Chattanooga neighborhood/suburb recomendations

[Guest Arko]

Hey Friends,

I'm going to make a work related move from Knoxville to Chattanooga in the next couple months, and am finding the neighborhoods and suburbs confusing.

Any recommendations on where to rent? Preferably a house, but a dog friendly apartment would be ok too.

I'd prefer a town or suburb within about 20 minutes of the city. City suburbs are ok too, so long as they aren't in too close proximity to "the hood".

Would prefer to keep rent/lease under 800, but can go a little higher for a nice quite neighborhood.

Suggestions to research?

[Guest slothful1]

I'm in Hixson, on the north side of town, which is mostly inside Chattanooga city limits. I like the commute (roughly 20 minutes from my house to downtown, via Hixson Pike) compared to the folks that drive in on Amnicola Hwy, Brainerd Road, or the interstates, all of which are more prone to traffic backing up in my experience. Higher crime areas tend to be down close to I-24 and the western end of Brainerd Road. Red Bank and Soddy-Daisy are pretty good too, IMO, though Soddy might be a little further out than you want. St. Elmo, south of downtown along Broad Street, doesn't look too bad from the few times I've driven through there. I don't know much about the neighborhoods out on the east side of town.

For what it's worth, I like living in Chattanooga better than anywhere else I've lived (Little Rock, Fayetteville & Rogers, AR, and Montgomery, AL).

[I_Like_Pie]

The cheapest place to rent in Chattanooga without being in the "Hood"

By far...Is the Mtn. Creek Road area in Red Bank. You will have no problem finding a place to live for a year or two for under $800 a month. It is 10 minutes from downtown and a pretty central place to live with respect to chattanooga.

You will only be 10 minutes away from Prentice Cooper WMA free range also.

There are plenty of other places to rent, but this has been the "newcomer" area for many years now. Granted...there are like 50 bazillion apartments there, but rent is cheap and life will be good for a while.

Not many people rent houses when compared to other cities...Houses are still cheap here. They CAN be found however for around $1000 for just about anything.

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Now if you are looking for a place to live...Hixson and Ooltewah are the places to be with respect to houses. The pricing is almost exactly the same as Knoxvegas.

Once down here you will be shocked at how easy it is to get around and how little traffic there is in comparison to Knoxville.

[Guest tadams]

Guys, I'm all ears on this one, too... Pending entrance into the Physical Therapy program, and a couple other options, Chattanooga is tied for first place on a "move-to" location before August.

Sloth, we have really been considering Hixson or Red Bank areas.

I_like, that's good to know about Mtn. Creek Rd, specifically. I had wondered about that.

Arko, apologies for interrupting your regularly scheduled programing. Please keep'm coming, ya'll.

[Guest Arko]

Thanks guys. That's a good start. Hixson has come up a few times in conversation with co-workers.

I hadn't heard Red Bank mentioned. I'll check it out. I'm not in a hurry, so I can look around once I figure out WHERE to look. I'll be commuting from Knox, but at least I don't need to jump on anything.

The "cheap" factor isn't the most important. I just figured 800/mo would be a decent start compared to Knox. I'll go higher for a house or NICE apartment.

Thanks again so far friends!

PS: tadams: No problem! Glad I'm not the only one it helps!

Edited January 27, 2009 by Arko
PS

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

I live up in Hixson... pretty decent area from what I've seen. I've also seen a decent number of "for rent" signs around during my travels. I'll also put in a good word for Red Bank like the others. If you can get near 27 up in Hixson, you can be downtown in 15-20 minutes with no problem.

There's really no "traffic" worthy of the term here... the worst I've encountered was having to slow down to like 25 for five minutes on 27 one afternoon. From what I've seen of Knoxville traffic, I think you'll find the commutes around here to be quite refreshing.

[Guest Arko]

I live up in Hixson... pretty decent area from what I've seen. I've also seen a decent number of "for rent" signs around during my travels. I'll also put in a good word for Red Bank like the others. If you can get near 27 up in Hixson, you can be downtown in 15-20 minutes with no problem.

There's really no "traffic" worthy of the term here... the worst I've encountered was having to slow down to like 25 for five minutes on 27 one afternoon. From what I've seen of Knoxville traffic, I think you'll find the commutes around here to be quite refreshing.

Good to know. I've traveled into Chattanooga on 27 from a Jobsite and it did seem pretty quick to get to our shop.

