Chattanooga, a city in Tennessee, has a mixed safety record, ranking in the 36th percentile for safety compared to other US cities. The police chief and mayor of Chattanooga are committed to preventing violent crime from taking over the city, with over 920 guns taken off the streets in 2020 by law enforcement. Gun crimes continue to occur in many communities across America.
While Chattanooga’s main tourist areas are relatively safe, some parts of the city may have higher crime rates, especially at night. Visitors are advised to exercise caution during peak hours. Tennessee is third in the country in crime per 100,000, with Nashville being safe for the most part and Knoxville being safe for the most part. The best time to visit Chattanooga is during the fall, from September to November, as it offers thinner crowds and cooler temperatures ranging from 40 to 80 degrees. As of Dec 04, 2023, there are no travel advisories or warnings for the United States; exercise normal security precautions.
While Chattanooga is generally considered a safe destination for travelers, it is essential to exercise caution and take necessary precautions. With overall crime up 13 in Chattanooga from 2018 to 2020, there is a medium risk and growing. In 2020, there were 1926 violent crimes, making it as safe as any other major city. However, there are safety concerns downtown, such as speeding and road rage causing the deaths of two innocent pedestrians recently.
Chattanooga is known for its low pollution, making it a safe travel destination. The city has extensive green areas dedicated to parks and gardens, making it a safe city for solo female travelers. Crime stats show that Chattanooga has more than many cities its size, but visitors should be aware of potential dangers at night.
📹 CHATTANOOGA: High CRIME RATE Plagues Beautiful “Scenic City, Tennessee”
We visited the Gig City, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Also known as Scenic City, it easily earns that designation – it’s beautiful.
Is Chattanooga a good area?
Chattanooga offers a low cost of living compared to metropolitan areas, with an average median sale price of $320, 000, compared to the national average of $442, 451. This affordability makes it easier for people to find a comfortable home without breaking the bank. The city also offers a convenient Redfin app for house hunting. However, Chattanooga’s vibrant arts and culture scene may limit its nightlife options, as residents may feel the need to venture outside the city for more variety. Overall, Chattanooga offers a budget-friendly lifestyle without compromising on quality.
How many murders in Chattanooga each year?
Chattanooga police reported a slight increase in homicides and violence during the first two years of the pandemic. The city reported 33 homicides in 2019, 34 in 2020, and 33 in 2021. However, this number dropped to 25 in 2022, with all but one cleared by investigators. In 2023, 82 of homicide cases have been closed, with the number expected to increase. In the nation’s 10 largest cities, homicides have declined an average of 12 from the first two years of the pandemic.
Why is Chattanooga so famous?
Chattanooga, home to famous natives and residents like Bessie Smith, Usher, Jackson, Jordan, White, and Manning, offers a variety of attractions for those planning a move. Fox Moving and Storage in Chattanooga offers skilled moving services from start to finish, ensuring a safe and stress-free move. They provide expert assistance with moving boxes and packing materials, allowing customers to do their own packing.
Fox Moving and Storage is available for free, no-obligation quotes at 423. 451. 8584. The city has a rich history and offers a variety of experiences for those considering a move to or from Chattanooga.
Where does Chattanooga rank in crime rate?
Chattanooga ranked second in reported crimes per capita in 2022, with 13, 310 serious offenses per 100, 000 residents, compared to Memphis’ 18, 425. The number of reported crimes with victims per capita fell by about 5 in Chattanooga and 11 in unincorporated Hamilton County. Red Bank saw a 6 increase in reported crime per capita, while Collegedale reported a 7 increase. Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, showed no change in reported serious crimes per capita from 2021.
Can you walk around Chattanooga?
Chattanooga offers a variety of transportation options, including walking, biking, bussing, skipping, and hopping. Market Street and Broad Street run from the river to Lookout Mountain, making navigation easy. The city’s walkable downtown provides additional options for transportation. The free electric shuttle covers downtown from the Southside District to the Riverfront and connects to the Southside, Northshore, and St. Elmo neighborhoods. The shuttle stops every 15 minutes Monday-Friday, 6:30 a. m.-10 p. m., and later on Saturdays and Sundays. Northshore and St. Elmo routes have varying hours.
Is Chattanooga a safe place to visit?
The city of Chattanooga has one of the highest crime rates in the United States, with an estimated one in 16 individuals at risk of becoming a victim of violent or property crime. However, certain areas of the city, including Shady Rest, Falling Water, Middle Valley, and Mountain Creek East, exhibit a higher incidence of criminal activity, rendering them safer than other urban centers.
Is it safe to walk around Chattanooga at night?
The downtown area is generally considered to be a safe place to walk at night, given the typically high level of pedestrian traffic.
Is Chattanooga safe than Nashville?
The three Tennessee cities with the lowest crime rates are Knoxville, Nashville, and Chattanooga.
Is Chattanooga worth visiting?
