Relocating to Cookeville

[azmom]

Hello,

My husband accepted a job offer in Cookeville. We are moving from Arizona in a couple of weeks.

Would like any advice and or links to local places to eat, shop, newspapers etc.

Thank you in advance.

[katmondoo]

1. It is lovely place

[azmom]

2. It is beautiful

My husband was there for the job interview and he tells me it is gorgeous.

After 10 years in the desert, the greenery will be a welcome change.

I'm very excited for the fresh start.

[mitch96]

3. Check out City-data.com

They usually have some good info about a place and you can ask locals about the place, like schools and shopping..

http://www.city-data.com/city/Cookeville-Tennessee.html

m

[azmom]

4. Thank you

Great info on that site. Thank you again.

[jmowreader]

5. Things you need to know

1. Cookeville is a town of 30,000 people roughly in the middle of the state of Tennessee.

Which means it's not totally bereft of shopping and dining, but it's just a little thin on boutiques and bistros.

2. There are two supermarkets in town. One is Walmart, the other is Food Lion. Food Lion is a good store.

3. If you need a big-city fix, I-40 runs just south of town. 80 miles to the west is Nashville. 100 miles to the east is Knoxville. Nashville is much more fun.

4, In small Southern towns, a very large part of the city's social life revolves around religion. I don't mean to alarm you, but "who is your husband and what does he do," "tell me about your kids" and "what church do you belong to" are the first three questions many people will ask when they meet you. Acceptable religions include Baptist, Pentecostal, and "Christian, not otherwise specified." Unacceptable religions include...well, pretty much anything else including "none."



5. This is banana pudding. It is the only acceptable dessert in the South. Vanilla wafers are supposed to be in it.



6. This is a country ham. It is part of the Holy Quaternity of Southern Cuisine beside barbecue, chicken and catfish. It does not need to be refrigerated until you cut it. Please try this because it is great. Please slice it thin like prosciutto because if you try eating a big ol' hunk of country ham between two slices of Wonder like you would regular ham, you'll think you're having a salt sandwich.

7. "Y'all" is an all-purpose form of address.

8. "Fixin' ta" means "going to."

9. "Grits" is singular. The proper way to eat grits is however in the hell you want. The proper way to cook grits is to go to a restaurant and order grits so you can see what they're supposed to look like when they're done, buy a bag of quick grits on your way home, then measure out 1/2 cup of grits and 1 cup of water per eater, put one shake of salt per cup in the water, boil the water, slowly add the grits with lots of stirring, turn the heat down to medium, and cook until it looks like the grits you got in the restaurant. DO NOT under any circumstance not stir your grits continually; they will lump-up in a heartbeat. It just takes a few minutes. That scene in My Cousin Vinny where Vinny impeaches a witness because he said it only takes him five minutes to cook his grits...well, that won't work anymore. Now that we have Quick Grits that have been parboiled at the factory and still have the proper grit flavor and texture, it really does only take five minutes to cook your grits.
9a. "Polenta" is Italian for grits. A quick, tasty, filling and nutritious meal can be prepared by cooking up a batch of grits to a little stiffer consistency than you normally would, spreading it out on a greased baking pan, baking at 350° for long enough to let it get firm, then slicing it, laying it on your plate and pouring a meaty spaghetti sauce over it.

10. If someone says "bless your heart" to you, figure out what made her say that and don't do it anymore.

11. If the weather lady forecasts so much as a single snowflake, immediately run to Food Lion and buy ten loaves of bread, 50 gallons of bottled water and twenty candles. Everyone else does.

12. Language lesson:
Study these two pictures.
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The object in picture one is a Grill. It is used for grilling. Things that can be grilled include hamburgers, steaks and chicken. It is a quick process over high heat.
The object in picture two is a Barbecue. Acceptable foods for barbecuing include entire hogs. It is a very slow process.

Please do not confuse these two terms. If you tell a Southerner you're fixin' to start barbecuing in just a few minutes and they should come over when they think it'll be ready...you'll see your guests tomorrow night.

