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Thanks for your post. I am a five year resident of Highland Park, and I love it. It has come light years from where it used to be.
First of all, HP is a very liberal neighborhood despite the presence of TTU (who don't mix with anyone else). It's very diverse in the broadest sense. And for the record, if you are liberal, you would HATE Signal Mountain, E. Brainerd, or Ooltewah. There are more mega-churches in those areas than you can imagine, and it's conservative, cooky-cutter fundy-land, which is fine if that's what one is into, but you obviously aren't.
Secondly, native Chattanoogans have no use for HP. Like elephants, they don't forget the past, and they are mostly too busy in their suburban McMansions that they can't afford to be bothered with anyone else or to do the slightest bit of research (no offense to anyone, but just an observation - you know the type; they haul ass out of downtown by dark ignoring the fact that their suburban Walmart parking lot is more dangerous). 99% of the new HP residents are from out of town or out of state. We still get funny looks from people when we tell them where we live. The area WAS crime-ridden ten years ago, but it isn't today.
Part of the reason we still have such a bad rap (aside from the above) is that the local media absolutely cannot wrap their heads around the borders of HP. A shooting/firebombing/stabbing/whatever can happen ten blocks outside HP in any direction, and the media calls it HP. We have so many things attributed to us that didn't happen in our neighborhood that it isn't funny.
I've lived here for five years. In that time, in Highland Park (within the borders), we have had NO shootings and NO murders, and we have very little gang activity. In those five years we have had maybe two purse snatchings, both of which happened very late at night. My block on 12th Street is extremely quiet, even at night, and the foot traffic is minimal. We HAVE had break-ins this year, but so did the rest of the city - they were rampant in every neighborhood imaginable. That seems to have calmed down.
That being said, there are dodgy areas east of Willow and south of Main. Crossing those streets is like crossing into a different world. And, like every neighborhood, there are bad pockets.
The reason that HP has been successful is because of it's residents. We know EVERYTHING that goes on in this neighborhood. We keep an eye on our renters and take action if bad tenants move in. We have close relationships with the police and the City government. We have updated our zoning to single-family and have mananged to run most (not all) of our slumlords away. Word on the street is that we watch, we call the police, and that we're not afraid. It's an urban neighborhood, so one must act accordingly - if you don't leave objects in your car or let expensive items be seen through the windows, and you have an alarm, you'll be ok.
We have several residents with young children who play together; their main concern is the schools. Some are home schooling, some are private, and some are magnet. They manage. We have many, MANY runners in our neighborhood, and not once has there been a problem with safety. We have single women who live by themselves and have no issues.
The main thing is that we are a community. We care for each other, look after each other, help each other when needed. We don't park our cars after work and go inside, not to be seen until the next morning. We sit on our porches and drink wine and beer and have parties and hang out and enjoy each other's company. Despite what has been said on this forum, we are still on the upswing - my block alone has three new households in the last two months. The economy slowed things down, but it's picking back up. It's still a good investment.
So, at least give HP a chance before you decide to go somewhere else. I gave it a second look and was glad I did. Talk to some of us and get a feel for the area. We'd be glad to have you.
Thanks for your post. I am a five year resident of Highland Park, and I love it. It has come light years from where it used to be.
First of all, HP is a very liberal neighborhood despite the presence of TTU (who don't mix with anyone else). It's very diverse in the broadest sense. And for the record, if you are liberal, you would HATE Signal Mountain, E. Brainerd, or Ooltewah. There are more mega-churches in those areas than you can imagine, and it's conservative, cooky-cutter fundy-land, which is fine if that's what one is into, but you obviously aren't.
Secondly, native Chattanoogans have no use for HP. Like elephants, they don't forget the past, and they are mostly too busy in their suburban McMansions that they can't afford to be bothered with anyone else or to do the slightest bit of research (no offense to anyone, but just an observation - you know the type; they haul ass out of downtown by dark ignoring the fact that their suburban Walmart parking lot is more dangerous). 99% of the new HP residents are from out of town or out of state. We still get funny looks from people when we tell them where we live. The area WAS crime-ridden ten years ago, but it isn't today.
