Knoxville Neighborhoods

The Metropolitan Knoxville area offers many diverse neighborhoods and lifestyles to choose from... City, Suburban, Lake or Mountainview

...the choice is yours!

Many different and local suburban bedroom communities exist,

spanning from the city center of Knoxville to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Below are Knoxville Neighborhood overviews which will give you the feel

and flavor of each distinct community Knoxville has to offer.

Bearden

According to local Knoxville legend, the part of town now known as Bearden got its name from a bear den that early pioneers stumbled across in the area. Apparently somewhere along the way someone started pronouncing it “BEER-den” instead of “BARE-den.”

In fact, the West Knoxville community of Bearden isn’t named after bears at all... or beers. Bearden gets its name from Marcus DeLafayette Bearden, a former Knoxville mayor and Union veteran.

Though it’s probably more accurate to say that West Knoxville begins in Sequoyah Hills to the east, Bearden unofficially begins Knoxville’s western shopping district. That’s not to say that South, East and North Knoxville don’t have excellent retail shopping. They do. But West Knoxville can affectionately be described, as local songwriter Todd Steed put it, as “where the mall never really stops.”

Bearden shopping is a bit classier than it is in other parts of West Knoxville. You’ll find quaint, upscale, suburban-looking strip malls in Bearden that invite a closer look. Shopping centers that have names like Homberg Place and Colony Place and Mercedes Place. The shopping here is varied, with lots of antiques and collectibles and interior shops. Galleries and restaurants are also plentiful, many of them midrange to upscale. Several of the designs (or redesigns) of commercial shopping centers in Bearden are less than 10 years old.

Bearden stretches down Kingston Pike, the primarily east-west highway that travels from downtown Knoxville to the western edge of Knox County. Although where Bearden begins and ends is largely debatable, the core of the community extends from about the top of Bearden Hill to the west to the edge of the Sequoyah Hills area further east (approximately the 6600 block of Kingston Pike).

Shopping isn’t the only way to keep yourself occupied in Bearden. If you’re looking for exercise that doesn’t involve sliding your credit card, you might consider the 2.1 mile Bearden Village Greenway, which connects West High School and Bearden Elementary school along Sutherland Avenue. The Bearden Village Greenway in turn connects to the 4.5 mile Third Creek Greenway. Off Lions View Pike, you’ll find the Cherokee Country Club. This full-scale country club offers golf, tennis, bowling, swimming, food, beverages and exquisite views for everyone in the family. If you’re looking for a home you might consider one of several subdivisions in the Bearden area. The residential streets are hilly and thick with trees. The area north of Kingston Pike has attractive post-World War II homes in subdivisions like Forest Hills, Forest Heights and Highland Hills. But if you’re looking for bears, you’ll probably need to take a trip to East Knoxville to the zoo. Bearden doesn’t have many.

Bluegras

The community of Bluegrass doesn’t seem to be named for some sort of association with Kentucky, long hailed as the Bluegrass State. It’s a little unclear where the name actually comes from. Bluegrass may also be Knoxville’s most unknown neighborhood. Where is it? What is it? It’s there somewhere. You just have to uncover the secret entrance. Truth be told, Bluegrass isn’t all that hard to locate. In fact, it’s kind of hard to miss this development explosion.

Bluegrass is a budding new area in West Knoxville. It is a large territory, rolling west from Rocky Hill on Northshore Drive. It follows along the Tennessee River/Fort Loudoun Lake, just beyond the Pellissippi Parkway overpass toward Concord. It also encompasses the Ebenezer Road region moving north toward Kingston Pike and Cedar Bluff.

The centralized location means that you can get from Bluegrass to several key locations easily. Pellissippi Parkway makes Bluegrass convenient for getting to the airport, the Smoky Mountains or to Interstates 40 and 75. West Town is nearby to the northeast, and shopping haven Turkey Creek is to the northeast.

Bluegrass has a bedroom community feeling to it. Mostly residential, subdivisions are everywhere, many of them upscale and exclusive. Whittington Creek, for example, has immaculately landscaped lawns and a number of amenities, including a 25-meter Olympic pool, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a playground and a full-size basketball court. Other subdivisions include Northshore Hills, Saint Ives and Cottington Court.

Bluegrass is also beautiful. As Northshore Drive meets up with the Tennessee, it’s hard to know where to look. Do your eyes explore the new businesses and shops that are popping up? Or do you look at the pristine backdrop of mountains and trees edging up to the river? But while you’re gawking, don’t forget that cars are still on the road around you.

