East Tennessee Residential Communities : Holrob Communities : Private Communities near Knoxville, Knox County, Blount County, Anderson County, Sevier County

Revitalization and redevelopment aren't just buzzwords in Knoxville. With Market Square's successful revitalization, new retail and restaurants on Gay Street and in the Old City, and the South Waterfront redevelopment underway, officials have turned their attention to North Knoxville, moving forward with plans for the "Downtown North"  redevelopment. The plan is ambitious, involving "the second-largest redevelopment area ever identified in the city."


Photo by J. Miles Cary.

The plans include recreating the North Central Avenue corridor "as a mixed-use area ripe for new retail, commercial and residential investment," and narrowing of certain parts of Central Avenue to create a two lane street that will allow "more room for a pedestrian-friendly streetscape with bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks and on-street parking." This plan is to work in conjunction with the redevelopment of Broadway Avenue, which crosses North Central at the historic Fourth and Gill residential area (see page 2 for a map of that area; click here for maps of the downtown area and the City of Knoxville).

Although new development in the extended North Knoxville area has been among the most active in recent years, redevelopment of the area which connects downtown to it has been slower. While the Fourth and Gill and Old North Knoxville neighborhoods have enjoyed a growing popularity with renovations to their historic homes and the formation of strong neighborhood associations, the businesses and properties along Central and Broadway remained in decline. This redevelopment plan targets those areas, which will ultimately extend the downtown's successful revitalization by linking it to the nearby historic neighborhoods and, eventually, to the new development further to the north. The result will be a continuous and integrated mixed-use area with a focus on green spaces, economic development, and preservation of the area's historic resources. Although it will take several years before the area is fully transformed, several businesses are already improving their buildings' facades while investors are purchasing and renovating existing apartments. As one developer said, "It's coming. … It's come quite a way in just the last year." Want to know more about Knoxville development? Submit your inquiry here.

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Americans move over ten times during their lives, once every seven years on average. We move to gain access to better health care, closer proximity to family, better jobs, more lively entertainment and social outlets, better schools, or better or more affordable housing. With more than 40 million moves occurring within the United States each year, Americans are among the most mobile in the world. What do we know about these movers?

Photo by hanguklnGilroy.

• Housing is the number one reason for the move. Between March 1999 and March 2000, 52 percent of moves were made to secure better, bigger, and/or cheaper housing. Twenty-six percent of these moves were for family related reasons and 16 percent of the moves were for work related reasons.
• Of the 43.3 million moves that occurred from 1999-2000, over 56 percent stayed within the same county. Twenty percent moved to a different county within the same state and 19 percent moved to another state.
• Young people are more likely to move than their elders. Between 1999 and 2000, one-third of those aged 20-29 moved while only four percent of those aged 65-84 relocated.
• Region matters. Between 1999 and 2000, the South was the only region to experience a significant gain in population. While the Northeast experienced a net loss of over a quarter million residents, the South had a net gain of 227,000.
• According to the American Housing Survey, in 2006, 53 percent of movers saw their expenses increase when they moved. Twenty-three percent saw their expenses decrease and 24 percent saw no change.
• In declining order, the factors which influenced the selection of the home they moved to were (2006): finances; room design/layout; kitchen; size; exterior appearance; yard and view; quality of construction; and availability.

Although many have the freedom and economic means to move, few put real thought into finding a community that fits them best. Where you move may be more important than why you move as place dictates quality of life through economic, recreational, and social opportunities. Click here to learn more.

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For the past two decades motorcycle sales have been on the rise. Since 2002, new purchases have topped over 900,000 each year, a trend that is likely to continue with rising fuel costs. It's estimated that nearly nine million motorcycles are currently in use in America; with such popularity it's no surprise that bike owners have an annual event to share their enthusiasm. Celebrating its eighth consecutive year in Knoxville, Honda Hoot attendees will soon arrive at Chilhowee Park to "blow out the candles" for the Hoot's fifteenth anniversary.

Photo by goatmanbaldy.

