Those two city personas are not mutually exclusive and Chattanooga is living proof why. With its reasonable-ish cost of living and southern staples like the annual Tennessee Whiskey Festival, Chattanooga might seem like many other small southern cities. But with more and more startups and tech companies moving in every month, this feels less like the Tennessee/Georgia border and more like Silicon Valley. Chattanooga was even the first city in the country to roll out a citywide gigabyte network for residents. You truly get the best of both worlds here.

Chattanooga was already on the rise before COVID, but since March of 2020, things have gone crazy. The explosion is causing some cultural, and structural challenges for locals. Chattanooga is the perfect storm for contemporary and pandemic growth: it’s in the south in a state with low taxes, it’s a college town, it’s a smaller city that helps big city folks feel like they can spread out more, and then for the newly minted work-from-homers it has that gigabit network. Holy moly all these things add up to a storm of northeasterners and northwesterners to flock down here.

Small Southern Town Meets Modern Tech Hub

LookyLOO Review of Chattanooga

There’s a lot to do in Chattanooga for a relatively small city with a nice mix of cool city options and amazing outdoor lifestyle options. The downtown area is filled with local boutiques for groovy shopping and foodies get a food scene thriving as much as its tech scene, with way more than just the southern classics. Chattanooga also has great access to outdoor recreation opportunities, with rivers and parks in town for daily play, and tons of forest trails, river rapids, rock formations, and waterfalls close by for more intense excursions. 

To see what locals get up to for fun in Chattanooga check out the [calendar of events](https://www.visitchattanooga.com/events/?). 

We highly recommend visiting Chattanooga and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.



Lifestyle 

Tech and healthcare are two of the hottest industries in Chattanooga’s growing economy. In an emerging COVID world, many tech companies and startups view it as a cheaper but still solid alternative to SF and NYC, and remote workers have viewed the city in the same light. Healthcare has always been big in the area with some of the best hospitals in Tennessee, but the overall work climate is on the rise as well. 


Worklife

The same reason that many already have. It’s a low-tax destination to find a great tech job or work remotely in an environment where you can enjoy the perks of escaping hyper-dense cities in a cool, growing place. 


Escape the Madness

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**u/Unable-Economist-525 **
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I moved to Chattanooga from Texas. Lived in Australia, Japan, San Diego, DC before settling in Texas for a while. I also grew up in cities. Chattanooga feels like a big town, or a very small city, surrounded by villages.

I really enjoy the people here. Well, most of them, but that’s kind of the same everywhere in my experience. I admire how volunteer-oriented and community-minded many Chattanoogans are, and have been generationally, across partisan lines. There is still the American spirit of “we can do it together” here. The South is not exactly like Texas, but there was enough commonality that I was able to fit in pretty quickly.

I like access to the outdoors, which is prettier and gentler than most of Texas. The food is not at the level of a big city yet, but it’s getting better all the time, with new places popping up. I have bought and sold a few businesses, and found it very easy and pleasant to do business here.

There is a nice variety of colleges, and a lot of energy generated through them. It’s fun to see the collaboration between private and public sectors, for the mutual good of community citizens.

Reviews of Chattanooga from Locals

Northshore is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Chattanooga, with amazing shopping boutiques, restaurants and gastropubs. It’s filled with a mix of young professionals and young families and the housing options support apartment/condos and smaller home living all with great walkscores to the social options. It also has great outdoor options with two great parks that offer climbing walls, carousel, biking and amazing views of the city. 
- Northshore
- Downtown
- Southside


Young Professionals

Northshore

Southside is a booming neighborhood known for sustainability and a thriving entertainment, culture and arts scene. Big investment in redevelopment turned this once center of industry into a mecca for those looking for a more eclectic lifestyle than the one offered in Downtown Chattanooga. Expect to find a more diverse population of artists, musicians and young families who appreciate the broad range of experiences and housing options. Southside also attracts many in the LGBTQ community that are drawn to the cool housing, arts scene, and owned and supportive community businesses. 
- Southside
 -North Chattanooga