Part of the reason we still have such a bad rap (aside from the above) is that the local media absolutely cannot wrap their heads around the borders of HP. A shooting/firebombing/stabbing/whatever can happen ten blocks outside HP in any direction, and the media calls it HP. We have so many things attributed to us that didn't happen in our neighborhood that it isn't funny.
I've lived here for five years. In that time, in Highland Park (within the borders), we have had NO shootings and NO murders, and we have very little gang activity. In those five years we have had maybe two purse snatchings, both of which happened very late at night. My block on 12th Street is extremely quiet, even at night, and the foot traffic is minimal. We HAVE had break-ins this year, but so did the rest of the city - they were rampant in every neighborhood imaginable. That seems to have calmed down.
That being said, there are dodgy areas east of Willow and south of Main. Crossing those streets is like crossing into a different world. And, like every neighborhood, there are bad pockets.
The reason that HP has been successful is because of it's residents. We know EVERYTHING that goes on in this neighborhood. We keep an eye on our renters and take action if bad tenants move in. We have close relationships with the police and the City government. We have updated our zoning to single-family and have mananged to run most (not all) of our slumlords away. Word on the street is that we watch, we call the police, and that we're not afraid. It's an urban neighborhood, so one must act accordingly - if you don't leave objects in your car or let expensive items be seen through the windows, and you have an alarm, you'll be ok.
We have several residents with young children who play together; their main concern is the schools. Some are home schooling, some are private, and some are magnet. They manage. We have many, MANY runners in our neighborhood, and not once has there been a problem with safety. We have single women who live by themselves and have no issues.
The main thing is that we are a community. We care for each other, look after each other, help each other when needed. We don't park our cars after work and go inside, not to be seen until the next morning. We sit on our porches and drink wine and beer and have parties and hang out and enjoy each other's company. Despite what has been said on this forum, we are still on the upswing - my block alone has three new households in the last two months. The economy slowed things down, but it's picking back up. It's still a good investment.
So, at least give HP a chance before you decide to go somewhere else. I gave it a second look and was glad I did. Talk to some of us and get a feel for the area. We'd be glad to have you.
Where did you get your facts? Highland Park is no more liberal than any other parts of Chattanooga. I'm liberal and live in East Brainerd and all most of my neighbors are very liberal. In general, it not a good idea to make blanket statements about entire populations like you did. Not all East Brainerd residents are conservative as myself and many of my neighbors can testify. There are churches on nearly every street corner in Chattanooga, whether they are mega churches or not. It is the bible belt, so you will find conservatives all over Hamilton county, including many in Highland Park. There are very few, if any McMansions as you call them in Chattanooga, and I think all of us care about Highland Park and all areas of Chattanooga, whether we live there or not. Crime and blight affect all of us, whether we live in Highland Park or not. There may be some McMansions in Ooltewah and East Brainerd, but that is NOT Chattanooga, at least for the time being, it's unincorporated Hamilton county in most parts.
I also would not say that Highland Park is successful at this time. It is too crime ridden and run down for you to even think it's successful. People don't want to love behind bars, or hide their expensive items from view, or be concerned if they forgot to turn their home alarms on. That is not living, but living in fear. Many slum lords still exist in Highland Park and you have no legal way to run them out, except for code violations, and even that is difficult to prove and get acted on. Having three new households on your street means nothing about the neighborhoods quality of life or if it is on the upswing, because it definately is not. Renovations that were taking place before the recession have stopped and some houses have even deteriorated more. I can drive over, take pictures, and post them on here as proof of the mess that is Highland Park. It's unsafe, overpriced for what you get and most houses have only on street parking, which is truly aweful. I think Highland Park has huge potential, but it's going to be at least another 10 years for it (and many other parts of Chattanooga) to turn around.
First of all, you ask where I got my facts. I got my facts by LIVING here. No one I know has bars on their windows or lives in fear. My neighbors DID have bars on their windows, but took them down because they now feel safe.
