Looking for high elevation living in east TN, need advice (Memphis: low crime, home)

[bamabuilder86]

Hey guys and gals. I'll just get right to it. My better half and myself love east TN/west NC. We love the mountains. I've always been a weather nut anyways. We have vacationed in Gatlinburg, Boone, and all areas in between. Looking to move within the next couple of years. So here is kinda what we are looking for, and any advice would be awesome!

1. - Definitely want somewhere with a "deep south" feel. One of my biggest hindrances about a lot of these areas I've been to is the lack of that southern feel that I'm used to way down in Alabama. Maybe its not possible up there.

2. - Please no one take offense but I don't want to be in a "hippie" town. Nothing wrong with it, its just not my thing. Asheville and Boone in NC both seemed to have a heavy hippie influence.

3. - Gotta have a gym as that is our top hobby. We are both obsessed with the CrossFit craze and would need a "box" in the area.

4. - The further south the better. So Bristol and Johnson City would be a little too far, don't want to be too far from family.

5. - Of course the usual - good schools, low crime, etc

6. -We would be PERFECTLY ok living a little out from a town on a mountain, as long as we would have a short 10-20 minute drive in. Not necessarily looking for somewhere like Boone, NC that already sits at 3-4000 ft. Not sure if there are any ridgetops to live on in the Knoxville suburbs for instance.

That's a quick run down. Maybe I am looking for too much but I figured the best place to ask would be people on here who know. Again, any help is much appreciated.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by bamabuilder86

1. - Definitely want somewhere with a "deep south" feel. One of my biggest hindrances about a lot of these areas I've been to is the lack of that southern feel that I'm used to way down in Alabama. Maybe its not possible up there.

I don't think you are going to find that in TN. The Memphis area may come closest, as it has something of the delta culture about it, but obviously no mountains there.
Knoxville is a bit more Appalachia than 'deep south'. Northeast TN is more 'log cabin and moonshine' than 'southern plantation and mint juleps'.
I don't know much about the Chattanooga area, but it might be worth looking at, being near Atlanta it might have a little bit of what you're looking for, in theory at least.

[danielj72]

You really wont find that hippie thing on this side of the mountains, that is more in NC. As far as a "deep south" feel I think that one is going to be tough. Tennessee is the part of the upper south, or Appalachian south which does have a bit of a different environment then does the deep south. Plenty of southern culture here in Tennessee, just not deep south culture. If your looking to be in a high elevation area you will find an even stronger Appalachian culture as Double T stated. The deep south culture by its very nature only exists where plantations thrived, and in rocky high elevation places you don't find it. Instead you find southern mountain culture.

[creeksitter]

I think you should concentrate on the Chattanooga area. It is more "new south" than deep south but seems to have less of the appalachian influence than the rest of E TN. It also has small mountains right in town. Maybe some of the towns NW of Chatt on the Cumberland plateau for a more rural feel.

Suwanee might have a bit of the hippie vibe.

[Ted Bear]

Broadly speaking, much of Tennessee has that "southern gentility', but it doesn't wreak of 'plantation south' which you describe. It is more like a "libertarian Vermont' with a little southern accent (not really a drawl).

Stick to East/north east Tennessee for the 'higher' elevations which you seek. There is plenty of wild, rugged country. You'll have no need for a gym once you get out and start hiking in the hills.

[eastmemphisguy]

Deep South means the lowlands. High elevations areas of the South are completely different and always have been. Even in the very old days, this was true. People in the Deep South raised cash crops on plantations, whereas people in the highlands lived more self-sufficient lives by growing their own food.
Also, visiting somewhere isn't the same thing as living somewhere. Vacations are all about sights, fun, activities, etc. It would be nice if life were like that too, but for most of us, it's about more practical things. Jobs. Traffic. Cost.
All that said, if you want to be at a high elevation, fairly close to a city, but not in it, and in the Southern part of the state, suburban Chattanooga is the obvious place to start.

[SPLIT]

B.B. WELCOME.. I live on the north side of Chattanooga, lakefront, BUT I was just in this Georgia highlands area yesterday.. Called the Lookout mtn or Ridge south of Chattanooga.. The west side of the ridge would
be known as CloudLand Canyon state park.. (Off of I-59 Alabama ) Waterfall , etc.. The east side would be along route # 193. Georgia / Tn line..
Like comment above. Chattanooga is being on corporation fast track expansion.

[J&Em]

You may want to consider living in Blount County, just outside of Maryville for much of what you have requested. If you liked the scenery of Gatlinbug but want to be in a real town instead of a tourist trap, access to multiple gyms, shopping and town amenities it has all of those. For even more of the shopping it is close to a half hour trip to Knoxville There are many smaller hill tops and ridges with close views of the mountains within 15 minutes of town and several more exclusive home sites on the last mountain before the Smoky Mountain National Park if you want the elevation. Some of the areas you may want to consider in the county are Townsend, Walland , Chilhowee View and Lanier and even Greenback, all of which are closest to the mountains.

The culture locally is a mixture of southern and Appalachian with a dash of people from everywhere else in this country. We've never felt it was a whole lot different feel when it came to people we've met in Birmingham when we have visited.

Schools may be the only issue with staying outside of the larger towns. Knoxville is furthest from the mountains and has good schools, Maryville has good schools but still isn't in the mountains but at least has good close views of the mountains in several areas. The county schools are better than many in the state but are not as well rated. This will be an issue for many places you might be interested in in Eastern TN.

[mrs1885]

I think you're looking for two different things. That 'deep south' feel isn't really a TN mountains thing as noted by several people above. And although you're looking for a place with a gym, generally you'll find that in the areas that are more 'hippie' as you've called it. They tend to be more the gym type, whereas those in the more conservative areas tend to be the outdoor hiking types than gym types. Of course there is no such thing as being able to say that this is true of all people / all areas, but I think generally speaking it's what you'll find.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by bamabuilder86

Hey guys and gals. I'll just get right to it. My better half and myself love east TN/west NC. We love the mountains. I've always been a weather nut anyways. We have vacationed in Gatlinburg, Boone, and all areas in between. Looking to move within the next couple of years. So here is kinda what we are looking for, and any advice would be awesome!

1. - Definitely want somewhere with a "deep south" feel. One of my biggest hindrances about a lot of these areas I've been to is the lack of that southern feel that I'm used to way down in Alabama. Maybe its not possible up there.

2. - Please no one take offense but I don't want to be in a "hippie" town. Nothing wrong with it, its just not my thing. Asheville and Boone in NC both seemed to have a heavy hippie influence.

3. - Gotta have a gym as that is our top hobby. We are both obsessed with the CrossFit craze and would need a "box" in the area.

4. - The further south the better. So Bristol and Johnson City would be a little too far, don't want to be too far from family.

5. - Of course the usual - good schools, low crime, etc

6. -We would be PERFECTLY ok living a little out from a town on a mountain, as long as we would have a short 10-20 minute drive in. Not necessarily looking for somewhere like Boone, NC that already sits at 3-4000 ft. Not sure if there are any ridgetops to live on in the Knoxville suburbs for instance.

That's a quick run down. Maybe I am looking for too much but I figured the best place to ask would be people on here who know. Again, any help is much appreciated.

Do you have a job you need to live near to?