Shrubilidoo

Hi Cass, I don't know how helpful I can be about pet friendliness, but I went to UTK for undergrad so I can help with neighborhoods. Sounds like you want to be pretty close to downtown. UTK is definitely a commuter campus, and though many people ride bikes around, it's not bike friendly at all. It's relatively easy to find some parking close to campus if you choose somewhere that'd you'd need to drive to campus. It's going to be nearly impossible to be super close to market square, those apartments aren't really for rent or are crazy expensive. A lot of grad students live in the Fourth and Gill neighborhood---farther away than the Fort (the area just north of campus) but also a lot quieter and away from the ruckus of the undergrad scene. Definitely avoid east Knoxville. It's shady. Well, I'd even avoid the Fort if you want to live somewhere your wife will be comfortable walking around alone at night. South Knoxville (Chapman Highway area) might be a good option for you too. Now that the Henley Street Bridge is FINALLY open again, its just a couple of minutes away from downtown, and you might even be able to find a cheaper house to rent for all of those pets. Or maybe Cherokee Ridge Apartments? I know they're pet friendly. Feel free to ask me any questions about Knoxville. I've lived here 23 years.