Today, we’re pitching an answer to the age-old, largely contested question — what is the best city in Tennessee, and why? (Spoiler alert: it’s Chattanooga.)
Editor Brianna here, and I’ve been in many a fight over why Chattanooga is better than any other city in the state. Even as a native (and proud, I might add) Memphian, I am unflinchingly rigid — Chattanooga is the city Tina Turner would sing about.
To show that I’m impartial, I’ll start with some of the good things that other Tennessee cities offer:
- Memphis | Beale Street + loads of history.
- Nashville | Music scene and some famous locals.
- Pigeon Forge | Dollywood + the Smokies.
- Knoxville | Is fine if you like that particular color of orange… but I digress, it’s also closer to the Smokies than Chattanooga.
See? Totally impartial + totally willing to say that these cities are great — just not as great as ours. Now, why Chattanooga is the best:
- We have the fastest internet in the world.
- People may say that Nashville’s hot chicken or Memphis’ barbecue beats out Chattanooga’s food. I argue that Chattanooga offers a much more unique + diverse food scene (plus, Nooga recently ranked above Memphis for being a “best BBQ city in America,” so the point is moot). See also: Chatt has way better vegan + veg options.
- Our outdoor scene is incredible, without being the only nearby activity. In Chattanooga, you can go from experiencing city life at a free music series to the top of a mountain in 20 minutes. Don’t think our outdoor scene is all that great? We’re here to prove. you. wrong.
- Travel is much easier in Chattanooga. Getting through security at the airport takes ~10 minutes, but we also have great direct flight options. Plus, we’re super close to several larger cities (including Nashville).
- Chattanooga truly is the Scenic City. The only Tennessee city that can compete with these views is Gatlinburg, where you’ll probably run into tourists.
Don’t take our word for it — Chattanooga was recently found the top Tennessee city for attracting new residents, while Memphis + Nashville were ranked in the top three sweatiest cities in Tennessee. We think the results speak for themselves.
*Note: this article is meant to be lighthearted + goofy. While we do believe that Chattanooga is the best city in Tennessee, we also love all of the other cities in this state and know that each one has its own unique reasons for being wonderful.
