Moving to UT - suggestions?

#1
skasper06

skasper06

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#1
Hey guys, I just applied to UT to finish my degree and my wife and I may be moving to Knoxville from Richmond, VA within the next year. She actually suggested I put up a post on here asking where we could find a few things. Any help or response would be appreciated!

Work: Like I said, I am 25. I am a US Army Vet. Experience in fitness training, admin and data entry, a lot of direct customer interaction.

Church: I'm a Christian and my wife and I would love an active church. Baptist most likely. One that is not stagnant.

Place to live: Apartments, houses for rent, better areas to look?

Recreation: I have been playing flag football and basketball in leagues for several years. I'd love to keep that up. Any suggestions?
 
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#2
#2
Hope your move goes well man, and welcome to Knoxville. My wife and I just moved from Knoxville to Maryville, which is just down the road if you've never been in the area. But we enjoyed our time in Knoxville as we are both from smaller towns. Can't help you with most of your needs but more than willing to recommend two churches to you, Grace Baptist Church in Karns and Sevier Heights Baptist in South Knoxville, both great places to attend. Probably have some flag football leagues on campus you can get involved in and I'm sure some current students on this board will confirm as much. Plenty of good places to eat also.

Most importantly, you will now be allowed to call it "K-town" instead of Knoxville, if you so choose.:) Good Luck!

Edit: FYI - "thread police" may appear in this forum at any time. You may already be aware of this, but just in case, I thought I'd warn you.
 
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#4
#4
skasper06 said:
Place to live: Apartments, houses for rent, better areas to look?
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Depends on your budget and what you are looking for.

I personally like the west side of Knoxville, Knox county area as opposed to city.
 
#5
#5
I'd get in the Fort if I was you. You will get the full "experience". Get as close to Cumberland as possible so y'all can hit the strip without driving.
 
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#6
#6
After graduating I moved into a Condo in Seqouyah Hills area. It was reasonable and nice area to run or walk around with the misses. Just west of campus, great proximity...
 
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#7
#7
If you're trying to be near the college scene move to the fort and the woodlands/quary trail are. The fort is walking distance but can be a little unsafe and occasionally rowdy in certain areas. Woodlands/quary trail area is 5 to 10 minutes outside but usually has shuttle service. There are places right outside of downtown which I can't remember the names but are fairly inexpensive but still close enough to UT. Plus they're easier to get out of if you have to work on Saturdays during football season or at night during basketball games. It's nearly impossible to drive downtown during game days because its so congested.


In terms of flag football and activities, UT already has good student sports programs that you can get more information at the TRECS(the school gym) or on the utk website.
 
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#9
#9
If you want proximity to the UT Campus, I would steer away from the Fort.Woodlands/ Quarry a little better. There has been a revival in the downtown area-- one of my brothers has/ had? a condo for sale in the Pembrokes- which is close to Market Square- new places to eat and live music/ movies etc...
No problems finding places to eat as we love to eat in Knoxville and probably have more restaurants per capita than almost anywhere in the US. Sequoyah Hills area does have some condos and a great trail to run/walk along Cherokee Blvd and parks alongside the Tennessee River.
I love my church Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church ( we call ourselves Bapto-Presbyterian ):)but Sevier Heights is great as well and closer to campus. If you had children, some of the best elementary schools can be found at Bluegrass Elementary and A. L. Lotts in West Knoxville.
As far as shopping, I am on the west end of Knoxville Northshore area so I frequent the Krogers and Publix-- there is a Kroger near campus-- and rumors that they are building a Walmart next to campus. Turkey Creek has the Pinnacle 18 cinemas and many restaurants but it is in West Knoxville/ Farragut.
Welcome to Knoxville- sorry this is so long- I do tend to run on...:blush:
 
