Knoxville TN

Hello again, so im seriously thiinkimg of moving to knoxville. Any town beta would be great. How's the crime rate? I don't do much other than climb but I like to eat out every once in a while and maybe some dancing or anything outdoorsy or fun. Is it easy to get a job as a nurse there? How are the conditions for my fellow healthcare workers?Any good vegetarian spots? I may coime out for a short visit in January just so I at least come by to see the place before I move. Any and all help is appreciated 

I've never lived in Knoxville proper, so i can't really answer most of those questions. but unless you're looking for a larger city I would suggest look at some of the surrounding areas. Like Maryville, cookeville, or crossville just because there's plenty of outdoors stuff to do and the cost of living drops pretty quickly. Getting a nursing job shouldn't be a problem at any of those places. You won't really have much opportunities for dancing in any of those places though.  Also look into chattanooga.  

Hm, gotta disagree with Jameson on this one.  Knoxville is still pretty cheap, but with the perks of a decent size city.  Probably comparable to Chattanooga, but with less climbing in town.  Knoxville is a great hub for climbing, though.  Chatt, North Carolina, and the Red are all long day/easy weekend trips. The Obed is pretty much the home crag for Knoxville, so if you like steep sport routes, you've found your home.  Not sure about nursing, but I'd imagine it's not hard to find a job.  It's probably not the best town for vegetarian cuisine.  Overall, it's a fun city that is growing a lot and has lots of outdoor activities and spaces close to downtown

I have heard they might be looking for nurses...  

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/cbbn22/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-third-world-health-care---knoxville--tennessee-edition

Thanks for disagreeing so politely, that rarely happens now anywhere on the internet. 

Like i said never lived in Knoxville proper so if take what I said as grain of salt i just prefer the smaller towns.  

I would also look in to Chattanooga. I'm not very familar with the climbing scene in Knoxville, but I am somewhat familiar with the climbing scene in Chattanooga, and very familiar with the town, housing, etc. because I grew up there.

The climbing in Chattanooga is spread out in different suburbs of the area which means that, depending on where you live, you are usually <20 min drive time to at least one climbing area but rarely more than 45min to an hour away from the rest of the climbing areas (not including foster falls which is outside of Jasper, TN a smaller town).

This means that you have a fairly diverse set of housing options while still being very close to at least one climbing area. For example, if you want some acreage in Soddy Daisy, you will be pretty close to Leda, Stone Fort (LRC), and a few other newer locals only crags, but you will have to drive around 45min to an hour to get to T-wall or Sunset. If you live on Lookout Mountain, you might be within walking or biking distance of Sunset but you're gonna be a long drive away from T-wall or the areas in Soddy Daisy. 

If quick, easy climbing access is your top priority, consider looking at Red Bank or the base of Signal Mountain, because you'll be pretty close to both T-wall and the Soddy Daisy areas, which gives you good access to climbing year round. If being close to the more urban life and social institutions is more important, you might consider looking at North Chattanooga, which is a nicer, safer part of town.

North Chatt, Lookout Mtn, and Signal Mountain are all going to be more expensive (and more snobby on Signal Mtn) but if you're coming from a big city like NY, I suspect you'll find Chattanooga to be dirt cheap. My brother lives in D.C. in a 2 person apartment and his rent is more expensive than my dad's mortgage (5Bed, 3 or 4 bath I think, with a pool in the yard).

Chattanooga also has a lot of beautiful forest to hike around in and explore, as well as good access to flat and white water boating. I'm not sure about other outdoor activities, though.

paul.adams.3 wrote:

Hm, gotta disagree with Jameson on this one.  Knoxville is still pretty cheap, but with the perks of a decent size city.  Probably comparable to Chattanooga, but with less climbing in town.  Knoxville is a great hub for climbing, though.  Chatt, North Carolina, and the Red are all long day/easy weekend trips. The Obed is pretty much the home crag for Knoxville, so if you like steep sport routes, you've found your home.  Not sure about nursing, but I'd imagine it's not hard to find a job.  It's probably not the best town for vegetarian cuisine.  Overall, it's a fun city that is growing a lot and has lots of outdoor activities and spaces close to downtown

All the climbijng opportunity is the main reason I want to live there. Haha! How's the climbij g community? Quantity of people? Yeah I checked oout apartments and it's super cheap. I'm coming from nyc so pretty much everywhere is cheaper. But the nurse pay is pretty decent for cost of living g. Better than here that's for sure 

eli poss wrote:

I would also look in to Chattanooga. I'm not very familar with the climbing scene in Knoxville, but I am somewhat familiar with the climbing scene in Chattanooga, and very familiar with the town, housing, etc. because I grew up there.

The climbing in Chattanooga is spread out in different suburbs of the area which means that, depending on where you live, you are usually <20 min drive time to at least one climbing area but rarely more than 45min to an hour away from the rest of the climbing areas (not including foster falls which is outside of Jasper, TN a smaller town).

