Living in Tennessee? Pros and Cons?

[JoeWras]

We retired to East Tn last year and love it. We moved from Orange County Ca. We love it, but... Be ready. It rains ALL THE TIME. The summers are HOT and HUMID.

Keeps the fires away. Keeps your skin nice and soft. I've learned to appreciate southeast humidity. Seriously.

Your warning is very true. Most Californians would flip out over the humidity and pace of life.

P.S. Fires do occur but are rare. Gatlinburg is still recovering. This year is extraordinarily wet so it doesn't rain all the time.

 

[Breedlove]

Just learn to play a banjo and everything will be cool !

 

[Bamaman]

I have 3 days set to visit Fairfield Glades in Crossville, Tn in September. Is anyone familiar with the area and it's weather. Some say winter is harsh, but I intend to winter in Florida with any luck.
VW

Fairfield Glades is part of a chain of very fine resorts. The place has numerous country clubs and their golf courses are of very high quality. I-40 is 5 miles away and you can be in Knoxville in an hour, Cookeville in 20 minutes and Nashville is 125 miles. Cookeville also has a number of.other golf.courses and retirement communities. It.also has a thriving theatre summer.stock series. Thus place is especially popular with GM and Ford.retirees from Michigan.

Dale Hollow Lake is to the north, and it is one of.the cleanest, clearest inland lakes in the country. World record smallmouth bass came from there.

To the northeast is the Big Sandy park system. It is mountainous like The Smokies but is essentially a secret. Horse and ATV.trails provide great recreation.

Cookeville is located on a high plateau. It usually is the coolest city in the state and it gets more snow than lower elevations. But it.snows less than places north of Louisville.

 

[fidler4]

Internet Access in East TN?

My wife and I recently visited the area around 321 between Newport and Jonesborough and especially liked the rural area south of the 321. Does anyone have an idea what type of Internet access, other than cell service, there is on the properties in that area?

 

[ychuck46]

Actually it isn't

[QUOTE Cookeville is located on a high plateau. It usually is the coolest city in the state and it gets more snow than lower elevations. But it.snows less than places north of Louisville.[/QUOTE]

We live in Crossville, about 30 miles away, and we are on the Cumberland Plateau at a higher elevation than Cookeville. We travel to Cookeville a lot and it is invariably hotter there than when you are on the plateau in the Crossville area.

 

[haha]

Not Tennessee, but the area around my old stomping grounds in southern Indiana has many examples of this. No airports or Nicklaus’ golf courses, but there are many large homes outside of the small towns, some obviously farms, but others just McMansions on 1-2 acre lots. I see two issues with this, one being the abandoned trailers and falling down houses, many right next door (and many potential meth labs/heroin dens), and the other being finding a potential buyer should you need/want to sell. Not everyone will see your “dream home in the country” the same way you do, and this is a relatively impoverished area, where a limited number of professionals can earn a living that could support such a property, but where most locals couldn’t. Of course, if your planning on being carried out by the undertaker, it’ll be your kids’ problem.

Then there’s the only shopping being a Walmart, the best restaurant around being a Cracker Barrel, and the main emergency room facility 25+ miles away. Also spotty cell coverage and internet availability...

Good post. I am from that area, but urban (Cincinnati). I think that an ideal later life location is high quality urban or a fairly good sized college town -think Oxord Ohio or Lexington KY, or even many parts of Cincinnati. The big unknowns are politics, and crime trends.

In many places like these one doesn't even have to drive often, and a couple often does not need more than one car. Even if someone can afford more "stuff", it all brings its own expenses, both financial and personal.

One thing I am just beginning to realize is if ones neighborhood is begining to experience a lot of marches, riots, etc. he or she may feel compelled to move again, if there is indeed anyplace worth moving to. My own city, Seattle, presents a quite different picture than any earlier time, even the 60s! Most of us have lived in extremely good times, in almost all ways.(IMO)

Ha (hi to all the long-termers here!) !

i

 

[RunningBum]

Ha (hi to all the long-termers here!) !

Welcome back! There was a search party out looking for you.
https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/what-happened-to-ha-ha-105127-3.html

 

[Koolau]

Good post. I am from that area, but urban (Cincinnati). I think that an ideal later life location is high quality urban or a fairly good sized college town -think Oxord Ohio or Lexington KY, or even many parts of Cincinnati. The big unknowns are politics, and crime trends.

In many places like these one doesn't even have to drive often, and a couple often does not need more than one car. Even if someone can afford more "stuff", it all brings its own expenses, both financial and personal.

One thing I am just beginning to realize is if ones neighborhood is begining to experience a lot of marches, riots, etc. he or she may feel compelled to move again, if there is indeed anyplace worth moving to. My own city, Seattle, presents a quite different picture than any earlier time, even the 60s! Most of us have lived in extremely good times, in almost all ways.(IMO)

Ha (hi to all the long-termers here!) !

i

Ha, great to hear from you!

RE: Seattle: I have to give my son credit. He lived in Seattle several years until about a year ago. The city was good to him. He made a small fortune (grub stake) from a small business and purchase of a house. He saw all the signs of change (more crime, overt politics, polarization, etc.) He sold out and moved away. Now he lives in a small city (college town) in the midwest. It's not Tenn, but it could be as far as the prices, life-style, people-mix, traffic (or lack thereof) etc. are concerned. I think he is going to really like it. I've loved Seattle when I've visited and know folks from w*rk whose goal was to move there. DW's uncle lived there for years and was extremely successful. I feel sad as I see what has happened there. Stay safe, Ha!

 

[Sunset]

My wife and I recently visited the area around 321 between Newport and Jonesborough and especially liked the rural area south of the 321. Does anyone have an idea what type of Internet access, other than cell service, there is on the properties in that area?

The only way you can really know is to ask neighbors. ISP service is extremely local (IMHO).

I'm completely amazed in built up burbs, how one area has a choice of providers for internet, and another "better" neighborhood just 8 miles away, has 1 choice.. .