13. Never tell a Southerner you are "going home." They will believe you are fixin' to die; most religious Southerners refer to Heaven as Home. If someone invites you to a "homegoing ceremony" be sure to wear black; everywhere else, this event is known as a funeral. The correct term for returning to the structure in which you live is "going to the house."

14. Please watch the Reverend James sequence in The Blues Brothers before going to church for the first time. Southerners actually do that.

15. "Tea" is served cold over ice, normally in a mason jar, and presweetened. "Hot tea" is served in a small china cup. "Unsweetened tea" is a communist plot.

[azmom]

6. Great tips.

I'm pretty easy going so I'm sure I'll adjust pretty quickly.

Looking forward to some BBQ with tea followed by banana pudding. Yummm

How's the beer. Can you still find moonshine?

[jmowreader]

7. Sure, but why would you want it?

Moonshine is basically corn vodka. There is legal shine and illegal shine. To get illegal shine you need to know a guy who knows a guy who knows a farmer who's got a still that another guy runs. Legal shine is at any liquor store.

Fun fact about Tennessee Whiskey: there are two companies that make it, Jack Daniel and George Dickel. Jack Daniel is world famous but Dickel is better...and the two distilleries are on the same road. In your neighbor to the north they have a Bourbon Trail. A Tennessee Whiskey Trail would be 25 miles long, but hitting both would be a nice Saturday. Oh...forget about free samples at the Daniel distillery; it is in a dry county.

[azmom]

8. Will definitely do the whiskey trail for sure.

In regards to my moonshine question, been watching too much Moonshiners on the discovery channel. Hope I can someday hook up with the guy that knows a guy. I want to try it.

In terms of housing, what are the must haves. Do I need air conditioning? Fireplace?
Garage? How important is it to have these?

[jmowreader]

9. You definitely need air conditioning

The problem with Deep South heat is it's a humid heat. The air conditioning will definitely help.

Fireplace? If you want one.

I think you know the old Southern cliche about parking cars on the lawn. This is true, and the reason everyone does it is most houses in the South were either built with no covered parking whatsoever, a single-car carport with a room at the back for your laundry equipment and tools, or a single-car garage you don't actually park in because you've turned it into a wood shop.

There is a very good chance you won't be able to get a basement. The water table is REAL high in the South.

Another thing you probably won't be able to get is a covered front porch - the old stereotypical one you sit out on. People don't want to sit out there and listen to the cars go by. People still love to sit outside...but they build decks on the BACK of their homes.

I checked...Crossville has a sewer system. You should make sure any house you want to buy is already on it, because septic tanks are a pain in the ass and tapping into a sewer system is not cheap.

[azmom]

10. Sorry not clear on the basement

issue. I have seen several homes on Zillow that do have basements. Is it a desirable thing or not. I guess, I don't understand the connection with the water table and the basement.

I have only lived in California and in Arizona. Basements are not a thing in either state.

All I know about them is that milleneals are living in them because of lack of jobs. I did see some homes with finished basements and they are nice. Lots of extra space.

Are they used for shelter from storms?

[southerncrone]

12. Yes, there are basements. I would advise having one, if possible,

as we do get tornadoes in Middle TN. When I was in college in Cookeville, one of the worst outbreaks in the country hit just a couple of miles outside the town. 1974.
There is no problem w/the water table in the area, as it is a rocky plateau. The only areas in TN w/water table problems are swamps.

Don't listen to people who don't have first-hand knowledge of the area.

[GaYellowDawg]

17. Again, you're getting bad advice here.

A/C is absolutely crucial. Make sure you have a fairly new HVAC. Gas heat is a ripoff but it's nice to have for cooking.

Basements are great because the area is geologically inactive. It will be great to have an area that is a moderate temperature in all seasons. There usually aren't more than 2-3 storms a year that warrant basement time.

