Moving East - 6/27/2021

Moved to Chattanooga from the San Francisco Bay area. It was a hard one but after losing much in the 2017, 2018, 2019 annual wildfire festival of California I got tired of all the fun of running for my life at two AM in the morning so we decided to move. Looked at over 40 metro areas and came up with the suburbs of Chattanooga. This place is pretty awesome with endless nature, cheap...ahh...cheaper gas, no state income tax, unbelievably friendly people, exploding local economy, not just based on fake jobs that are fueled by unproven tech but real manufacturing and quality of life jobs. Weather is a bit too hot from July to middle of September but its better than dying in a wildfire.

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Let's get real about Chattanooga. - 3/17/2021

I feel like the crime in Chattanooga gets glossed over in most reviews. Lived here virtually my entire life and I will truly miss the golden sunrises against the mountains and the rivers of fog in the fall blanketing the valleys, but my family is planning on relocating in part due to crime. I don't like gunshots outside my window. Hey, it's pretty to visit, but you might want to seriously think about living here because of the crime. Weigh the variables as they say. Shootings are constant and not just in a particular area. We had a guy shoot up a car full of little kids downtown this last year right by the Read House and all the swank new development on Chestnut Street. It was probably gang related retaliation, but the reason for a crime does not prevent you from catching a stray bullet. A pissed off boyfriend ambushed his girlfriend's workplace harasser in a quiet suburb and shot him dead. At one point, King Street, adjacent to all the development money being poured into downtown and the southside was rated one of the deadliest streets in the United States (2010) in an ABC story. Chattanooga's per capita violent crime rates are consistently high and beat out many much larger metropolitan areas for position. We get a big fat "F" when it comes to both violent and property crimes. Our 2019 numbers released by the FBI show that we were neck and neck with Chicago for murders rate per 100k people (18.1 for Chatt. and 18.2 for Chi.). And I don't think they're counting the stuff that happens in the outlying areas or the people taken out or raped by cops. In case you don't know...that ain't good people. They don't brag about that in their commercials or brochures. It's all sweet tea, choo choo trains, and high speed internet. Oh, and the public schools have been neglected for decades. The new superintendent is working hard on the issue, but it's an uphill battle. He seems like a capable guy who's a leader and not just a manager. I think if anyone can turn things around - it's him. If you do move here, take your Allegra, practice your breathing while sitting on I-24, and watch out for Georgians trying to steal your water. If it gets to be too much, just turn your head and look at the pretty mountains.

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“There”s a song for you in Tennessee “ - 1/1/2021

I live in nearby Cleveland TN where I have lived for 20 years. I like to shop and visit Chattanooga as there is a lot to do but they do have a very high crime rate. Walnut Street Bridge and the Art District section of Chattanooga is breathtaking. Chattanooga has many fine restaurants and paddle boarding or kayaking on the Tennessee River is a blast. There are also plenty of job opportunities in “Gig City”. I have lived in seven other states including Florida outside of Tampa but of all the places I have lived Eastern Tennessee is by far the best. A plus for the state is that there is no state income tax and after you have lived here for 12 months you get a free 2 years Community College education if you don’t already hold a degree. All in all, Tennessee is pretty awesome!

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Outdoors and Groups are the plus. - 11/25/2019

I'm gonna try to give an honest review because I didn't do enough research before moving here. I have been here about 10 years now. It isn't the best place but it's definitely far from the worst. There are a TON of outdoor activities and just as many groups if you want to make friends or be social. Triathlon is big here too with the Ironman events. Housing prices are definitely on the rise with the population burst. This leads me to the downsides. The traffic can be horrific. I-24 is a major thoroughfare for 18-wheelers and they can congest the interstate. The job market seems fairly good though. I am an in engineering and have only held two positions in the 10 years I have been here but work seems steady and well compensated. Manufacturing can be a fickle beast though and I have seen quite a few lay offs while living here. All in all Chattanooga isn't terrible. I wouldn't go too far West though. I made the mistake of buying a house in South Pittsburg. That place should be avoided at all costs. I would read the negative posts and apply that logic to that area for sure. People are so far inbred you'd think it was a halloween costume contest. Don't get me started on the radiating stupidity of that area. First winter after buying my house, my waterline broke by the meter. No big deal, I can fix it. So I dig a hole around the water line in the freezing cold after work. I'm covered in mud determining what I need to do to fix it when the local Barney Fife comes rolling up with his lights flashing. Jumps out of the car and demands to know what I'm doing. So I calmly explain, the water line broke and I'm trying to fix it. "Do you live here?!" ...No... I'm just a really nice citizen fixing someone else's water line. He proceeds to demand to see some ID and hassles me for an additional 20 minutes. Long story short....avoid South Pittsburg. If you have a small child or children, Chattanooga is pretty great. There are a lot of activities for the kids. The zoo is small but awesome, the Hunter art museum and sculptor garden is a great afternoon, then you have all the tourist stuff like the aquarium, Rock City etc. So, weigh your pros and cons. Traffic is terrible, housing is expensive but outdoor activities are plentiful and it's quite beautiful in the fall. Just avoid South Pittsburg for the love of the sweet baby jesus.