This "Top 20 Event" is much like a reunion, drawing visitors back year after year to visit with old friends, make new ones, and to "enjoy the variety of activities and events - from self guided rides through the serene Knoxville outdoors to demonstration rides that offer exclusive opportunities to experience dozens of brand new bikes." Many daytime activities are suggested, highlighting the area's wonderful attractions and scenery. For instance, bikers might take a ride to nearby Dollywood, go white water rafting, visit the Knoxville Zoo, or take a riverboat cruise on the Star of Knoxville. In past years, the rides through the Cumberland Gap and Cherohala Skyway have been popular. This year, new rides include "Bikes and Boats at the Lake" (in which attendees will visit) Lenoir City for water activities and lunch and the "Capes and Cavern Ride" will provide a day of exploring caves..." Over 200 vendors will participate in the vendor expo and nightly shows, fireworks, and games are planned with Wynonna Judd performing a special private concert to Hoot attendees as a grand finale. The June 18-21 event will bring over 16,000 bikers to the city with an estimated city/county economic impact of over $23 million.

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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.

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Knoxville continues to remain in the top cities in the country to conduct business.

Knoxville is again among the best cities in the country to do business, according to Forbes magazine’s 2008 rankings released Wednesday.

As we are well aware of here at Holrob Communities, the cost of living in Knoxville is among the lowest in the nation.  This and the general cost of doing business in Knoxville were chief among the reasons for this honor.

The magazine cited the region’s relatively low business costs — 14 percent below the national average — as one of Knoxville’s strengths.

Good work!

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One of the top ten hobbies in the United States is genealogy! Although no one is sure what started the trend, Americans are becoming more and more interested in exploring their family history and are travelling to town halls, libraries, and genealogy centers, and researching the Internet for answers. Knoxville’s East Tennessee History Center is a popular destination for researchers with family roots in the region. Situated on the corner of Gay and Clinch Streets, across from the historic Tennessee Theater, the Center serves as a sort of clearinghouse for regional history. The building was renovated in 2004 to house three organizations that are dedicated to preserving this history: The East Tennessee Historical Society, the Knox County Archives, and the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection of the Knox County Public Library.

 

The first floor of the History Center is dedicated to exhibits and lecture rooms. The museum offers permanent and changing exhibits that “focus on the rich history and heritage of East Tennessee, as well as unique traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian and other venues.” For genealogists, the Historical Society offers workshops nearly every Saturday on genealogy-related topics such as Genealogy on the Internet, Beginning and Intermediate Genealogy, as well as topical lectures such as Cherokee Genealogy, Revolutionary War Genealogy, and using County Records as resources.

 

Housed in the same building on the second and third floors are the Knox County Public Library’s McClung Historical Collection and the Knox County Archives which offer historical documents and government records dating from the late 1700s. Most of the collection has been preserved on microfilm for easy access. Birth and death records are available, as are estate, marriage, and store ledgers. In addition to the more than 60,000 books and 12,000 rolls of microfilm, the McClung Collection’s holdings include over 3,000 historic maps, over 100,000 photographs, and more than 600 manuscripts. The Center is open Monday-Tuesday 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5. 

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Knoxville has long been the star of the Southeast region because of its low cost of living, outstanding medical facilities, proximity to major roads and railways, educational opportunities, and beautiful landscape. These attributes have made Knoxville a popular destination for home buyers and, as convenient access to shopping, medical care, and recreational activities have become more important, buyers have found even more reason to call Knoxville home.

Home owners have convenient access to quality medical care as Knoxville’s growth has encouraged the area’s world-class medical centers to expand their services into the suburbs. For instance, Covenant Health System and St. Mary’s Health System have placed centers just minutes from residential areas in every part of city. Foodies enjoy their choice of over 300 restaurants ranging from the four-star to the family diner. Within a ten minute drive, one can step into the upscaled Orangery; the chic sushi bar, Nama; settle in for Altruda’s traditional Italian cuisine; have a plate of bar-b-que at the nearest Buddy’s; or visit the Northshore Brasserie, which offers upscale French cuisine.

