CHAT What do y'all think of Tennesee - as a place to live?

Betty_Rose

Betty_Rose

Veteran Member
I am still living in Southwestern Illinois (in my brother's spare bedroom), but I never did buy a house. However, I did finish writing my book about glimpsing heaven. It should be out by Christmas - hopefully.

I'm still footloose and fancy free, having sold off all my worldly goods, after my near-death experience. However, I do need a home base. It's time for me to move on.

I'm seriously thinking about Tennessee. I've always loved that area. I'd probably take an exploratory trip sometime in December (after the elections - assuming things are calm).

I'd be interested in hearing others' opinions on Tennessee. Is it a good place for retirees? A good place to finish up the final chapter of a life?

Is the governor sane, or is he a lunatic, like Illinois' governor?

Can the police officers still arrest people?

What is the predominant race?

What about castle doctrine laws?

Are there any communes? I'm all about communes for baby boomers. I am a long-haired hippie freak at heart.

Thanks for any insights.

PS. I'm probably most interested in the northern part of the state, and have been looking at houses in Hawkins County.
 
Freeholder

Freeholder

This too shall pass.
You can look up demographics on line -- every state by county. That's something I looked at when I was house-hunting.

Check out taxes, too. Sales taxes there are a little higher than here in Kentucky. But I think property taxes are the most important for those of us on small fixed incomes.

Kathleen

Castle doctrine laws are on-line, too. I was just looking at those earlier today. Kentucky yes, but I didn't check TN.
 
bw

bw

Fringe Ranger
I spent a lot of time in Cleveland with my father-in-law and his family. I loved the area, but my wife wasn't interested in moving there. She grew up 50/50 there. Beautiful country, nice people. She felt the viewpoints were too narrow. She's liberal, I'm more conservative. The twang will hurt your ears.
 
D

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
Where are you looking in TN? Lots of variation across the state. IMO City-Data.com - Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more is a go-to, and they have a useful forum area too.

Can't really tell NE TN from NW NC by topography and climate. I'm not far from the state line and Trade, TN is the next town over that way. I love it here, but it's easier to adapt because DW was born here. And there's not a lot of difference between AL rednecks like me, from the southern Appalachians, and NC hillbillies. :D
=========================

Tennessee
Before 2016, Tennessee taxed income from investments, including most interest and dividends, but not wages. Legislation passed in 2016 included a plan to lower taxes on unearned income 1% per year until the tax was eliminated by 2021.2 To make up the shortfall, Tennessee levies high sales taxes and the highest beer tax of any state in the union at $1.29 per gallon.20 The gasoline tax is high too.21


With full implementation of the new legislation, Tennessee expects to attract retirees who depend heavily on investment income. The state’s total tax burden is 6.28%, the third-lowest in the nation. In the affordability category, Tennessee ranks 22nd overall, and on the U.S. News & World Report “Best States” list it ranks 30th.

-- 9 States With No Income Tax
 
V

vestige

Deceased
I love Tennessee. Feel almost as at home there as here in Kentucky.
All big towns suck. Lots of small towns in Tennessee. Personally, I like the Hampton area in the far eastern hills but it might be a bit remote for your tastes.
As someone said... check demographics closely.
 
AlfaMan

AlfaMan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
You're looking in the Bristol/Kingsport area? Gorgeous place. Mountainous. Cheap housing, a little big city feel from my trips there. Very conservative area. It's a white enclave, in terms of race at least from what I've seen. It's got all 4 seasons too
And they have the only Krystal restaurant in the state of VA. Yum!

It would be a great place to retire. Didn't see any hippie communes though. Might be an interesting business to start though!
 
vessie

vessie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I Love Tennessee!

Cost of living is lower than most states, lower property taxes, the food is wonderful, much better restaurants and shopping than up in Wa. state.

The people are so much nicer and polite than up north or even in the western states.

Lebanon, Tn. is still conservative, it's just east of Nashville off of I 40, lots of shops and a nice outlet mall too.

Still a lot of land and very nice houses for a lot less than in other states.

I have a house there on Brunley Branch that I just put on the market to rent out, since we'll be up here in Wa. for a little while longer.

