I have officially been a Chattanooga resident for over two weeks, in addition to the week and a half I spent here throughout August, with one foot in Tennessee, and the other foot in Texas.
I’ve been thinking about the differences between Chattanooga and Houston, and my first impressions of the area, which has grown into a long list.
- Even though we moved up north, I feel more in the “south.” Everyone is so friendly, there is a church on every corner, and most everyone I came across in the first few days had an accent.
- Grits, grits and more grits! In Houston, I had to make a specific trip to Target when I wanted to stock up, and even then they only had the Quaker Instant kind. At our new local store, Food City, there was a whole shelf dedicated to different kinds of grits, including homemade kinds. Grits are on just about every restaurant menu I’ve seen, and I’ve bought them at the Chattanooga Market too.
- The mountains are gorgeous. I don’t think I will ever tire of looking at them. When I left Food City that first morning after we moved in, Signal Mountain loomed over me on the drive home, and I was in awe.
- Another Food City related thought: The check out system is different. The cashier takes your cart and unloads it for you on their side. I watched this happening with the customer in front of me and at first I couldn’t figure out who was the cashier and who was the customer. I think my confusion showed because the cashier explained it to me. I told her I was new to the area and then her and the bagger both gave me recommendations for things to do in the area. How friendly!
- There isn’t any Chattanooga traffic to speak of, except for some areas that get a little backed up due to construction. We are driving the same amount of miles to get to places (no more than 10-15) but the drive times are shorter.
- It is a lot easier to get around in Chattanooga and gain a sense of direction. After three years in Houston we were still largely unfamiliar with the city.
- It still feels just as hot as Houston does, but the mornings and evenings are cooler. It is also less humid too, which is doing wonders for my hair, haha.
- It is quiet here at night. Almost too quiet. It is strange to not hear the Metro whistle, cars whizzing by, and the occasional loud group of people walking on the sidewalks.
- I love the Civil War history everywhere! We have explored a lot of downtown and riverfront areas, and there are plaques everywhere, detailing what happened over 150 years ago.