This means that you have a fairly diverse set of housing options while still being very close to at least one climbing area. For example, if you want some acreage in Soddy Daisy, you will be pretty close to Leda, Stone Fort (LRC), and a few other newer locals only crags, but you will have to drive around 45min to an hour to get to T-wall or Sunset. If you live on Lookout Mountain, you might be within walking or biking distance of Sunset but you're gonna be a long drive away from T-wall or the areas in Soddy Daisy. 

If quick, easy climbing access is your top priority, consider looking at Red Bank or the base of Signal Mountain, because you'll be pretty close to both T-wall and the Soddy Daisy areas, which gives you good access to climbing year round. If being close to the more urban life and social institutions is more important, you might consider looking at North Chattanooga, which is a nicer, safer part of town.

North Chatt, Lookout Mtn, and Signal Mountain are all going to be more expensive (and more snobby on Signal Mtn) but if you're coming from a big city like NY, I suspect you'll find Chattanooga to be dirt cheap. My brother lives in D.C. in a 2 person apartment and his rent is more expensive than my dad's mortgage (5Bed, 3 or 4 bath I think, with a pool in the yard).

Chattanooga also has a lot of beautiful forest to hike around in and explore, as well as good access to flat and white water boating. I'm not sure about other outdoor activities, though.

Thank you for all the chatty beta! I do plan on visiting more than once. But I hear it gets really hot and it lasts a long time. That's why I was looking into Knoxville cause I can always drive up to the new which I hear is cooler. You say there's year round climbing? Where do u go when it gets hot?

bruno-cx wrote:

Obed is 1 hour 30 min form Knoxville. I'd do Chatty if you want to climb.  The white water kayaking is super convenient from Knoxville and closer than much of the climbing. 

 

I guess it depends on what part of Knoxville from what I saw it was 1 hoour away. The closest climbing we have in N.Y. is 2.5 hours away and i don't climb trad sooooo sounds pretty good to Me! 

I'd agree that Chatt is the better climbing town overall, and obviously it's much better in town.  The only drawback I see is that it's much further away to north carolina and things to the north.  If you want to climb on something that isn't sandstone, you'll have to travel more.  Knoxville is also 45 min-1 hr from the Smokies.  I think both towns are having a similar resurgence in terms of downtown development, breweries, restaurants, music, etc.  Keep in mind that Knoxville is a college town.  Football season can be crazy, and UT is ubiquitous 

paul.adams.3 wrote:

I'd agree that Chatt is the better climbing town overall, and obviously it's much better in town.  The only drawback I see is that it's much further away to north carolina and things to the north.  If you want to climb on something that isn't sandstone, you'll have to travel more.  Knoxville is also 45 min-1 hr from the Smokies.  I think both towns are having a similar resurgence in terms of downtown development, breweries, restaurants, music, etc.  Keep in mind that Knoxville is a college town.  Football season can be crazy, and UT is ubiquitous 

Ugh college town. Yeah there's always a drawback to every place I found. Is there sport in North Carolina or all trad? I do want to have access to the new. And I don't have a real social life. Climbing is my social life haha so going out all the time doesnt matter. I do want to be near a variety of climbing and a welcoming climbing community would be super nice. 

Lisa Haze wrote:

All the climbijng opportunity is the main reason I want to live there. Haha! How's the climbij g community? Quantity of people? Yeah I checked oout apartments and it's super cheap. I'm coming from nyc so pretty much everywhere is cheaper. But the nurse pay is pretty decent for cost of living g. Better than here that's for sure 

The climbing community is great!  Lots of friendly people.  A new gym just opened around a year ago, and there are a lot of people looking to climb.  The Lily Pad at the Obed is also a great place to meet climbers and have a beer

paul.adams.3 wrote:

The climbing community is great!  Lots of friendly people.  A new gym just opened around a year ago, and there are a lot of people looking to climb.  The Lily Pad at the Obed is also a great place to meet climbers and have a beer

Aaaand  knox is oonly 2 hours away from chatty

Lisa Haze wrote:

Thank you for all the chatty beta! I do plan on visiting more than once. But I hear it gets really hot and it lasts a long time. That's why I was looking into Knoxville cause I can always drive up to the new which I hear is cooler. You say there's year round climbing? Where do u go when it gets hot?

I have a very high heat tolerance so I just climb anywhere except T-wall, which is south facing. I actually like the heat and humidity but I understand that I'm by far the exception, not the rule. Most heat conscious people will chase shade at sunset or make the drive to Foster Falls where you can easily cool of by jumping into the water. Let me know if you want any more specific info on Chattanooga.

But if you're making a decision between Chattanooga and Knoxville, here's a few questions to think about:

Do you have a preference between trad climbing and sport climbing? Chattanooga has a lot more trad than knoxville. Chatty does have some sport climbing but it tends to be kind of scattered with few dedicated sport crags. 

