Knoxville, TN Area

[IndysMom]

My DH and I are starting to think about where we want to retire. We've been to Knoxville, TN once already and looked around. We have plenty of time (about 10 years) but are thinking about buying a piece of property now with the intent to build on it later.

So, what I want to know is-what is a good area around Knoxville for horsie activities? I have an AQHA western show horse. I really don't want to have the horse at home (BTDT) because DH and I like to travel. I currently board at a multi-disciplinary barn and I like that. We've tried to talk our current BO into moving, but so far no luck... Bummer. I know 10 years seems far off, but we want to visit again several more times and I'd like to have an idea of where to concentrate our efforts rather than just wander around.

I also like VA and go to Roanoke every year because I have family there. I LOVE the VA horse center, but that area seems $$$$.

Just looking for suggestions at this point.

[Guilherme]

There's lots of QH activities in the Knoxville area. A major venue is found at Roane State CC in Harriman (about 35 miles west of Knoxville off I-40 at Exit 347). The Dogwood Classic is going on now; there are several other QH events each year (including cutting and working cow horse). Here's a link to the Expo Center site. There's a link there for Event Calendar. http://ce.roanestate.edu/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=66

There's another big AgExpo Center at Walters State CC in White Pine, about 40 miles east of Knoxville on I-81. This is their URL http://www.ws.edu/expo/default.asp

There's also a major private show venue at River Glen near Strawberry Plains. It's mostly an English venue, IIRC.

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is to the east; there are equestrian trails there.

The TN Valley Hunt has it's home territory not too far from River Glen.

I don't know much about the area to the north of Knoxville. It gets mountainous fairly quickly in that direction. To the south you've got the entire TN River Valley all the way to Chattenooga. The land is less challenging for livestock in that direction (meaning it's also more expensive).

To the west you've got the Valley until you get to Harriman, where you start up the Cumberland Escarpment onto the Plateau. Lots of nice places on Plateau, and you're midway between Knoxville and Crossville (which is a very fast growing retirement destination).

West also puts you nearer the Big South Fork Recreation Area, a much more "equine friendly" destination that the Park to the east. Dozens of miles of trails are available in the Big South Fork, along with lodging both primitive and civilized.

There is also a LOT of privately owned forest land (owners are Bowater, GA/Pacific, etc.). They allow riding and hunting. The one thing they don't allow is campfires.

Just exactly what kind of activities you are interested in might have bearing on the area you select.

Board will start at about $100/mo. for pasture (up to maybe $200/mo. depending upon hay prices). Stall board will run from a low of about $275/mo. to a high of $1500/mo. The number of barns in Knox Co. continues to decline (at least six that I can think of have ceased operation in the last four or five years with no new ones opening). Training costs will run from $350/mo. to about $1000/mo. (depending upon what you wand done). Group lessons run $15-$35/session. Private lessons run $25-$75/session.

Land prices are generally pretty reasonable, until you get to the lake front properties on Tellico, Watts Bar, etc. Then you're talking real money. Small, flat lots will start about $15,000/acre close in and decline as you move away from lakes, population centers, etc. Large pieces are getting pretty scarce. Knox Co. will be higher in all categories than the surrounding counties.

Houses will run $100-$175/square foot in most areas. There's an active "re-urbanization" movement in the downtown area with some old factories, warehouses, and office buildings converted into condos. They can range from the reasonable to the very pricy.

Equine maintenance costs are pretty reasonable overall. There are a number of equine vets around and the U.T. Large Animal Hospital has a traveling service. You can buy hay of about any quality from "skank" to premium (Production Acres :cool: ). There's one major tack shop, a few smaller ones, and a sprinkling feed stores. Each county (including Knox) has at least one Co-Op.

All in all it's a pretty good place to settle down. Knoxville has excellent medical services, a good shopping base, and is a one day drive from both FL and NYC! ;)

TN does not, presently, have a tax on earned income or pensions. It does have a tax in investment income (rate is pretty low). Real estate taxes are generaly modest, but our sales tax is ferrocious at 9.75%.

We've lived here since 1990. If I've one complaint it's that we get a lot of rain and that means high humidity and rapid vegitation growth (both grass and weeds).