Chattanooga, a popular destination in the US, has been recognized by Lonely Planet as the “Best in the U. S”. and one of the “Top 45 Places to go” in the world. The Southside neighborhood is thriving with restaurants, small businesses, galleries, entertainment, and nightlife. The historic Chattanooga Choo Choo district offers a variety of options, including beer in a train car at American Draft, coffee and wine at Frothy Monkey, cocktails at STIR, and live music.
Situated at the base of Lookout Mountain, St. Elmo is a surprising little town with the International Towing Museum, the only one in the world, featuring a replica of the first recovery vehicle. Lookout Mountain is also home to bragging rights experiences, such as taking an elevator 26 stories below ground to see the largest and deepest underground commercial waterfall in the United States, Ruby Falls.
Where does Chattanooga rank in crime?
In terms of crime statistics, Chattanooga, Tennessee, is ranked sixth on the list of unsafe cities with a population of 180, 557. The city has experienced 12, 970 reported crimes, 1, 899 of which are violent, and 11, 071 being property crimes.
Are people in Chattanooga friendly?
A study conducted by Study Finds has identified Chattanooga as the fourth most welcoming city in the United States, based on recommendations from ten expert websites. The report indicates that factors such as career, family, and living expenses play a significant role in an individual’s decision to relocate and establish a permanent residence. Furthermore, research from MIT has indicated that relocating to densely populated urban environments may contribute to an extended lifespan among older adults.
📹 One Day in Chattanooga, Tennessee – Travel Vlog | What to Do, See, & Eat in the Scenic City!
One Day in Chattanooga, Tennessee – Travel Vlog | What to Do, See, & Eat in the Scenic City! Welcome to Chattanooga! Located …
I’m born and raised in north Georgia about a mile from Chickamauga Chattanooga Battlefield. Moved to Chattanooga, moved away, came back. Where I live in East Ridge used to be the perfect place to live. My daughter was robbed at gunpoint in my driveway last year. It’s a sad commentary on the city. My kids grew up going to festivals, parades, outdoor concerts, fireworks and we always felt safe. Now I carry a gun everywhere I go. It’s still beautiful, but sad. That building you were looking at was an old foundry. Industrial iron works and things like that were everywhere and are all gone now. A lot of them have been razed but some carcasses remain. A lot of the old buildings have been turned into gorgeous townhouses, condos, and apartments which are too expensive for the average person. My maternal grandfather worked at the train station from the age of 17 til his death from cancer at age 54. He was the only one allowed on the train when President Franklin Roosevelt came through town. I remember going to the Choo Choo as a child when he was still alive. It’s a beautiful city, rich in history, but also flawed. Much like myself and most of us if we are honest. I still love it. Thank you for your interesting and honest article. It was so good! Well done!
As a Chinese foreigner, my first ever trip to USA was actually to Chattanooga just to visit a friend of mine. Everyone who go to USA for the first time probably would go to famous cities like Los Angeles or New York. I am not a big fan of big tourist cities and actually prefer seeing the real part of that country by going to rural areas. While I was in Chattanooga, I actually find it pretty peaceful and for once strangers saying “Hello” or Good morning to me. Anyways I went to Nashville later and didn’t really like the big city vibe in there. My friend took me around Tennessee to see the local spots with road trips to Country Fair, Gatlinsburg, Smokey Mountain, shooting guns, seeing “Hill Billy” people like her parents, had Cracker Barrel. It was pretty fun trip, I am surprised none came and being hostile to me for being “From enemy country”
I grew up in Chattanooga and left in 1981 to travel, see other countries and meet the people of those other countries. To this day I love Moon Pies, but they’re hard to find in Oregon. Chattanooga has always been a beautiful city, but like many cities today Chattanooga has its problems as well. There’s always been a high percentage of poverty in Chattanooga, and like many areas in the South, wages are low for many jobs and have not kept up with inflation. However, Chattanooga is beautiful.
Chattanooga looks like a nice historical city with modern buildings added in a tasteful manner. The stone church tower is noteworthy; I wonder why the rest of the church was not preserved. There is something about romantic old river cities that harkens to a bygone era, when lazy steamboats and trains were the means of travel, not zippy jets and cars on highways. Thanks for bringing us along on the tour!
