year end thoughts (and how blogging helped me fall for Knoxville)

I'm getting sentimental in my old age.

Nothing makes it worse than when different seasons of life come to an end, so this being my last post of 2010, I'd like to reflect on living in Knoxville, especially in regard to being a writer for the Wigshop.

I've mentioned this in the past, but my first year after graduating from UT was a bittersweet one. Many of my friends moved away to figure out what to do with their lives as I struggled to figure out what to do with mine. I lived in a crappy yet quaint apartment in Maplehurst and watched as downtown Knoxville miraculously made leaps and bounds while the rest of the country seemed to be in shambles. I rode my bike everywhere because I couldn't afford to put gas in my car. I did, however, always seem to have enough money for lots of cheap beer*. Along the way, I was asked to write for the Wigshop. 

I admit that, at first, I used writing about Knoxville as a means to justify living here. I vindicated my decision to stay by trying to prove just how cool of a place it was becoming.

What I didn't foresee was how writing about this city would make living here not just bearable, but legitimate. It opened my eyes to what Knoxville had to offer, and the more I wrote, the more I realized there was to write about. In many ways, it made staying here just as exciting as traveling somewhere new.

Thankfully now I don't feel the need to defend Knoxville like I once did. I'm confident it's a great city in which to live, being a size and caliber that is both close-knit and full of new things to see and do. I'm very proud to call it my home.

So as this year comes to a close, and we ring in 2011, here's to Knoxville, Tennessee. Happy New Year!!**

* One of many things to be thankful for in Knoxville
** My top picks for places to be on New Year's: First Night, Pilot Light Party at Ironwood Studios, and the Public House. Cheers!

You can take the B out of Maplehurst, but you can't take the Maplehurst out of the B

Last summer, I moved away from Maplehurst. I had lived there the two years after I graduated from college, two very fun and important years.

I've written a lot about the dire situation there. It was hard to live there as a tenant because you saw the damage of the buildings and couldn't do much about it. You also knew the good things about the neighborhood were at risk, too, but you tried to enjoy them while you could.

One night while living there, I decided to take a photo shoot of the beautiful Dogwood tree outside of my apartment. I had this funny feeling that after I left, some future crazy owner would cut it down.

A few weeks ago, a current tenant in Maplehurst told me I should come by and see the trees the new owners had started to cut down. As I drove up Poplar to Maplehurst, I looked for my tree. The current crazy owner had cut it down.

They had cut down some others too. Some people who lived there had started an impromptu boycott against the men cutting down the trees, which in turn caused some of the new owners to come over and explain things.


The suited men stood and rationalized their decisions to the young crowd that had gathered outside of the Kristopher apartment building. They said they were cutting down trees that were a threat to the buildings and to people. It did and didn't make sense. As they were talking, men with chainsaws began hacking away at a large Magnolia tree.

"What's wrong with the Magnolia?" The crowd asked.

"Oh. We just want to get a good view of the pretty buildings we have here. They're only trimming them."

I realized nothing was going to stop what they were doing. They owned the property after all.

***

It's been about a month since then. I heard recently how terrible things have become there. I went last night to see it for myself. They took down so many trees, and have hacked away at several others. The Magnolia they were "trimming" isn't really a Magnolia anymore.


I ran into a friend that lives there. She told me there is construction all day long, starting at 7am and that the men working have actually moved into her apartment building. As they carried cases of liquor into their apartment, she kissed the charm and peace of Maplehurst goodbye.

***

Something I wanted for Maplehurst while I was there was a neighborhood association so tenants' voices could be heard. But that's the thing about living in Maplehurst. You decide to move there based on your attraction of the tall unwieldy trees and old buildings. You begin to think that, because you think it's a magical place, everyone else must too. The threat of it being destroyed is always there, but you begin to walk around with your shoes off and you call up to your neighbors' windows to ask when they're going to come out and play. And you go night swimming in the Maplehurst pool after biking from downtown. You're too busy living while you are there to form any kind of organization. Then it's time to move because your ceiling is crumbling away a little too much. And nothing ever gets better.

***


To me, it was great to see that crowd of Maplehurst dwellers stand up against the trees being cut down. It is a rare thing for students to care about the longevity of good things in Knoxville. To most students, Knoxville is like a vacation. They're here to have a fun time, but they're packing up when it's over.

I've seen a lot of good people move from Maplehurst, and they continue to leave. I can only assume this is what the owners want in order to prepare for a new crop of inhabitants who won't mind the changes (because they won't know them as changes).

I applaud every effort to preserve what is there. Of course! But at the same time I mourn what will be lost. Time will tell, but it could be the beginning of the end of the free spirit Maplehurst has struggled to hold onto. It's on to something more ordered and polished, something I just didn't want right after college. This is just how it goes, I am told.


joe plays the fiddle by my dogwood tree, spring 2009

where to bridge?

It looks like Knoxville is getting a pedestrian bridge. For a river city, we have amazingly few ways to cross it. It seems that generations of Knoxvillians were content to stay on the north side of the river. That's changing with the South Waterfront Plan, which will essentially create a southern half to downtown. Part of that plan is a pedestrian bridge, a la the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga.