South of Northshore, on Keller Bend Road, is a waterfront peninsula known as Keller Bend. The serpentine road weaving through the cape will take you to grand homes surrounded by forest that resembles the Amazon. There’s a 16-acre park at the peninsula’s southern tip.

Northshore Drive near Pellissippi Road is abounding with commercial development. There are businesses galore, many of them chains, but quite a few that are local. There are restaurants, a grocery store, a coffee shop, a salon, an eyewear shop, even DVD rental, if you’re still into leaving your house to go rent those. Like the neighborhood homes, these businesses have an upscale feel, almost as if someone decided to build an outdoor shopping mall in the middle of a golf course. West of Pellissippi will be Northshore Town Center, a 155 acre mixed-use “urban enclave” set to feature retail stores, restaurants, single-family homes, town homes and condos, all “intentionally designed to encourage interaction and promote quality of life.”

Nearing Concord to the west are two parks. The first is Admiral Farragut Park, a 23-acre section with disc golf, picnic shelters and tables, and trails that connect to Carl Cowan Park just down the road.

Cedar Bluff

Cedar Bluff is like its sister neighborhood West Hills in a lot of ways. Both are in West Knoxville and close to, well, pretty much everything. Both have great shopping and are easily accessible. Both can be a little on the crowded side at times, particularly during certain hours of the day. But it would be bluffing not to tell you that Cedar Bluff has a feel all its own.
Cedar Bluff is located west of West Hills, east of Farragut, north of Bluegrass and south of Karns. Hardin Valley is also nearby to the northwest.

The neighborhood is surrounded by major roads and thoroughfares. Cedar Bluff is circled by Kingston Pike, Middlebrook Pike and Lovell Road. Between them you can get just about anywhere in Knoxville without getting on the Interstate, although during peak travel times you’d do well to put your car in park and walk. Pellissippi Parkway is also minutes away, which will get you going toward Oak Ridge or the airport, Maryville and the Great Smoky Mountains. If you prefer the freeway, Interstate 40/75 passes right by, ready to take you downtown or to Farragut.

Cedar Bluff is unique in that it seems to collect a lot of non-Knoxvillians. That may be because it is so close to all those highways and byways. It’s only 10-15 minutes west by car that Interstates 40 and 75 split, with I-40 making its way west to Nashville while I-75 stretches itself out for Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Cedar Bluff has plenty of shopping in its own right. The North Peters Road area is home to several restaurants, some of them top notch. There are also plenty of big box stores and small boutiques to compete for your interest — and your money. The nearby presence of those hotels might also explain the unique selection of nighttime entertainment, which caters in part to travelers. Nearby clubs include the Prince Deli and Sports Bar, which features live bands and karaoke; Cotton Eyed Joe, a popular dance spot with everything from a mechanical bull to country-music concerts to bikini contests; and Comedy Zone, a comedy club that features lots of regionally and nationally renowned acts.

Also in the Cedar Bluff area is the Baker Peters Jazz Club. Subdivisions include Churchill Downs and Crestwood Forest-Hidden Valley. These residential areas are proof that, though Cedar Bluff is close to plenty of strip-mall shopping, there are still plenty of trees and open fields, too. Residents are close to local public schools, as well as to private schools like Knoxville Catholic High School and Christian Academy of Knoxville. Dead Horse Lake Golf Course, with its Par 72 course and its rolling landscapes, is also in the neighborhood.

Concord

Mention Concord in the United States, and most people will immediately think of the town in Massachusetts. But there are other Concords of historical significance. East Tennessee’s Concord is an unincorporated town in Knox County (it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places) to the east of Farragut and the west of Knoxville. Concord was founded in 1854 on land owned by James M. Rodgers.

The advent of the railroad brought about great development in Concord. Concord is now a residential community surrounded by subdivisions. The area is just minutes from Farragut, which you can connect to by way of what may be Knoxville’s only roundabout. And by the water. Don’t forget the water.

A large part of the appeal of this community is that it is situated right alongside the lake. Yes, it’s definitely important to recognize the historical importance of the area. Sometimes, though, you just want to go boating or fishing on the lake.

Concord Park gives locals plenty of opportunity for that. The public park is 500 acres and is located off Northshore Drive, which, as you may have guessed, follows the northern shore of Fort Loudoun Lake.

Concord Park is tremendous, not only for its size, but also for its gorgeous scenery, its ease of access to the lake and its amenities. There are seven baseball fields, two softball fields, two tennis courts, one football field, the Concord Park Par 3 nine-hole golf course and a swimming pool. The park has both natural and paved trails, including eight miles that can be used for mountain biking. There are three fishing piers, five picnic shelters, 34 picnic tables, two concessions stands, restrooms and a playground.

