South Knoxville - Knoxville, TN Area Guide

Initially, the Tennessee River presented an almost insurmountable border, as the South Knoxville area was sparsely populated due in part to the lack of bridges. Eventually, though, the region was settled by such prominent residents as Governor John Sevier, who built a farm at Marble Springs in the late 1700s.

Perez Dickinson was another prominent resident who facilitated development of the area. He built a mansion called “Island Home”. Currently, Island Home neighborhood is to the northeast of South Knoxville. It now sits on the site of the Tennessee School for the Deaf.

Featuring a mixture of different restaurant types, South Knoxville hosts establishments specializing in a wide selection of food favorites, including Asian, Mexican and American fare. Most restaurants lie along the Chapman Highway corridor in the west of South Knoxville.

Favorites include Szechuan Garden, which features a bevy of Asian-themed dishes, including hot and sour soup, veggie egg rolls, and chicken chow mien. Ye Olde Steak House, featured on Travel Channel's "Man v. Food," sits to the south of South Knoxville on Chapman Highway. Try one of the establishment's juicy steaks, add some shrimp, and finish with a piece of red velvet cake. Soccer Taco combines a sports bar and some fine Mexican food just a few miles to the north in downtown Knoxville. A huge plate of nachos serves as the premiere appetizer of the restaurant.

While there are no local clubs and bars in the South Knoxville neighborhood, the area sits right across the river from night-time entertainment in Downtown Knoxville, including the Preservation Pub that sits on historic Market Square, a hub of nightly activity in Knoxville. For those in search of music, travel across Market Square to The Square Room, a state-of-the-art venue that features an eclectic range of music, from cool jazz to swing to music from local artists.

You can also journey a little farther to the north to take in a night at the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. The KSO plays a large selection of classical, chamber and pop classical music. Another popular destination, the Bijou Theatre in Downtown Knoxville, hosts a variety of events, including music, comedy and film nights. If you find yourself craving food while visiting, stop at the Bistro at the Bijou for some burgers, pasta and other comfort food.

Most residents get around South Knoxville by bus, bike or car. The Knoxville Area Transit system, or KAT, can take you to various parts of the city for a nominal fee and even travels routes throughout the South Knoxville area. If you can make it across the Tennessee River into downtown, take advantage of the different trolley lines available. They run through downtown and the historic Gay Street, operating fare-free.

If you do not have your own vehicle or you prefer avoiding public transportation, then call a cab. You can use one of the many listed cab companies in the area or use Uber. Using just your smartphone, contact one of many certified Uber drivers to come and deliver you to your destination.

While you cannot find public parking in South Knoxville, a journey across the river to downtown presents a whole other story. The downtown area holds both limited and full-time parking locations. Street parking is also allowed, usually after 6 p.m. in most areas of downtown. The South Knoxville area has many roadways running though it, some of them major thoroughfares. The James White Parkway feeds Knoxville’s business district and gives easy access to both Interstate 40 and 75. Chapman Highway connects the Knox County area with Sevier County and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Take care when walking or biking, as many area roads have little to no shoulder. Northern South Knoxville does have a bike trail, though; it runs along the Tennessee River from Gay Street to the Island Home neighborhood area.

The South Knoxville area has a few parks for the enjoyment of its residents. This includes Fort Dickerson Park, the location of an old Civil War fort used by Union forces to deter an attack by the Confederates from the south of the city. The park features a Civil War-era earthen fort and three authentic replica cannons. You can take your pets, but you must have them on a leash.

Some other area parks include the Ijams Nature Center, Mary James Park and Maynard Glenn Park. The Ijams Nature Center to the east of the area gives visitors a wide selection of activities to choose from, including hiking, biking and canoeing, all within a protected wildlife habitat. Both the Mary James and Maynard Glenn parks, while pet friendly, also give residents an area where they can enjoy time with their kids at the playground, have a picnic with family and friends or participate in a variety of other outdoor activities.

South Knoxville, and Knoxville in particular, hold many different festivals each year. Local to the South Knoxville area, Vestival is held every spring in the adjoining Vestal neighborhood. However, downtown Knoxville remains the place to be, especially during the summer months. In addition to many annual Knoxville Symphony Orchestra events, downtown features a summer music concert series, Boomsday, held every year on Labor Day along the waterfront of Knoxville, and Greek Fest, also held during the month of September.

The cost of living in South Knoxville runs 4 percent lower than the rest of Knoxville. When getting from the neighborhood to downtown and other areas of Knoxville, bus fare costs $1.50, on average, for a single-ride pass or $25 for a 20-ride pass. Some parts of downtown are serviced by a free-fare trolley system. Luckily, if you travel by car, gas prices are extremely reasonable in the South Knoxville area, running about 7 percent less when compared to the national average.

The median rental rate for a single-bedroom apartment in South Knoxville hovers around $724 a month, close to the average for Knoxville, while median housing values sit at around $85,000, roughly a quarter of what the rest of the city residents pay.

As you hit the clubs in the downtown area, beer and other spirits remain affordable. When out at the local clubs, you can buy a beer for anywhere from $3.50 to $4 a bottle.

Shopping options for South Knoxville include many retailers along Chapman Highway, such as the Comic Exchange, Rush's Music, and the Disc Exchange. The Comic Exchange specializes in comics, graphic novels and related items. Rush's Music deals in a wide assortment of musical instruments, ranging from wind to percussion instruments and more. The Disc Exchange sells new and used music CDs, DVD and Blu-ray discs and related paraphernalia, including movie- and music-related shirts and posters.

If you enjoy working with plants, then Stanley's Greenhouses off of Davenport Road and the James White Parkway could present you with just the fix you need. Featuring a wide variety of seasonal and year-round plants, Stanley's can get you set for any season. If you seek a boutique shop, make a quick trip across the river into downtown and visit BlueTique Cheap Chic, which sells a selection of handbags and other fashionable items, all at a great price.

If you need to visit the grocery store, you have a few options in South Knoxville. You can explore the local Kroger on Chapman Highway or go to the Handy Dandy Food Market. For fresh produce, visit the Market Square Farmers' Market, which opens its stalls every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through November. The market also has special holiday hours for the rest of the year.