A Life in Line

This post doesn’t really have anything to do with the stated theme of this blog, but I just have to get something off my chest. I got a speeding ticket this past weekend – my first in Tennessee so far. I was traveling on I-40 west of Knoxville. The stretch of I-40 that I was traveling is straight and relatively flat for about 15 miles. Can anyone explain to me why the posted speed limit is 55 mph? I will tell you why, and this is the only reason: it’s within the city limits of Knoxville. There is no other reason than that. In fact, coming from the west, the speed limit is 70 mph until you get into Knox County, where it drops to 65, then to 55 once you enter Knoxville. That speed limit is absurd. Is the road all of the sudden that much less safe when you cross an invisible line that is the city limits of Knoxville? Don’t tell me this has anything to do with safety. Speed limits and safety are completely unrelated. I can almost guarantee you that if you did a speed survey of that stretch of the interstate, you would find that at least 80% of the drivers drive faster than the posted limit of 55 mph. Why is it that such a high percentage of people disregard the speed limit? Because everybody knows it’s unreasonably low. But you have police officers stopping people and harassing them for going 70 or 75 mph when it’s perfectly safe to do so. Speed limits are set arbitrarily and are based on political and monetary considerations, which, of course, any municipality will deny. There is actually a proper procedure for setting speed limits, but it is not followed, because it will reduce the revenue potential of the speeding ticket business. What is that proper way, you ask? Perform a speed survey on the road for a period of approximately 1 month. You will obtain data showing the range of speeds that people are driving on the road. Plot these speeds on a bell curve and read off the 85th percentile speed – the speed at which or under which 85% of the drivers are driving. THAT should be your speed limit, not some arbitrary number that makes no consideration for the design of the roadway, the weather conditions, the traffic conditions, the ability of the driver, or any other sensible consideration. Merely increasing the speed limit is not going to cause people to automatically drive faster. Sure, there are some drivers who will drive fast, but the vast majority of them will drive the speed at which they feel comfortable and safe driving. People aren’t going to drive like maniacs just because they can.

There…I feel better.

It might come as a surprise to some of you who follow this blog, especially since in my previous posts I sound so excited about Faith Promise and getting in the band, that I have decided that Faith Promise is not the right church for me. This realization came sometime between when I tried out for the band and now.

I began attending Faith Promise because I was put in contact with some family of some friends from Newnan. When I got here, I knew no one (and still don’t know many people), so I attended the church they went to. It was fine for a while, but I slowly started to realize it wasn’t what I wanted in a church, but I had already started the process of getting hooked up with the band and going through their membership classes. I haven’t become a member of the church yet, but I have actually played in the band one week so far. So, I found myself at a crossroads. Do I continue to play since I’m already somewhat committed or do I let them know I’m out? After consulting with family and friends, I decided the right thing to do would be to be honest and break it off now.

I never gave any other church a chance, so my new task is to visit churches and not make a decision about which church to join until I feel like I’ve visited enough churches to make a qualified decision.

Last weekend, I posted an article about some Knoxville Coffee Shops. One of the coffee shops I spoke about was Java Old City. This is what I said about it then:

This one is located on South Central Street in downtown in the older, more eclectic and artsy part of town called Old City. It reminds me of a mix between Little Five Points and Virginia Highlands in Atlanta. I walked by it today while I was downtown and thought about going in, but I felt like I would be out of place. The people I saw walking in and those I could see through the windows sitting inside were the type of people one would see in Little Five in Atlanta. I knew that area of town reminded me of Little Five, and I was right. I didn’t even go in today. I’m not giving up on it however, but I believe I would prefer to have someone with me when I go.

Well, today I decided to give a try. I drove downtown and parked in the public parking garage and walked over to Java Old City. There were four guys sitting right outside the door smoking cigarettes, so I had to walk through a cloud of smoke to get in. But once I was inside, it was much better. The place had a nice atmosphere. I’d describe it as eclectic. There were people just sitting around with their laptops. It’s a good sign to see that people like to stay there for longer than just the few minutes it takes to grab a cup of joe.

All in all, I liked it and I would definitely go back. I’m still awaiting the opening of Remedy Coffeehouse, which is just steps away from Java Old City.

Here are a few pictures from downtown Knoxville taken from my cell phone camera (so excuse the quality).

This is a view of South Gay Street looking north. South Gay Street is the main street going through downtown Knoxville. It’s where all the shopping stores are located.

This is South Gay Street looking south.

