This may come across the wrong way and I realize there's likely no benefit to saying it but:
These aren't undiscovered gems, they are nice places to live and have always been that way. They are places that used to be called flyover, backwoods, etc. They are nice because they were ignored. They are liked because they don't have the problems of the places people are flocking from. It seems that the coasts have found out the interior isn't all outhouses and dirt roads. It isn't that it is a discovery, it is knowledge gained of an existing fact. /rant (but not really apparently)
Arkansas is a great example. It is a trope to make fun of it and look down on the state when, mostly, it is absolutely gorgeous. There's some flood lands on the east but it is called the Natural state for a reason. Northern Mississippi is rolling hills and Oxford is beautiful. Many of the gems you're looking to learn about are likely too small to make this list, or are a combination of smaller towns making a slightly larger area. Then you have these historically depressed, shunned states being piled on because they are now seen as gems, it is a power imbalance that feels a little intentional.
You mentioned Chattanooga so you'd probably be interested in
Savannah (GA or TN)
Oxford MS (4 of the biggest, best fishing lakes right there)
Anywhere in Maury / Marshall County TN
Anywhere in middle TN, especially Cooke/Crossville (TN tech is there) except for the places already "discovered"
Knoxville / Maryville
Johnson City / TriCities TN / Bristol VA
Asheville / Boone, NC
Huntsville AL (they have rockets!)
Surrounding LittleRock AR (or for small town Heber Springs, Mountain View)
I feel old and fuddy-duddy now, get off my lawn and all of that stuff. I really like new people and new influences, I'm glad others appreciate what I have for so long, it just hurts a bit to have the continual view of condescension that comes from things like "found, discovered, etc" it implies that it needed approval in the first place when, in fact, it has been fine all along.
This was way too-ranty and possibly exclusionary, I absolutely love Tennessee and most of the South in general (looking at you Kentucky), probably to a fault. I want my kids to grow up and have access to all that I did. Land is being bought in droves, it is leaving, it is noticeable. Access is being restricted. There's a lot of great conservation work and, admittedly a lot of newcomers who help more than existing. It just feels like a bit of a race at times.
> They are places that used to be called flyover, backwoods, etc.
As someone born, raised, and lived almost all my life in the vicinity of NYC—-this mostly isn’t us.
I’ll admit there’s some jokes, but it’s good natured. Somewhat like how most Americans think of Canadians. Maybe not close family, but cousins.
Rather, the true bitterness and nastiness comes not from native coastals but people that are from those places in the middle and left. That’s not to say all transplants are haters but almost all the hardcore haters are transplants.
Having done the drive from Little Rock to Vicksburg a couple of times, it isn’t that nice in the southern part of the state, it is basically the same flat farming Walmart every 10 miles as northern Louisiana. There are some nice places the further north you get. And north east Mississippi is like Kentucky, but northwest Mississippi doesn’t offer much beyond some delta charm.
Agree to disagree, I like the subtle hills, forests, and big lakes, then again I like the mountains, the beach, marsh, or meadow. My post was definitely a bit dramatic but I'll lead it to remind me to not post on the internet so much. :)
There aren’t many subtle hills on that part, if any at all. The delta sure, but you go west of the Mississippi and it gets flat, kind of depressing. Things don’t get nice until you get to Little Rock and get closer to the ozarks.
These aren't undiscovered gems, they are nice places to live and have always been that way. They are places that used to be called flyover, backwoods, etc. They are nice because they were ignored. They are liked because they don't have the problems of the places people are flocking from. It seems that the coasts have found out the interior isn't all outhouses and dirt roads. It isn't that it is a discovery, it is knowledge gained of an existing fact. /rant (but not really apparently)
Arkansas is a great example. It is a trope to make fun of it and look down on the state when, mostly, it is absolutely gorgeous. There's some flood lands on the east but it is called the Natural state for a reason. Northern Mississippi is rolling hills and Oxford is beautiful. Many of the gems you're looking to learn about are likely too small to make this list, or are a combination of smaller towns making a slightly larger area. Then you have these historically depressed, shunned states being piled on because they are now seen as gems, it is a power imbalance that feels a little intentional.
You mentioned Chattanooga so you'd probably be interested in
Savannah (GA or TN) Oxford MS (4 of the biggest, best fishing lakes right there) Anywhere in Maury / Marshall County TN Anywhere in middle TN, especially Cooke/Crossville (TN tech is there) except for the places already "discovered" Knoxville / Maryville Johnson City / TriCities TN / Bristol VA Asheville / Boone, NC Huntsville AL (they have rockets!) Surrounding LittleRock AR (or for small town Heber Springs, Mountain View)
I feel old and fuddy-duddy now, get off my lawn and all of that stuff. I really like new people and new influences, I'm glad others appreciate what I have for so long, it just hurts a bit to have the continual view of condescension that comes from things like "found, discovered, etc" it implies that it needed approval in the first place when, in fact, it has been fine all along.
This was way too-ranty and possibly exclusionary, I absolutely love Tennessee and most of the South in general (looking at you Kentucky), probably to a fault. I want my kids to grow up and have access to all that I did. Land is being bought in droves, it is leaving, it is noticeable. Access is being restricted. There's a lot of great conservation work and, admittedly a lot of newcomers who help more than existing. It just feels like a bit of a race at times.