nothing special
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6/28/2008
I've lived here for ten years and there is little here to be impressed about. The public education system here is the worst I've ever experienced and I have attended public and private schools in five different states growing up. The infrastructure is horrible outside of downtown, few sidewalks, and your average bus stop is a metal sign nailed to a utility pole on the edge of a busy street. Nepotism reigns supreme here. I have found people here to be generally selfish, as well as blatantly ignorant of the world around them. Most of the people I have met here are alcoholics, and if they are not, they seem to have a mental problem of some sort. The local government as a whole is very short-sighted and poorly operated. Recycling is almost non-existent, and it is by far one of the most wasteful cities I have ever lived in. Pollution here is very bad, there are no emissions laws in this state making the hot, humid summers very difficult to deal with in the valley. There is no income tax here and the taxes overall are fairly low, however it hurts this place just as much as it helps. The arts and entertainment here are boring, the Tennessee Theatre is very cramped making very hard to enjoy shows. The university does attract some culture but most here don't appreciate it as they should. UTK, despite it's 'accolades' is and always will be nothing more than a football school where underage drinking and drug use runs rampant. The old city(restaurants, pubs, etc.) is very tired and dirty but does attract some good local musicians and has great food. The cumberland avenue strip(restaurants, fast food)just needs to be torn down, most of the old business structures are eye sores and very outdated. The population is diverse and very well intermingled in my opinion. The springtime here is exceptionally vibrant, very comfortable temperatures, and the scenery is great. The fall is also a nice, relaxing end to a miserably humid summer. This place is about average overall, like other reviews this feels that there is a lot of potential, just the wrong people to take advantage of it.
Nomad | Knoxville, TN