This is Market Square. It’s a pedestrian-access only area of Market Street between Union Avenue and Wall Avenue. There are shops and restaurants, and on Saturdays, an open-air farmer’s market.

There are at least seven independent coffee shops here in Knoxville that I’m aware of. I’m not talking about the dozens of McStarbucks there are, but the independent ones. The ones that have one or two locations. I’m on a quest to find my favorite coffee shop in Knoxville. I’m interested in one that will be a place I want to linger and spend the afternoon, not just a place to swing by to get coffee. Espresso Lane on the court square in Newnan was one of those types of places. I loved to bring a book, get a cup of coffee, and spend a few hours there reading and just enjoying the atmosphere.

The ones I’m aware of are:

1. Blackbird Coffeehouse
It’s apparently owned by a young couple in their early 20s. The lady working there was very friendly. However, the store was very small. There was only two very small tables and a loveseat. It wasn’t a place I would feel comfortable sitting in for very long. It lacked a key ingredient in a great coffeehouse – atmosphere. I bought my latte and left. I would probably visit it again, but the latte was too heavy on the milk.

2. Time Warp Tea Room
I walked in and felt like I had walked into an 1800s-era saloon, except with bikers instead of cowboys. The atmosphere of the place was…well…old would be the best way I could describe it. It had a old booths and tin tile ceiling, and it had an antique motorcycle motif. There were very old motorcycles everywhere. And there were bikers sitting in the back watching a big screen TV. It wasn’t a very inviting place either, since I’m not a biker. I bought my latte and moved on.

3. The Gourmet’s Market
First, I want to commend them for using the word “gourmet” correctly. The word is a noun, not an adjective. It’s defined as “a connoisseur of food and drink.” This is a market for gourmets. There is a store full of hard to find kitchen and food items. Then there is the coffee shop in the back. It’s ok, but it still wasn’t a place I would want to spend the afternoon. And on top of that, it was expensive. I had a BLT sandwich and a latte and it came to $8.76. That’s too expensive.

4. The Downtown Grind
This one is on South Gay Street, which is the main drag through downtown Knoxville. The downtown atmosphere is really cool and there are tons of renovations of old buildings going on, so the atmosphere is sure to improve. Inside the coffee shop, the atmosphere is modern and clean. It’s very small with only three small tables inside to sit. Outside, there are three more tables. I liked the latte I got there, but it still isn’t a place I would want to stay for a long time.

5. Java Old City
This one is located on South Central Street in downtown in the older, more eclectic and artsy part of town called Old City. It reminds me of a mix between Little Five Points and Virginia Highlands in Atlanta. I walked by it today while I was downtown and thought about going in, but I felt like I would be out of place. The people I saw walking in and those I could see through the windows sitting inside were the type of people one would see in Little Five in Atlanta. I knew that area of town reminded me of Little Five, and I was right. I didn’t even go in today. I’m not giving up on it however, but I believe I would prefer to have someone with me when I go.

6. Coffee and Chocolate
This one is right by Market Square – an open, pedestrian access only area of downtown. I’ve walked by it a few times when headed to Market Square, but haven’t stopped in yet. It looks small, but they have a display case of all kinds of scrumptuous looking desserts. I’ve read online somewhere that the baristi can be snooty, but I’ll have to see for myself. It’s also very small, from what I can see from the outside.

7. Remedy Coffeehouse
Supposedly, this one will be operated by the Knox Life Church, which meets on Sunday mornings in the Regal Riviera Cinema on South Gay Street downtown. It’s also located in the Old City just around the corner from Java Old City. Unfortunately, it’s not open yet, but I peaked in the windows. It looks like it will be a nice place from what I can tell. I’ve read on their blog that they are intending to play the UT games on a big creen in the back. I hope it doesn’t give it a sports bar feel.

So far, I’ve been inside and ordered something from four of the seven coffee shops. I’ve walked by the others and either didn’t feel like going in, as was the case with Java Old City, or it wasn’t open, as was the case with Remedy Coffeehouse. So far, I haven’t found my favorite coffee shop, but I’m not giving up. There has to be more coffee shops around that I haven’t located yet.

Since I find myself in a new city, I figured a good topic would be about how best to become acquainted with a new city. I’ve been here going on a week and a half now, and by no means do I feel like I am acquainted with Knoxville. However, I am learning my way around. There are several ways that I have employed to get to know my new city. There are also some things I have considered doing, but have not done yet.