Secondly, I don't like to make blanket statements about anyone, if it came across that way, I apologize. But in my experience, people in E. Brainerd, Signal Mountain, etc. tend to be uber-conservative, which is why they live out there. Many of our neighbors used to live in those areas and moved to HP because they couldn't stand the conservatism of everyone around them. We do have conservative residents, but they generally stay to themselves or each other. Most of us are relatively liberal.
I'm glad you care about HP and Chattanooga in general, so thank you for that. However, I respectfully disagree with your post. Again, I have lived in HP for five years. I headed the Crime and Safety Committee for three of those years, so my ear was on the ground at all times. You say that we aren't "successful", but I disagree on the grounds that, in the 1990s, we had 130 drug houses, numerous drug corners, prostitutes up and down the streets. You know how many we have now? Less than five drug houses, and one corner that's problematic, and those are being worked on. We've ran the prostitutes out of the neighborhood across Main Street (they wander through from time to time, but don't stick around). No one deals drugs on the street in front of your house or in the alleys, and if they did, the police would be called immediately and people know that. To me, that's success. It took a lot of time, effort, and hard work to achieve those goals. We still do have a few slumlords, but if you look at the tax records, they own houses all over the city, and most of them have decided that it's not worth the effort to stay in HP. We have a few stubborn greedy bastards that won't leave, but we're making it as annoying as possible for them to be there.
The problems we HAVE had in recent years (and I won't lie and say we haven't had any) have been mirrored all over the city. EB, Hixson, Ooltewah, Brainerd, etc. have had numerous break-ins over time. Our problems are honestly no worse than what is going on in other places. And as far as keeping items out of view - that's not paranoia, that's common sense. I don't care where you live - if you aren't smart enough to hide your stuff, you deserve what you get. My partner is from rural TN, and you have to lock everything up even there. There is no "safe" place, really. And the recession has definitely taken it's toll, but not just here.
Obviously, it takes a certain mindset to live in an urban neighborhood, and it's definitely not for everyone. But I think it's important to get the correct facts before making an informed decision, and speaking to people who actually live there, IMO, is more prudent than listening to people who don't and are ill-informed. If people decide it's not for them, fine, but at least get the facts.
Also, check out our website at (I'm having a problem with the web address here).
My husband and I moved to the Chattanooga area from Atlanta two years ago. We wanted to be "in-town" and needed to find a home for our growing family. With two small children, we wanted to be in an area where they would be surrounded by diversity and other families (preferably close to our age.) We looked all over Chattanooga and I feel that where you live is very much based on what you want and what you are looking for in a neighborhood. I honestly don't think that there is a bad place to live in Chattanooga. It is such an awesome city with awesome residents! I just think that you have to figure out what you are looking for.
We stumbled upon Highland Park after looking in North Chattanooga and being disappointed that we could not afford the square footage we needed. I immediately got online and started making contact with Highland Park neighbors. We also drove through the neighborhood and stopped and talked to people we saw out with small children. No where else in Chattanooga were we actually invited onto someone's front porch to "hang out" while we chatted about the neighborhood and area.
We chose a house on Chamberlain Avenue and have not been disappointed. The house next door to us recently sold in less than two months. In this economy...that was impressive. We have also had other houses on our block sell within the past year. There are 19 children under 11 on two blocks and we enjoy neighborhood events, lots of play dates and adult porch time.
We moved here from Atlanta and knew the things that come with living anywhere in the city. We are cautious about leaving our cars unlocked...but I have never felt unsafe in my home. Petty crime does happen more "in-town" but it is also happens everywhere else. I walk my dogs late at night...sit on our porch and don't feel worried when we go out of town for weeks. We have great neighbors who look out for us...
I know that everyone has their opinion and that is why I suggest checking out the areas that you are interested in and talking to the people who live in them. For us...we love living a bike ride from downtown, the involvement of our neighbors in trying to make our neighborhood a better place, the beautiful old houses and most of all...feeling part of this community and that our neighbors are our family.
it's good to hear from people that actually live in Highland Park. their comments are based on actual experience rather than hear-say, speculation, select realtors, newspaper stories and newscast sources.
To runningmom and any other poster who may be interested in Chattanooga or Highland Park in general.
