have lived in So Calif all my life and am looking for a change of scene with more greenery, four seasons and more affordable housing/lifestyle. I'm single (divorced) in my 50's, and want to be near city amenities but living in an area with open spaces and nature. I love mountains, hiking, rivers, waterfalls, and am a landscape photography buff.

I had narrowed it down to the Knoxville or Chattanooga, TN area, or Greenville, SC, possibly Fort Mill. Was getting excited, but something called my attention to crime statistics, and all these locations seem to have a lot of crime compared to areas I have lived. It may be a reason they are not on as many "best places to live" lists as I would think they would be based on other attractive factors.

I'm writing here to get opinions from residents. Does crime impact you personally? Are there communities near Knoxville that feel safe? Maryville? Was planning to visit soon but got a little spooked by some pretty surprising statistics I read, and you really can't tell a lot about crime from a 2 week visit.

Also, any So Cal transplants that have opinions on 'culture shock' warnings? I'm not extremely conservative or liberal, but not a church attender. It seems to me we are an increasingly mobile country, so culture may be 'melding' and not as much of an issue. More so in cities though and not suburbs?

Thank you!!

Crime stats have been discussed to death here, always seems to be a concern, but basically it has to do with the way crime is reported in TN as compared to other places
here are a couple of links so you can do your own digging

https://www.city-data.com/forum/36615494-post18.html

https://www.raidsonline.com/

[KathiOH1]

I'm a transplant, so I think I can speak to one of your questions informatively. The biggest culture shocks you might have are:

We're not as healthy as we should be -- big food (we rock BBQ) and lots of tobacco (grown around here)
Church is a major part of social life -- Lots of stuff happens in churches because of available space.
We hug ... a lot. We also smile a lot. Maybe it's because sunshine and good food keeps us happy.
Sooo many people drive trucks -- it appears to be a status symbol here (just kidding ... sorta).
Poor grammar is colloquial rather than lack of intelligence. It will ruffle your feathers a while until you catch yourself doing it.
If someone blesses your heart, they are NOT being nice. That's how southerners insult with sweetness. lol
If someone says they don't care to, it means yes ... not no. Crazy, huh?
Pictures are "made" not "taken."

All joking aside, Knoxville is wonderful because so many people embace the mountains and outdoor activity. I wasn't joking about all the big people, but we also have a ton of incredibly fit older folks like myself. The Smokies will keep you fit if you give into hiking.

[Likesim]

We moved to Knoxville from San Diego County last year. The biggest cultural change was the food - as the above poster mentioned, lots of bbq, ribs, etc. Not so big on salads. I've had a hard time finding good produce at a good price. No Sprouts here! We miss Boudin Bakery every single day. Also, people WILL ask you what church you attend, and if you don't have one, they will invite you, nicely, to try theirs. But I'm sure if you say you're not interested, they will back off. We live in the suburb of Farragut and have not been impacted by crime, at least so far. The local suburban paper has a crime report that seems to be mostly shoplifting at the nearby shopping centers and car break-ins. Knoxville has a lot of people from other places living here because of the university and places like Oakridge National Laboratory, etc. If you need to work, I'd advise looking for a job before you move here.

[Barking Spider]

I moved from Long Beach to KNoxville in 1994.
If you want salads, you can go to Jasons deli, Whole Foods, or Earthfare. I do miss In & Out Burger, El Pollo Loco, and a few other places.
There are so many food choices here, to say that there is only BBQ and fatty foods is just plain nuts.There are a lot of healthy food options here.
I'm really not sure what Kathi means about tobacco. First of all, there are very few places that allow smoking. Second, tobacco does not rule the economy in Knoxville in the slightest.
As far as crime is concerned...I have very little concern about the crime in Knoxville. The gang activity in Long Beach was getting closer and closer to our house, with drive by's and car jackings becoming more common. We have very little crime in the same way we had crime in the Long Beach / Los Angeles area when I lived there. Its been discussed here over and over, so you can read over past threads to get an idea.

While church activity is common here, very rarely will you be pressured into a conversation about church attendance. I attended church regularly in CA, so maybe I have a different perspective. I can tell you that I never initiate a conversation about church, nor am I asked about church attendance much. In my job I meet an average of 4 new people every day, and spend about 3 hours with them. It really just never comes up.