Get at least a carport for rainy days but especially for sunny days. DO NOT park in the yard. That will get you labeled as trashy really quickly. This person giving you advice is taking it straight from Duck Dynasty, and those people are "reality" actors playing jumped up white trash.

[southerncrone]

14. You will definitely need AC. Fireplace is optional, but a nice backup heat

source &, of course, for the ambiance. Heat is usually electric, natural gas, or propane. Some still heat w/wood, but less & less.

Covered front porches are certainly available, as you will see once you begin your housing search. Decks are popular, too.
You will find housing there is VERY affordable.

Cookeville has had a sewer system for many, many decades. It is a larger town than Crossville. However, if you choose to live outside town, as many do since the area offers such affordable & beautiful land, you many only find septic systems. Not a big problem, unless you abuse it. Don't flush anything other than toilet paper down it, use RidX occasionally & have it pumped if you think there is a problem. We have lived on a septic tank at our home for over 30 yrs in TN & never had the need to pump it. No problems whatsoever.

Please don't buy into the old worn out "Beverly Hillbilly's" images of Southern life. Sure, there are still some shacks way out in the country, but virtually EVERYONE has indoor plumbing....and we also wear shoes!

[jmowreader]

15. Speaking of heat...

Some real estate listings will mention "gas pack" in the heating section. This is a good thing. It is a heating/AC system that has electric air conditioning and gas heat. It'll save you money in the winter because electric heat isn't cheap to feed.

[GaYellowDawg]

18. Just stop talking.

It's obvious that you don't know a damn thing about East Tennessee, especially if you had to check if Crossville has a sewer system. This is someone looking for real advice, so shut up and quit messing with her.

[southerncrone]

13. Yes, moonshine can be obtained. Be careful about asking for it, unless you buy the legal stuff

you can now find in liquor stores. As for "locally-brewed" shine, I'd advise not inquiring about it until you've lived there for a few years & know some locals VERY well. People are very protective of this info for obvious reasons.

There are some local craft beer breweries in the area. Nashville has many craft breweries now & you will be able to get some of their products in Cookeville. Yazoo is the biggest & best known in Middle TN.

[GaYellowDawg]

16. Jesus Christ, there's some shit advice in there.

First of all, Cookeville is a college town. There will be more places to eat and shop than would otherwise be available.

Baptist is mainstream. Pentacostal is screwy and everyone knows it, even if they don't say it. If you want your religion with a decent splash of liberalism, go Methodist or Presbyterian.

The idea that banana pudding is the only acceptable dessert in the South is the stupidest statement ever. There's hardly a Southerner who wouldn't ditch banana pudding for a good apple or peach cobbler, or pecan pie. Banana pudding is what you make when you either have no time or don't give a shit. It's low effort and low rent.

Country ham is really salty. Many people will soak it in water or milk before heating it in order to remove a lot of the salt. As for chicken and especially catfish, breaded and fried is how you serve it. Don't listen to anyone who says that Kansas City bbq is the best. It's not. Pass on South Carolina mustard based or North Carolina vinegar based. Any meat cooked over fire is acceptable. Bbq is pork, not beef!!

Tea. Yes on the sweetened, no on Mason jars. If you serve anything in Mason jars, people will think you're either stupid or can't afford to buy even cheap glasses. Worst possible advice. Serve drinks in glasses.

NEVER use y'all as singular. It will immediately make you look ignorant. "You" is singular. "Y'all" is plural. "All y'all" is plural and is used for emphasis, as in "every single last one of you."

Grits are easy. It's like brown rice: put them in hot water and cook the shit out of 'em. Directions are always on the container, and always work. No stress if you don't like them.

That second picture is a smoker, not a barbeque. No one cooks in a "barbeque." Barbeque is food. A smoker is what you cook it in. Bbq is low heat and slow cooking. A pork shoulder should take 8 hours minimum.

No one will think you're dying if you say you're going home. That's just plain stupid. If you say you're going home, normal Southeners will assume you're returning to your domicile. In almost 50 years of living in Tennessee and Georgia, I have never heard anyone refer to a "homegoing." There's receiving friends, followed by a memorial service. Only an ignorant-assed backwoods snake handling bunch of idiots might call it a "homegoing."

