Potential Move to Chattanooga...thoughts?

[mauchow]

There is a potential promotion for me to take that would result in a move from Central WI down to Nooga.

This is a spot, location wise from her parents that I've always considered ideal as her parents live in Atlanta. I don't mind being away from my family in wisconsin and I have always pushed a move closer to her parents. Not to close yet not too far.

Does anyone here have experience with this area in general? We are liberal, not super religious people so we've got two differences from the get go...however, we love the outdoors and love the non city feel but big enough to have everything you need.

We have two kids, 2 & 4, so schools are important. My wife is an RN so she should have little issue finding work.

It really is a choice of staying in Wisconsin vs Chattanooga. I don't have other opportunities to go elsewhere to compare to currently. My wife says we can only move if my job situation is set. We can't move then me find a job. So, once we are in Chattanooga, thats likely it for us until kids are out of the house.

[mauchow]

I understand there is no income tax and lower property taxes so we'd be coming out well ahead in that department as far as pros vs cons go.

We currently pay $5000/yr for our $220,000 home and the same house in Chattanooga is closer to $2000.

Other things, we aren't artsy people, we enjoy good food.

[bob]

I've never lived there, and don't know anyone that does. But from an outsiders opinion, its a great city. Outside magazine constantly has it in the list of top 50 places to live due to the outdoor things to do and the fact that people are very in shape there. Very walk-able downtown with a Dodgers (i think) minor league team, good restaurants, and free trolley system. Other cool things like the aquarium, and a great children's museum. In fact, while I live in the north Atlanta suburbs, we are members of the Chattanooga one because its not that much further and the Atlanta one is crap.

I also think it has one of the country's best internet speeds and a slowly building start up scene.

I don't know what the neighborhood situations are like, or the education system, but I've always told my wife I'd love to live there. And now that I work from home all the time for a small start up, I might consider it. So please post what you find out here.

[bob]

Here's an article about the internet speed:

Chattanooga's super-fast, publicly-owned Internet - May. 20, 2014 (http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/20/technology/innovation/chattanooga-internet/)

[bob]

And something about the startups:

http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/what-s-going-on-in-chattanooga.html

[NobodyHere]

Here's an article about the internet speed:

Chattanooga's super-fast, publicly-owned Internet - May. 20, 2014 (http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/20/technology/innovation/chattanooga-internet/)

Unfortunately the state of Tennessee hates fast internet.

Tennessee sues the FCC to stop city-run internet (http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/25/tennessee-sues-fcc-over-municipal-broadband/)

[JonInMiddleGA]

My wife grew up in an outlying suburb (Cleveland) and still knows it pretty well. If you make the move & need some specifics I'll try to pass along any questions you have.

I know that school quality varies substantially so pick & choose carefully, and would suggest that you at least examine the various private opportunities in the area. Overall I'd say it's perhaps a good example of the smaller city experience that you can have be quite good OR quite miserable, depending upon choices in location, convenience, priorities, etc.

[JonInMiddleGA]

In fact, while I live in the north Atlanta suburbs, we are members of the Chattanooga one because its not that much further and the Atlanta one is crap.

I have to agree re: aquarium. Not so much that Atlanta is crap necessarily but rather that the Chattanooga one is simply a much more enjoyable experience. (better price, less crowded, much less of a breakneck madhouse)

[bob]

I have to agree re: aquarium. Not so much that Atlanta is crap necessarily but rather that the Chattanooga one is simply a much more enjoyable experience. (better price, less crowded, much less of a breakneck madhouse)

I meant the Atlanta children's museum is crap, but agree with you that Chattanooga aquarium is better too.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I meant the Atlanta children's museum is crap, but agree with you that Chattanooga aquarium is better too.

Oops, my bad, totally misread.

[tarcone]

Beautiful area. I have driven through and know many people that vacation i n the area. If you like the outdoors, this is a great place.

[mauchow]

Thankss for some thoughts so far everyone. Hopefully over these next few days we figure out what we'll be doing!!

[Breeze]

One of the swim meets my kids used to compete in was in Chattanooga so we'd spend a weekend up there every year. Nice area, some neat places to go, minor league baseball (which I love), wilderness areas, and some really good restaurants down by the river.

[Super Ugly]

I've visited a couple of times. Fantastic city. My dream home would be on Lookout Mountain.

[MrBug708]

Why not try LA?

1300 sq foot home is 400K, not too shabby!

I'll even teach you how to get a hole in one :)

[flere-imsaho]

The last company for which I worked had a large office in Chattanooga (not your company, as they didn't have an office in Wisconsin as well).

I worked with a bunch of folks, as a result, who lived there. In general, they all loved it. Great smaller city, lots of stuff to do, especially lots of stuff for kids, they say.

HOWEVER, the schools are terrible, is what I'm told. This was directly attributed to the low tax situation. So I'd echo what Jon said about looking into the private options. Literally no one with whom I worked had kids in the public school system.

[mauchow]

Murfreesboro is now potentially in the mix too...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Murfreesboro is now potentially in the mix too...

I can only quote a former client who lived there "Dumbest f'n place on the entire planet, nobody else is even close"

YMMV, but my limited experiences with some of the denizens has me convinced he was correct.

If you can form two coherent thoughts in under five minutes, you'll be a one-percenter.

[Warhammer]

Murfreesboro puts the south Nashville suburbs into play and that area is very nice.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Murfreesboro puts the south Nashville suburbs into play and that area is very nice.

Agreed that is a whole diff'rent kettle o' fish.

[mauchow]

What areas would you guys consider as very nice? Jw.

Thanks.

[FBPro]

I live near Chattanooga, love the area for the most part. It is nice that you are within 2 hours or so of Atlanta, Nashville and Knoxville.....

[mauchow]

I will likely get the choice of two jobs, one in Cleveland tn, but I'd commute from Collegedale in Chatt or the job in Murfreesboro and we have no clue what's best there...

We'll be developing a pro and con list and try figuring things out.

[dolfin]

Probably a little far out from Murfeesboro, but we have a facility in Tullahoma and that seems like a decent little town. I've only driven through the area north of there but its also beautiful around Normandy Lake.

[dolfin]

Also, there's this great little cafe that seems out in the middle of nowhere called the Bell Buckle Cafe. Definitely out in the country!

Its actually a little closer to Murfeesboro, (30 minutes-ish)

[mauchow]

Well, it sounds like we will be moving. Or at least I will be here for the short-term. I will be in an office in Chattanooga for a short-term while we find out if the Murfreesboro office opens up or not.

Once we find out for certain, then my family can follow suit.

[mauchow]

Okay, so now that the move is a sure thing, I have to start planning a moving budget.

How much can I expect to pay for a move? I see UHaul would be around $2000 for the truck from Wausau, WI to Chattanooga, but the problem is, we can't drive it so that rules out uhaul most likely.

Upack seems okay, too. We would also need a place to store the stuff for a month or so, $2800 for UPack plus $400 storage, which seems steep...but then we wouldn't have to unpack it until we're ready.

We can also find someone to load and unload for us for $225 on each end of things...I'm hoping we can avoid the unloading cost as that should be a lot easier than the loading part.