umm... about Knoxville...(from a resident)
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2/28/2007
The phrase "industrial wasteland" comes to mind.
I have been living in Knoxville for about three years now. I am planning to move in the next six months. I do not recommend moving here:
1) The sky is perennially a gray color I have dubbed "Knoxville gray." It is very depressing.
2) Knoxville is consistently rated in the top 15 most polluted cities in the US. It feels true as well- especially in the hot summers in which the smog is trapped closer to the earth. This pollution problem is unfortunate, as the nearby mountains and outlying areas are proof that the area could be quite lovely and nature-friendly. One example: signs posted along Third Creek warn people not to touch the water as it is highly contaminated. Fishing on the TN river is NOT ADVISED- or at least- don't eat the fish!
3) If you do not have allergies and sinus problems, you will when you move to Knoxville.
4) There are two main highways moving parallel to one another along which Knoxville's metropolitan/suburban sprawl is aligned. These roads are therefore highly congested, and one example of the poor city planning that causes big-city style nightmares for a relatively small city. Prepare to receive the bird when trying to merge in one of the city's bottlenecks or back-assward interstates.
5) The architecture here is, well- lackluster at best. It consists primarily of squat, brown, modern-utilitarian buildings- these strip mall characteristics have added to the ineffecient sprawl.
6) The public transportation is so poor and unreliable as to be characterized as non-existant.
7) This is not a city for culture. You can find your niche for nightlife- which won't be "downtown" unless you are 18-21. One of two local jazz clubs, for example, plays television with volume while a live band vies for audience attention (and loses). You will have to take taxis to avoid driving intoxicated.
8) On the whole, the metropolitan/suburban areas are grimy, stress-inducing, and aesthetically- unfortunate.
9) One possible positive: cost of living is suitably low. However, it reflects the quality of living in the city.
kris | Knoxville, TN