I may end up with a really good job offer in Knoxville, TN. I’m interviewing this week. Anyway, I’ve lived in the Houston, TX area pretty much my entire life. Uprooting is a tough choice, especially if I don’t know what to expect. I’ve never even been to Tennessee. Anyone have any experience with Knoxville? Is it a nice place to live?
I don’t have any kids, so no concerns about that.
I went to grad school there, and grew up a couple of hours away. It’s conservative, but people of any political persuasion should be able to find folks to hang out with. UT football takes over in the fall; if you’re into baseball, there’s a AA team there. There’s lots of outdoor stuff to do if you’re into that, and there’s a fair amount of nightlife/arts.
Thanks, that’s good info. While I’m not conservative by any stretch of the imagination, I can deal with it. I grew up in a small East Texas town, and I imagine that Knoxville as an at least slightly large urban area is a little more diverse.
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The good news: There’s no state income tax.
The bad news (at least anecdotally; may be off-base): That means, in part, that infrastructure isn’t great.
I haven’t been to Knoxville in many years. I used to have relatives there, but they’ve since died or moved. Apart from a few select areas, most of the metropolitan area isn’t particularly attractive. I don’t remember it being very pedestrian- or bike-friendly, but that may have changed in recent years.
If you’re an outdoorsy person, Tennessee in general is a beautiful state, and the weather is going to be a lot more varied than Houston’s (actual snow at times in the winter!). Fall, in particular, is a wonderful time to be in the Knoxville area; the foliage in the surrounding hills and mountains is spectacular, and the weather is phenomenal.
If you’re not a fan of Tennessee sports, the area can be somewhat off-putting. College athletics plays a HUGE role in the psyche of the community. The fact that UT’s athletic programs haven’t been doing as well as they normally do lately tends to make the locals a bit edgy. If you dislike the color orange (with a significant yellow undertone), be warned – it’s everywhere.
And, the obligatory snarky comment from an Alabama fan: If you’re moving to Knoxville to pursue a job in the dental or fitness industries, you’re gonna starve.
I haven’t been there in 25 years or so, but my brother tells me the downtown area is hopping now.
Texas doesn’t have an income tax either, though we do have an 8.25% sales tax on non-grocery items. I’ve been told Tennessee has sales taxes on groceries too, which is somewhat off-putting, but not a real huge concern.
Don’t worry, it’s the food industry. Should do well. 
Thanks for the input.
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Know why UT chose that color? So the fans go on Saturday morning to work out their community service sentence then head straight to the game!
Doesn’t Tennessee suggest Rednecks?
It would be weird getting used to UT meaning University of Tennessee, and not Texas.
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Texas? You mean UT-West? 
Just moved from there (still relocating at this point), so here’s some rambling thoughts. It’s not a bad place. Lots of new bars, restaurants, brew pubs and the like are opening. Downtown is pretty hopping and Housing is pretty reasonable. You’re like 4 hours from Atlanta, 3 from Nashville, and 2 from Asheville. Football really does take over, almost to an embarrassing degree. Religion is a huge part of people’s lives, and it can be a little off-putting. Knoxville can be pretty progressive, but you’re pretty close to Deliverance country. This Daily Show clip kinda sums things up.
You have the Oak Ridge Laboratories and the University to bring diversity to the area, and a lot of tech jobs. Scripps Networks is also based there. Of course there are mountains all around you, and Dolly Parton is a kind of deity in the area. The air quality can be kinda iffy, and Knoxville is sometimes listed as the worst city for people with asthma. Traffic is minimal and can be avoided if you don’t have to drive near the 75/40 junction.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask or PM me. Life wasn’t bad there. I left for job reasons and partially because I decided the south wasn’t for me. Under the right circumstances, I’d go back. Check out r/Knoxville on Reddit and Inside of Knoxville for more info.
I passed through Knoxville a year ago. So as a visitor I can say it looked like a nice town. I actually spent an extra day there because it seemed nice. It has a small city vibe to it and the downtown seems in pretty good shape. Lots of relatively uncrowded land around the city. I visited Oak Ridge. Interesting for a geek. Almost all the nuclear facilities are gone now-the biggest effort is in remediation. They are working hard to attract tech industries to the site. Of the several cities I saw in Tenn., Knoxville would be my first choice.
Thanks lost4life and rbroome, that’s good info.