Within the park are a couple of popular spots. The Cove has a sandy beach front at which you can go swimming. There are also two sand volleyball areas and canoe and kayak rentals, plus a walking loop, a covered pavilion and more picnic tables. The Point has space for in-line hockey and soccer. Concord Marina is on-site at the park. There you’ll find a full-service restaurant, fuel, easy to navigate boat ramps, a store with boating accessories, a rentable clubhouse and even accessible WiFi Internet.

Downtown Knoxville

It wasn’t all that long ago that Knoxville’s downtown was something of a ghost town after business hours. One could have walked down West Church Avenue on a Saturday afternoon and have felt like Will Smith’s abandoned character in “I Am Legend” That’s no longer the case.

The past few years have seen a myriad of development in Knoxville’s downtown area. Consequently this neighborhood is thriving. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that goes on here anymore.

Market Square is arguably the hub of it all. Spend a summer Saturday morning here and you’re apt to forget you’re in a small Southern city. For all you know, you might have even wondered into some (gasp!) European village. It’s a place where great people-watching is guaranteed from the outdoor patios of restaurants lining the square. You’re likely to spot children splashing in the sidewalk fountain while mom and dad look on, pet lovers walking their poodles, and young hippies with tattoo-covered arms in pursuit of whatever it is that young hippies with tattoo-covered arms do.

The Market Square Farmers’ Market spills over with local farmers, bakers and artisans selling their wares for seven months of the year, each and every Wednesday and Saturday. It’s the perfect place to pick up locally produced salad dressing, honey, bread, and fresh blackberries and tomatoes.

Thursday evenings in the spring and early summer pack in the crowds with the annual free Sundown in the City concert series, which features a variety of local and national acts. More recent evenings have seen performances by

The American Plague, Gin Blossoms, Edwin McCain, Scott Miller & The Commonwealth, Josh Ritter, Presidents of the United States of America and Wild Magnolias. Then there’s summer’s Shakespeare in the Square, in which a couple of the Bard’s classic plays are annually brought to the stage, for free. That’s not to mention the annual ice-skating rink that goes up every winter or the annual events of Christmas in the City.

Moving less than a block from the Square will put you on historic Gay Street. The Tennessee Theatre, a 1920s-era movie palace, is here still basking in the glory of reopening in 2005 after a $25.5 million renovation and restoration project. It’s the perfect place to catch a play, an Iron & Wine show, or an old movie in style. There’s also the newly renovated century-old Bijou Theatre and a new state of the art Regal multiplex.

The Old City is also downtown, just blocks away. Roughly comprising the National Register historic district of the Jackson Avenue Warehouse District, the Old City is home to clubs, restaurants, shops and bars. It’s here that Knoxville’s local music scene thrives. It was also here that Kid Curry, a member of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, shot a couple of deputies, escaped jail and rode a stolen horse across the Gay Street Bridge.

Island Home to the south, just over the Tennessee River, is home to dozens of historic homes reflecting architectural styles of the early 1900s. Many examples of Craftsman, Bungalow and Tudor Revival architecture can be found here.

The City of Knoxville plans to further develop the area along the river here.

Dubbed RiverWalk Landing, future developments will include public improvements for sidewalks, bikeways, retail and office space, as well as condominium and other housing units.

Farragut and Turkey Creek

Turkey Creek is something of a shopping and restaurant Mecca. Turkey Creek encompasses over 300 acres of retail zoned space. There are dozens of great restaurants, shopping outlets, banks, furniture stores... and a ginormous IMAX movie theater. Turkey Creek is located in Farragut with many shopping opportunities in a safe environment.

The town of Farragut is named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. Born in 1801 at Lowe’s Ferry, which is just southeast of what is today the town of Farragut, the Admiral Farragut had a reputation as an aggressive naval commander. When told by his men that the port waters were heavily mined, he famously shouted, “Damn the torpedoes — full speed ahead!

Farragut is a "bedroom and soccer" community located west of Knoxville and south of Karns and Hardin Valley. The area was originally known by the name Campbell’s Station. The town incorporated in 1980.

Farragut is an upscale residential town with a suburban feel.

There’s a lot to see and do in Farragut. For instance, there’s the Farragut Folk-life Museum. The museum is filled with photographs and objects that tell the story of the Concord and Farragut communities. The museum houses a collection of Admiral Farragut’s personal artifacts, including manuscripts, letters, family photographs and uniform decoration.