My husband and I moved to Chattanooga in May 2007. We lived in Atlanta before that and were originally from Ohio (Columbus area). We are both used to living in urban neighborhoods and like all the benefits (location, convenience, sense of community) they provide. We are used to the risks as well. Demographics: we are in our 20s, both professionals, no children, very liberal, active, and have a strong desire to be in a diverse area with a sense of community.
When we first moved to Chattanooga we got an apartment in the Hixson area as we made the move for my job, because we wanted to make sure we liked Chattanooga before we made a commitment. We were very pleased with Chattanooga and started looking for houses almost immediately.
Even though we had a very good buyers agent no one told us about HP at first. We also had a similar price point to the one you mentioned (200-280K).
None of the outying areas fit our personalities or interests so we started looking in town. We also knew we liked the character of old houses. We toured more then 30 houses in glendon place, the e brainerd area, st elmo, north chattanooga without any success.
Then in Dec 2007 we stumbled upon a Keller Williams open house day for Highland Park. We immediately fell in love. Within a few short hours we found a beautiful 1904 fully renovated victorian inspired bungalow 3bd/2 1/2ba, 2300 sq ft. We also met numerous residents that day and everyone was very friendly. We bought our house for under 200K from some really wonderful folks who then in turn bought another house in the neighborhood and we still remain friends.
Now that I live here I can't imagine living anywhere else in Chattanooga. It is important to remember though that I am also speaking about Highland Park proper. The borders may seem inconsequential to those on the outside looking in, but I assure you they are most important. Anyone who has lived in a neighborhood in a big city is likely to tell you the same thing. Neighborhoods provide more than just a sense of identity. They provide security, fellowship, and others with a common goal on which you can rely regardless of personal differences. It's also important to remember that we all have a financial investment to protect too so in addition to all the neighborly aspects we work with our police, city council people, and community leaders to make sure Highland Park stays on the right track.
As far as development during the recession goes. From my front door I can see completed renovations on two homes (both with families in them) and nearly finished renovations on a third all from a year ago. Best of all my immediate neighbors are a wonderful elderly couple who bought their house in 1976 for $1 from the city in an effort to get families out of the projects and into homes. Not only do I get to enjoy the view of her flower covered yard, but they put away my trash can after collection while we're at work, and watch our house all day every day for no other reason than they too feel a sense of community.
I could go on, but the moral of the story is Highland Park isn't what it used to be, even a couple of years ago, and residents agree, it's worth your consideration.
Hi, I live in Highland Park. I feel safe & I love living super close to downtown. We ride our bikes to work. I've even walked downtown more than once, although it is a long walk. Driving is a breeze. I think Highland park is a large neighborhood & there are parts of it that are very nice & safe while there are streets I wouldn't live on. I live on a very nice street where kids play & neighbors wave & feed each others pets when out of town. When I first moved here a neighbor 2 doors down brought us fresh baked muffins. ..................
Wife and I looked in HP when we were looking to buy a couple of years ago when our baby was born. I love old houses, but I'll just say, we didn't move to HP.
And be careful because many of the nice houses with friendly looking, picturesque people in them are the REALTORS. I swear there was one street called Chamberlain where it seemed like something out of an old Leave it to Beaver show or something. Very out of place, but once we found out the people were house-flippers, it all made sense. haha
Now that was 2 yrs ago, so things might have changed since then.
Last edited by financelife; 08-11-2009 at 01:50 PM..
And be careful because many of the nice houses with friendly looking, picturesque people in them are the REALTORS. I swear there was one street called Chamberlain where it seemed like something out of an old Leave it to Beaver show or something. Very out of place, but once we found out the people were house-flippers, it all made sense. haha
All of those people I know are realtors and flippers and I didn't know it? Oh, the humanity![/sarcasm]
I know which block you are talking about (see chattamommy above), and I can assure you that NONE of those people are realtors OR house flippers. They are simply young families with children who play together and adults who socialize with each other, and there's not a realtor or flipper in the bunch.
The way the post was written almost inferred that actors were hired to portray families in some sort of mass Truman Show-esque conspiracy. Feh.
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