1. Get a Map
Get a hard copy of a city map, and keep it in your car. You will undoubtedly get lost a time or two and will need to find your way back home. It’s also a good way to just explore. If you don’t look at a map, you might be taking the long way around to wherever it is you are headed.

2. Get Internet Access
This is one of the first things I did when I moved in. I signed up for Verizon’s wireless internet service that allows me to get online wherever there is Verizon phone signal, which is pretty much everywhere. It’s not as fast as some of the ultra-fast DSL or cable internet services, but it’s fast enough. I use this for finding things around my area. For example, I needed to know where a Home Depot was. I had seen one before, but I couldn’t remember where it was. So I hopped online at homedepot.com and located a store that was very close to my house. I also needed to find a credit union here that would take deposits for my credit union in Georgia. So I hopped online to my credit union’s website and found one about two miles away.

3. Get the Local Paper
This is something I have not done yet, but I plan to. What better way to familiarize yourself with a new place than to read the local paper. I believe I will just get the Sunday paper, but it will still contain great information about my new city, not to mention all the great coupons that will be in the Sunday edition.

4. Just Get Out and Ride
I have done this a few times. I’ve just gotten in my car (with my map handy) and just driven around. I’ve gotten lost a few times and have had to consult the map, but I guarantee you I knew the area better. I just like exploring anyway. It’s like an adventure to me. Knoxville still has lots of places that I haven’t explored, but this is a great way to learn about a place.

5. Visit the Coffee Shops
I am a big fan of coffee shops – local coffee shops to be specific, not Starbucks. I believe you can really get the sense of a place from sitting in the local coffee shops and just soaking it all in. There are six that I am aware of so far, and I’ve visited three of them. So far, I have not found the one that really struck me and made me want to spend the afternoon there, but I’m still looking. I’m spoiled, because I had become a frequent customer at Espresso Lane in downtown Newnan. They knew me by name and knew exactly what I wanted when I walked in. It was a great place. I’m trying not to compare everything to that one, but it’s difficult.

6. Find a Good Church
It is important to me that I find a good church to be involved in. I attended a church last Saturday night called Faith Promise. It was a very contemporary church, even more so than SonRise. I really enjoyed the music and the preaching. In fact, the sermon was about serving others. They really emphasize serving in some way in the church. So, I put in my information to talk to them about playing in the band. There is a dinner on Thursday night for volunteering in a ministry, so I will be attending that. The church also has a great small group ministry that I plan to get involved with as soon as possible.

The preceding are some ways I’ve found to get to know a new city. Keep in mind, it will take time to fully get acquainted with a new place. There are many intricacies that you will not discover until you have really been immersed in a place for some time. I see it as an adventure, and I’m excited for what’s in store in my new home.

I just recently moved to a new city – Knoxville, TN. I moved from the Atlanta area for a new job. Knoxville is really a small, big city, if that makes any sense. Until I first visited here, I thought it was much larger than it is. I was actually very surprised to find out how small it really is. You can ride from one side of the city to the other in about 15 minutes. Interstate 640, which is the “bypass,” is only about 10 miles long. Compare that to Atlanta’s bypass, which is about 65 miles long, and it gives you a pretty good idea of the comparative sizes of the two cities. Population of Knox County overall is only about 400,000. That’s less than the population of just the City of Atlanta, not counting the entire metro area.

Overall, Knoxville a beautiful city, nestled right alongside the lazy Tennessee river. Only about an hour away one will find the majestic Smokey Mountains. It’s only about an hour’s drive to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The University of Tennessee is also located here.

I’ve been here going on a week and a half now, and I’ve made some observations about it:

1. I’ve found that the sweet tea here is better than in Georgia. In Georgia, I typically ordered half sweet tea and half unsweet tea at restaurants, because the tea was too sweet. It was syrupy sweet. Here, I haven’t had to do that.

2. I knew I would see a lot of Tennessee orange, but boy was I in for a surprise. These people love UT. On game days, of which last Saturday was one, downtown is a sea of orange. I don’t think I will ever get used to that color.

3. The accent is different from Georgia, and is sometimes hard to understand if you are speaking to a native.

4. There are these weird “four-way” intersections where three of the four roads have stop signs and the fourth does not. I’ve almost been in a wreck a few times thinking these were four-way stops.

5. Apparently, red-light timing hasn’t caught on here yet.

6. Everyone I’ve met so far has been incredibly nice and friendly.

Overall, I like it here. I miss my family and friends, but I know I will meet new friends here.