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Eh - 3/18/2019

Lived here almost 10 years. Some pros: Gorgeous nature Pretty good foodie town, a lot of great dining options Cons: Unless you're born and raised/WASP who goes to small group good luck feeling like you fit in... boring town with hardly any real actually fun events traffic getting worse, no good shopping, it smells really bad

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No thanks. - 2/19/2019

No job opportunities for college grads. One of the worst climates in America for allergy sufferers. Backwards, low-rent industrialized and country/gentrified community and poor job market coupled with virtually no real local singles scene. Good place for retirees; just too bad about the kids.... Forget any upward ability here. People aren't friendly, or at least not honestly so. If you're a minority of any stripe, or could be suspected of being one....stay away. You'll probably see another 'good' review here soon, but don't buy the hype. The local commerce department has to do something. It's all about the tourism here, I'm afraid.

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Can’t wait to relocate - 2/13/2019

We are moving there this summer based on many relocation trips, how the city makes us feel, the people and the quality of life based in weather and things to do. Cannot get there quick enough!!

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Best Town Ever, per Outside Magazine in 2015 - 1/14/2019

All my friends who visit Chattanooga say they want to move here. Great weather, tons to see and do, friendly people, many excellent breweries, bars and restaurants, low cost of living, no state income tax, very walkable in-town neighborhoods, 13 mile paved path for walking and biking along the river that runs through town. Abundant Healthcare with 3 large hospitals within a mile of downtown. I could go on and on. The downtown, Northside and Southside neighborhoods have experienced a tremendous amount of investment, revitalization, new restaurants, breweries, retail shops, apartments, condos, houses, etc. It has truly been an amazing transformation over the past 5 years. The Chattanooga area has so much to offer with an abundance of outdoor activities available nearby combined with a vibrant arts and theater scene. Come visit ... you might just find that you want to stay! www.outsideonline.com/2008956/why-chattanooga-best-town-ever www.chattanoogafun.com/blog/post/a-guide-to-chattanoogas-riverwalk/

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Chattanooga is a hole. - 11/27/2018

I'm not wasting my time writing another review that won't be posted. This place sucks.

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Single? Want a social life? Maybe a job? - 11/27/2018

Wallet Hub rates this place 138 out of 182 in its 'Best and Worst Cities for Singles List', with Atlanta being number one. I hear college graduates aren't just seen as 'over-educated' there also.

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Better than living in Calcutta, I suppose. -_- - 11/25/2018

After moving here from Knoxville, TN when I was ten, the best thing I can say about this prison city that I've lived in for the past three decades is that quality of life here is better than in half of the rest of Obama's America, but that's really not saying much. I suppose if you're an uneducated, low wage union worker redneck who thinks that everyone different is gay and that books are for fairies, you won't simply like it here, you'll thrive with your litter of offspring and trailer trash wife. You can go fishing, sometimes, in the polluted river (they've got some really big catfish here; just don't eat them)....and enjoy the early morning smog, and the air quality which literally kills birds, small animals, and people with allergies and some days is actually less than Beijing's. Also, if you're slightly higher class, you can be a pretentious 'metrosexualized' faux liberal yuppie with the actual sensibilities and judgment of your neighbors as a Quaker might exhibit during a witch-hunt. But hey, man....we're all ABOUT community. We do small town big. Don't worry about college either....you don't want to be uppity, OVER-EDUCATED, and unemployed in the sporadic local 'job market' of extreme minimum wage Amazon and VW drones (besides, Chattanooga State, the local community college, has a graduation rate now of a whopping ten percent....and good luck finding parking anywhere at UTC). If you're a socialist millennial (and yes, we have a bevy of 'em) you can always enjoy the welfare, just don't get hurt here: good luck with the hospitals and insurance. Recreational past times for citizens of Chattanooga include casual paranoid bigotry and commentary, gossip, bullying, gossip, loud hoots and catcalls directed creepily enough at men, gossip, games such as 'corn-hole' and 'stab-em-n'-the-back', near 70's era racism and NASCAR.....ooh BOY! Did I mention gossip? If you're going downtown you can enjoy bullet tag, or maybe skip on over the state line into Rossville, GA where you can find fugly but cheap prostitutes with good hard drugs. We don't have arcades here, but you can enjoy a good game of Frogger every time you get behind the wheel. Basically, this place is one big Dixieland cracker-jack progressive idiot's paradise. Come on down. We can't get enough rubes. And just remember if this place isn't to your liking.....it's just because we're better than you. The South's gonna do it again! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWWWWW. :-)

