Choose Chattanooga or Johnson City - 12/3/2019
I've lived in Knoxville for over 7 years now and it's grown on me. I don't particularly like Knoxville, but it's where my family lives for now. I think that it has some good things going for it (businesses do well here, growing area, pretty surrounding areas- Smoky Mtns, etc.) but still lacks a LOT of the things that a city of 200,000 people should have.

Things I can't stand about Knoxville- Weather. The weather absolutely blows. It rarely snows, even when the rest of East Tennessee gets snow,, Knoxville is in a bowl and doesn't get much, if any, snow.
Drivers. I've lived in a LOT of places. At least 8 states, five countries on three continents. Id rather drive around ANYONE from these other places than Knoxville drivers. It's absolutely terrible.
City Planning- or the lack thereof. d Knoxville, until maybe the 90s or so was a rural town, with farming being a huge part of life. Whenever (not sure which decade?) Knoxville decided to modernize it's city Read More

TN is bate and switch! - 10/17/2019
TN is not what is seems. Living in TN 5 months and relocation was a bad move. The state has been anything but enjoyable since day one. The water is muddy and nothing I want to kayak or swim in for sure! The people have been rude and not truthful to say the least. I have yet to find a home that is built correctly or livable!! The cost of homes is a joke for what condition they are in. If you want a decent home and please keep in mind it is not perfect even at that price point is over 400,000. We have been renting which is well over 1200.00 month for ghetto. They call themselves "Luxury" LOL far from it. They have not been truthful since day one. We were lied to and now living in hell till march when the contract runs out. I can only hope we move to a better place. Jobs in TN are slim and the pay scale is so low it does not keep up with the cost of living in this state. TN has won the lottery with CA and NY moving in and raising the prices. They have changed a state to be over priced Read More

Knoxville is charming, but not much more than that - 3/11/2019
Let me start by saying that Knoxville is a very charming place, and if you are looking for a new place to live that is quiet, has a growing number of "hip" things such as breweries, restaurants etc, and is affordable, then it is certainly not a bad place to call home. I have been here for about two years, and have at times really enjoyed it.
The problem is that it very often feels lifeless. I know many might disagree with this, stating that Gay street, Market square, and Old City are full of things going on. Yes there are events and parades, but the city just doesn't have a pulse. I have been fortunate to live in some bigger cities (MPLS, Seattle), and after a while I have found myself missing what bigger cities offer - art, culture, exploration, transit.
I think Knoxville will be a great city 20 years from now, but right now bike infrastructure is a joke when compares to other cities, the airport is a hassle with few direct flights, etc. I love taking photos and Read More

OK on paper, but ultimately not the town for us. - 2/4/2019
In 2017 we had the opportunity to move based on kids stages in school (and one had just graduated). Anywhere really as spouse's job is found everywhere, mine is a bit more limiting, but could likely find one within a reasonable commute of most places. We've lived urban and we've lived suburban as a family. We've lived in several states. So, during 2016/2017 we performed the paper exercise of evaluating various areas of the country to live. We even had a relative willing to let us buy a 3 acre plot of land in NE PA (but, small town and not the weather we were looking for).

Knoxville came up high on our list for many of the reasons others list. In addition, we had vacationed a couple of times in Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg, and visited the Great Smokey Mtn Natl Park. Also, we have relatives in the MD/DC area and the drive from Knoxville would be reasonable for a holiday visit. Since we could drive to Knoxville from where we lived in OH, we decided to assess Read More

Eastern Tennessee - Where Friendly Folks Live - 1/1/2019
Five Stars for Knoxville!!!Although I was born and raised in Eastern Tennessee, I have lived all over the United States; Palm Desert CA for 10 years - Belleair Beach, FL for 8 years - Highland Park, TX (suburb of Dallas) for 8 years and a few other cities. I recently moved back to East Tennessee. (6 years ago) I bought a beautiful home on Manor Road. One thing I really missed, while living in California Florida and Texas, was friendly people. Here in Eastern Tennessee; Rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight, redneck or white collar...everyone’s friendly. If you can’t make friends here, something’s wrong with YOU! You might just be one of those people that even Jesus Christ couldn’t please! I love being back in Eastern Tennessee. My parents who are elderly, have lived in the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood for 56 years. I was raised by proper SOUTHERN parents who taught us (my brother and I) at an early age to speak to everyone. Tennessee is so friendly. I can’t stress that enough. Read More

NEVER move to Knoxville. You'll regret it. - 10/26/2018
I moved here 11 months ago from Long Island, NY. I really regret coming here and alot of the issues I have are the same as many others on this site.

What was it that drew us here?

My wife and I were enticed by cheap real estate market. We realized with our budget, we could afford 2x the house size and 10-20x the acreage of a house for the same price back in NY.

We liked the on paper idea of a simpler life, less complications with laws, rules and regulation. No one in your business telling you to get a permit for a $400 Lowes plastic shed. No car inspections.

Taxes were low. Some of the lowest in the country from what I've seen.

I got a good job for a federal company that has branches everywhere throughout the country. It had good benefits like full health and retirement, comparable salary from what I was accustomed. And my wife found a job quickly even though she looked for years on Long Island.

We like Read More

Knoxville is a horrible place to live in 2018 - 9/22/2018
I made the grave mistake of moving back to Knoxville ten months ago, and will finally be leaving this godforsaken town next month. If Knoxville was a human being who paid a visit to a doctor, the physician would inform Knoxville that they are extremely unhealthy and only have a short time to live.

Are there good people in Knoxville? Sure, any city has their share of good and bad people. But the vast majority of Knoxville's lifelong residents are uneducated, overweight idiots who are automatically distrustful of anyone "not from around here". Most of the decent people I've met over the past 10 months were only here temporarily (for school or work) and had a plan to escape as soon as they could. The people who are left in this town have no ambition, imagination or knowledge of how crappy this town is compared to most cities. Many Knoxville residents think a "road trip" involves driving to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.

Watch the local news any night and Read More

Like Boulder But Affordable - 7/27/2018
Knoxville is the best kept secret on the East coast. Since starting college at UTK in 2014, it has sprung to life with the effort that's been put in to revitalize the city. The streets are now wonderful, cyclist and pedestrian-friendly (and there is an increasing amount of bike infrastructure), and the buildings are all being renovated to their former glory. The influx of craft breweries and investment in the outdoors makes Knoxville one of the greatest little cities for an outdoorsy person like myself. With the Smokies just around 45 minutes away, you couldn't ask for better! I left for the West two months ago, and am now in the process of moving back because I miss it Read More

Listen to a local... - 3/27/2018
I've lived in Knoxville my entire life and I can certainly say that Knoxville DOES indeed have a pulse and a budding culture. Those that are saying otherwise are perhaps unwilling to find the pulse or are looking in the wrong places. No, Knoxville is no Portland (or even an Asheville), but it is well on its way to being there, and over the past 10 years Knoxville has grown and evolved tremendously. I see no indication of this trend stopping or slowing down either.
If going to a "good ole' boy" church before tailgating at the UT game with your truck friends is the life for you, then you'll find it here. HOWEVER, if you'd rather sip on a craft beer while watching the Flaming Lips perform in a converted warehouse, then you'll find it here too at the Mill and Mine. Maybe you'd rather drink a locally produced nitro cold-brew coffee while reading Jack Kerouac, with ambient chillwave and trip-hop playing in the background. If so, you'll find it here too at Honeybee Coffee. You can go Read More

Misery - 3/20/2018
Do not move to Knoxville unless you like Bible Thumpers U.T. Football Read More