For shoppers, Knoxvillians have easy access to two large shopping malls, the 300 acre Turkey Creek development, and the hundreds of boutique retailers which are scattered throughout the city. Golfers can tee off at Knoxville’s 13 country club and fee-based courses (there are another 26 within an hour’s drive!). A public course of note is the Avalon Landmark Golf Club, an 18 hole championship course ranked Four Stars by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play.” Water lovers enjoy Knoxville’s convenient access to area lakes and rivers; boating and skiing are popular summer activities. And, for sports fans, it doesn’t get much better with the UT Volunteer football, basketball, and baseball seasons - not to mention the area’s amateur baseball team, The Smokies, and hockey team, The Knoxville Ice Bears!

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Like so many cities, Knoxville developed on a waterway. Early maps of Knoxville show development radiating from the Tennessee River, the city’s primary means of transportation before railways developed. The electric trolley would come to Knoxville in 1890 (a good idea then and, some believe, now), expanding the city to around six square miles in area; before that, city development was limited to the distance one could walk or ride horseback. Later, the automobile would open the door to even more outward development shifting the city’s focus away from the Tennessee River that once supported its economy to the west, north, and east. The Tennessee River, seemingly, had outlived its usefulness.



But as cities all over the United States began to undergo the stresses of sprawl, urban planners, in hopes of drawing people back to the city center, sought to identify the common features among cities whose downtowns remained vibrant. One commonality was water. Cities that have healthy, developed waterfronts maintain denser downtown populations, more vibrant downtown activities, and healthier economies as a result. Working with that information, many cities across America with neglected waterfronts are looking to revitalize by cleaning up and developing their shorelines.

To that end, Knoxville’s leadership joined with citizens, technical experts, developers and others to construct a plan to redevelop the south waterfront along the Tennessee River. Complete in 2005, the South Waterfront Action Plan spans 20 years with several phases of development. Currently, Phase I (0-5 years) is underway with plans to initiate a number of projects such as the construction of riverwalks, an amphitheater, a pedestrian bridge, and several area transportation improvements. When complete, several public parks will provide direct access, or “windows,” to the water; bike paths, sidewalks, street improvements, and parking areas will draw recreational crowds; and private residential, office, entertainment, and retail development will encourage people to move to the area, making it a true extension of the city rather than simply an outdoor recreation area.

Wondering about the other side of the river? The northern shore has received attention during the last decade with the construction of a two-mile riverside promenade and Volunteer Landing, a popular outdoor venue for game day gatherings, special events, or just playtime; several interactive fountains attract children during the summer. Fishing docks, park benches, a playground, and picnic tables dot the way attracting families, students, and downtown workers. Several restaurants are accessible via the riverwalk, and a pedestrian bridge provides safe crossing from downtown Knoxville to the park. All of this is tucked between and beneath Knoxville’s historic Gay Street and Henley Street bridges which add beauty and interest to the scenery while serving as subtle reminders of the good things happening on the other side.

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One doesn’t travel the southern stretch of US Highway 129 unintentionally. It’s not likely you’ll accidentally stumble upon it, in fact, most traveling through Maryville, TN, on Highway 411 pass the turn onto 129 without even a glance. Rather, those who take 129 tend to do so with intent, knowing that they will be rewarded with the most beautiful scenery and most thrilling, even legendary, rides to be experienced in the United States.



Approximately 20 miles into the journey one will encounter the famous Dragon. The Dragon, or The Tail of the Dragon, is an eleven-mile section of 129 at Deal’s Gap right at the North Carolina border. What makes this stretch of road so spectacular is that there are 318 turns, more turns than any other stretch of road in the U.S.! The whipping and twisting of the road make the journey a must-do for car and motorcycle enthusiasts as they navigate turns such as The Switchbacks, Rebel’s Revenge, The Pearly Gates, and The Beginner’s End. But even for the average-speed car tourist, like myself, the ride is as exciting as any I’ve even experienced.

