I love St. Elmo!

1) community. I like that I know a lot of my neighbors (near and far). I like that we're not all the same. I like that there's a rockin playground around the corner (and that we helped fund it and build it). not to mention the rec center, etc. I like that we can take a walk and run into lots of people we know. I like that our church is an active part of the neighborhood (still a long way to go of course)

2) proximity to downtown (5 miles). if I take the car, it's about 10 minutes. for the work car, I'd only need to fill up the tank once a month. now I take the bus, and the line is only a block from my house. couldnt be much easier. most things we want to get to arent very far at all.

3) intangables. historic houses are cool. and I like living in the shadow of Lookout. the post office, fire hall, police station and library are right around the corner.

now the drawbacks:

1) crappy public school district. but: lots of folks love the Battle magnet elementary school. and there's a grassroots effort starting to improve the elementary school we're zoned for.

2) if your mom lives in the sticks, she'll think this is the ghetto. some blocks are a little iffy. it's really block-by-block though. dont tell, but we seldom lock all the doors.

3) do NOT (I repeat) do NOT live on St. Elmo Ave. the traffic noise will drive you nuts. yet we live 4 doors away from the avenue, and it's no big deal.

What if I don't want you as a neighbor?

I've lived in Highland Park for a year and a half. It's awesome. The neighborhood association is active, with events throughout the year, the neighbors do lots of stuff together (supper club, walking, cookouts), we have sidewalks and two parks (one's a playground), and I've made friends here (in previous homes, I didn't even meet many of the neighbors, as all we ever did is drive by each other's houses).

Here are my three things:

1) Highland Park is a great investment. Gorgeous homes are still affordable. The price inflation we've seen in other parts of town (North Chatt, for example) hasn't happened here -- yet.

2) Highland Park is central and close to everything. I'm two or three minutes (by car) from UTC and downtown, which are also within walking or biking distance. I'm just 10 or 15 minutes from either Hamilton Place or Northgate, and only a few minutes from the stores in Brainerd and at Eastgate. Warner Park is just a few blocks away, with its zoo, tennis courts, ball fields and fitness center.

3) The buses run up Bailey and down McCallie, so I'm only a few steps from public transportation. Since the McCallie/Bailey lines are arteries, I feel secure that this neighborhood will always be on the bus line, even if CARTA cutbacks cause reductions in their service routes. My daughter, who attends UTC and lives on campus, uses the buses quite a lot. If she needs a ride home, she can just hop a bus -- rides are free with a UTC ID. And as the costs of using a car continue to rise, I'm considering a bus pass...

1) From the tunnels to Camp Jordan, there's a story to be told

2) We're right across the state line from cheaper Georgia gas

3) A W-2 is all you need to get yourself a car: No money down, no credit needed, no matter who you are

Red Bank, the East Ridge of north Chattanooga, has lower taxes, a kickin' parade and jamboree, and no enormous rats that will carry off your children.

I moved to Chattanooga when I was 10. And for 8 years I hated Chattanooga. I vowed that as soon as I could I would move away. So at 18 I moved to Charleston, SC for college and I lived there for 6 years. Then, for a boy, I moved back home. The boy and I are now married w/ a 3 year old.
We live in Ooltewah and I no longer hate Chattanooga. As a matter fact I rather enjoy it. We live in Hamilton on Hunter off of Hunter Road. In a million years I never thought I'd live in Chattanooga let alone the Burbs.
But it's not so bad and here's why:
1) I like that I can get out of the city but not be a world away. At night it's quite and I can see the stars from my back deck. And we have huge, old trees in our front and back yards.
2) The schools we are zoned for are good. Smith Elem. and Hunter Middle. But CSAS is only 20 mins away. And my daughter's daycare rocks!
3) Ooltewah satisfies my immediate needs and is only getting better. I live 5 minutes away from organic, vegetarian, and vegan food. We have a Burger Row. 24 hour pharmacy for babies that get sick in the middle of the night. Doctors, dentist, and hair stylists all over the place. And w/i the next 5 years I will have a hospital, Target, Publix, and Lowe's to choose from.

So there are my reasons...oh and my neighbors are awesome! For the most part, they are kind, fun, reasonable, people that are willing to help my family at the drop of a hat. Oh and b/c our neighborhood is so huge we have great yard sales which really come in handy for growing kids that love to get dirty.

Okay, seriously, I'm done. Sorry I got taken away. Good luck in your hunt!