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A Smaller City With Character Coming Into Its Own - 8/7/2018

When my husband's job required us to move here five years ago from California, I was distraught. But once we arrived, I was impressed by the friendliness of the people, the vibrant art, writing and music community, the excellent public radio station, and the restaurants which are getting better and better as the population diversifies. Water sports enthusiasts can boat, kayak and paddle board on the TN River, and hang glide off Lookout Mountain. You can find excellent hiking trails locally or within a half hour drive. Chatt has its own symphony and ballet, plus live theater. To have all of this is all but unheard of in smaller towns. We're picky, having lived in the Bay Area most of our lives, so these features are important, to say the least. We were thrilled by the extremely low cost of housing. CA averages are now around $700K. Here comparable dwellings will cost you around $220-300K. When your mortgage, insurance & property taxes are well under $1000, life becomes pretty much stress-free. Other services are dirt cheap, i.e. getting my car smogged in CA cost over $80, here a mere $9. Gas there is almost $4/gal, here it's $2.30. Yes, there are challenges here: schools need a lot of improvement, yet there are many bright lights. Chatt State offers a low-cost mechatronics program to transition people into modern manufacturing jobs at places like Volkswagen. Crime is high in poverty areas, as it is in many other cities, but pretty low elsewhere. As other companies relocate here and unemployment falls, that will likely change significantly. Chatt made up its mind to clean up the city and the beautiful Tennessee River in the late 90s, rightfully earning it the title, Scenic City. And because EPB went Fiber Optic, we're also known as Gig City, due to our cheap high-speed internet. Thanks to TVA, our electricity cost per kilowatt hour is 50% lower than in CA. And then, of course, we pay no state income tax (saving this family over $30K per year). Chattanooga abounds with many cultural things to do--art galleries, museums, the Aquarium, free summer concerts every Friday, Riverbend, the Bluegrass Festival, Jazzanooga... If you listen to WUTC in the afternoons, you'll often get to hear live interviews with top local and visiting musicians, curated by Richard Winham--one of the nation's authorities on music. Public art can be seen everywhere, and we've got acres set aside to feature amazing metal sculptures. As older neighborhoods such as the South Side are revitalized, children and pets enjoy more parks. Of course, Chattanooga and nearby Chickamauga are important destinations for Civil War buffs, and Chatt now hosts the Ironman Competition. It's difficult to understand why anyone would give this town a bum rating when it checks so many boxes. Maybe the sour pusses need to spend time elsewhere, as I have, because Chatt rates near the top of all the cities I've ever lived in or visited, including San Francisco, LA, San Diego, or Washington DC. If you haven't made enough friends, join Meetup. If you're struggling to find better employment, check out Chatt State's many programs that can help with that. If you're worried about investing in a home here, just remember the airport is being expanded. Once that happens, more companies will relocate here. Think about it. Atlanta & Marietta are overcrowded, so construction is moving north. Floridians and East Coasters are coming here to escape the increasing hurricanes. Northerners are coming down here because they're sick of being snowed in, and Westerners are coming here because they can't afford the cost of living. IMO, Chattanooga is the place to be if you want to put down roots that will bear fruit in the long run.

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Chattanooga is great if you're white. - 3/18/2018

Tennessee has ranked #1 in crime for many years, according to FBI statistics, and Chattanooga is 87% high in crime than the rest of Tennessee. There is a terrible gang problem in this city but you won't hear much about it in the media. Why the gang problems? Chattanooga has always ignored the people of color who call it home. We have shown over and over that this community is irrelevant. Keep that in mind if you're considering living here. It is currently heavily engaged in pushing minorities out of historically "black" neighborhoods and gentrifying those old neighborhoods. Chattanooga is a big lie. Sure, it looks pretty on the outside, but look a little deeper. It's really sick inside.

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Friendly and fun city - 11/25/2017

Overall a very friendly and fun city that is generally safe. Lots of options for housing, lots of jobs, and outdoor activities are great. Yes, it is in the Bible belt, if that offends you though people won't judge you for not going to Church!

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Chattanooga - 3/11/2016

Chattanooga is a great place to live. It has a great creative culture for a city its size and a thriving nightlife. It's a wonderful place to enjoy the great outdoors, also.