We live west of town, Tamara is northwest. There are a few others who also live around here.

Good luck in making your choice!

G.

[LearnToFly]

Ah Knoxville. Good town. Don't like it quite as much as Nashville, which has more charm, but I've enjoyed my time there. Be prepared for a lot of retina-burning orange.

As far as horses go, there are barns of every style and price. There are a lot of old barns with crappy fencing and no grass and a lot of expensive barns that compete along the top circuits, and everything in between. Flat ground is hard to come by. The better shows aren't in knoxville but in the surrounding areas and aren't that difficult to get to. Vet services through UT are great. If you are planning on building, I recommend Lenoir City (which is west knoxville) and Maryville (south of knoxville) along Alcoa Highway. Good size towns with a bigger horse base and cheaper land than in Knox county.

Tack shops- as far as english tack goes there are not very many to choose from and the ones available aren't that great. However, there are Coops and Tractor Supplies about every 5 or 10 miles.

[freshman]

Knoxville's got a pretty diverse horse population; I think anyone can fit in somewhere and be happy: there's plenty to do, no matter what your disipline, you'll find plenty of company, if you want.

It's no horse show mecca itself, but there are active local show circuits and is within striking distance to big venues in the SE, for that as well as breed shows, like AQHA, APGA, etc--Nashville, N. Georgia, Asheville, NC, parts of VA are all within a 2 1/2-4 hours drive. Harriman, TN is maybe the busiest local show venue, about 25-35 miles from Knox center, or if you're in west Knox, it's pretty much in your back yard. They host an AQHA show pretty much every other weekend through the year.

As other people, have mentioned, there are TONS of trails within short hauling distance, inc Big South Fork and others. There's plenty of active groups to ride with and it's not hard to make some friends on the trail, either. Your biggest problem is going to be keeping up with all the Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited horses on the trail!

Land is pretty cheap in Knox and so is the cost of living. You'll get a lot for your money, I think, in general, as long as you're prepared to invest in putting in horse fences and upgrading older barns and outbuildings. There's a lot of poorly-strung barbed wire fencing around here. There's a great mix of river valley land (flatter) all the way through rolling hills to steep, wooded mountain-side farms that can get pretty ruggest. Summers can be pretty dry, but there is quite a lot of rain here thoughout the years otherwise, and that can mean mud-mud-mud in over-horsed pastures. That said, the weather is such that it is possible to ride all year round if you've got a ring or other area that's upgraded with decent footing and drainage. Winter temps are 45-30 degree highs and lows 20-30 except for a few weeks that gets into the teens. Not bad or bitter cold. Not much snow at all.

There's a surplus of large animal veterinarians in the Knoxville area, so no worries there. There's enough competition to keep their prices reasonable, too, and you'll have UT Vet School in your back year for emergencies and critical care/hospitalization.

Glad you're consider K-Town!

[Frank B]

While you're looking, breeze by the Bristol, TN area. You're close to Knoxville without having the Knoxville hassles.

Incidentally, the I-75/I-40 area is know as "Malfunction Junction". Kind of an LA Freeway without palm trees.

[Guilherme]

While you're looking, breeze by the Bristol, TN area. You're close to Knoxville without having the Knoxville hassles.

Incidentally, the I-75/I-40 area is know as "Malfunction Junction". Kind of an LA Freeway without palm trees.

Yeah, but "Smart Fix" has fixed it!!!! :D

G.

[Frank B]

Yeah, if you drive through at 2 AM...

[LegalEagle]

If you are planning on building, I recommend Lenoir City (which is west knoxville) and Maryville (south of knoxville) along Alcoa Highway.

I think in 10 years, Lenoir City and Maryville are going to be part of Knoxville :(

[Pirateer]

Yeah, if you drive through at 2 AM...

Has it gotten worse in the past few years?

Granted, I usually did drive it at really, really random times.
Nothing like coming back from Cotton Eyed Joes at 5am before a 7am dressage show :)

[Guilherme]

Knoxville has cars on the road but it does not have, nor has it ever had, traffic.

New York, Boston, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Houston,they all have traffic. Knoxville has some cars, but no traffic. :lol:

G.