Growing up in NW GA a few miles from Chatt Town, my dad always watched the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. As I always viewed it with dad, I remember clearly when I was 14 Cronkite announced from his news desk that Chattanooga was “the dirtiest city in America”. And he was correct. That was October 1969. It took many years for Chattanooga’s transformation to occur and clean up it’s act. There is so much to see and do in and around the city. Whether you love history, the great outdoors, or both, Chattanooga and the surrounding area has it all. Yes, according to various crime statistics, for a city of it’s size, Chattanooga ranks higher than most in violent crime. However, as with other cities there are areas to avoid, and Chattanooga has it’s share of gang violence. If you go looking for trouble you’ll soon find it. I lived there from 1993 – 2018 and never had a problem. 7:00 On the right in the article you captured the edge of what at one time was Chattanooga’s library aka the Carnegie Library. It was built in 1904 with a $50,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation. Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was big on libraries, and many cities in the US benefitted from the grants and also built libraries. The former Carnegie library is now used for office space. Thanks for your article on Chattanooga! Cheers
We moved to Chattanooga from Memphis last year. I have heard about the crime here, and how bad it can be. I’m bias towards it because I lived in Memphis for five years, within 10 minutes of some of the most dangerous parts of the city. We never had any issues there and to date, none here. I think it all depends where you are. Ive seen some of the sketchy parts of Chattanooga, but I have also seen many of the nice parts. All in all, I prefer it here over Memphis 1000x over.
I’ve lived in the area my whole life and it’s changed a lot. They have really tried to play up the scenic city title and clean it up some. Crime is bad but you’re unlikely to experience it in downtown or any of the touristy areas (still don’t leave valuables visible in your car). Good tour hope you enjoyed your time in the city. You would have also loved point park and the views from there
So ive lived in many places growing up. Alaska being the longest. I moved from Alaska to Atl back in ’99. Lived there till 7 years ago, and then moved to Chattanooga . Chattanooga is a wonderful city . My wife and i love it here. It has changed since covid, and not for the better, but it is still home, and will be for a long time. The vibe downtown is awesome. We have plenty of music venues and concerts. Restaurants are good. If you like hiking and caverns, this is an awesome place for that. I havent been scared anywhere in town, and havent seen any crime up close .
Man thank you. I’m homesick as hell. And this is exactly what I needed! Chattanooga is absolutely breath taking! Yes that aquarium is amazing, and is now two parts I hear. I’m stuck in Winston Salem for another year. But before 2023 I will have myself a plot of land either on Suck Creek, Signal, Lookout, or Racoon mtn. Born and raised in Whitwell, Suck Creek, Red Bank area.
I’ve lived in the Chattanooga area for over 20 years now and I’ve never felt scared at any time, whereas where I grew up you could get robbed going to the grocery store. In fact, when I was visiting my Mother back home in Fort Worth a couple months ago a friend of mine’s wife got mugged while shopping at Walmart.
“Yeah, way down yonder on the Chattahoochee Never knew how much that muddy water meant to me But I learned how to swim and I learned who I was A lot about living and a little ’bout love “Well, we fogged up the windows in my old chevy I was willing but she wasn’t ready So a settled for a burger and a grape snow cone Dropped her off early but I didn’t go home “Down by the river on a Friday night A pyramid of cans in the pale moonlight Talking about cars and dreaming about women Never had a plan just a living for the minute” – Chattanooga by Alan Jackson
Moved from Chattanooga to a rural county to the north 15 years ago. I had an art studio in the old Southern Saddlery building close to the Wheland Foundary. Even the tourist areas downtown were never clean (Graffiti, smelly restaurant food dumpsters, sooty, littered side walks), but lots to offer with the river walk, aquarium etc.
Downtown Chattanooga left a weird impression on me. Surprisingly big and with wide streets for the size of the city. But, most of these big buildings on their ground floor either have no businesses that you can spend your money at as a visitor, or an occasional generic Irish pub kind of thing, or a nationwide chain like Chili’s or Jimmy John’s. Sure, there are some local spots, but it’s all very sparse and there is no vibrant downtown energy, not many people on the street, even though it feels like there should be.
I am perusal this in Chattanooga right now and I have lived here all my life. The factory you were at was wheland foundry…they made brake rotors and other metals. It is considered an eyesore here as it is the first thing you see driving in from i24. Rumor has it the city is gonna tear it down and build a baseball stadium for our local Chattanooga Lookouts semi pro baseball team. My brother and I really enjoyed ur coverage of our hometown but your crime stats do not really represent what is going on down here. Thank y’all!
I drove down to Chattanooga from Nashville once. I stopped on the way on the Cumberland Plateau. I wanted to see the campus of Suwannee, University of the South. It is so beautiful up there and the campus is wonderful. I found Chattanooga to be very scenic also. I mainly went for the aquarium that features freshwater fish, excellent.
I was born here in Chattanooga, TN and moved to other places as a little child, then came back 8years old and I have been here ever since. I hope you both enjoyed yourselves. And yes, the crime has grew over the past decade here. There are beautiful places and homes here and also not so good areas and places here in Chattanooga. But I enjoyed your article & you both have a blessed week☺️.
That old rusty ugly building you saw was the former US Pipe/Wheland Foundries. They made cast iron fittings, valves and hydrants. I am told they made most of the brake castings and drums in the US for quite some time. It is now owned by a developer. They plan to make a new baseball field there, but the cost has them slowed down. Thank you for the wonderful presentation. Really enjoyed it.