I'm all for it. I think if the city does it right, a beautiful new bridge could become as iconic to the city as the Sunsphere is. So the concept is sound, but where to put it? Mr. Flory has (rightfully) questioned the usefulness of the proposed site by UT campus. Given our river bluff topography and a plethora of obstacles (City/County Building, Baptist Hospital, UT Stadium/Arena), placing a bridge that works with downtown is a difficult task. But let's try it!


Blue shows our existing bridges, orange shows the "passes" that allow approaches through the South Knoxville hills, and red (labeled 1) is the proposed site. There are advantages and disadvantages to T-B Arena site, which I encourage you to discuss in the comments. However I would like to focus on a few alternatives here.

#2 Make the downtown pedestrian bridge connect to, you know, downtown. We could put it in between our two major bridges. All we'd have to do is tear down the City/County Building and the Baptist Hospital Complex. Yeah! As awesome as that would be, it's pretty improbable. Moving on...

#3 The bluff to the east of First Creek offers an interesting possibility. The north approach would be by the touristy part of town with James White Fort and the Hall of Fame. On the south side it would more intimately interact with the South Waterfront (something you can't say about the Scottish Pike neighborhood), terminating either at the unoccupied mound that Sevier Ave splits around (which would make a nice park) or centrally where Davenport Road comes over the ridge. There'd be some tricky threading by Ruth's Chris and those condos, but I think that'll be true of the T-B arena site also.

#4 Maplehurst to Blount Ave. There's an old railroad bridge there currently, but in the South Waterfront meetings it was confirmed that only ONE train a day uses it. This is the same track that awkwardly bisects Worlds Fair Park. The approaches on both sides are worked out- so we could either rehab the old bridge (like Chattanooga's Walnut Street and much cheaper) or dismantle the bridge and build the new one in its place. We might even be able to reuse the concrete piers (keeping cost down), something like this:


It would connect to a vibrant downtown neighborhood, the railroad right of way would easily connect its path to Worlds Fair Park and the Greenway system, and its southern approach would be much more central to the South Waterfront.

You can probably tell where I'm leaning. What do you think? Where would our pedestrian bridge be best placed?


Update:

OK, one more map. But first, a caveat: This bridge will be wonderful and scenic no matter where it's placed. What it's like over the water doesn't bother me, it's what happens at the ends that needs more thought.

The issue is our unusual topography. We're a river bluff city, with the occasional creek gorge separating elements (most significantly campus and downtown). What if the northern approach of was extended and more integral?


The bridge could come in at bluff level (with a side connection to Maplehurst) and "T" into ANOTHER bridge that bridges the Second Creek gap between the Hill and Downtown! This second bridge would tie into the 11th Street Garage bridge on its western end and into the Convention Center on the other.

At a convention? Want to see the river? Just walk down the elegant bridge between the old bluff neighborhood and the stately University. Suddenly the bluff drops away and the hills across the river reflect in its glassy surface. I can see it in my mind's eye...

Merry Drunkmas?

This is one of the more interesting things happening this weekend that is off most community calendars' radar.

In an effort to raise funds to put a roof on the Mary Boyce Temple House, Brian Pittman (the owner) is hosting a Hobo Cabaret at his house tomorrow night, Friday, December 11. The admission is by donation, but he wants you to come even if you can't give much.

There will be two performances, one at 8 and one at 10pm. There will be drinks and snacks and a little crassness (leave the kiddies at home) And don't forget to dress warmly. It is, after all, a hobo cabaret. 

explosions in the sky

Just in case some of you have forgotten what Boomsday looked like Sunday night, here it is. Sorry for ze delay.

























































Huckleberry paid us a visit, too.

Renters Rights?

As a long-standing renter of properties in downtown and North Knoxville I have a few questions about what rights one has as a tenant in regards to the following situations. I've talked to a few people dealing with these issues recently in Maplehurst and we've been somewhat shocked out of knowing what to do.

1) The landlord won't fix ceilings and leaks, forcing tenants to move.

2) The landlord tells tenants their fully functional radiators are "broken" and that they will be "turned off." The landlord says the tenant can pick up a space heater from the office that barely heats the apartment and jacks up their KUB bill to hundreds of dollars.

3) They have said that they are going to fix buildings, but as people move out of buildings, they open up the windows and doors to abandoned and even some occupied buildings, exposing the interiors to the elements. Other than seeming unsafe to have old, dilapidated buildings open to the public, isn't demolition by neglect illegal?

4) If a tenant has a heat or leak problem, the owners say the tenant can move into another apartment that they own. I don't think they compensate you for this huge inconvenience.

I've seen a lot of people have to leave Maplehurst because of this neglect. On top of the absence of a friend, I get the enjoyment (sarcastic) of watching some of my favorite buildings in Knoxville deteriorate. It's a complicated situation because it's not really the current owners fault that Maplehurst is in the state it's in (ownership has changed numerous times in the past few years) but I'm really confused as to what they're currently doing.