From the Tennessee side, the beginning of US 129 is a tour of the rural: farmhouses, barns, and mom and pop stores dot the way making the early stretch of 129 feel less like a highway than an old country road. After several miles, however, the farms give way to forest and that’s where the fun begins. Through the mountains, 129 travelers are actually following the path of an old Indian trail, the first settlers in the aggressive peaks and valleys. While electrical development began in the area in the mid-1910s with the construction of the Cheoah Dam and powerhouse, it wasn’t until 1931 that 129 opened the way for folks to cross from TN into NC by way of Deal’s Gap. Today, the National Park Service maintains most of the land around 129 as the Great Smoky Mountains, the Nantahala National Forest, and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.

While the beauty of the forest and the whipping of The Dragon’s Tail would be sufficient to entice travelers, every so often the trees give way to such sights as the Dragon Overlook, a beautiful, mountaintop pull off with a view of the river and valley far below. A bit farther and clearings offer breathtaking lakes, river views, and bridges – a collection of manmade marvels and nature’s best.

US 129 ends about 10 miles south of Robbinsville, NC, but day-trippers usually stop at the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort (about 18 miles north of Robbinsville) for refreshments before heading home. On the other hand, if you want to make it a weekend, consider continuing on to the Highlands in NC by way of Franklin. The Highlands is a historic little town situated at over 4,000 feet in elevation. While there are ample hiking, rafting, biking, and other opportunities, the Highland’s downtown offers a cozy and upscale resort of antique dealers, high-end restaurants, bed and breakfast inns, and a historic restored Old Edwards Inn. The laid-back nature of this getaway make this the perfect place to rejuvenate before having to, once again, slay the Dragon.

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Knoxville, being one of Tennessee’s four largest cities and the largest city in the region, is home to a number of heath systems that extend their services to East Tennesseans through their major medical centers as well as the placement of branch centers and specialty clinics around Knox and its surrounding counties. As a result, East Tennessee residents have long been the beneficiaries of cutting-edge medical technologies. With seventeen major hospitals in the area (many of them award-winning), as well as a multitude of specialty clinics, East Tennesseans have access to outstanding healthcare options.

It is hard to understate the importance of the Baptist Health System to the region. Consisting of three major hospitals, the Baptist Hospital for Women, and the Baptist Senior Center, the Baptist Health System specializes in the treatment of senior health, women’s health, as well as cancer, heart, and eye health. Baptist Health System’s flagship hospital, located in downtown Knoxville, has been repeatedly named a Top 100 Hospital and a Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital. In 2006, renovations on this facility were completed, updating the chapel, the medical surgical unit, intensive care unit, and some waiting areas.

The Covenant Health System consists of several regional hospitals including Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Parkwest Medical Center (a Top 100 Heart Hospital), Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, Fort Loudon Medical Center, and Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center. The Thompson Cancer Survival Center provides the newest cancer treatments and diagnostics in three area locations; a fourth location is under construction at this time. Covenant Health boasts the delivery of 3,043 babies at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in 2006 (including 66 sets of twins, eight sets of triplets, and a set of quadruplets!). Also in 2006, Parkwest Medical Center graduated the largest class in history from its Peninsula Behavioral Health division.

St. Mary’s Health System includes four hospitals and a number of centers throughout East Tennessee; its flagship Medical Center has served the region for nearly 75 years providing women’s services, cancer care, orthopedics, and cardiac care, among others. A Top 100 Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center provides quality care with five star ratings from HealthGrades in a number of service areas. For 2007, major improvements to the System include the addition of a 72-bed acute-care facility to its North Campus, scheduled to open this fall. Also, St. Mary’s flagship campus will undergo renovations along with the new construction of a $100 million patient tower.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) serves as the region’s Level I Trauma Center. An academic hospital in the University Health System, Inc., UTMC employees focus on education, including research and discovery of new and emerging treatments. The UTMC is but one of several centers in a regional network. Other centers include the Brain and Spine Institute, the Cancer Institute, the Heart Lung Vascular Institute, and the Center for Women’s Health. In 2006, UTMC opened its Heart and Stroke Center, as well as the Tom and Katherine Black neonatal intensive care unit. This $4.8 million unit added 29 private rooms for East Tennessee’s tiniest and most fragile citizens.

For more information on East Tennessee’s medical facilities, including a comprehensive list of major medical centers, click here.

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