Right on the water, private entrance gate, 4 acres, 2 ancient tobacco barns, awesome neighbor who shares the driveway as we're past that house on the long driveway, very peaceful, beautiful and you can grow just about anything there.

Love having water right there.

All we need now is a Costco to go in off of Beckwith between Lebanon and Mt. Juliet which they were going to build a warehouse there, still own the land but Sam's club got a bee up their butt.

I shop at the Issaquah, Wa. Costco which is right across from corporate headquarters, so some times Jim Sinegal pops in, in the mornings and I'll bug him about opening up that Costco warehouse there since it's too hard to get to the Brentwood one, due to horrible traffic and the Charlotte Ave. one is now such a Ghetto that people are even afraid to get out of their cars in the parking lot. He still doesn't run when he see's me! Lol!

So, I'm trying to line everything up before I finally move there.

Lebanon, Tn. still has that small town feel, without feeling isolated and they have hospital, and pretty much everything you'd want or need. V
 
Millwright

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
_______________
Weren't the Clampetts from Tennessee?

OIP.AbLC3yeDsfFdhsi10A9E4wHaD3
 
D

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
I had a great time watching California Kenny move to TN and learn about life in real America. Kenny isn't everyone's cuppa so be warned. You might have to go back to the old site for the move impressions. Like this -

Just before my bank closed their lobby down and made everybody start using the drive through window, I was inside filling out a deposit slip when a woman walked in wearing a particle mask and a handgun on her hip and all I could think of was, “Damn, I love small-town Tennessee”.

He's in Lafayette - old site is http://knuckledraggin.com/, very slow to load

Knuckledraggin My Life Away - current site
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

Irregular
We're in Cumberland County up on the Cumberland Plateau. This county is very conservative. It's cooler than most of Tennessee, so the summers are bearable. The temperatures here are typically 10 degrees less than Nashville or Knoxville, but then again we're at an elevation of almost 2000'. As a result we do get a bit of snow in the winter, but it generally melts by 10 AM the next day. Last year I think it snowed maybe 3 times, and it was always less than a couple of inches. I think our pond froze over only a couple of nights.

The cost of living is relatively low, and there are no State income taxes. Land taxes are very low too. People are polite, and they seem to have a live and let live attitude. Folks here definitely appreciate the 2nd Amendment. The local Sheriff is fair, and law enforcement do their jobs, without the political BS of so many other places.
 
W

Walrus

Veteran Member
wirecutter's blog reminds me in a way of Commander Zero up in Montana, except Kenny does those hilarious "the shit I post on Facebook" stuff so he gets suspended often.
 
S

Snettrecker

Contributing Member
I'm on the Cumberland plateau as well and wouldn't change it for the world. Everyone is very friendly (as long as you don't try to push big city ways on them). People still appreciate and love law enforcement, no state income tax, great cost of living... It's a great place to live. Crossville has a lot of retirees there and the city caters to them.
 
bethshaya

bethshaya

God has a plan, Trust it!
My husband is from Clarksville and we will eventually be moving back there. My mom is still alive and she needs us here by her for now.

I LOVE going home to visit my in-laws. The people are so warm and sweet and Jesus is everywhere (unlike here in CT).

Polite, pleasant people.
 
MinnesotaSmith

MinnesotaSmith

Membership Revoked
The aptly- named Knoxville Horror was perpetrated guess where.
Agreed summers hot.
Suggest N. ID, W. MT, N. WY., or extreme W SD as all preferable in survivability and summer climates.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
medic38572 said:
Isn't that where Charles Mansons (family) went to after he went to prison?
Click to expand...
Not that I know of - it is the home of Ida May Gaskin that wrote THE popular book on home birthing used by many homesteaders now for decades.

The Farm also these days sponsors week and month-long classes in homesteading skills like building homes, sustainable agriculture, hands-on carpentry, and all sorts of other homesteading skills they've learned over the decades.

There are only one of three, 60s era "communes" that I know of that have survived long term (I'm sure there are many more family-based ones scattered around).