I’ve lived north of the city and worked in Chattanooga for my 58 years. If you visit the city stay north of Martin Luther King Blvd. and carry. If you’re there after dark stay closer to the river. There are places where the police won’t go so don’t get lost. (I think we all know what I can’t say) In the 90s Chattanooga started changing from industry to tourist town. Most all the major manufactures have closed. The good news is you can get a t-shirt almost anywhere. I wouldn’t let the crime scare me off just be careful, aware, and carry.
I used to work as a contractor at memorial hospital. Ruff area. Wouldn’t go there after dark. This was 2013. One of the local guys working with me was an OG for the gangsta disciples. He said they were at war with the bloods. Good times! I never would’ve thought Chattanooga would be more crime ridden than where I normally work in Birmingham Alabama. The medical district of bham has cleaned up ALOT in the past twenty years.
The old building you were asking about is US Pipe/ Wheland Foundry. (major war support during WW1) It was a metal foundry. It is being turned into a multi purpose area which will have new lookouts stadium, residential buildings, shops, restaurants, class-A office space, recreation areas. Those building you see will be demolished and new ones will be erected.
all the areas look clean. im always almost get a heartattack when i need to drive to san francisco. you have so many homeless people and crime here… i love the churchbell…you have it in europe all the time. the train station is amazing!! imagine the trains would still pass…just like in europe. a shame it all stopped…
26:59 This marks the spot of the beginning of the Trail of Tears, (the Bataan Death March of Cherokee Indians) who were removed from TN and relocated to Alabama. This is not a spot to go in there and ‘play with the water’ but I understand if you did not know this. Elvis Presley never played a show in Chattanooga but he did vist the Chattanooga Train Station and there are a few photographs of him at this spot 14:07.
A well done and accurate depiction of my hometown trying to get Tennessee. I’m a geologist and local tour guide and if you pass through again and would like more information on the old Limestone and brick construction, I would love to give you a complimentary tour of downtown Chattanooga from a geologist perspective … You will notice the use of divine mathematics and proportion ( Fibonacci sequences) in the construction of some of our ancient churches, the steeple downtown till Remains solid as other brick structures around it continuously need repair or have fallen to the ground a the stone wall that Still Remains around it downtown.
I actually work for the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. I even spotted my car in front of the dome lobby when you came by! By the looks of it, at the time this was filmed, we had just moved our front desk to the MacArthur Building where the traditional hotel rooms are. We have tens of millions of dollars worth of renovations happening all around our property over the next few months, which will include a complete overhaul of our Glenn Miller gardens area, Pullman car hotel rooms, and the traditional hotel rooms as well. I hope you’ll get another chance to come back through and see some more of our city that we love so much!
I moved to the suburbs of Chatt nearly 3 years ago from ATL. I have visited many times before, so I don’t know why I never been to those water-steps! I didn’t realize the church steeple was a thing either. Anyhow, I miss the ATL, but I’m getting used to this slower pace around here. Never been to Champy’s either lol!
Great article! Thank you for sharing it! I’ve lived in Chattanooga since 1996. Raised my family here and call it home. It is a beautiful, vibrant city. I noticed that you missed a Chattanooga treasure….Zarzour’s Cafe, the oldest restaurant in Chattanooga…it was right in front of you after you passed Exile Off Main, my daughter’s favorite nightlife hangout. If you look back in your article, it’s the building with the purple mural of its late owner, Shannon Fuller. Zarzour’s has been in the same location and run by the same family since it opened on January 18, 1918. Still owned and operated by Joe “Dixie” Fuller who also happens to have been a member of the band, Alabama. Also, The “Scenic City” is Chattanooga’s official nickname because of the city’s geographical location between the Appalachian Mountains and Cumberland Plateau. The nickname alludes to the surrounding mountains, ridges, rivers, and lakes. In the 27 years I’ve lived here, I’ve never felt unsafe or had any issues at a gas station or any other crime. Chattanooga is a great place to raise a family.
I live here and I’ve always lived here my whole life in Chattanooga….. In reality is no different than anywhere else you go in America. It’s got it’s good places and it’s got its bad places for crime. If you have the money and you don’t want to be around the crime then you move to Hixson,ooltewah, collegedale,East brainerd,Middle valley or Soddy-Daisy… If you don’t have the money then you probably have to live in brainerd, East ridge, East Chattanooga, or somewhere like that but even in these places there are still good little neighborhoods that don’t suffer the crime rate as the other ones do… People that live here basically have a love hate relationship with this city and this Hamilton county… It is a pretty place to live with the mountains around you and the river but if you try to get on the roads you’ll hit every pothole that there is because the roads are terrible… We also don’t have a lot of natural disasters here a tornado here and there and that’s about it…. The pros and cons about this place are probably are about the exact same but in relative terms most of the time it’s a safe place to live if you are in the right place to live.