#12
#12
84vol said:
If you want proximity to the UT Campus, I would steer away from the Fort.Woodlands/ Quarry a little better. There has been a revival in the downtown area-- one of my brothers has/ had? a condo for sale in the Pembrokes- which is close to Market Square- new places to eat and live music/ movies etc...
No problems finding places to eat as we love to eat in Knoxville and probably have more restaurants per capita than almost anywhere in the US. Sequoyah Hills area does have some condos and a great trail to run/walk along Cherokee Blvd and parks alongside the Tennessee River.
I love my church Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church ( we call ourselves Bapto-Presbyterian ):)but Sevier Heights is great as well and closer to campus. If you had children, some of the best elementary schools can be found at Bluegrass Elementary and A. L. Lotts in West Knoxville.
As far as shopping, I am on the west end of Knoxville Northshore area so I frequent the Krogers and Publix-- there is a Kroger near campus-- and rumors that they are building a Walmart next to campus. Turkey Creek has the Pinnacle 18 cinemas and many restaurants but it is in West Knoxville/ Farragut.
Welcome to Knoxville- sorry this is so long- I do tend to run on...:blush:
Click to expand...

+1 on Cedar Springs. Went there my last year of high school and throughout college.
 
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#13
#13
skasper06 said:
Hey guys, I just applied to UT to finish my degree and my wife and I may be moving to Knoxville from Richmond, VA within the next year. She actually suggested I put up a post on here asking where we could find a few things. Any help or response would be appreciated!

Work: Like I said, I am 25. I am a US Army Vet. Experience in fitness training, admin and data entry, a lot of direct customer interaction.

Church: I'm a Christian and my wife and I would love an active church. Baptist most likely. One that is not stagnant.

Place to live: Apartments, houses for rent, better areas to look?

Recreation: I have been playing flag football and basketball in leagues for several years. I'd love to keep that up. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Thank you for serving, sir.
 
#14
#14
Ok when I went to UT they always had basketball and flag football leagues you could play in. If you are indeed going to UT you should look into that.

Second, IMO if I were to live in Knoxville I'd live on the west side. There is more to do there, and the area is nicer IMO.

Third, check out Sevier Heights Baptist Church.

That's all I got, and thanks for serving our country bud.
 
#15
#15
skasper06 said:
Hey guys, I just applied to UT to finish my degree and my wife and I may be moving to Knoxville from Richmond, VA within the next year. She actually suggested I put up a post on here asking where we could find a few things. Any help or response would be appreciated!

Work: Like I said, I am 25. I am a US Army Vet. Experience in fitness training, admin and data entry, a lot of direct customer interaction.

Church: I'm a Christian and my wife and I would love an active church. Baptist most likely. One that is not stagnant.

Place to live: Apartments, houses for rent, better areas to look?

Recreation: I have been playing flag football and basketball in leagues for several years. I'd love to keep that up. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Congratulations, it doesn't get much better than Knoxville, or worse than Richmond, VA.
 
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#16
#16
JamesBenUT said:
+1 on Cedar Springs. Went there my last year of high school and throughout college.
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+2

I grew up in the Babtist church & there are great Babtist churchs of all sizes throughout the area.

I went to Cedar Springs in college & returned with my young family when i moved back in the area.
 
#17
#17
Thanks for the Vet support. I will look into the churches you all recommended. I am leaning towards the west side of Knoxville. I keep hearing sketchy things about the Ft. Sanders area. Although I would love being closer to the river and within biking distance to the school.
 
#18
#18
skasper06 said:
Hey guys, I just applied to UT to finish my degree and my wife and I may be moving to Knoxville from Richmond, VA within the next year. She actually suggested I put up a post on here asking where we could find a few things. Any help or response would be appreciated!

Work: Like I said, I am 25. I am a US Army Vet. Experience in fitness training, admin and data entry, a lot of direct customer interaction.

Church: I'm a Christian and my wife and I would love an active church. Baptist most likely. One that is not stagnant.

Place to live: Apartments, houses for rent, better areas to look?

Recreation: I have been playing flag football and basketball in leagues for several years. I'd love to keep that up. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Let's skip to the important stuff:

Buy plenty of orange for your wife and yourself. Best way to blend in is to bleed orange.

Make sure you know the words to Rocky Top. This is the sign of a true fan and proves you're not a poser.

The Woo: Decide now if you're pro-Woo or anti-Woo. This will be the topic of endless debates.

Getting back to your questions:

Work- Start looking online for jobs available in Knoxville.

Church- Sorry, can't help there.

Place to live- General consensus is West Knoxville is the better part of town. It's also the retail hub with WestTown Mall and Turkey Creek.

