Asheville or Knoxville....HELP!

[Guest marc82much]

Help! Knoxville or Asheville?

Just seeking some input and opinion...My wife and I may be draggin' up. 14 years in Wisconsin and it may be time for a change. I have two business opportunities, one in Asheville, NC and the other in Knoxville, TN. We have been to both places and like them very much. If I pull this off, it will be a dream come true.

So, one question is...big picture, which is a better place to live? I am 58 and my wife 48. This will likely be the last stop. Home prices are not an issue (I know Asheville is more expensive), it is all the other quality of life issues I want to know about.

We both love to bike, mountain biking is first choice for me but road is her first choice. We do both a lot, and would do more if winter were not off limits. I would describe us as very outdoorsy.

We also like to shoot. Any locals available to give me an idea of which are offers more shooting opportunities? We especially like USPSA, steel target, IDPA, trap and skeet. But I particularly like USPSA stuff. We do not hunt.

Any feedback as to which area might offer us the most will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Marc

Kenosha, WI

CZ75B

NRA

USPSA

IDPB

[Raoul]

NC is not nearly as 2A friendly as TN.

Asheville is Democrat, Knoxville isn't.

Asheville is IMHO a prettier place than Knoxville.

Asheville is a bit snooty, Knoxville isn't.

The music scene is much better in Asheville.

[BrasilNuts]

We also like to shoot. Any locals available to give me an idea of which are offers more shooting opportunities? We especially like USPSA, steel target, IDPA, trap and skeet. But I particularly like USPSA stuff. We do not hunt.

I can't speak for Asheville except to say that I think it's a nice place to visit, but I don't think I'd like to live there.

http://orsaap.com/

ORSA is located in Oak Ridge, 30 minutes from Downtown Knoxville.

Edited February 7, 2012 by BrasilNuts

[Guest A10thunderbolt]

IMO Knoxville is better, if you like to travel, you are at the major interchanges north you go up I-81 or I-75, South I-75 and east or west I-40. The traffic aint bad either. Ashville has more scenery though.

[Dolomite_supafly]

No state income tax in Tennessee.

The economy is a bit depressed here so things tend to be cheaper than most other places in the states. Especially true for used items. Compared to most other cities I have been to Knoxville doesn't have a lot of entertainment type stuff. Not a lot of restaurants compared to most other cities its size either.

Not sure about Asheville but illegal drugs are rampant here. Meth and Oxy are the two big ones that are destroying lives every day.

I like living here but we have considered moving from time to time. Picking between the two I would have to say Knoxville. Just because Tennessee is more gun friendly and there is no state income tax.

Dolomite

[Lumber_Jack]

is this a "Re-post" we already commented on this exact thread. did it get lost in limbo?

[Lumber_Jack]

didn't like the first answers?

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/44197-help-knoxville-or-asheville/page__fromsearch__1

[peejman]

didn't like the first answers?

http://www.tngunowne...__fromsearch__1

*whew* I thought I was losing my mind. I saw this thread and would've sworn I'd already replied, but when I didn't see it....

Now I understand.

[Motasyco]

NC is not nearly as 2A friendly as TN.

Asheville is Democrat, Knoxville isn't.

Asheville is IMHO a prettier place than Knoxville.

Asheville is a bit snooty, Knoxville isn't.

The music scene is much better in Asheville.

Having lived much of my life in the Asheville area, I think Raoul has nailed it down pretty well. I haven't looked at any statistics but my gut feeling is that the crime rate in Asheville may be a bit lower than Knoxville. That could just be my perception because Asheville is a smaller town than Knoxville.

[Guest marc82much]

is this a "Re-post" we already commented on this exact thread. did it get lost in limbo?

Yes, it is. I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake. Forgive the double posting!

[Lumber_Jack]

Yes, it is. I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake. Forgive the double posting!

No worries, I thought I was having déjà vu for a while there. Now you'll just have to check both threads to get all the answers

[Guest RangeDS]

My wife went to grad school at UT and we have family in Asheville. Given your description of outdoorsiness....my sense is you will like Asheville. You are within reach of alot of recreational stuff. Kerr Scott Resevour in Wilksboro, NC. Dupont State Park and another big one Tsali Recreation Area. Plus Charlotte has several great mountain bike trails...lake norman state park, sherman branch. and the US. National Whitewater Ctr too.

Asheville has one or shoot indoor shooting ranges (older facilities I think) and another one is in the construction planning stages for the metro area.

[Tncobra]

The Kenosha Kickers!

Can't remember what movie that was from.

(knoxville)

[JReedEsq]

I think with ORSA nearby Knoxville may be better for shooting sports while Asheville is better for mountain biking. Knoxville has an active cycling community with good trails but Asheville has some of the best mountain biking in North America. I'm much more of a cyclist than a shooter. I raced competitively for ten years and I've mountain biked as far away as Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State. The Pisgah National Forest has some of the best trails period. And there's also Dupont and Tsali. Tsali is great for novices or to take roadies who don't mountain bike much since the trails are smooth and non-technical. The campground is nice and that's where I plan to introduce my kids to mountain biking when they're a little older.

That said, I think East Tennessee has more to offer for the shooting sports. After 3 years or so, I still consider myself a new shooter but I think there are some folks who come from pretty far away to shoot at ORSA in Oak Ridge. I've shot one comp there and it was really fun. It's a great facility and the people were very friendly. I think the people are generally nicer in East Tennessee than anywhere but Asheville is probably one of the prettiest places around. I really like that the Western NC side of the Smokies is it's less developed without all the Pigeon Forge junk (and it's accessible to mountain bikes which aren't allowed on the trails in the National Park). There's my random thoughts, I've lived most of my life in Knox County and spent a lot of time in Western NC. I think you really you can't go wrong either way. Check into knoxvelo.org; knoxvillecycling.com; smwbike.org for info on cycling in Knoxville. Definitely check into orsaonline.org for info on ORSA. I live in West Knox County near Pellisippi Parkway and it's a quick trip for me. Also Haw Ridge park is great for mountain biking and it's also just a 15 minuite trip down the Pellisippi Speedway. Also, I've never shot there but Norris watershed has both an outdoor shooting range and mountain bike trails. The best thing about Norris is that it is very sandy so it drains well and doesn't get muddy in the winter. Someday I'd like to shoot and mountain bike in the same day up there. Hope this info is helpful.

Edited March 1, 2012 by JReedEsq