They did this by a combination of determination, hard work, and willingness to change over time as needed - including morphing into more small personal homes for families and away from ONLY communal life (aka I gather there is still the main dining hall but not everyone eats there all the time), they have their own neo-natal unit on-site and have worked for decades to establish healthy ways of eating that are essentially vegan before the term was invented (sometimes with milk and cheese for pregnant mothers, at least in the past).

I came close to relocating there when I was dating a guy from Nashville in the early 1980s but realized I could never live on such a diet and I thought I personally would find the life a bit too restrictive and just not for me - but for people who DO want such a lifestyle, it seems a good working model.

Also, these days (and in my 60s) under the right circumstances I might be willing to take a course there if I was closer, and they used to have really good hands-on midwifery training (which I had also considered doing many years ago).

Spiritual Midwifery: Gaskin, Ina May: 9780913990636: Amazon.com: Books

Spiritual Midwifery [Gaskin, Ina May] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Spiritual Midwifery
www.amazon.com
6141GGAP87L._SX304_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
 
TKO

TKO

Veteran Member
vessie said:
I Love Tennessee!

Cost of living is lower than most states, lower property taxes, the food is wonderful, much better restaurants and shopping than up in Wa. state.

The people are so much nicer and polite than up north or even in the western states.

Lebanon, Tn. is still conservative, it's just east of Nashville off of I 40, lots of shops and a nice outlet mall too.

Still a lot of land and very nice houses for a lot less than in other states.

I have a house there on Brunley Branch that I just put on the market to rent out, since we'll be up here in Wa. for a little while longer.

Right on the water, private entrance gate, 4 acres, 2 ancient tobacco barns, awesome neighbor who shares the driveway as we're past that house on the long driveway, very peaceful, beautiful and you can grow just about anything there.

Love having water right there.

All we need now is a Costco to go in off of Beckwith between Lebanon and Mt. Juliet which they were going to build a warehouse there, still own the land but Sam's club got a bee up their butt.

I shop at the Issaquah, Wa. Costco which is right across from corporate headquarters, so some times Jim Sinegal pops in, in the mornings and I'll bug him about opening up that Costco warehouse there since it's too hard to get to the Brentwood one, due to horrible traffic and the Charlotte Ave. one is now such a Ghetto that people are even afraid to get out of their cars in the parking lot. He still doesn't run when he see's me! Lol!

So, I'm trying to line everything up before I finally move there.

Lebanon, Tn. still has that small town feel, without feeling isolated and they have hospital, and pretty much everything you'd want or need. V
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All those things are what the liberals from high cost of living states search out. So, it won't be long before your area is solidly on their radar. Libtards know they can feel at home in conservative enclaves. Conservatives are not allowed the same respect in libtard enclaves. Eventually, you get a democrat councilman elected from all the move ins. It affects the schools first, though. Next, time to move on down the line. You will then get a tv show on fixer uppers based there. That will be it. Cali, New Yoik, New Joisey, Florida, Washington, and Virginny plates all start popping up. You don't want all those great things. You want it a little inconvenient to keep developers away.
 
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Y

y2ksurvivor

Veteran Member
I'm in Tri-Cities, generally conservative but we have a university here. I welcomed that for a little diversity from the 95% white Christian mostly Scotts-Irish poplulation, but thinking twice about that now. Still, glad I'm here in these times.
 
TKO

TKO

Veteran Member
y2ksurvivor said:
I'm in Tri-Cities, generally conservative but we have a university here. I welcomed that for a little diversity from the 95% white Christian mostly Scotts-Irish poplulation, but thinking twice about that now. Still, glad I'm here in these times.
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There were people where I live thinking like that. Then, diversity started happening. All of a sudden more cops in schools needed. Black girls in the schools going at it every day of the week then...over some boy. Knife fights started happening, too. It may be that the area at first starts to attract good black families. It's what comes a little later that starts to turn sour. Eventually, it catches on with developers that build section 8 high density housing. It's over after that.
 
