Tag: travel
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A Cooler January, a Steady Market
Move To Kingsport Monthly Report January numbers can be deceptive. They’re often the first data point people seize on in a new year, but they’re also the smallest, noisiest slice of the calendar. That’s especially true in housing, where closings reflect decisions made months earlier and where construction timing, weather, and financing cycles all collide.…
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Don’t Tell Nobody: What Happens When You Bet on an Appalachian
I was saddened to learn of the passing of Roger Ball, the man behind the redevelopment of the Kingsport Mall (now East Stone Commons). Our paths first crossed in 1997. I had just been promoted to Development Services Director at age 35, and Roger had acquired one of Kingsport’s most prominent development sites at the…
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Sullivan 250 | Long Island of the Holston: Where the Frontier Converged (1 of 12)
First in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America Before Sullivan County existed, before Tennessee had a name, there was Long Island of the Holston. Lying along a broad bend of the Holston River near present-day Kingsport, the island and its surrounding flats…
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Sullivan County’s Full Potential
Why City Residents Should Care Sullivan County plays a critical role in the lives of city residents, even if it can sometimes feel distant from Blountville, our collective county seat. That sense of distance is amplified by scale. The decennial census is the baseline used nationwide to establish voting precincts. In 2020, Sullivan County had…
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Before Jamestown: The Forgotten Road Between Beaufort and Appalachia
We’ve spent quite a bit of time in Beaufort, South Carolina, in recent years because of our connection to the beaches of nearby Fripp Island. We fell in love with Beaufort because it offers much of the history and charm of Charleston or Savannah, but on a far more human scale. With fewer than 15,000…
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Church Circle: Kingsport’s Town Square
There’s just something about town squares. They are the settings of Hallmark movies and Christmas cards—the places where parades pass, lights are lit, and communities recognize themselves. They evoke warm memories of home, family, faith, and belonging. A true town square is not just a location; it is an emotional center, a shared reference point…
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Of Time and Time Zones
The change to or from daylight saving time always throws me off. It takes a good couple of weeks to feel normal again. I’ve long wished we could settle on one consistent time year-round, but I understand it’s not as simple as it sounds. When I lived briefly in Middle Tennessee, I remember the sun…
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Fairacres: The Lasting Value of a Well-Planned Neighborhood
Recently, my ‘cousin-in-law’, Lucy Fleming (of Fun Fest fame), shared that her native neighborhood, Sequoyah Hills in Knoxville, was recently named one of the “170 Most Envied Places to Live in America” by RE/MAX (August 2025). She recalled fond memories of growing up there — and noted how her longtime Kingsport neighborhood, Fairacres, reminds her…
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Kingsport Checks So Many Boxes
One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “Why Kingsport?” Many newcomers are drawn to the mountain vistas of Northeast Tennessee. Most are “escaping” a place that, for one reason or another, no longer feels like home. Yesterday, I met a couple from Colorado Springs—a city I’ve always considered idyllic. The grass is always…
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Kingsport: The Family-Friendly City Hiding in Plain Sight
Every year, national magazines unveil another list of “The Best Cities for Young Families.” The latest lineup from House Beautiful features Queen Creek, Arizona; Bozeman, Montana; Littleton, New Hampshire; Plano, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; Carmel, Indiana; Greenville, South Carolina; and Cary, North Carolina. They’re all described as affordable, family-friendly communities with good schools, growing economies, and…
Kingsport Spirit 