Downhill Dramatically
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2/19/2022
I lived in Cookeville for around 7 years non consecutively. Don’t expect to go on a walk here. Sidewalks are fairly abundant but they are not well maintained and there are no emissions rules. Most of the time you’ll want to drive with your windows up, your air on recycle, and avoid walking on the streets. Sidewalks are fairly abundant, however I developed asthma shortly after moving back due to car exhaust. Black soot tends to build up if you live next to a road. Recently there has been a large increase in the homeless population and rather than get them out of the elements the city has opted to put up “No Panhandling” signs suggesting people should donate to “charities.” Cookeville’s road infrastructure is inadequate for the number of people that live here. They are still stuck on traffic lights for intersections and due to the lack of turn lanes, traffic is very start/stop. It’s not a well off area. You’ll often see pedestrians walking to work in inclement weather because they cant afford cars. People’s erratic driving can get dangerous especially around the university. The park home to “Burgess Falls” has had the bottom of the falls closed for several years due to lack of funding. The electrical infrastructure is falling apart. Since I bought my uninterrupted power supply, my electricity has gone out over 20 times this year and that’s conservative. The area tends to get more snow and ice than other areas in middle TN and if you live next to the university you’ll get to see the transformers explode. There are strong undercurrents of extremism although it’s far more prevalent during election cycles. There’s a decent selection of chain restaurants available on interstate drive, however, you’ll likely want to go during off hours to avoid crowds off of I-40. Public transport is almost non existent. There is a small bus that makes stops around town but it’s pretty much just good for exploring if you for some reason live here without a car. Despite all this, Cookeville is growing rapidly even further compounding the problems the city refuses to address. I used to love this town but I can no longer recommend Cookeville to anyone.
Seth | Cookeville, TN