[Tamara in TN]

Has it gotten worse in the past few years?

Granted, I usually did drive it at really, really random times.
Nothing like coming back from Cotton Eyed Joes at 5am before a 7am dressage show :)

omg good memories there...nuthin but good memories...we go so far back with that place that much of the horse gear on the wall
(saddles shoes and so on) came from me and another poster here on this very board back when it was first decorated for opening....

I took great entertainment in telling some half liquored up wanna be cowboys that a particular shoe (they were speech-afying on in an attempt to impress the buckle bunnies) was actually a right hind with a turn back caulk off a blue roan walking horse and not a sliding plate off a reiner that belonged to their uncle Bob:lol::lol:


gosh........good memories:) yes they were

best

[subk]

Incidentally, the I-75/I-40 area is know as "Malfunction Junction". Kind of an LA Freeway without palm trees.
I've been driving a horse trailer through Knoxville (and most other mid-south cities) once or twice a year for the last 30+ years and it is my very least favorite city to drive a trailer through. No "real" traffic just the rudest and worst drivers. And for some reason I've never gotten the impression that they ever finished the highway construction they started with the world's fair. It just goes on and on...

[LearnToFly]

Knoxville has cars on the road but it does not have, nor has it ever had, traffic.

New York, Boston, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Houston,they all have traffic. Knoxville has some cars, but no traffic. :lol:

G.

Agree with this. Knoxville just has a lot of complete morons that shouldn't be operating motor vehicles or fixing roads.

"Smart Fix" almost killed me about every other day in May because they would randomly almost DAILY change where the exits off the interstate were around UT with orange traffic cones, and make lanes merge with no warning... I know we like orange around here, but there is a certain amount of orange traffic cones that you can put on one stretch of interstate before it gets really confusing and downright dangerous.

[Pirateer]

Agree with this. Knoxville just has a lot of complete morons that shouldn't be operating motor vehicles or fixing roads.

Plus the roads are seriously ghetto- throughout TN in general, or at least down 40.

I haven't been there since I graduated from VI in 2006 and I miss it! I'm seriously jonesing for some Calhouns right now.

[LearnToFly]

Plus the roads are seriously ghetto- throughout TN in general, or at least down 40.

I haven't been there since I graduated from VI in 2006 and I miss it! I'm seriously jonesing for some Calhouns right now.

but the interstates are great!!! Apparently we have the best interstates in the country or something like that. Doesn't bode well for the other 49 states.


MMMMM Calhouns.

[Guilherme]

I've been driving a horse trailer through Knoxville (and most other mid-south cities) once or twice a year for the last 30+ years and it is my very least favorite city to drive a trailer through. No "real" traffic just the rudest and worst drivers. And for some reason I've never gotten the impression that they ever finished the highway construction they started with the world's fair. It just goes on and on...

You've obviously never pulled through Atlanta, Louisville, Nashville, or St. Louis!!!! :lol:

Every locale has it's share of moronic folks. Based upon my experience (having lived in D.C. Chicago, and Houson, and having stationed in or driven through all of the Lower 48) the Knoxville area is one of the better urban areas.

But be careful now that Smart Fix is done. It will take a couple of months to take down the old signs, restripe the roads, etc. ;)

But if you really want to see wild driving, you've got to go to Naples (that's Italy, not Florida ;) ).

G.

[subk]

You've obviously never pulled through Atlanta, Louisville, Nashville, or St. Louis!!!! :lol:
Not ever done St. Louis, but certainly Atlanta, Louisville, Nashville (home!) many, many times. Then add Memphis, Little Rock, Lexington, Birmingham, Montgomery, Jackson and Charlotte. If it's the Southeast I've probably pulled through it a gazillion times. Atlanta I even like going straight into downtown then out instead of one of the outer loops. If there is any kind of traffic Knoxville drivers will NOT let a trailer merge left--sticking you behind some grandma doing 45mph through the whole city. Maybe it's gotten better, I wouldn't know, as the last few years I just get into a left lane and smile and wave at the drivers passing on the right flipping me birds. Lexington is the best. Lexington drivers always make room for you because they know where you're going better than you do!