The is no place I'd rather be than in Chattanooga,
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6/30/2010
I was born and raised north of Chattanooga in Hixson, (which is now in the city limits). After I graduated from Hixson High I went in the Air Force and left Chattanooga. When I left (1979), downtown was seedy. There were many areas/neighborhoods you just didn’t venture after dark, especially in the downtown area. Over the yrs I lived in MS, MI, FL and NV. I've visited and spent time in every state in the Continental US including AK, plus Mexico and Canada. We lived in Las Vegas, NV for 26 yrs and decided it was time to leave that illegal immigrant, crime infested area about 2 yrs ago. We moved to the Chattanooga area in July 2009. I am amazed and so please to see the revitalization of the downtown area. There is so much to do here including many family friendly activities. In the downtown area there is a free admittance Farmer’s market (Chattanooga Market) that features local grown foods and goods from local craftsman and artisans, free concerts in the park (Nightfall), the Tennessee Aquarium, many eateries, including local owned and national franchises. There are shows including concerts, theater production, symphony orchestra and art exhibits. The rich history is intertwined with outdoor recreation in areas such as the Riverwalk (an 8+ mile walking, jogging, bike route from Ross’s Landing downtown to the TVA’s Chickamauga Dam which dams the TN River north of the city. Each year the city is host to a 9-day, 5 stage, 100+ band music festival called Riverbend. Riverbend 2010 saw acts such as Alison Krause, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker and Charlie Daniels. Most places you’d pay $50 per person (or more) to see just one of those acts. Entrance to Riverbend for the whole 9 days, cost $30 and you could see those acts AND some 95+ others for that one admission charge! That’s value for your entertainment dollar!! The city as a whole is friendly, health and green environment minded. The air, water and city as a whole, is cleaner than during my childhood. Housing prices are reasonable for the area, cost of living and wages are a fair match. In the current economic environment, though the region has and is feeling the strain, all things considered the area seems to be fairing well. There really is no place I’d rather live than the Chattanooga area. In my opinion, the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau tag line “Chattanooga – A Great City by Nature!” is true!
Bp | Chattanooga, TN