I do love my city, but I’m surprised to see so many locals saying the crime isn’t so bad. It seems out of control to me. Every day or two, it’s another shooting. I don’t even live in “the bad area” and I’ve watched someone lean out their car window and start shooting directly in front of my driveway in broad daylight. The property crime and gun crime around here is uncomfortably high, for sure. But I will say when you look at the “lower than national average income”, you have to also consider cost of living is much lower here than most comparable cities. There’s a ton of industry and innovation. Just wish there was more to do. A lot of the “big events” and festivals are lackluster and center around buying food and goods. Food is the main entertainment.
I grew up and have lived in Chattanooga my entire life. This article is an incredible representation of my hometown. Warts and all. I feel like you got a really good idea of the city and our culture. I’m a proud Chattanooga boy, I’ve worked for both Moonpie and the Choo Choo most of my life. Local businesses are the lifeblood of this city.
You were talking about the National park… Chickamauga Battlefield. And it was the SECOND bloodiest battle in the Civil War Right below Gettysburg in death total. Not 3rd for 4th. The place is so creepy. Never hardly hear or see any birds when riding through it. One of our properties backs up to it. Always gives me the heebie jeebies and it’s more than the horrors of the civil war battles that’s hallowed that ground and forest… something native american waaay before the war. There are also underground rail tunnels taking you into Dalton GA maybe even to Atlanta. But on that I can’t say for sure. Everything you saw in downtown Chattanooga was actually the 2nd story of all those old bldgs. The original doorfronts are now basements bc of a huge mud slide and flood. The Choo Choo included. You can go to the basements and it will be the original entrances. The floors are all marble and so grand with amazing columns. Underground Chattanooga is so neat. The roads are all brick down there.
Sir, I live here, and you have understated and glossed over have dangerous and crappy this town really is. We have SUV’s full of criminals that roam all streets that shoot up the houses all hours of the day. We have 20 drive by shootings daily and ‘other’ shootings 40 times daily, so we have 60+ shooting daily here. Mexican cartels are safer to be around!!!! Many leave their homes ONLY for work. Grocery and nothing else at ALL! Revisit CHAT-Town with a camera crew of 20 this time. Thank you and have a nice time.
Chattanooga looks like a great city. I visited a few years ago and check out their real estate. I can’t think of another comparable city with so much new residential development in its downtown area. Lots of well designed apartments and condos. Old former industrial areas are being revitalized. Love the riverfront and Hunter Museum. It’s located near the Smokies and other beautiful natural scenery. Also close enough Atlanta for a short trip. Tennessee is a great state as well.
hey there,, i actually grew up in chattanooga,, and even though i moved away to the BIG city at 18, i have returned to retire,, thank you for giving chattanooga a good tour,, but as a local you missed several IMPORTANT areas,, go check those out if you ever make it back to chattanooga. Firstly,, the HUGE building you drove around that didnt know what it was,, it was an old steel mill that closed YEARS ago and is soon to be demolished and turned into housing and shopping areas,, dont have a clue as to when but it IS going to happen and get rid of that blighted area. Second,, you missed the BEST restaurants in chattanooga, most of which have been there WELL over 100 years. If you come back to chattanooga,, visit these restaurants,, Beas,, which is down near the georgia border, a lazy susan buffet which in my opinion has the BEST fried chicken around,, and then visit another 100 year old restaurant called Zarzours which is in the downtown area. Also if you visit any restaurants outside of downtown in the burbs,, check out wallys,, there are 2 locations of that place and both have EXCELLENT southern cooking.
Thanks for the ride along, looks like it was once a Grand City full of history. To be honest it still looks beautiful with all the modern improvements, and most have a story to go with it. The City just fell victim to the new age and people who have no respect for others or themselves. Those people are everywhere, so I feel it is still a Grand City full of History.
As a born and raised chattanoogan the crime rate only started to rise once the gentrification of the black communities started. No recreational centers or activities like they used to have when I was kid. Everything is centered around upper middle class and up. When you take from the poor and push them out of there homes crimes only going to go up. Just my opinion though 🤷🏾 😌 so no one take offense pleas
If you’re ever in Southwestern Virginia then you should check out our tiny town of Saltville. It’s a very interesting place. Not much to do here but it’s history is very rich. Saltville recently found out that it’s the birthplace of the first European child fathered by a Spanish Conquistador decades before Virginia Dare was born.
Wow, didn’t know you’d been here last summer! I’m right outside the Chickamauga Battlefield which isn’t too far from Chattanooga. Been in Georgia since I was a 6 yr old kid and California before that so I guess I”m more of a southerner than anything. Hope you and your wife got to go inside the aquarium, that’s the best part of the whole city! Rossville’s also pretty run down, its right outside Chattanooga and always looks like a slum.
Another great article. What surprises me is the size of the industrial buildings most closed down take the old iron foundry for instance where did the workers go? There seems to be trend with your article’s Town’s cities going into decline crime and homelessness why do people stay or can they not move? With all these empty shops and businesses do they still have to pay rent?
