January 27th, 2021 at 4:01 AM ^
The soil is a little rocky, so don't plan on growing corn or anything. But there's no smog or telephone bills.
January 27th, 2021 at 9:05 AM ^
No dental bills, either
January 27th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Do you still have a full rack?
January 27th, 2021 at 10:40 AM ^
Yes, I have a full box of Chiclets
January 27th, 2021 at 10:24 AM ^
Interesting Fact: The toothbrush was actually invented in Tennessee.
And that is why it's called a toothbrush instead of a teethbrush.
I'll be here all week. Try the veal.
January 27th, 2021 at 4:46 AM ^
My son and wife lives in Nashville and loves it. TN has no state income tax and does get a fair amount of rain. After spending lots of time at Michigan, they never get tired of the warmth.
I've been in TN many times. People are very friendly. Depending on where you live, traffic can be horrible - Nashville has had a very significant number of people move to the area and traffic is awful. Housing prices are also expensive in Nashville.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:11 AM ^
It’s funny you mentioned the rain. I’m no meteorologist, but just watching the radar when I zoom out on weather apps and then getting over there fairly often for work, it does seem to me that TN gets more frequent and worse rains than we do here in NC. Maybe the mountains have an enduring impact on the weather patterns, IDK. Full disclosure, this is a very amateur observation on my part.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:30 AM ^
Considering the ridge of the Smokie Mountains is the border between TN and NC this is a well known weather phenomena.
January 27th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
Most of the moisture coming from Canada and the mid-western plains will hit the Appalachian Mountains and drop in the western side, where TN is. For NC-VA, the moisture will mostly come from the east. Typically, one side of the mountains has lots of rain and the other doesn't get much. In this case, both sides get a lot of rain.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:43 PM ^
Same for Pittsburgh. I lived there for 2 years and before I went I didn't know it's one of the rainiest cities in America. Usually not downpours, and rained especially at night, which would seem to make sense with the effect of the mountains blocking and cooling the air and turning it into precipitation.
January 27th, 2021 at 1:14 PM ^
Might it be something like how the Rocky Mountains affect the amount of precipitation on the Great Plains?
January 27th, 2021 at 1:14 PM ^
Might it be something like how the Rocky Mountains affect the amount of precipitation on the Great Plains?
January 27th, 2021 at 4:46 AM ^
My son and wife lives in Nashville and loves it. TN has no state income tax and does get a fair amount of rain. After spending lots of time at Michigan, they never get tired of the warmth.
I've been in TN many times. People are very friendly. Depending on where you live, traffic can be horrible - Nashville has had a very significant number of people move to the area and traffic is awful. Housing prices are also expensive in Nashville.
January 27th, 2021 at 4:47 AM ^
Highly recommend. I lived in Smyrna (South of Nashville on 24) and loved it. Murfreesboro is a tad further south on 24 but folks love it. MTSU is there so has some college town feel to it.
January 27th, 2021 at 4:59 AM ^
I've lived in TN now for over half my life (moved from mid-Michigan). I love it here. It's home. Beautiful country, excellent people, good food, etc. Just like any place, if you go directly into the worst parts of big cities, it can be rough, and if you get too far out into backwoods country, it can be rough. I currently live in a suburb of Nashville (30 minutes away) and it's paradise.
You aren't alone in looking to move here apparently. I've been trying to buy some acreage and it keeps getting bought up quickly, and almost every time it's someone from out of state. According to Uhaul, Tennessee is the #1 ranked state for 1 way Uhaul rental destinations, inferring people moving here from other states. If I had to guess, it's people that are looking for relaxed homesteading laws, low property taxes and a long growing season for crops.
January 27th, 2021 at 6:41 AM ^
I was actually just looking at a map showing population change over the past decade by county and yes, lots of growth in TN.
January 27th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
I grew up in mid-Michigan (Montcalm County) and have lived in north Alabama for 30+ years. I like it or I wouldn't have stayed.
I concur with the comments that Nashville traffic is bad and housing prices there have been rising. That is really only a problem, though, if you have a job that requires you to work on-site in Nashville itself. I have customers there who would start at 6 am and leave at 3 pm to beat traffic (pre-pandemic/pre-work-at-home).
Michigan will always be home and nearly all of my relatives are there, but I don't see myself ever moving back. I just come back and visit a few times a year.
January 27th, 2021 at 5:01 AM ^
I caught fireflies there. I put em in a jar. There are lots of hills. My Aunt Evelyn made the best biscuits and gravy (it is known). My Uncle Carl drove too fast. Basically. I had the best of everything.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:25 AM ^
Bet you had your first kiss with Betty Lou down by the ole fishin' hole.
