COVER STORY
Native Knoxvillians of a certain analytical bent can spend years attempting to accurately describe the nature of their hometown. It’s a complex place. There’s some of the feeling of a big city, but its tight-knit communities maintain some of the atmosphere of a small town. Maybe it’s a speck of small-town futility that has informed the peculiar chip on the shoulder that pervades some locals’ mindsets about Knoxville. Longtime residents and natives who have absorbed a sort of underdog attitude might slight Knoxville for its small-town perspective; some tongue-in-cheek critics concoct funny slogans that damn Knoxville with faint praise. Like “Knoxville, the City of Almost.” No matter. All cities get some things right some of the time. Knoxville’s getting it right more often than not. Take it from the transplants. Folks relocating to Knoxville from more metropolitan and progressive places swear Knoxville represents the best of both worlds. And we’re getting even better. Take a good look. It’s like they say about the weather in East Tennessee: If you don’t like it, just wait a few minutes. It’s changing.
And, if you didn’t catch it last week...
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