Knoxville by Any Other Name is Still No Couch
A June 8 New York Times article described Knoxville by some familiar nicknames: Knoxvegas, K-town, Knoxpatch. For the record, we also recognize Vol Country, Big Orange Country, and others conveniently compiled by Byron, but not this: "Knoxville is often called “the couch” by the people who live there." The couch. What?!
Upon publication, it took no time at all for the blogosphere to hum with peeved reactions, all well worth the read. I wondered: if Knoxville were a couch, what type would it be? Certainly not my grandmother's sofa, an ancient affair with little to offer the eye or rump, upholstered in a bland brocade, the hump on its back a pretentious salute to the past. Grandma's sofa offers no indication that you should stay for long, rather, it sweetly sends the opposite message: you're a visitor, don't spill your drink, and cross your legs at the ankle. Knoxville wouldn't be my son's couch, either... a salute to All Things College, an item in disrepair destined for a May 2010 trash heap - and none too soon! It wouldn't be the overstuffed, self-important monstrosity that I recently saw in a store window while traveling. The schizophrenic fabric was pulled tightly over the fill like a drum set to explode. And it wouldn't be what the Times portrayed: "too unassuming to shout about but too comfortable to leave," a statement that conjures images of a frumpy old clunker that woos one into passivity.
To be fair, Knoxville is comfortable and easy to love. But the city's Southern charm, quality of life, and gracious people have made Knoxville a popular place to move: Knoxville added over 100,000 new residents from 1990 to 2000. These people aren't coming to town to settle into a spud-like trance, they are coming for the city's culture, creativity, innovation and technology, educational opportunities, and beauty. We're a growing, vibrant city: "Metropolitan Knoxville is No. 10 on the latest list (Forbes) of the best metro areas for business and careers." As with all cities, there's room for improvement, absolutely...but Knoxville's no unassuming couch.