I live in Rossville GA close to I 75..2 blocks from East Ridge Tn which is about 8 miles from the Chattanooga city limits going through the East Ridge Tunnel on Ringgold Rd. I moved to where I am back in 1997 and over the years I have watched it get pretty bad. You did an awesome job with your article!! I will add that it’s not a smart idea to walk around downtown after the sun goes down…that is when the local gangs like to come out and play..just like cockroachs. God Bless and Stay Safe 🙏🙌❤
I live in Hixson. I spent the better part of 6 years splitting my time between here and Memphis. Memphis is much worse than we are here. I grew up here. I am originally from Dade County, GA. I will say there are things I did as a kid I would never let my kids do because of the things that could happen, like walking a mile down the road to the gas station to get candy without me. We have a beautiful city but horrible things that happen here, that’s everywhere though. Also if you want to see some beautiful stuff here go to Suck Creek Mountain to Prentice Cooper or Big Fork. I have some article of it on my website. I have other photos and stuff that I can share with you of other places around here that are beautiful and a little more out of the way if you would like and I can tell you where the places are located.
From Boston – Metro West Area – Mass. Heard the song “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and thought that a Railroad Trip – Like the Old Days – to Chattanooga from Boston Area and back would be such a unique weeklong vacation. 20 plus years ago. Plan was to travel by Rail – Rent a vehicle to visit Civil War Sites – Local Places – Hotel/Motel – Back to Boston Area. Never happened. Passenger Rail stopped in the 1960s. Must take a Bus from Out of State. Would take a whole day to-and-from. Amtrak would have cost around $800.00 – then. Four trains each way – Then a Bus. Drove to Providence Airport (30-minute drive) – Flew to Charlette NC (25-minute flight) – Motel outside Chattanooga – Visit Sights – Week long vacation – $650.00 (?) – Then. Great time – just me. I used to do Driving Vacations – Camp & Motel from Metro West Area – all the time. Great way to see America. Usually alone and/or with a ‘Close Companion’. Thanks for the memory of that Trip.
I’ve grown up just 30 minutes from chattanooga and I can say you’re not wrong but a lot of it has to go chattanooga roots. Before chattanooga was a scenic tourist city it was an industry city full of foundries then the epa came and a lot of the foundries closed up and I believe personally a lot of the property and crime started then. Downtown you’re fine with the exception of the homeless asking for money. The crime is usually kept to certain areas that you normally don’t go.
Chattanooga really used to be something special, but now it’s on track to become the new Atlanta. Really sucks because I always dreamed of owning a place in my hometown, but I have no desire to anymore. The crime is awful, the homeless pop has skyrocketed it seems like, and it just doesn’t feel as safe as it used to. Not to mention it is completely unaffordable for the majority of people who were born and raised in Chatty. Only the remote workers from Cali can afford the price of homes now. It’s such a damn shame, but I called it about 10 years ago. Nothing is sacred I reckon.
Thats where Im from. Not much I have not done there. It has changed in rediculous ways in recent years. Its slowly becoming hard to recognize, but its still Chattanooga. Crime has sky rocketed there in recent years. Someone is killed there every day now. The ones they know of. Yeah they have events at the Choo Choo. The lobby is empty until then. They have a great store there. Your mainly going around higher crime areas too by the way. Ha ha the old Wheeland Foundry has mostly been demolished and is slowly being replaced over time. You only saw the few areas left. They made cars there.
If you live in a suburb, are home between 11:00 PM and 7:00AM, and don’t frequent bars in certain parts of the city then Chattanooga is the safest city in the world. If you live in a certain area, and you know where those are, and are out and about at 3:00 in the morning being drunk and a jerk then yeah it’s pretty dangerous.
You missed the world-famous Comedy Catch at the ChooChoo and its oldest and best-known nickname is Choo Choo town. I successfully ran a shop for 18 years in one of those pockets of crime. Its just certain gas stations. It was part of US pipe. My best friend worked there for a while. I filmed the explosion when they blew up the cupola. 22:38 David was also the last person to drive a motorcycle across that bridge the day they shut it down. If you see the old news film you can see him on a white 1966 Harley Davidson Electra Glide.
This place sucks. Beautiful but sucks. Shootings rate is way too high comparatively per capita to much larger cities. People that live here lie to themselves about all the problems: killings, shootings, traffic, selection of health care providers, Police protection. You almost never see people pulled over for the rampant dangerous speeding. It eerily feels like there are never cops around anywhere. They show up AFTER crime happens rarely see them otherwise
CHAMPY’S fried chicken IS THE BOMB!! Love it! Best fried chicken in Chattanooga but currently with the economy the way it is, more of a hit than our budget can withstand. Prices of everything here have become outrageous. We have been the victim of “porch pirates” a number of times here where we live in East Ridge. It’s been awful. 😩
I hate when people claim Vote Numer _- best in the country, The reason is MOST TIMES IT IS WITH SOMEONE THEY ADVERTISE WITH!!!! I GO TO RENN FAIRS and started noticing EVERY ONE WAS VOTED NUMBER ONE FAIR FOR THAT YEAR, Then looked at who was Voting, well when those who are voting is your Local paper of course it isn’t exactly a LIE since its the only fair thats advertizing with them!!!! I like your Vids because you offer a real look at places in the USA and your oppition matters. Some of the greatest places I’ve seen in this world have been small and by word of mouth!! Then some lie Been Voted number one by people we advertise with and we only go locally!!!
