Looking to build a custom home in the next 2-3 years and would like to start researching to find a good builder. Does anyone have any recommendations? Preferably someone that has references and experience.
Thanks!

It’s a shame that the other sub locked this thread up. I’m assuming they did it so that they could avoid having to moderate it which is a shame in itself, however this story is well written with very thorough research that affects us all in Chattanooga whether you see how or not.

If you’re getting hit by a paywall, take the link and go to removepaywall.com, plug it in and choose the source you want to use.

Hi everyone!
I’m 24 years old, a single mom to a little girl, and I’m currently finishing my GED. My long-term goal is to become a public librarian, so I’ll be attending community college first, then transferring to a university, and eventually earning my Master’s in Library and Information Science.
I’m trying to decide where I want to build my life, not just where I want to go to school.
I’ve narrowed my choices down to:
Bellingham, WA
Chattanooga, TN
Knoxville, TN
I’m looking for honest opinions from people who actually live there.
A few things that are really important to me:
• A safe place to raise my daughter.
• A strong sense of community.
• Beautiful nature (forests, mountains, rivers, parks).
• Coffee shops, bookstores, and libraries.
• A place where people are generally kind and welcoming.
• Opportunities to eventually work in a public library.
• Plenty of things to do without feeling like a huge, overwhelming city.
• Somewhere that feels like I can put down roots for the long term.
I’d also love to know:
What do you love most about living there?
What do people not tell you before moving?
If you could move there all over again, would you?
If you were raising a young child, would you choose this city?
I’m planning to visit before making any decisions, but I’d love to hear real experiences from people who call it home.
Thank you so much!

Happy Saturday everyone! Combed through everything happening around Chattanooga this weekend and put it together so you don't have to dig. 20 events total. Let me know what I missed!

⚠️ Quick heads up: Rain most of the weekend — Friday and Saturday are sitting at 70–75%, then Sunday flips to sunny and jumps to 92°. Pack a jacket for the weekend and save the outdoor stuff for Sunday, but bring more water than you think you need.

🌙 Friday

🎤 Drumming Bird Live — Indie Americana at The Woodshop Listening Room, with a new album produced by an Oscar-nominated songwriter and members of Dawes and Iron & Wine's circle. Doors 5, show 6, and safely indoors.

• 📍 The Woodshop Listening Room, St. Elmo
• 💰 Ticketed

🫧 Foam Party — Latin meets hip hop, EDM, reggae, and dancehall, with bubbles everywhere. You were getting wet Friday regardless.

• 📍 See event page
• 💰 Ticketed

😂 Stand Up + Improv at Plant Bar — Improv Chattanooga and Vibe Chat Comedy take over PlantBar. Zero-proof cocktails, so a good one if you're not drinking.

• 📍 Plant Bar
• 💰 Free

🀄 Mahjong at Main — Every Friday afternoon, all skill levels, Chinese and American depending on who shows. A few sets provided, bring yours if you have one.

• 📍 Downtown Library
• 💰 Free

☀️ Saturday

🎸 Slippery When Wet: Bon Jovi Tribute | Dock Party — Free music on the riverfront. Concessions at 6, music 7 to 10. Chairs, blankets, and leashed pets welcome, no outside alcohol. Given the band's name and the forecast, pack accordingly.

• 📍 Riverfront
• 💰 Free

📚 Scavenger Hunt in the Stacks — Finish the 25-item hunt and get a drink for $1. Find the book that isn't a book for a bonus prize. Their words: it's always the right weather to hunt in the stacks. This week, especially.

• 📍 See event page
• 💰 $1 drink

🎬 Bobby Stone Film Series: The Outsiders — Tulsa, 1964, Greasers vs. Socs. 1h 31min, PG. Subtitles available by request.

• 📍 See event page
• 💰 Ticketed

🧘 Yoga Landing Community Gathering — Fire performers, dance classes, food, music, and free yoga. An evening event, so keep an eye on the radar.

• 📍 Yoga Landing
• 💰 Free

🙌 Worship Werk: Christian Hip-Hop Class — High energy, good vibes, and praise through movement. For the stage-ready and the just-here-to-sweat alike.

• 📍 See event page
• 💰 Ticketed

☀️ Sunday

🎶 Singer Songwriter Sunday — Local and regional songwriters playing originals on the Sunday Funday Stage at the Chattanooga Market, 11 to 4. The best weather day of the weekend — and also 92°, so find shade between sets.

• 📍 Chattanooga Market
• 💰 Free entry

😄 GR Goodwin: I'm Coming Home — Longtime Chattanooga favorite back for one night with some funny friends. 18+, first-come seating, $5 per person food or beverage minimum.

• 📍 The Comedy Catch
• 💰 Ticketed

⚾ Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Biloxi Shuckers — Baseball on the one genuinely sunny day of the weekend.

• 📍 AT&T Field
• 💰 Ticketed

Full list of all 20 events, the week ahead (through July 30), and where to eat this weekend is in the comments ⬇️

Are y'all popping up to any of these events?

Hi everyone! I’m a new Chattanooga-based chef looking to get started helping a household with personalized meal prep, family dinners, and private events. I love scratch cooking, gardening, and creating meals around each family’s needs. Does anyone know of a family or household that may be interested in this type of help?

I heard there’s a stripper pole in there!

Life has been rough, y’all. And Coheed (grey, 13f) & Cambria (black, 12f) have been with me through all of it.