January 27th, 2021 at 6:08 AM ^
I got one word for you, son: Revenooers. I've druv through it, but I never stop because of that one word: Revenooers.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:21 AM ^
Fuckin' Revenooers. Make it so a man can't make a goddam honest living.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:30 AM ^
Your stock car went fast through it? Shook up the moonshine?
January 27th, 2021 at 6:34 AM ^
I have traveled there many times and spent a lot of time there over the years for different reasons. NE Tennessee is fantastic if you can find work or if you don't need to work. SW Tennessee, same thing. The other areas I would avoid unless you like lots of people and large cities.
January 27th, 2021 at 6:36 AM ^
Knoxville is just amazing. Would love there in a heartbeat.
January 28th, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
I agree with the Knoxville comment. I travel to Knoxville several times per year for work. We have a plant just north of Knoxville. Rolling hills, no traffic, Southern Belles and that clear stuff in a mason jar. What more does a growing boy need?
January 27th, 2021 at 6:52 AM ^
Y'all are forgetting the one city that's also pretty great in Tennessee, Chattanooga.
Been in Nooga for almost 3 years now after moving from Michigan. As others have side the weather is warmer, the people generally friendly and the housing more affordable.
If you're looking for smaller city with big city amenities look no further than Chattanooga or Knoxville. We choose Chattanooga for the more diverse labor market and wealth of outdoor activities. It's not called the scenic city for nothing. Surrounded by mountains and rivers. Plus it's 90 minutes to Atlanta or 2 hours to Nashville. Our airport has direct flights back to Detroit for visiting and a pretty thriving downtown despite COVID.
If you're looking to move I'd say do it sooner than later as housing prices are rising because the secret is out and make sure if you can to tour the towns to get a feel for things.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:03 AM ^
Big upvote for this. Unless you need to be in Nashville for work, I’d say Knoxville or Chattanooga are very intriguing options. Nashville five or ten years ago would’ve been great but it’s quickly running into headaches with too much growth and overheated property prices.
i haven’t lived there, but my impressions of Memphis are much more dour. Like almost anyplace, if you have plenty of money you can find a nice enough neighborhood. But overall that town is pretty crappy on several fronts. It’s a very different vibe than the eastern half of the state ... much more of the Mississippi influence.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:56 AM ^
I don't consider myself an expert on Memphis (or even close), so I can't verify anything in this article that made the rounds in 2008:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/american-murder-mystery/306872/
I can tell you that what's described there played out to at least a small degree in the neighborhood of Rogers Park, Chicago.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:54 AM ^
Wondering when someone was going to mention Chattanooga. I lived in the area back in early 90's and my daughter and her husband live in Cleveland now. Beautiful area and Chattanooga is a great city.
January 27th, 2021 at 6:55 AM ^
I hear Nashville is the bomb.
January 27th, 2021 at 9:47 AM ^
Some people have no sense of humor. I'm still surprised how many services that took down with one explosion.
I live south of Nashville in a commute county, and it's nice country. Finding a home is the hardest part now. So many people are moving here, and with the property taxes being low for worked land housing is pretty expensive.
I second Chattanooga as a great place to live as well. Pick where you live carefully there, you don't want to commute across town at rush hour. There is only 1 expressway through town, and 2 alternate tunnels if that's blocked.
Low property taxes and no income tax are very nice, but Sales Tax is usually 9.25%-9.75% most places. Most of your other government fees are less than back in Michigan too. Car tags, car insurance, pretty much everything is cheaper except corn.
January 27th, 2021 at 10:07 AM ^
User name and all!
January 27th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
My first job out of Michigan was in Alabama, very appropriate when I signed up.
Everyone here in Nashville is from somewhere else though, so I'm no longer the lone Yankee in town. Been around the south and southerners long enough that my accent now sounds funny to me.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:08 AM ^
I live 30 minutes from Johnson City, Tennessee and 1.5 hours from Knoxville here in NC. Tennessee is awesome and absolutely gorgeous here in the Smokey Mountains. Knoxville is a nice university city. Nashville has become the new Hollywood. Lots of wealthy actors, actresses and musicians have moved there in the last 5 years. Tennessee is also affordable.
January 27th, 2021 at 9:00 AM ^
Must live in the upstate. I absolutely agree, the mountains of TN are absolutely beautiful. I almost moved back there 5 years ago instead of SC.
