Knoxville Pros and Cons
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12/12/2006
Hello all -
I'm an East Tennessee native, and I've lived with my wife in Knoxville for the past 5 1/2 years. We're looking to move away after I finish a master's degree at the University of Tennessee. Although Knoxville is not the place for us, I won't just insult it and list all the negatives. I'll offer pros and cons. Obviously, the cons have come to outweigh the pros for us, but that does not mean that everyone will see it that way.
Pros: 1) Proximity of Great Smoky Mountains -- I grew up just outside the national park, and I still love the mountains more than anything else in this area., 2) Market Square -- This area is really improving and increasingly has lots to do., 3) Old City -- This area is the first renovated "night life" area in Knoxville, and it is still going strong., 4) University of Tennessee (for the cultural events it brings into the community, 5) Inexpensive housing (for now), 6) Renewed interest in downtown -- downtown renovation has improved a great deal in the past 5 years. Living downtown, however, is extremely expensive compared to the rest of the city.
Cons: 1) Sprawl - the city seems to have absolutely no plan to combat this problem, and it gets worse every year, 2) public transportation - the KAT bus system has deteriorated in the last 5 years, cutting its routes and shortening its times of operation, 3)located in the State of Tennessee - Tennessee, in general, has abysmal school systems and health care, while being "no. 1" in interstate highway building. The priorities of this state are truly screwed up. People might think that "no income tax" is a great thing, but they need to think about the consequences of that policy. Spending on public goods, such as libraries, state parks, schools, universities, health care, etc. is extremely low, and it shows. The sales tax is ludicrously high, meanwhile, and it impacts the ability of lower-income families to make ends meet., 4) The University of Tennessee -- While the University is also a pro (see above), the mania for the football team means that this town has very little else going on for about a third of the year, and the local economy is way too dependent on the Vols. Locals are also obssessed with the team to the point of craziness. If you are not a football fan (and particularly a Vols fan), this will be very frustrating for you. I grew up cheering on the Vols, but even I see how ridiculous the whole thing has become., 5) VERY heavily Republican area (which I re
Joshua | Knoxville, TN