NOBODY does the Reverend James thing in church. That's just bullshit. It might happen during a tent revival. Might.

Someone is messing with you, and is being mean and stupid.

[southerncrone]

20. Don't you just hate "know-it-alls" who know nothing about The South but want to keep that image of

ignorant, backwoods hicks alive by spreading their uninformed propaganda around?

Thanks for calling this doofus out!

[GaYellowDawg]

21. Yes, I do!

You called them out, too, and I appreciated it. That poster was nothing but a Duck Dynasty watching asshat.

[southerncrone]

11. I lived there for 6 1/2 yrs, so I have REAL insight for you, not some preconceived BS

about living in "The South".

Cookeville is home to Tennessee Technological University. I graduated from there & lived in Cookeville for 2 yrs after graduation. Both of my children graduated from Tech & my son lived in Cookeville until 2014. I still have a friend who lives there.
https://www.tntech.edu/about/rankings

It is a fast-growing town of 32,000 which lies approximately halfway between Knoxville & Nashville.
You will find most of the corporate restaurants there, as well as a few really good local ones. I personally like Char, Crawdaddy's & The Cooke House, & Cheddar's, a Chili's/Appleby's style restaurant, never disappoints.
http://foodio54.com/restaurants/Cookeville_TN/5/0/

As far as shopping, it has a small mall & a few strip malls w/the usual corporate entities. However, more & more are locating there all the time because of the growth. One glaring omission is Target, which has been a complaint of the locals for years now. According to Target it is because of a logistics problem for them. Personally, I think they are missing out on a gold mine, but JMHO. Anyway, if you require more selection than Cookeville offers, you can always take a day trip to Knoxville (100 miles), Chattanooga (100 miles), or Nashville (80 miles).
Grocery stores include Kroger, Food Lion, Wal-mart & a few local markets including some small Mexican ones. Spring Street Mkt has a good meat dept.

Cookeville lies on the Cumberland Plateau and has a quasi-mountain environment. You will have a few snowfalls each year & milder summers than the rest of Middle Tennessee. There are 4 distinct seasons there, but be advised that the wind blows all the time! I was not prepared for this, so just wanted to let you know that. It is arguably one of the most beautiful areas of the country. If you enjoy outdoor activities, there are plenty--waterfalls, hiking trails, small state parks, interesting geological formations, and two deep, good fishing lakes, which are also good for waterskiing & kayaking. Crossville is just 30 miles up I-40 & has some renown golf courses. The Smoky Mountain National Park & Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are less than 150 miles away, about a 2.5 hr drive.

The cost of living is very affordable, making it an attractive retirement destination. A few yrs ago it was deemed the best place in the country to retire, which resulted in an influx of older citizens. A new hospital was built about 9 yrs ago & improved the medical care in the entire area. http://www.crmchealth.org/

The school system is one of the best in the state. The university certainly contributes to that.

It is a very religious town, as you enter you will see a huge cross that attests to that. However, having a public university there helps to moderate that influence.

The dark side is that there is a meth problem like many small towns in the South. (Heck, I guess the entire country.) Just wanted you to be aware of that. I do know there is a big push to curtail it, but a slow process.

Overall, I believe you will enjoy living in Cookeville, especially if you enjoy outdoor activities. Unless you require a metropolitan lifestyle, it is a good place to live & raise children.

Here are some links that might help give you a better picture of the town:
http://herald-citizen.com/ (the local newspaper)

http://www.wcte.org/home/ (the local PBS station--you can watch online & get an insight into the area, as they do a lot of local features)

http://www.greatretirementspots.com/cookeville-tennessee-retirement.htm

http://realestatescorecard.com/area-information/eastern-tennessee/cookeville

Just let me know if I can answer any questions for you.
Happy moving & enjoy your new adventure!

[GaYellowDawg]

19. +1

Good advice there.