January 27th, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
I live north of Asheville, NC.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:32 AM ^
Live in Nashville and while I love it here I would agree with other takes that if you have the choice to be somewhere else I would take it as Nashville is getting overheated growth-wise. Chattanooga and Knoxville are both great and fun places to check out. Highly recommend TN for the amount of outdoor stuff there is to do as well as access to lots of city stuff. And really if there is an event in Nashville you want to go to, just about anywhere you live in Tennessee is within traveling distance. Just avoid Nashville(growing too much). I haven’t spent enough time in Memphis to have an opinion one way or the other on it. Last time I was really there was nearly twenty years ago for a music festival that I spent nearly an entire drunken weekend at and so my recall is...dim.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:38 AM ^
Don't live in Tennessee, but have been to Knoxville a bunch. Seems like a very appealing place to live.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:42 AM ^
My parents live in Dandridge, outside of Pigeon Forge and Knoxville. Awesome to visit. I would live there.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:43 AM ^
Depends on what you like. The niceness listed above is most often fake Southern Charm. There is still a lot of racism and if you are left-leaning, Nashville and Knoxville are your only safe havens. Yes, it is nice to have no income tax, but sales tax is 9.25%. If you are looking to buy a place, prices have risen markedly since I moved here a few years back. The traffic comment is laughable if you have lived in any true major city, but the lack of infrastructure and fascination with rubbernecking makes traffic slower at points. The main issue I have with living here is the proximity to big cities. Memphis is garbage. Atlanta is 4 hours. Beyond that, there is nothing truly proximal to Nashville. Knoxville is a cool college town, but if you are over 30, it just makes you feel old.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:00 AM ^
"The niceness listed above is most often fake Southern Charm."
Southern hospitality is real, but I agree that there are subtleties. Most people are probably familiar with the way "Bless your heart!" can be delivered in a certain tone.
January 27th, 2021 at 8:01 AM ^
This is exactly why I posted about Chattanooga. I don't mind that people forget about it but it is a great place to live.
It's rapidly becoming more liberal, has the fastest internet in the USA, has a great climate, tons of amazing restaurants, 5 breweries and on and on...
January 27th, 2021 at 9:52 AM ^
EDIT: I don't know the difference between Tennessee and Kentucky apparently...
January 27th, 2021 at 10:06 AM ^
Regarding the great climate part, I partially agree. The extended spring and fall seasons in the middle south are phenomenal. There's nothing like that deep blue sky on a warm early spring day, especially knowing the the Upper Midwest is probably still struggling to get out of the 30's and 40's. But I truly hated mid-June through late August. I was drenched in sweat the moment I stepped outdoors. The heat and humidity were atrocious. I also hate living and working in an A/C environment. I thought I would acclimate to hot, sticky summers, but I never did. I can somehow manage brutally cold winter weather better than brutally hot weather.
January 27th, 2021 at 9:55 AM ^
I live and grew up in the south and there isn't much fake southern hospitality. They probably just recognize that you aren't reciprocating the gesture. It's common for southerners to greet you, hold doors open, say please and thank you, letting people merge in traffic, ask for and give directions, make a store restroom available to non customers, help people out broken down on the side of the road if you have the time, etc.
But all too often now when we do something nice it's not even met with a thank you or a smile which results in an instant lower opinion of that person. We don't mind treating someone poorly if they don't have manners.
January 27th, 2021 at 1:31 PM ^
We’ve lived in Kennesaw for 6 years now and I freelance all over the greater Atlanta area; I’ll agree with ALL of this minis the “merge in traffic” part. Some of the most inconsiderate drivers in America (with a few exceptions - maybe it was you that let me merge that one time...). When we moved here from Seattle it was shocking how warm people were/are.
January 27th, 2021 at 2:45 PM ^
I live ITP and agree that people drive like assholes in the metro area. The vast majority of people here are transplants though. Rare for me to meet people in the area that were born here.
(That's not to say you are or aren't one of those assholes)
January 27th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
There is racism everywhere buddy and plenty of it in Michigan as well. Its not just the south.
January 27th, 2021 at 7:52 AM ^
Don't live there but been to Nashville a lot. I really enjoy it. I would shoot for Nashville IMO.
If food is a factor, definitely go Nashville. Great variety of food there, not just BBQ. If McDonald's is your thing, obviously Knoxville is the place to go. Got a great cashback program when you buy a Happy Meal.
January 28th, 2021 at 2:14 PM ^
FWIW, I had one of the best burgers I've had anywhere in America at Stock & Barrel in downtown Knoxville. Ridiculously good.