The first thing someone needs to remember when they relocate to a new area, is to immediately drop from their vocabulary the phrase that starts with...'Well, in (Fill in the blank for the last place you lived), we had this, or we did this, or we didn't have this...". If you moved here, you have to take this new place for what it is, and not try to make it like the place you left. After all, you left the other place for a reason, and no one really cares what you used to have, or do, or didn't do.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by KathiOH1

I'm a transplant, so I think I can speak to one of your questions informatively. The biggest culture shocks you might have are:

If someone blesses your heart, they are NOT being nice. That's how southerners insult with sweetness. lol

Let me correct this one just a little bit so that no one feels needlessly insulted. The bless your heart goes both ways. It can be and is often used as an expression of sympathy. It can also be used as a cutting comment.
It's all in the context, but if you haven't just said that your dog died or your wife ran off with the mailman, etc.... you might want to think about whether you just said something stupid or insulting to someone.

"Why don't you have _____ (costco, trader joe's, neiman marcus, whatever ) here?"
"Bless your heart, we just don't"
The insinuation that this place is not as good as where you came from is met with the insinuation that you are rude and ill mannered, a subtle southern insult, lol.
OTOH I got a lot of sincere 'bless your heart's when my daughter was in the hospital, and I appreciated the concern they expressed.

[Likesim]

Originally Posted by Barking Spider

I moved from Long Beach to KNoxville in 1994.
If you want salads, you can go to Jasons deli, Whole Foods, or Earthfare. I do miss In & Out Burger, El Pollo Loco, and a few other places.
There are so many food choices here, to say that there is only BBQ and fatty foods is just plain nuts.There are a lot of healthy food options here.
I'm really not sure what Kathi means about tobacco. First of all, there are very few places that allow smoking. Second, tobacco does not rule the economy in Knoxville in the slightest.
As far as crime is concerned...I have very little concern about the crime in Knoxville. The gang activity in Long Beach was getting closer and closer to our house, with drive by's and car jackings becoming more common. We have very little crime in the same way we had crime in the Long Beach / Los Angeles area when I lived there. Its been discussed here over and over, so you can read over past threads to get an idea.

While church activity is common here, very rarely will you be pressured into a conversation about church attendance. I attended church regularly in CA, so maybe I have a different perspective. I can tell you that I never initiate a conversation about church, nor am I asked about church attendance much. In my job I meet an average of 4 new people every day, and spend about 3 hours with them. It really just never comes up.

The first thing someone needs to remember when they relocate to a new area, is to immediately drop from their vocabulary the phrase that starts with...'Well, in (Fill in the blank for the last place you lived), we had this, or we did this, or we didn't have this...". If you moved here, you have to take this new place for what it is, and not try to make it like the place you left. After all, you left the other place for a reason, and no one really cares what you used to have, or do, or didn't do.

Yes, I agree with this last paragraph, and I'm sorry if I gave the impression I was complaining. I was just trying to point out some differences I've noticed myself. Knoxville is a great place to live. 😊

[WestEndGirl26]

Thanks for the info! Interesting that different state's crime reporting methods skew the statistics. California uses a different method than Tennessee. Can be misleading for people trying to compare!

Knox does sound like a very nice place. The distance to an affordable airport is a drawback that concerns me, but I love the mountain location and think the weather would work for me.

[Vascodagama]

Although I'm not in Knoxville I did transplant from SoCal to middle Tennessee. Culture shock for me was the lack of people, especially rude people, and the lack of traffic jams. Also, the political atmosphere is much different where Tennessee is more conservative and less social engineering (political correctness) like in SoCal. People in Tennessee are real and family oriented where people in SoCal are not so much. Cost of living is much more affordable in Tennessee where cost of living in SoCal is anything but affordable. Crime is much less in Tennessee compared to SoCal but at the same time more people in Tennessee are responsible gun owners and many have permits to carry where the only people who carry in SoCal are cops and criminals.

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Let me correct this one just a little bit so that no one feels needlessly insulted. The bless your heart goes both ways. It can be and is often used as an expression of sympathy.

That is very true, and I would wager that is the more common usage.