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.
Joel | South Pittsburg, TN