Is the only threat you have in these circumstances to hire a lawyer or break your lease? If people silently move out, the situation is not likely to get better. Is there someone in government that you're supposed to notify of these things? From what I hear, this is just as much a predicament in the Fort, but what's being done about it?

I've asked several times to have my bathroom ceiling fixed. Every week more and more pieces of drywall fall into my bathtub. If you don't hear from me for a few days, it may be because I'm lying naked under my upstairs neighbors bathtub that has fallen on my head. Maybe then, they'll come and fix it.

For Knox Heritage

Today was my last day as the Knox Heritage intern. I've been putting off writing about them and the reason I became interested in being their intern because it all hits a little close to home (pun unintended), but I thought today would be an appropriate day to tell you my feelings toward a certain urban haven in Knoxville.

I moved into Maplehurst Court about a year and a half ago. If you've ever lived there, I'm sure a whole slew of emotions is being conjured up at the moment. It's a beautiful neighborhood nestled between World's Fair Park, Henley Street, and the Tennessee River. I can see Neyland Stadium and Ayres Hall through the large plate glass window in my apartment. For Booms Day, all my neighbors and I had to do was walk down the street, and ever since I've been working in Market Square, I've only had a 7 minute commute on my bike. The trees are beautiful and large and the architecture is magical. Whereas parents' speak endearingly about their children, conversations in Maplehurst migrate toward cats. They are a common fixture in the yards and bushes, and most people know them by name. I can count on hearing the tapping foot of my upstairs neighbor as he plays his fiddle daily, and my landlord allowed my neighbor and I to start our very first organic garden right outside my door. In the summer, there are cookouts and lots of bluegrass under the dogwoods amidst three beautiful abandoned buildings.

In the midst of the beauty and eclectic nature of where I live, there is also a downside. The buildings are falling apart. Many of my neighbors' ceilings have fallen in. Over and over, they close down single apartments, then the whole building. There are three abandoned buildings that I walk by everyday, and they are beautiful. I am unabashedly in love with them.

Over the past year my friends and neighbors have hung out at night and talked about what we could do to save Maplehurst. There have been rumors for years that the owners were neglecting the buildings so that they would reach an unsalvageable point. Then the demolition of the buildings would take place and, lo and behold, a new space for large condos would become available. Why wouldn't some out-of-town developer not want to make the most (money) from such a great location?

The rumors made my neighbors and me pretty unhappy, and, to make a long story a little shorter, I ended up working at Knox Heritage to see how I could help. With no assistance from me, they announced that Maplehurst was one of their Fragile 15, a list of 15 buildings or areas that they would push to save over the next year.

Things are still up in the air for Maplehurst, but it seems that the current owners are doing their best to save what they can of the existing buildings. I realize now as I leave, preservation is far more complicated than I thought, and there are a lot of people that just don't care about it. There are also a lot of incredible people that do (i.e. Kim Trent, Becky Hancock, Hollie Cook, and now, Ethiel).

I'm sad to leave Knox Heritage but am also incredibly thankful for their work in Knoxville to preserve the beautiful and neglected structures in our city.

As a Christmas gift to them, I would like to encourage our readers to become Knox Heritage members, which can be as little as $25 a year to join.

I'll leave you with pictures of what I've endearingly called home and what I hope they can continue to help save.

Why I'm still Here

When Stan asked me to be a writer for this blog, I excitedly and ignorantly accepted. That was well over a month ago. My hesitancy to post may stem from the fact that I've never been a blogger. Tonight I'm taking the plunge, pretending only about 5 people will read this anyway. So here goes, my first ever blog post:

In lieu of Stan's best and worst, I'm giving y'all the top 8 reasons I'm still in Knoxville after graduating from UT over a year ago. It's mostly to convince myself that this is and may be my home for some time.

1) Maplehurst Court- I moved there a year ago. If I stay there, I'd like to one day be the mayor of Maplehurst. I'll fix up all the apartments and start a commune with cats, chickens, gardens and bluegrass music. It's on it's way there, just give it time. It's an incredible location, sandwiched between the Tennessee River and World's Fair Park, home of

2) The Sunsphere- It's like my own personal depression fighting lamp, reflecting the sun's rays into my apartment each day. I've lost count of how many times I've actually been up in it...maybe 27.

3) The ever-growing biking community- I've yet to be yelled at by any angry motorists whilst on my bike. Probably because I stop traffic.

4) A big city and country feel in one- Whenever I get the urge to be in a larger city I go to Nama, where the hostesses never smile. I eat my sushi and decide that the next day I'll go jump into Meade's quarry at Ijam's Nature Center.

5) Mayor Bill Haslam said he wanted the "best and brightest" to stay in Knoxville. What choice do I have.

6) Knoxville feeds my cynical side as well as my delight in simple things. There is much to complain about and much to happily savor.

7) I won't leave until I'm mentioned in the Metro Pulse. I only need a few sentences. That's a lie. I'd like a full page. And a photo.

8) The Sunsphere is not a Wigshop asked me to be a writer for them. What more can I say?