Originally Posted by
FlippinManiac
Welcome to Chatt! The city is really divided into distinct sections and I would recommend buying on the side of town that aligns with your place of employment and what you most enjoy doing (getting from one side to the other can be a nightmare at times). Almost anywhere up the hwy 27 corridor (signal mtn, soddy, dayton, etc) is ideal if you work downtown. If you work on the interstate 75 side of town, then Ooltewah, Birchwood, Cleveland and Apison area would be best. Either side has easy access to Lake Chickamauga with major boat ramps on all sides. I would recommend staying away from GA (state income taxes) and the lookout valley area (because the traffic on 24 is guaranteed to be awful). Hope this helps, lived here all of my life and give more details if you have specific questions.
We often go to our RV in the North Georgia Mountains and have been coming into Chattanooga from the North--and switching over to I-75 North to Cleveland. I cannot remember the last time that there wasn't a major interstate backup--often going all the way to Nickajack 20 miles+. I once saw it back up to the base of Monteagle Mountain.
I agree about living on the end of town where you can avoid going through the middle of Chattanooga. I've got to figure out how to get around the city without wasting an hour.