Tarsier1701

I graduated from undergraduate at UT and am a Knoxville native. Random thoughts: I think the worst mistake UT students (especially undergrads) make is burying themselves in UT-land. In general, the only reason to go to West Knoxville is to get out of your car and buy things, although Bearden has some interesting places (Bearden Beer Market, Union Jack's, Mojoe's Coffee, the venerable Long's Drugstore). Downtown and the Old City are more vibrant places to be, and I have a special soft spot for North Knoxville, which has some interesting old neighborhoods like Happy Holler, Fourth and Gill, and Fountain City. Downtown has been undergoing a major revitalization for the last decade or so and that is continuing apace, so expect it to continue to develop while you're in town. Knoxville has a very active Americana music scene too if you like that kind of music or just want to sample it. There's a community radio station, WDVX, which is recognized consistently as one of the best Americana/roots music/bluegrass stations in the country, and actively sponsors concerts and events around town, including daily free radio concerts in the visitors' center. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is one of the three or so oldest in the South and performs in the beautiful Tennessee Theater, so is worth looking into. There's also a (free) art museum, a regional history museum, a natural history museum on campus, and a science museum in Oak Ridge. All have rotating exhibits in addition to the permanent ones. Our big selling point is probably natural resources. There's a major push to develop an urban wilderness in South Knoxville, anchored around Ijams Nature Center, so there are plenty of hiking, riversports, and biking activities right near downtown. There are also of course the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Big South Fork National River both within an hour of Knoxville, and state parks in the area. In general, it's a large enough place that you can find whatever kind of people you want to find if you put forward the effort, but I think does a good job retaining some of its unique Appalachian heritage. Also, read the Metro Pulse (the free weekly independant), and go to Sassy Ann's at least once.