Wednesday, October 23

State of TN - East TN

 

The state of Tennessee has a few big cities (although these cities will never compare to NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, etc.) which are Bristol, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis.


In East TN, Bristol and Knoxville are considered to be larger than most others like Morristown, Greenville, or Strawberry Plains.


It is difficult to say if Chattanooga belongs to middle TN or east TN, but if you look at the map, it is at the southern end of middle TN.


Nashville is by far the largest city in TN but for a comparison, Atlanta has 0.14 million more people than Nashville.


What is so special about East TN?

  • Moderate climate all year long
  • cheaper to live
  • lower taxes
  • low crime rate
  • minimal illegal immigrants
  • minimal illegal drugs
  • excellent law enforcement
  • close to Cherokee casino
  • close to NASCAR racetrack
  • close to excellent UT Medical hospital
  • close to University of Tennessee
  • close to Oak Ridge National Labs
  • close to Mcghee-Tyson airport
  • close to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Dollywood
  • Protected by Cumberland Plateau and Smoky Mountains
  • TVA Parks and Recreation
  • More rural than urban
  • always receive southern hospitality
  • Less traffic and congestion


Negatives:

  • limited public transportation
  • low wages
  • no traffic nightmares
  • no subway system
  • no corrupt law enforcement
  • no NYC-type rude people
  • no professional sports (Nashville only)
  • no off-Broadway plays
  • no really expensive cuisines
  • no hordes of taxis
  • no homeless encampments


I have been living here since 1990, about 34 years (in two months) and while I have only lived in VA, NC, and KY as far as a comparison is concerned, I have visited numerous other cities and find this area to be preferred...  at least by me.


North Carolina (NC) is probably the closest to being like East TN, but NC is much more advanced in the sense that it has more industry and more people both of which dwindle the similarities.


An MBA is a dime a dozen skill in NC whereas in TN, especially East TN it is a very unique skill to have and in 1990, it was a very rare skill to possess.  Most of the MBAs ventured north for higher wages, leaving behind a gold mine for those who wanted to stay.


Even with less money, I had more than my counterparts who ventured North.  If these transplants relocated to the south, then they had the advantage financially, but I saw that as a high price to pay for FORTY YEARS OF HAPPINESS.

No comments:

Post a Comment