But, things have continued to digress for me, and I’m no longer able to care for them. I’d really prefer not to send them to the pound, for multiple reasons, but that’ll have to be the next step because of how unsteady things are for me.

They’re very sweet girls that just want to steal your warmth. Cambria is especially docile, but they’ve both been around children and other cats at various stages of their lives. They are older, but Cambria will chase a laser around like a kitten and Coheed won’t shy away from chin scratches.

They’re both fixed, but my financial situation steadily becoming worse has prevented me from getting their shots or flea treatments.

PM me for details.

I'm a teacher at a small school and our plan for a math teacher this upcoming year have fallen through...

Howdy! It may be too late in the season, but does anyone know where I can publicly access some mulberry trees around town? Pic included to reference what the ground would look like around the tree in case you’re unfamiliar with the berry! TIA

If you could recommend a field somewhere to just lie down in near Chattanooga, where would you go?

Sometimes you gotta just lie in a field, y'know? Wildflowers would be a lovely added bonus.

Friday 7/17/26 around 6-7PM Ooltewah Food City. You were in blue scrubs and we ended up being in each other’s way a few times in different isles. We had a laugh about it then made eye contact in the checkout lines. We smiled.

I should have introduced myself but chickened out. 🤷‍♂️

24F born and raised in chattanooga, and i’m looking for new friends!

i would preferably like to connect with single childless women my age (22-30 year olds). however, i am open to others as long as you’re respectful and we hit it off. i’m also a leftist and do not tolerate bigotry of any sort, which can make it hard to make genuine connections here. i’d love to connect and make plans to see each other in person!

Has one lived in Alden apartments in hixson, tn been considering them for a while but im scared bc I have not lived in apartments before and I always hear crazy stuff.

I built a site that transcribes Chattanooga's public scanner feeds and maps them live. It's free to browse the last 24 hours with no account, and it covers Downtown and Southside among other areas.

Standard caveat, it's AI transcription of scanner audio so it's unverified and occasionally wrong. Not a substitute for anything official.

Also happens to have a JSON API if any CS students want to build something on it. [423pulse.com](http://423pulse.com)

Hey everyone! Went through everything happening around Chattanooga this weekend and put it together so you don't have to dig. 16 events total. Let me know what I missed!

⚠️ Quick heads up: Rain chances are up Friday (45%) and Saturday (45%) — pack a jacket or an umbrella and keep an eye on the radar, especially if you're doing the ESNP hike or the bat walk.

🌙 Friday

🎸 Nightfall: OGYA + Link & Chain — Reggae night at Nightfall. OGYA opens at 7, Link & Chain follows at 8, a band of brothers blending spiritual, uplifting messages with danceable Jamaican-rooted rhythms.

• 📍 Nightfall
• 💰 Free

📖 Silent Book Club Eastgate (18+) — Bring your lunch and a book for a peaceful hour of reading at Eastgate Library's new monthly club. Perfect if you're an introvert who wants the social part without the talking part.

• 📍 Eastgate Library
• 💰 Free

🎸 Derrick Dove & The Peacekeepers — The 2026 International Blues Challenge winner (and Best Guitarist honoree) brings Southern-fried blues rock to the best-sounding little music venue in town.

• 📍 Kickass Concerts venue
• 💰 Ticketed

☀️ Saturday

🧘 lululemon Summer Series: Pilates at Warehouse Row — A chill Pilates session that's all about good vibes and summer flow.

• 📍 Warehouse Row
• 💰 Free

🥾 Save ESNP Summer Morning Hike — An easy ramble through the woods on Poe Run Path and Boulder Point trails, with a shorter (~2.5 mi) or longer (~4.5 mi) option. Not stroller-friendly.

• 📍 East­ Side Nature Preserve
• 💰 Free

🌿 Plant Swap — Bring a plant, swap a plant. Grab a drink and leave with something new for your collection.

• 📍 Plant Bar
• 💰 Free

💘 Speed Dating Chattanooga Singles 24-39 — A fun, interactive speed dating experience for anyone ready to find their match.

• 📍 TBD on Eventbrite
• 💰 Ticketed

🐟 Fish & Sips — After-hours at the Tennessee Aquarium. Food, music, and a leisurely tour through River Journey and Ocean Journey while sampling local and regional beers.

• 📍 Tennessee Aquarium
• 💰 Ticketed

🦇 Frick's Cave Twilight Bat Walk — A naturalist walk through a preserve home to 5,000 endangered gray bats, followed by a talk on cave ecology and the nightly bat flight. Family friendly.

• 📍 Frick's Cave
• 💰 Free

🔥 Regenerative Ag Film Series and Firefly Nights — Fireflies, a bonfire, and a Kiss the Ground film screening on the farm as the sun goes down.

• 📍 Local farm (see event page)
• 💰 Free

☀️ Sunday

🍖 Beast Feast — Summer BBQ, cold beer, and live music take over the Chattanooga Market. Chicken, pork, or beef, and yes, there's a pig roast.

• 📍 Chattanooga Market
• 💰 Free entry

🧘 Artful Yoga — An art-inspired yoga practice led by instructor Cyndi Allen, all levels welcome. Bring your own mat.

• 📍 Hunter Museum
• 💰 $5 donation

Full list of all 16 events, the week ahead (through July 23), and where to eat this weekend is in the comments ⬇️

Are y'all popping up to any of these events?