The town has several parks and greenways. There is Anchor Park, the town’s first. The 15-acre park is located next to the lakefront and features a playground, fishing pond, horseshoe pit and picnic facilities. Major Bob Leonard Park is a 50-acre facility that includes walking trails, volleyball courts, soccer and softball fields, playgrounds and a wetlands area at its center. Campbell Station Park is a 17-acre park next to the Farragut branch of the Knox County Library System. It features walking trails and playgrounds. Farragut’s multiple greenways include Grigsby Chapel Greenway, Turkey Creek Greenway and Parkside Greenway. Sports are also important in Farragut. The town sponsors spring, summer and fall sand volleyball leagues. It also sponsors spring and fall softball leagues. There are also several golf courses nearby. Willow Creek Golf Club is an 18-hole daily fee golf course with Bermuda tees, and fairways and roughs with best grass greens. Avalon Landmark Golf Club is 18 holes of challenging slopes and terrains, and hosts tournaments. Fox Den Country Club is a full-service country club with golf, tennis, swimming, fitness and restaurants.

A 2007 issue of Business Week named Farragut one of the 25 best and affordable subrubs in the South. Its schools are typically top-ranked nationally.

Farragut is a great family community to live in.

Hardin Valley

You’ve heard of Hidden Valley Ranch? It really exists, out in California. The ranch was started by Steve and Gayle Henson, who started selling “ranch” dressing back in the 1950s to ranch guests.

The Hardin Valley in Knoxville is located in western Knoxville. It is positioned between Oak Ridge to the north and Farragut to the south. Karns lies to the northwest. Hardin Valley is intersected by Pellissippi Parkway, which is more or less a north-south roadway that is both a state route and Interstate highway. The community’s major thoroughfare is Hardin Valley Road, which generally runs east to west. Hardin Valley is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Knoxville. Don’t mistake it for one of those subdivisions that’s called Rolling Meadows or Brook Pond River, but that in fact doesn’t have rolling meadows or brooks, ponds and rivers. Hardin Valley is indeed a valley, surrounded by lush, grassy hills in what is still a rural area. Though it’s developing quickly, there is still a quiet beauty here that is evident. Grassy fields still border Hardin Valley Road and canopies of trees are far from having disappeared. There are even a few dilapidated barns still soaking up the sun’s noonday rays. But mixed in with those leafy maples and shrubberies are backhoes and bulldozers. Every which way you turn you’ll see signs advertising new leasing space or proclaiming the arrival of a new shopping center or residential area or office park. On the way are properties like The Commons at Hardin Valley, Hardin Valley Plaza, Vista Dei Monté, and on and on it goes. If you don’t see your favorite bank or supermarket or restaurant here now, you probably will soon.

Hardin Valley isn’t too far from several parks and greenways. Big Foot Park is 130 acres and has hiking and mountain biking trails. Melton Hill Park, located on the Melton Hill Reservoir, has boat access, fishing, a sandy beach, playgrounds and picnic tables. Guinn Road Park, also on the Melton Hill Reservoir, has picnic areas and boat access. Each of these parks is less than five miles from Hardin Valley.

Just down the road, right off Pellissippi Parkway is Pellissippi State Technical Community College. Pellissippi State was founded in 1974 as a State Technical Institute. It has since expanded and now teaches “technology, the use of technology in instruction, and the transfer of technology to local business and industry in support of regional economic development.” Just more than 8,600 credit students are enrolled there. The community is also home to Hardin Valley Academy, which was completed in 2008... the first new high school built by Knox County Schools in 40 years. The $50 million school is made up of four learning academies: Health Sciences; Law, Business and Public Affairs; Liberal Arts; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The 275,000-square-foot school has 64 classrooms, a 2,100-seat gymnasium and an auditorium with high tech lighting and sound.

Hardin Valley is very commutable to both downtown Knoxville and Oak Ridge.

North Knoxville

It isn’t that uncommon to hear people complain that they don’t know their neighbors. Even in the South, where the porches are larger and the folks have a reputation for generally being friendlier, a lot of people don’t even know the names of those living next door, much less down the street. That’s not the sort of thing about which people living in Old North Knoxville complain. If you don’t know your neighbors here, you probably just moved in.

Old North Knoxville is characterized by their older historic homes, their pedestrian-friendly nature and their close-knit community. The area was developed from the 1880s up through the 1940s as streetcar suburbs. In those days rather than drive themselves, most neighborhood residents rode the streetcar to the closest stop, then walked to their homes. Because of that, you’ll find wide sidewalks here, but fewer driveways and garages.

