East Tennessee

 

I have lived in Alexandria, Virginia, Burlington, North Carolina, East Tennessee, and North Kentucky over my 76 years of life.  Thirty-four of these years have been spent in East Tennessee, almost half of my life.

As a North Carolinian by birth, one would expect that my allegiance would be to that state but it is to Tennessee instead, specifically the Tennessee Valley of East Tennessee.

Many people think that Tennessee is backwards, uneducated, and full of rednecks that marry their cousins.  I assure you that this is a misconception and could not be father from the truth; although. there are undesirables living in all states I suppose.

What makes East Tennessee so attractive?

• Its close proximity to the Smoky Mountains
• Its abundance of land and beauty
• Its parks and recreation opportunities
• Its low cost of living that includes no state taxes
• Its friendliness of community and neighbors
• Its mild winter climate and warm summers
• Its lack of crime and violence and drugs
• Its support and trust of law enforcement
• Its availability of competent doctors and medical facilities
• Its availability of fine cuisine and numerous restaurants
• Its free community college education
• Its geographical location
• UT Medical has the ability to perform stem cell transplants

What I especially like about East TN is that there is not much automobile traffic except at RUSH HOUR and not many people that cause you to have to wait in long lines in retail stores and restaurants.

• We are four hours from Atlanta
• We are four hours from Nashville
• We are an 90 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountain
• We are 2 hours from Cherokee Gambling
• We are an hour from McGhee Tyson Airport

What I also like about this area of East TN is that I can purchase a 1,500 square foot home (not including an acre of land) for HALF of what I would have paid in North Carolina on average.  The acre land just makes the opportunity more attractive.

East TN is not perfect - we have crime and violence and drugs in our schools and we have illegal immigrants living in certain areas as well.  The issue is that WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF THESE PROBLEMS AS ONE MIGHT FIND IN OTHER STATES...