Image by SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent) via Flickr |
In terms of tourist star-power, Chattanooga will probably always have the advantage. Their aquarium is extremely well known and is adjacent to an IMAX theater. Both sit near the river and on the riverfront, visitors may choose between a riverboat ride or a ride on the more adventurous Duck tours. They also have a minor-league baseball stadium downtown and, while not downtown, the specter of the Chattanooga Choo-choo, Ruby Falls, Rock City and Lookout Mountain loom large.
What does Knoxville have to answer the above? I’m afraid, not very much. Each of those attractions bring people to Chattanooga who otherwise would not have made the trip. What brings people to Knoxville? Well, the Vols, of course, but those are prescribed dates. We have conventions and events, but they have those, as well.
Knoxville Riverfront definitely needs work. |
Riverfront development seems farther along in Chattanooga. I read a comment on a blog recently in which the writer mentioned that Chattanooga has a tremendous advantage over Knoxville because Chattanooga has a river. It was a telling comment because, of course, not only do we have a river, we have the same river and it comes to us first! So how could this person be so confused? I think it’s because we are so high on the bluff above our waterfront that there is no easy, clearly marked way to get there from downtown for an out-of-town visitor. This is an important problem that Knoxville must tackle in order to fully exploit the potential that sits just at the bottom of that very steep hill. Chattanooga also has extensive trails along the river accompanied by a sculpture garden within walking distance of downtown.
Downtown Grocery Store, Chattanooga, TN |
Family Dollar Store, Downtown Chattanooga, TN |
212 Market, Chattanooga, TN |
Closed Hair of the Dog Pub faces Applebees, Sign Reads “Eat Local/Drink Local” |
Recently opened club at 807 Market St., Chattanooga, TN |
Hallmark Store, Downtown Chattanooga, TN |
Came across this online randomly. I’m a regular reader, and I think you should do a round 2 here in the near future.
There are many innacurate things about this artice, but probably due to the date of it. First off, downtown Chatt is FILLED with little coffee shops, and secondly, there are TONS of condos and apartments filling in everywhere, and not only are they numerous, but they are all very upscale in architecture. Downtown Knoxville cannot hold anything on Chattanooga, abnd the cities sucess is why we are about to pass Knoxville population wise, and why we already have a much larger metro population than Knoxville. Take UT away from Knox, and youre left with nothing but a mediocore at best downtown and a medicore economy.
Last year I spent a full week in Knoxville and another full week in Chattanooga to make the same comparison. I could not agree more with the other person, the one who favored Knoxville over Chattanooga, and basically for the very same reasons!
I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself when I wrote this. That said, I’m very pleased with any comparison of Knoxville to regional cities in 2018.