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Bible Belt - 8/8/2015

50' crosses are everywhere, go it is an evangelical delight, but not so great for those who do not drink that flavor of koolaid.

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Choo Choo Town - 8/16/2014

We have lived in the South for 17 years. Seven years in Columbia SC and 10 in Hixson TN which is about 13 miles out of Chattanooga. We live close to the lake and keep a boat at a Marina 10 minutes away. We're originally from Southern Maine where we lived in Cumberland. Just a short distance from Freeport & LL Bean. While Maine is wonderful State we just got tired of the snow and cold & would rather visit then return to our home in TN. When we lived in Maine we skied in the winter and sailed the coast in the summer. If you like outside activities I think Chattanooga has it all... except downhill skiing, but there are places in West VA not far away. We have lake Chickamauga which is part of the TN River. You can actually travel to Knoxville or Nashville or even get to the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. We own a power boat which being sailors we never thought we'd do and unlike Maine it stays in the water year round. A New Years Day cruise is an annual event. We also have kayaks to explore the shallow parts of the river or slews as they are called. I still prefer the ocean where you can go to towns more directly and there is more sea life such as seals & dolphins. We also have mountains, hiking & biking, and lots of fishing. The Cost of Living here is below the national average and well below the cost of living in Maine. While we cool our home in the summer & heat during the winter, it is cheaper than heating in Maine. The sales tax is 9%, but no State Income tax and everyone has to pay it. Or we can go to Georgia which is a short distance and avoid our higher tax. Georgia's tax is lower, they have a State Income Tax and excise tax on cars. We don't have excise or personal property tax in TN and pay $26 to register our vehicles. The tax on buying cars is less than 9% but not sure. I'll have to check that. Homes are cheaper than Maine & property taxes are low. We have a 3000 sqft home worth about $310,000 and pay about $2400 in property tax. Gas also runs below the national average. The people here are very friendly. People you don't even know will wave. Back in the 60's & 70's Chattanooga was a pretty dirty town with a lot of industry. A lot of that is gone now & the city is very clean. A friend in Columbia met some folks who had moved around a lot and they told him of all the places they had lived in Chattanooga was their favorite. Long summers 7 short winters. Yes, the summers are hot, but your body adjusts just like it does living up North during the winter. We do get an occasional dusting of snow which is nice because it's usually gone by noon. I don't believe Chattanooga gets high ranks for Crime, but there are different ways to count crime which makes us look worse than it is. I feel as safe here as I did in SC & Maine. After living in SC where there is a large African American population I went back to Maine on vacation. Sitting there I noticed there was not a lot of black folks. Then realized wherever you live there will always be a percentage of people who thru no fault if there own are less educated & finically challenged. So poverty and violence is not a color thing. And last this is where a lot of the Civil War was fought so if you like that type of history Chattanooga (Lookout Mountain) and Georgia (Chickamauga Battlefield) as well as many other sites. Also Tornado alley is in the western part of the state although in todays weather world it can happen anywhere. We love it here and while Maine will always be dear to our hearts, we're Damn Yankees. We ain't leaving. (I didn't spend oa lot of time word smithing etc so plead forgive any mistakes)

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One of the worst places I've ever lived - 3/8/2014

I have lived in many areas of the USA and been to 22 countries. After moving here from Florida I find this place to be the most narrow-minded backwards place I've see. Religion is over the top and if you plan on having friends forget about it if you're not from here because you will be viewed as an outsider. I can't wait to sell my house and move back to Florida.

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Worse place for a social life. - 3/8/2014

I moved here from Orlando FL. I had many friends there but here is like a whole new planet. Here the people treat you as an outsider and unless you go to church forget about it, you will never have many friends. I am very friendly and outgoing but this place is not. I have never lived in such a backward place. Sure the outdoor life here is ok if you're into sports. I cannot wait until I can go back to FL and never look back.

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Loved Chattanooga - 6/27/2013

We visited Chattanooga last weekend for the first time and found it wonderful. We both admitted we saw the "squeaky clean - tourist side" but found it nothing short of impressive. The riverfront and downtown were overflowing with people and the parks are beautiful. We entered the park's restroom on the North Shore to find it trashed...typical teens....I guessed. Didn't realize there was such a crime/gang problem. I was approached once by a pan-handler for money. He just came out of one of the nicer restaurants and was better dressed than my wife and I. He said, "Spare some change for dinner?" I said, "I was about to ask you the same thing" The bike trails, river activities and tourist trade should leave Chatt thriving for a long time. Hopefully your city fathers/mothers will quit turning a blind eye to the crime and minorities. From what I saw, I could live there. We will visit again..!

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