Chattanooga, Tennessee

Moving to Chattanooga from the northeast in two weeks. Anything I should know?

Ok so a lot of people are trolling you and I get it, but your post history indicates that you’re serious so I’ll give you some honesty. My husband and I moved here from Boston 6 months ago, and we’re both working remotely. However, the other big thing for us is that he grew up here, so he knows the area very well (and we had visited together many times before we made the leap.) Sure, the COL made the move a little more attractive, but we are here primarily because of family.

It’s very hard to put together a social life in a completely new place, especially when you’re working from home (and the pandemic doesn’t help.) When you move to a new place for school, or for a job that exists in-person, you have a built-in mechanism for meeting new people. If you’re working from home, that’s gone and you have to create a network from scratch. I’m very happy to be here, generally, but if we didn’t have the pull of family it would be a lot harder to swallow the loneliness. I don’t feel like a part of the community at all yet. I had lots of friends back in Boston and I miss them like crazy, and realistically, they’re probably not going to make the thousand-mile trip to visit all that often.

Maybe there’s not a lot keeping you in Boston besides your job that’s now remote - the fact that you’re willing to move somewhere sight unseen indicates that you’re looking for something new in your life. I won’t harp about the conservative politics or church stuff that’s common around here because maybe that’s not something that bothers you (despite assumptions people make about people from Boston) and I’m sure you’re aware of it all anyway. But whatever it is you like to do in your spare time, whatever kinds of people you like to befriend, think about how you will find them after the move.

Also the COL here is low because wages for most local jobs are pretty low, and housing prices are going up in part because of yuppies like us. Try to be respectful of that and you’ll have an easier time with social stuff.

Moving to Chattanooga from the northeast in two weeks. Anything I should know?

I can’t give much in the way of advice that other people haven’t said, so I’ll just say this:

I moved to Chattanooga a few years ago and I’ve loved every day of living here. Granted, I only moved from Memphis, so it wasn’t as big a move, but I firmly believe that Chattanooga is a great place to live.

One thing I noticed is that MOST people here actually use turn signals. People also actually let you change lanes. There are some who don’t, but it’s still so much better than in Memphis. These sound like stupid things to be excited about, but it was like a revelation to me. 😅

Don’t let people scare you off. Honestly, compared to larger cities like Boston or Memphis, Chattanooga’s nothing. You’ll be fine.

Welcome to Chattanooga! ❤️

Moving to Chattanooga from the northeast in two weeks. Anything I should know?

As long as you have money things run smoothly. Everything is cheap. State and city government are a bit of a joke(possibly related to the low taxes) People are very religious. Don’t be surprised if someone you dont know asks where you go to church.There are some weird laws about liquor, when and where you can buy. Chattanooga is still a city, we have a growing homeless population(probably nothing compared to boston, but be aware its not mayberry here). If youre single and over 28 and not religious the dating scene is….not much. People pretend its more progressive in chatt than it is and our state politics are blood red(pro or con depending on your leanings). When people ask where you went to school,50/50 odds they mean high school. There are two prominent private schools. Outdoor stuff is great here.

All of the above can be a pro or con depending on you and your views.

Tornados happen. How often varies. Allergies are rough for most people here.

But one thing that absolutely cannot be avoided… is a violent ball slapping heat/humidity combo that gives you swamp taint 3.5 months of the year.

Also: there is fuck all going on weeknights for the most part. Unless you love seeing the same 6 people at open mic comedy or music.

Moving to Chattanooga from the northeast in two weeks. Anything I should know?

We’ve been here for a year now and it’s amazing. Love all the people trying to scare you away. The heat is not that bad, it’s not that cold, it does get humid, it rains a lot, but more like alittle every day than giant storms, the housing is relatively cheap but getting more expensive all the time just like it is everywhere in the country. The internet is amazing, the traffic is nothing compared to large urban areas (sorry all you natives to the area but that’s the truth). It’s not a huge city, so you can get from one side to the pretty quickly, but there are also some limitations on stores and flights available. The outdoors scene is amazing. The pace is slower and it is VERY southern. The culture will be completely different from what you are used to in Boston.

It’s impossible to know if you will like it here but we are very happy. Many of our new neighbors are from the NE or CA and seem to enjoy it.

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.