[Almond27]

Hey Arko I used to work for painter who painted alot of apartment complexes on Mtn. Creek Road and there is a few I would not want to live around there, personally I don't like Hixson, Red Bank, East Ridge. I feel that Red Bank and East Ridge have changed alot. East Brainerd is not a bad area and is convient to Hamilton Place, 153, Hwy 58. From where I live I can be downtown to my work on Broad street in 20 mins. Ooltewah/Collegedale is a nicer area but rent can be higher than other areas. If you would like me to pm you the names of the complexes that have alot of college students, foriegner's etc. Feel free to pm me my old boss painted just about all of the Steven D. Bell property's and some of the others.

[Guest Arko]

Thanks for the input. So..anybody familiar with Soddy Daisy? Is it really rural?

Almond,Thanks, will PM.

[SkWaShDeM]

Collegedale is a pretty nice area. My older sister went to undergrad there. Sleepy little town with some truly anal traffic cops. Only time I've ever had to go to court to get a ticket thrown out was when a Collegedale cop wrote me a ticket for doing 46 in a 45. Downhill no less.

[Guest Arko]

Collegedale is a pretty nice area. My older sister went to undergrad there. Sleepy little town with some truly anal traffic cops. Only time I've ever had to go to court to get a ticket thrown out was when a Collegedale cop wrote me a ticket for doing 46 in a 45. Downhill no less.

Sounds nice, minus the traffic enforcement. Wrote up for 1 over....sheesh!

[Guest 153blue]

just move to the hood, you can always buy and sell new guns from the gold tooth guy there. jk.

[BrandonTN]

Thanks for the input. So..anybody familiar with Soddy Daisy? Is it really rural?

Almond,Thanks, will PM.

That's where I live and it's not bad at all. Relatively close to Hixson (I can get to the new Publix in 10 minutes or so) and downtown in 20-25 minutes depending on traffic. There are a couple restaurants, fast food places, a nice Wal-mart and I've never had any problems here. They just built some new apartments right past the Sequoia Rd. exit and there are some nice townhouses at the Harrison exit (right behind the little hospital and Hardees) for around $675 a month. Let me know if you have any other questions about SD.

[Guest bigsack]

stay away from east ridge and brainerd proper. they ain't "hood" but they are getting that way.

what are your thoughts on GA?

[BrandonTN]

stay away from east ridge and brainerd proper. they ain't "hood" but they are getting that way.

what are your thoughts on GA?

Income tax =

[Guest Arko]

stay away from east ridge and brainerd proper. they ain't "hood" but they are getting that way.

what are your thoughts on GA?

I don't know much about GA. All things being equal, I'd rather stay a Tennessean, but depends on the neighborhood etc.

And the taxes?

[Guest abailey362]

Income tax =

x eleventy billion

I have lived in ooltewah off Hunter rd for a year now and really don't have much complaints. I live in a massive housing development, pretty much all houses have 2 car garages and most have basements. Some yard and not really any crime back here. I live close to the back and it's extremely quiet. Rent is on the upper end of what you've mentioned, but the 1000 sq ft I have downstairs made it worth the difference from a townhome for me.

feel free to pm me on more specifics on the area.

Check out www.rivercitypm.com for tons of listings around the area. I go through hem as well as the rest of the managers at work and we have had no issues

and if you need any appliances or electronics after the move i'll hook you up too

[Guest betobeto]

Knowing what part of chattanooga you will be working in would help in the suggestions. Sorry if I missed it in the thread.

[Guest Arko]

Knowing what part of chattanooga you will be working in would help in the suggestions. Sorry if I missed it in the thread.

I work for a Mechanical Contractor, and we have some regular work all over town, and projects of various length can come up anywhere, so as long as I'm in the general area, that's better than commuting from Knox!

abailey: I'll do that! Thanks!

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Income tax =

On the other hand, TN sales tax is about double that of GA.

They're gonna take it from you one way or the other...

[Guest betobeto]

I would check around east brainard/Ooltewah or even over on highway 58. But If you want to be able to do some shooting in the back yard look for a place out side the city in the county.

[Guest abailey362]

it doesn't come close.

there is a 3 % difference and in this area, even if you live in north ga you spend most of your money in tn anyway since that's where most retail is located.

[Guest Arko]

I would check around east brainard/Ooltewah or even over on highway 58. But If you want to be able to do some shooting in the back yard look for a place out side the city in the county.

If possible, it would be nice to outside city limits.