Is it more important for you to have a lot more options of for climbing locally with very short drive times or to have a smaller selection of crags within a very short driving distance but be much closer to bigger destinations, like RRG, NRG, Western NC, etc. For me, I prefer to have more options very close to where I live and/or work because of limited daylight, unfavorable schedules, and a strong hate for traveling. I really hate being in a car for more than 30min, but I'm spoiled in town where I'm very rarely more than 15min drive from climbing (although the quality, quantity, and concentration of climbing doesn't match the super-crags that are hours away)

Are wild crazy adventurous first ascents very important to you? The Big South Fork is reputed to be the last great problem in wild new virgin rock on the East Coast, and that's pretty close to Knoxville

Dave T wrote:

I have heard they might be looking for nurses...  

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/cbbn22/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-third-world-health-care---knoxville--tennessee-edition

thanks dave! don't know why i'm just seeing this. maybe cause i was looking in my phone before. I will look into this!

eli poss wrote:

I have a very high heat tolerance so I just climb anywhere except T-wall, which is south facing. I actually like the heat and humidity but I understand that I'm by far the exception, not the rule. Most heat conscious people will chase shade at sunset or make the drive to Foster Falls where you can easily cool of by jumping into the water. Let me know if you want any more specific info on Chattanooga.

But if you're making a decision between Chattanooga and Knoxville, here's a few questions to think about:

Do you have a preference between trad climbing and sport climbing? Chattanooga has a lot more trad than knoxville. Chatty does have some sport climbing but it tends to be kind of scattered with few dedicated sport crags. 

Is it more important for you to have a lot more options of for climbing locally with very short drive times or to have a smaller selection of crags within a very short driving distance but be much closer to bigger destinations, like RRG, NRG, Western NC, etc. For me, I prefer to have more options very close to where I live and/or work because of limited daylight, unfavorable schedules, and a strong hate for traveling. I really hate being in a car for more than 30min, but I'm spoiled in town where I'm very rarely more than 15min drive from climbing (although the quality, quantity, and concentration of climbing doesn't match the super-crags that are hours away)

Are wild crazy adventurous first ascents very important to you? The Big South Fork is reputed to be the last great problem in wild new virgin rock on the East Coast, and that's pretty close to Knoxville

wow! this really puts things in perspective eli. seriously this really helped me finalize my decision. Thanks for all the info i really appreciate it.

eli poss wrote:

I have a very high heat tolerance so I just climb anywhere except T-wall, which is south facing. I actually like the heat and humidity but I understand that I'm by far the exception, not the rule. Most heat conscious people will chase shade at sunset or make the drive to Foster Falls where you can easily cool of by jumping into the water. Let me know if you want any more specific info on Chattanooga.

But if you're making a decision between Chattanooga and Knoxville, here's a few questions to think about:

Do you have a preference between trad climbing and sport climbing? Chattanooga has a lot more trad than knoxville. Chatty does have some sport climbing but it tends to be kind of scattered with few dedicated sport crags. 

Is it more important for you to have a lot more options of for climbing locally with very short drive times or to have a smaller selection of crags within a very short driving distance but be much closer to bigger destinations, like RRG, NRG, Western NC, etc. For me, I prefer to have more options very close to where I live and/or work because of limited daylight, unfavorable schedules, and a strong hate for traveling. I really hate being in a car for more than 30min, but I'm spoiled in town where I'm very rarely more than 15min drive from climbing (although the quality, quantity, and concentration of climbing doesn't match the super-crags that are hours away)

Are wild crazy adventurous first ascents very important to you? The Big South Fork is reputed to be the last great problem in wild new virgin rock on the East Coast, and that's pretty close to Knoxville

Foster falls and deep creek have awesome sport climbing near chart btw

Dave T wrote:

I have heard they might be looking for nurses...  

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/cbbn22/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-third-world-health-care---knoxville--tennessee-edition

Bahahahahahah! Just watched this. So good!

Jeremiah Nason wrote:

Foster falls and deep creek have awesome sport climbing near chart btw

Foster falls is a longer drive from Chattanooga than many make it out to be. I'm not saying Chattanooga doesn't have sport climbing, but that it doesn't have the same quantity and concentration of sport climbing that you find in the Obed. Even Foster Falls is pretty small in comparison to the Obed. I don't want to be misleading to somebody comparing and contrasting the climbing scenes in Knox and Chatty. 

I had a friend move to Knoxville after living in NYC.  She lived there less than a year and moved back.  I would definitely try and spend a week there before making the move.  It's a significant cultural change.

Dave T wrote:

I had a friend move to Knoxville after living in NYC.  She lived there less than a year and moved back.  I would definitely try and spend a week there before making the move.  It's a significant cultural change. your friend a climber?

Is your friend a climber?