Gas Stations are dangerous – Because People get Carjacked there. The Chattanooga metro area, which covers parts of Tennessee and Georgia, has one of the highest motor vehicle theft rates in the United States. According to data from the FBI, there were 2,923 vehicle thefts in the metro area in 2020, or 514 for every 100,000 people – far higher than the motor vehicle theft rate nationwide of 246 per 100,000 people.
The winding mountain roads, I know exactly where you was at. Just past the turn back from Powell crossroads. Pastors house over looking the valley was on your left. The little community up top, near Prentice Cooper is where I grew up. I’m actually known for being a hell raising Lewis boy. And ask anyone around there, they will fill you in. 🫠Bro… your a legit chattanoogan now. Banana Moonpie are the only moon pies!!! Every person from there will tell you the same. Moon pies and little Debbie’s. Damn I’m homesick
Just bumped into your website and found it fascinating! As you can tell from the name of my website, I am about to start a website similar to yours as I too begin my travels to all 48 states by RV. How is the CPM for content such as this? What drone do you use for your footage? I have several drones myself in my collection of equipment. Will look forward to your future content!
It’s interesting growing up in a place that went from low to high crime. When I see articles of other cities that have high crime, I imagine myself being scared/paranoid if I were to ever visit those places in person. But when the change happens in your lifetime, the fear level doesn’t go up with it. I hate that Chattavegas ( as we used to call it growing up 😆) is a high crime area. ☹️ Not sure why that has happened. A lot of people have moved here in the last couple decades so I guess it would stand to reason that more people = more crime 🤷🏻♀️
As someone who lives here, I can’t see why anyone would WANT to visit here. Generally the only things most people I know and I really see are the Aquarium and lots of different restaurants with their own styles. From 8PM to 3AM most days you’ll see quite a few homeless people sleeping and asking for money but I feel that’s the case in most of the bigger cities in the south. East Chattanooga is where 90% of the crime here is and just around the hospital areas is where it begins to become bad. Lots of judgmental older southern folk who haven’t really tried to modernize but most of the younger people have learned to just ignore them. Most of the fun social things like our clubs are more in the south part of the city where they are starting to build new businesses and buildings and tear down the older buildings. Lots of young adults around that area on the weekends and afternoons. Actual downtown can be a fun place if you have lots of money as most things downtown are “organic” or “homemade” or some other strange spin to make them unique haha. It’s a beautiful place with a rich history, but honestly I can not wait to get away from here.
Since you like abandoned stuff I highly recommend “exploring with josh” on youtube….he’s a young guy but he does an EXCELLENT job at exploring and creating…good kid too…or so he seems lol…thought you might enjoy his website…heck, check out mine too if you’d like! I am a photographer and just getting my feet wet. Started creating articles of my travels with music and pics a couple of months ago and I really love it…thanks for sharing your experiences.
THE CRIME RATE IN CHATTANOOGA HAS BEEN GOING GROWING STEADILY FOR THE PAST 20 TO 25 YEARS. YOUR COMMENT ABOUT POCKETS OF CRIME IS CORRECT. LOCATION IS STILL A DECIDING FACTOR FOR CRIME BUT CRIMINALS ARE STEADILY MOVING TO SAFER AREAS FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE DOING CRIMES. MAAANNNY CRIMES GO UNREPORTED IN THE LOWER INCOME AREAS BECAUSE AFTER THE CRIMINAL IS GONE AND NO ONE SPEAKING UP WHAT CAN THE POLICE DO? BACK IN THE LATE 80’S A CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF MY MOM’S HOME IN EAST CHATTANOOGA. SAT THERE ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY BEGIN EXCHANGING GUNFIRE WITH ANOTHER CAR THEN LEFT. POLICE COULDN’T DO ANYTHING, THEY WERE GONE. I REMEMBER BACK THEN YOU COULD CALL POLICE AND REPORT A STRANGE CAR IN FRONT OF YOUR PROPERTY AND THE POLICE WOULD TELL THEM YOU’RE MAKING THE RESIDENTS UNCOMFORTABLE AND THIS IS A HIGH CRIME AREA SO YOU NEED TO MOVE. NOT ANYMORE. I GUESS WITH PROGRESS COMES REGRESS. IT’S BEEN A LOT WORSE CRIME WISE AND WHILE IT’S NOT THE WORST RIGHT NOW IT IS BAD. SOME OF THOSE OLD BUILDINGS LOOKS LIKE U.S. PIPE AND WHELAND FOUNDRY. THEY MADE AUTOMOTIVE BRAKES. LIKE YOUR article.
