I moved to Knoxville from the far North/Midwest 6 years ago. I have had a mixed experience. It does seem true that the folks down here do not like northerners. They are very closed-minded and prejudiced. I am a professional that happened to get a decent job here, but even my co-workers (who are southern) don't like us northern folks. Hint: After about 6 months of living in Knoxville, someone told me the truth about what it means when a southern woman says, "Oh, bless your heart," when you tell them you're from up north -- It means, "F**k you, b**ch." The housing costs are actually reasonable (IMHO), especially when you consider the property tax is so low here compared to the state I moved from (about 3x lower here). But there is a lot of crime, much of which does not go reported -- or if you do (attempt to) report it, the police will discourage you from doing so. The law enforcement here are a joke. I live in a nice neighborhood on the west side, and in attempting to report one incident of vandalism, my family was treated as if we were the criminals (it seemed the police did not want to have to do any paperwork). My husband and I also witnesses a gang-type shooting near downtown this year (2013), and by the time the "authorities" filtered the 'select' information to the news media, it was reported as a car accident with minor injuries (the ghetto gang members were actually shooting at each other back and forth from cars, until one of them crashed into a tree in some project-type apartments and a female was shot in the leg/ankle). I suppose they encourage under-reporting to make our city look safer than it is, so new people and new businesses will move here. But, Knoxville is not unique in this respect --there is corruption everywhere, in every city and especially in every government unit and with law enforcement.
As another commented, yes, the drivers are HORRIBLE here! It is terribly easy to get a driver's license here, and the lazy government DMV workers don't really give a driver's test (you have to drive around the block is all, and it doesn't matter how well or bad you do at it). People often sit through green lights, blow through red lights, and will yell at you out there window if you tap if on the horn suggesting they "go" at green after waiting patiently for a minute so. Example (and I have many more similar): a person dead stopped on Kingston Pike at a green light... I tapped the horn after awhile, and she screamed out the window that she was trying to program her GPS! (WTF?.. and I'm the inconsiderate one!??) Examples like this abound.
Yes, the water is bad, but I don't drink it. There are a lot of drugs, but isn't that pretty much everywhere now?
The public schools here are a joke, with disgruntled teachers and administrators clearly only the field for the money and prestige of their position.
It's just the Walmart, Obama-owes-me-everything mentality; and it's not just Knoxville.
On the positive side: Market Square is a cool place to hang out and people watch (but be vigilant and aware at all times). There are lots of restaurants (but they'll seldom get your order correct the first time). The weather is better than the far-north (except for the relentless rain).
L |
Ogden, UT |
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