Oak Ridge TN

[Corine]

My husband is up for a job at Oak Ridge National Lab in Oak Ridge TN, it is just outside of Knoxville.
Anyone from that area or know that area at all? I am wondering about crime, schools, where to live, where to avoid, all that good stuff. I know if I just depend on the real estate agent I could end up in gang land or crack alley kinda place. Last time I did this we ended up living in an area of mostly rentals on a road with a speed limit of 35 but everyone did 70 and used it as a way to get home from the bar drunk but avoid the highway where the cops were. I do not want to make that mistake again!

[Muduh]

I'm sorry that I really can't help you out with your questions, but just wantd to say that you will be in a lovely area. I've been to Oak Ridge a few times but don't know much about it. If I were going to live in a different town, I think I would plan to rent for a little while, in order to sort of get the "lay of the land before I committed. There is probably a board from there and they could help you. Why not google for one?

You will be very close to the Smokey Mountains National Park, and it is beautiful up there. I'll bet you'll love it.

Best of luck.

[Corine]

Thanks! Yeah we will rent/hotel it, we have 60 day paid in a hotel and 60 days paid storage for our stuff in the relocation package they offer. Well thanks Muduh! I am excited.

[MRD]

Oak Ridge is a beautiful area and has gotten a lot of nice subdivisions now because of the government workers moving in.

Google the city and see if they have a vistiors bureau that can set you up with a guidebook. That's what we did before moving to Greenville. Also google and see if they have a newspaper. We read the Greenville one online for months before we moved and we got a fairly good idea of what areas kept popping up with crime.

I also got on yahoogroups and did a search for "south carolina moms" and "greenville moms" and found a group that I joined back in June and they have been WONDERFUL. So nice, they have been a godsend for me in info, help, support and even making friends.

[Muduh]

There is a Tennessee Visitors Center down where I walk and if I think of it, I will check for information and see if there's anything you might like to order. How soon would you be making the move? I know that sometime it takes forever to get brochures and stuff and if you needed them in a hurry, I could pick them up and mail them to you. You could give me your address without worry, because you aren't going to live there anyway.

Check out this site. It seems to be a good one.

www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/newcomer

[Stargazer]

Good luck, Corine.

City information
http://www.ci.oak-ridge.tn.us/

Tourism information
http://oakridgevisitor.com/home.html

[Corine]

The job starts soon but we would not be able to leave here until the end of November. I will look at those websites, thanks for the help.
Muduh, thank you so much! That is so nice of you! I am thinking though that those things are mostly touristy stuff right? Well maybe I can find out if they have a mall! John (my hubby) was there last week for an interview and I asked him to drive around but he didn't. MEN! LOL

[MRD]

The job starts soon but we would not be able to leave here until the end of November. I will look at those websites, thanks for the help.
Muduh, thank you so much! That is so nice of you! I am thinking though that those things are mostly touristy stuff right? Well maybe I can find out if they have a mall! John (my hubby) was there last week for an interview and I asked him to drive around but he didn't. MEN! LOL

Even the touristy stuff is info you will want to know: where parks are, what events they have and stuff. My greenville book is very dogeared from me looking at it for stuff for us to do on weekends.

[queenb]

I agree with Rosie-- the tourist packages are not just for big attractions, they usually have a listing of most anywhere you can spend money! So, the tourism info will usually get you listings for restaurants, malls, grocery stores, movie theatres, hair salons, and on and on, as well as the location of the Water Tower Shaped Like A Peach, or whatever the local big deal is.

[Muduh]

You will be really close to Pigeon Forge and there are a BUNCH of outlet malls there, if you like those. And, there are nice malls in Oak Ridge, or Knoxville.

Once you get settled you might like to spend a day at Jonesborough which I think may be the oldest town in Tennessee. It is a very interesting little town.