My home town. Chattanooga is great for tourists and the affluent, especially new tech gentrifiers, but bad for native born African Americans. The city lost 1/3 of its remaining industrial jobs, this after major losses in the 1980s. Once a union town it is now mainly service industry and non-union. The VW factory in the suburbs has kept unions out, with the help of our states republican governor.
I’ve lived here since 1986. When I first moved here you didn’t go downtown after dark. There was a big surge to clean up the city and make it a safe family friendly area with great success. Now in just one years time it has regressed to a non safe place to be after dark. Thanks to liberal progressive values. That old building used to be US PIpe. It was the major industry in Chattanooga. Most industry has been forced out in order to clean up pollution in the city and they have opted for tourism as an income to replace it.
My home city. Guys there’s a lot more stuff to do here too. We have world class hang-gliding going on. It’s beautiful with the bright colored kites along with the beautiful mountain side for the back drop and the blue sky. Makes for incredible visuals. And you guys didn’t take in the Aquarium either.
Newbie here. Love your content so far. We live in KY and love Chattanooga. Next time u go u have to go to the Aquarium! It such a cool experience! The Chattanooga Zoo is amazing too. Try Pucketts restaurant it’s over by the aquarium. It’s delicious. Everything we ate was very good and we went on Labor Day and they were slammed!!!! Still great service and wonderful food! Then also try Scotties on the River. Beautiful location. Eat your lunch or dinner while looking out at the river. Enjoyed this vlog. Can’t wait to watch more
Fun Fact about the Coolidge Park area. My uncle nearly drowned there as a child during the building of the TVA damn because they kept flooding the area. We have an old newspaper article about it. They were forced to sell the property along with other landowners and move up into the neighborhood behind the park. It was then turned into a Government Naval reserve area where you used to see lots of tanks and stuff parked there.
I live in chattanooga! Such a fun place. You guys will have to try Rembrandt’s coffee house, it’s in the Bluff view art district and that area is so so cool! Also the Aquarium, the water steps behind the aquarium, and Rock City at christmas when they have all the lights! I love public house, another great hidden gem is “Treemont Tavern” it is more casual and seriously the best chicken fingers! Loved your article!
Chattanooga native here! Awesome places!! Next time, check out Cravens house & The aquarium!!! Cravens house is a Civil War site. The aquarium is amazing; fresh water and salt water animals! IMAX has really cool documentaries, too, in 3D! Blue grass grill is an amazing family owned restaurant! If you’re lucky to eat there, you’ll have an amazing meal, most of the time it’s a 1-2 hour wait. Also get coffee at mean mug. Delicious and strong!! Lol. For dinner next time, Old Gilman Grill has an amazing burger. The Kinley is a new hotel that has amazing drinks and food. Easy Bistro is amazing, too. And good for you for staying in St. Elmo.. so beautiful. If you come back to Chattanooga in December, you should go to the Christmas lights at rock city. Cheers !
I’ve no idea when you filmed this, but I visited Chattanooga during the summer of ’22 and the rail car accommodations were not available at Chattanooga Choo Choo and after seeing the condition of the cars one would not want to. In fact during the fall I read the cars were being removed due to their poor condition. Other than that Chattanooga was OK. We had a B&B in the mountains across the border into GA. Very nice.
Hey guys!! I have never been to Chattanooga, but I immediately googled how far it was from here. What a neat place to visit! My favorite, by far, was the Rock City Garden. I think St. Louis’ City Museum must have been inspired by all those tight spaces. The views were amazing! The rest of your places looked awesome, too! Thanks so much for sharing this gem!
This is so cool I would love to go there and see what it’s like up there and also my boyfriend lives there as well so I think that would be very very fun and get to see him again and finally get to meet miss Teresa in person for the first time or at least that is what I wont to do for real I have been thinking about it for a while now but I have to wait until we graduate high school we both have 1 more year until we get out of school and I am 18 years old and he 17 years old and I do know that this is a very Big decision that I am making and would have to live with it for the rest of my life but I do love him so so much and I have always wanted to see where he lives at up there in Tennessee and even though my family will disagree with the decision that I will make but that is still a while from now my Daddy has also tried to talk my boyfriend into staying down here and to move back and so have I but I like to try something new and get a new leash on life and it is also very very pretty up there I love it up there and yes I will miss my family if I do go along with the decision that I have made me and my boyfriend have been talking about it for a long time now and still do till this day and I’m also have got invited by Ms Teresa to go up there in my birthday card that she sent me a while back and Miss Teresa is the lady that my boyfriend lives with and she has always said that she wanted to meet me in person and get to know me better because she said she already feels like she knows me that would be fun and I am also looking forward to doing that one day but it will happen soon just not soon enough though.