M

MountainBiker

Veteran Member
My parents had retired to a small town halfway between Nashville & Chattanooga. Both were outgoing people who made friends easily but in TN they were deemed outsiders and not made welcome. The cost of living (housing prices, taxes, services) was dirt cheap compared to up north and the area itself was pleasant enough aesthetically but the "southern hospitality" stuff was superficial at best. People were very friendly when they thought they might get you to go to their church but upon finding out my parents were Catholics the locals quickly distanced themselves. My Dad took meticulous care of their yard and would talk to anybody and lend a hand but when he got sick and needed help, not a single neighbor ever offered to help let alone just doing it unasked. My Mom didn't drive and not a single neighbor ever offered to run an errand or help in any way. After he died she moved back north to where neighborliness was not dependent upon your religion.

I contrast this to where I live. When the old guy across the way from me took sick he and his wife never had to ask for help. I shoveled the snow to the house and garage, someone else plowed the driveway. In the summer another neighbor mowed the lawn. I brought in their newspaper and mail every day and the women in the neighborhood who only knew him casually took turns making sure the old guy and his wife had a nice lunch every day. This couple had more or less kept to themselves before he took sick but when he did the neighborhood made sure they were cared for. This is the way we do things in the frigid north of New England.
 
Betty_Rose

Betty_Rose

Veteran Member
naegling62 said:
Don't fall for all this E. Tennessee is great talk. Come on down to the heat and humidity of Sweet Home Alabama. We got better Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Ice Storms, plus they don't have any Alligators in those mountains. E. Tennessee is where you dream about moving and end up just vacationing there.
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I'm actually quite fond of Alabama, and have considered moving there as well. One of my concerns is that I want to be in a place with fellow conservatives, and a minimal number of "the sorriest class" of society, such as those that are involved in the BLM movement. I'm full up on that BS.

The weather is a factor. I'm originally from Virginia Beach and loved the weather there. We had four seasons, but nothing as wicked as the Midwest. Frankly, I'm already tired of slipping and sliding in the winter ice and snow.

I'm also horrified that I misspelled Tennessee in the title!! Oops!

Even grammarians can make mistakes! ;)
 
Betty_Rose

Betty_Rose

Veteran Member
TKO said:
All those things are what the liberals from high cost of living states search out. So, it won't be long before your area is solidly on their radar. Libtards know they can feel at home in conservative enclaves. Conservatives are not allowed the same respect in libtard enclaves. Eventually, you get a democrat councilman elected from all the move ins. It affects the schools first, though. Next, time to move on down the line. You will then get a tv show on fixer uppers based there. That will be it. Cali, New Yoik, New Joisey, Florida, Washington, and Virginny plates all start popping up. You don't want all those great things. You want it a little inconvenient to keep developers away.
Click to expand...

That's a really good point.

I like being around "my people," who are conservative, hard-working and tired of the stupid BLM crap.
 
F

FireDance

TB Fanatic
medic38572 said:
Got to learn how to spell it first Betty Rose...:D
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Yeah, well I spent a great deal of my life in Nashville. I just told people I lived in Tennis-shoo.

That said, I lived there when it was Nashville. Couldn’t drag me there to live now. It’s gotten creepy.

My advice is look for a place where the cows all have two legs shorter than the other two. (Hill country). And rural!!! Rural, rural.

ETA: All of you who still sing the song as you write Mississippi raise your hands.
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
If you're looking for conservative, that would be NE MS. And hot. Not as bad as it use to be, because there is AC everywhere except outdoors, and hang the global warming, everybody keeps it on 55.

But if you don't want snow, then you have to have heat.

Town maybe 10-15 minutes away but city, think an hour away.

How conservative? Lesbian wanted to bring her partner to the Senior prom in HS. They canceled the prom. Local community center was rented out by the other students, and they held their prom there. No complaints.

Are there people who are liberals around NE MS? Sure. Mostly in cities like Tupelo, Corinth, and Florence AL. Stick a pencil in the middle of that triangle, and very few and far between.

There is not a place on this earth that doesn't have some drawbacks, just like jobs.
 
NoMoreLibs

NoMoreLibs

Kill Commie's, Every Single One Of Them!
Check the politic's, not as great as many think.

'hot in the summer'???? Really? Probably cold in the winter too.
 
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