Recreation- I assume UT still has intramurals. I know they did 20 years ago.

Thanks for your service.:salute:
 
#19
#19
TreeSnake said:
+2

I grew up in the Babtist church & there are great Babtist churchs of all sizes throughout the area.

I went to Cedar Springs in college & returned with my young family when i moved back in the area.
Click to expand...

Pews must have made uncomfortable beds. Not much privacy on the weekends.
 
#20
#20
skasper06 said:
Hey guys, I just applied to UT to finish my degree and my wife and I may be moving to Knoxville from Richmond, VA within the next year. She actually suggested I put up a post on here asking where we could find a few things. Any help or response would be appreciated!

Work: Like I said, I am 25. I am a US Army Vet. Experience in fitness training, admin and data entry, a lot of direct customer interaction.

Church: I'm a Christian and my wife and I would love an active church. Baptist most likely. One that is not stagnant.

Place to live: Apartments, houses for rent, better areas to look?

Recreation: I have been playing flag football and basketball in leagues for several years. I'd love to keep that up. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
So how many years of eligibility do you have?
 
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#21
#21
biggestvols said:
I'd get in the Fort if I was you. You will get the full "experience". Get as close to Cumberland as possible so y'all can hit the strip without driving.
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daughter graduated and I did not want to be a landlord. She loved it. walk to campus, (no figging parking pass and constant search for a parking spot on campus). easy access back to I-40.....all areas can be a little unruly at times, not just the Fort Sanders area.
 
#22
#22
Wow, this thread makes me miss living in Knoxville... I lived in the Fort, highland avenue close to the dead end by the train tracks. I never felt unsafe, and I was surrounded by other students. Game days in the Fort are a lot of fun. If I was a little older and looking for something without all the drunk college kids I would probably look in Sequoyah Hills. They have a nice running path and also a lot of park area down by the river, seems as though that's what you are looking for. They have also put up some pretty nice condos right on the river that have docks and are a lot of fun. They do water taxis from the dock to the Vol Navy on game days and its a great way to avoid traffic. Mostly college kids live in those condos and it gets pretty rowdy, especially on Boomsday.

You can throw a rock in any direction and hit a church in Knoxville, you should be ok. For jobs, depending on your hourly availability, you may be relegated to what most college students do...restaurant work or valet cars. If I was former military like yourself, and interested in fitness like you seem to be, I would look in to the strength and conditioning programs for the various teams. You may be able to find an opening although I wouldn't count on it to be very high paying. Still, good experience and its always cool to hang out with the athletes. There is intramural flag football, basketball, softball, etc., look for information at the TRECS.

While your there, enjoy it, you will look back at that place as home no matter where your future travels take you. (Im an Atlanta native with stops in Southern California and South Florida, but Rocky Top will always be home) Be sure to check out Calhouns, Copper Cellar for burger night, Gus's when your not drunk (or at least keep a sober companion with you when you are drunk to avoid paying the "drunk tax"), Chandlers (my personal favorite), and Ye Old Steak House for those special occasions.

Most of all, thank you for your service, the best years of your life are ahead of you, God bless.
 
#23
#23
Thanks for your service, good luck in Vol country & find your way to Litton's in Fountain City for good eating.
 
#25
#25
Weezer said:
Let's skip to the important stuff:

Buy plenty of orange for your wife and yourself. Best way to blend in is to bleed orange.

Make sure you know the words to Rocky Top. This is the sign of a true fan and proves you're not a poser.

The Woo: Decide now if you're pro-Woo or anti-Woo. This will be the topic of endless debates.

Getting back to your questions:

Work- Start looking online for jobs available in Knoxville.

Church- Sorry, can't help there.

Place to live- General consensus is West Knoxville is the better part of town. It's also the retail hub with WestTown Mall and Turkey Creek.

Recreation- I assume UT still has intramurals. I know they did 20 years ago.

Thanks for your service.:salute:
Click to expand...

Believe me, I already have plenty of orange and I know the words to the entire Rocky Top song - not just the first verse.

I grew up in Tennessee. I am a die hard Vol Fan. And when I applied I wrote a personal essay to go with my application and at the end I said "Even if I don't get accepted, I am still a Vol for life at heart. I bleed orange. Nothing will ever change that."
 
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