DINKs/SINKs/LGBTQ+

Southside

For the price-conscious check out Avondale first. It has a great mix of affordable homes, very safe streets and convenient access to pretty much everything else in the city. It also has a wonderful Youth and Family Development center with a great gym, computer lab, basketball courts, game room and a public library. Perfect for the growing brains and bodies of the local kiddos. Northshore is another great option, albeit a heck more expensive than Avondale. The outdoor options for the kids and the parents make it ideal when combined with the homes and schools available here.
- Avondale
- Northshore
- St Elmo


Families

Avondale

Southern cities with low taxes always do well with retirees and Chattanooga is no exception. St Elmo is one of the more popular neighborhoods for retirees and empty nesters who appreciate the easy access to outdoor living and more affordable prices for homes. Belvoir is another good option, due to its historic, charming and affordable homes. A wonderful community vibe with tons of dog walking, walking and hiking create a welcoming space for newcomers. 
- St Elmo
- Belvoir


Retirees/Empty Nesters

St Elmo

Chattanooga


**u/Unable-Economist-525 **
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I moved to Chattanooga from Texas. Lived in Australia, Japan, San Diego, DC before settling in Texas for a while. I also grew up in cities. Chattanooga feels like a big town, or a very small city, surrounded by villages.

I really enjoy the people here. Well, most of them, but that’s kind of the same everywhere in my experience. I admire how volunteer-oriented and community-minded many Chattanoogans are, and have been generationally, across partisan lines. There is still the American spirit of “we can do it together” here. The South is not exactly like Texas, but there was enough commonality that I was able to fit in pretty quickly.

I like access to the outdoors, which is prettier and gentler than most of Texas. The food is not at the level of a big city yet, but it’s getting better all the time, with new places popping up. I have bought and sold a few businesses, and found it very easy and pleasant to do business here.

There is a nice variety of colleges, and a lot of energy generated through them. It’s fun to see the collaboration between private and public sectors, for the mutual good of community citizens.

**Anonymous**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I moved from Florida six months ago.

If you like mountains/rivers and it not being 95 degrees with 100 percent humidity for 8 months then you'll love it here.

People are generally very friendly. Politics lean conservative for sure but there's really a healthy mix. Some public services could be better.

Don't have kids so I can't speak to that but I've found that living North of downtown has less traffic and feels quieter. When you get south/southeast you have I-75 and I-24 and it can get really bad at times.

We wanted a quieter area but only about 10 minutes from downtown so Red Bank was our choice.

The biggest thing for me is just about beautiful it is here compared to Florida. I lived in the suburbs where everything was clear cut and you had a palm tree for shade. Here I feel like I live in the forest with a backdrop of (small) mountains. I always smile crossing the river around sunset. It's stunning.

**GrahamDom**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

IMO it’s the best kept secret of Tennessee. Most Tennesseans drive thru and are appalled by the traffic, which is horrendous, and they never stop and explore. It’s a beautiful city, so many local restaurants, history, hiking. I will say though, Hamilton county schools are awful. There’s an economic divide here where many people choose private school, and there’s plenty of options for that.

**NamelessSkyrimNPC**
4mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

I moved here from the Chicago suburbs about two years ago, when I was 29. The biggest draw for me was the surrounding scenery, this city is wonderful if you're a fan of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, water stuff, etc. Aside from the outdoors, I've enjoyed the Tennessee Aquarium, art museum, I hear there's a weekly Sunday market that happens that I've been meaning to attend. I wouldn't say this city is bustling with city activities, but there are definitely fun things to do.

I'm not much of a bar person so I can't speak on that, but the food is pretty great if you look in the right places, it's no Chicago but you can still find wonderful restaurants (I'm mostly vegan, so it's a bit harder to find those for me, but Sluggos hits the spot).

As an introvert, it's very hard for me to meet people here (moreso than living in IL), but I still managed to meet my current girlfriend, who is my favorite person in the world and has changed my life for the better, so you can manage as long as you're willing to put yourself out there.

The people here are mostly friendly, significantly friendlier than in the Midwest. This subreddit is not a good representation of my experience in Chattanooga, since so many people in this sub are perpetual negative whiners, but that being said, there are some pockets of more hateful right wing loonies, but downtown in particular is totally a normal "city" in the sense that the demographic generally skews towards diversity and youth.

**Pros & Cons of Living in Chattanooga, Tennessee - 2022**
Before you make the move to Chattanooga, TN, there are a few key things you should know.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Gig City

Looklyloo Score: 85