After WW II home after home has been restored and family-oriented young professionals have moved in. Old North Knoxville is filled with 19th century style architecture. You’ll see homes designed by prolific Illinois-born architect George Franklin Barber here. You’ll also find styles like Shotgun, Queen Anne Cottage, Eastlake and Folk Victorian. Early 20th century styles can be found as well, including Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Bungalow and French Eclectic. Gill also presents a mixture of 19th and early 20th century homes, most notably Queen Anne and Craftsmen style. Barber also designed homes here, as did Joseph Bauman.

You won’t find a lot going on here, at least on the surface. There isn’t much in the way of big box stores or crowd-gathering attractions, at least not until you travel further north on Broadway Avenue towards Fountain City. There is park space, though, and plenty of institutions like the Three Rivers Market Food Co-op (though there’s talk of a move in the future) and the more-than-a-century-old Greenlee Bike Shop. There’s also a perplexing abundance of furniture and carpet stores.

Downtown and the Old City aren’t too far of a walk from Old North Knoxville either, and there’s the sidewalk space to get you there. That said, this community sticks together, especially Old North Knoxville. There are more than enough neighborhood pancake breakfasts and white-water rafting trips and creek cleanup projects and holiday decorating contests here to keep you out of the mall for a good long while.

West Knoxville - West Hills

Ballons are filled for festive events

at the West Town Mall in West Knoxville.

Human beings never seem to be quite satisfied. Even if a person seems to have everything, it isn’t long before he’s looking for something else all over again. That’s one of the great things about the West Hills area of Knoxville. If you’re looking for something, whatever it is you’re looking for isn’t too far away from Churches? Movie theaters? Clothing stores? Used clothing stores? Book stores? Used book stores? Music stores? Used music stores? Fitness centers? Pet stores? Barbeque? Clubs (that’s nightclubs for those of you over 30)? Golf? Sushi? Elementary schools? Meeting and convention center space? Guitar lessons? Wine? Bowling? If you can’t find those things in the West Hills area itself, they’re bound to be a short car or bus ride away.

West Hills is a neighborhood in West Knoxville. For some, West Hills generally comprises the area from the western slope of Bearden Hill out east to the Cedar Bluff vicinity to the west. For others, it’s the subdivision of the same name. For still others, it’s just the mall, stupid. West Hills is easy to get to. It’s in the crosshairs of Interstate 40/75 and is serviced by two Interstate exits. One is Gallaher View Road. The other is the cleverly named West Hills exit, which spits out those departing the Interstate right in front of West Town Mall. The on and off ramp at West Hills was redesigned a few years back. For some that’s taken the exit from a graveyard of backed up cars to an aesthetically pleasing bastion of efficiency. West Hills is also firmly in the path of Kingston Pike, the major Knoxville through-street running east to west from downtown all the way out to Farragut.

Conveniently, the West Hills area is the midpoint between those two destinations. The shopping mall in question, West Town, opened its doors in 1972. Though Turkey Creek in Farragut is now where some of the cool kids shop, West Town is still an important destination if you need a department store, specialty shop or a quick lunch from the food court. The mall isn’t the only shopping to be found in West Hills. There are enough shopping centers and freestanding stores to make you hyperventilate. Those quick breaths might be those of joy. Others will see it as stressful. West Hills, after all, can be a traffic-filled nightmare at times, particularly during school and rush hours.

You’d do well to make your way to West Hills Park (also known as John Bynon Park). This park is smaller than other Knoxville parks. Still, at 18 acres, it’s sizeable enough to help you recuperate from the mall madness. The park is on the edge of the West Hills subdivision. Recreation includes eight baseball/softball fields, two playgrounds, basketball, tennis and 1.9 miles of paved trails in the Jean Teague Greenway. Many recommend living in the residential sections of West Hills. Though it’s still close enough to be convenient, it’s also far enough away to feel secluded. The neighbors are friendly, the houses are sizeable but still old enough to have a little character and … shopping, did we cover the shopping?

The Golf and Lake Communities

Golf and Lake Communities... Tellico Village Rarity Bay Rarity Pointe to name just a few, offer Resort Lifestyle Living just outside of Knox County.

They are located 20 minutes from Turkey Creek and 35 minutes from downtown Knoxville and McGhee Tyson Airport.

These golf and lake communities offer privacy and seclusion along with great amenities... yet have complete access to all the retail and commercial resources Knoxville has to offer.