The stir staff took off for Tennessee early one morning expecting a long, exhausting trek, but were pleasantly surprised to find the drive is completely doable in three and a half hours (not to mention beautiful, with tall rock panels, vibrant fall leaves and mist present throughout the Smoky Mountains). We settled into the luxurious Hilton Knoxville (501 West Church Ave, 865-523-2300, hilton.com), a hotel that gets points for having its own Starbucks and martini bar.
After chatting it up with locals, we discovered that we had come just in time to witness the result of Knoxville’s ten years in the making transformation. “Ten years ago, our downtown was not yet developed and was known as a scary place,” Erin Burns Freeman, the director of communications at the Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation, says. “Now we have $1 million lofts downtown and shopping that’s unique and eclectic. We’re the arts and culture hub of east Tennessee. Before, we were just a college town with a lot of chain restaurants.”
Intrigued, we hit the pavement for a taste of Knoxville and found walkable shopping districts, outdoor cafes and glorious architecture to be the ingredients of a makeover well done.
Shopping
Thanks to Knoxville’s downtown makeover, shopoholics will feel like kids in candy stores when they discover the city’s retail options. If you’re looking to stroll in and out of shops, Market Square and Gay Street are the places to be — you’ll find a plethora of gifts, vintage wear and home fashions, to name a few. But true fashionistas must venture out to Kingston Pike (a traffic-heavy main street), where they’ll find the clothing, shoe and accessory labels that dreams are made of at Lola B. (6614 Kingston Pike, 865-909-9059, shoplolab.com). Owner Deena Sukenik stacks her shelves with brands like D&G, Anna Sui, Just Cavalli, M Missoni, Trina Turk and Sass and Bide.
Market Square, a community gathering spot the size of a large block, is dotted with shops. Among them are Bliss Home + Art (24 Market Sq, 888-809-2424, shopinbliss.com), a two part Market Square shopping experience that offers elegant home furnishings and accessories in one location and clothing and gifts in the second. Another funky spot for gifts is Earth to Old City (22 Market Sq, 865-522-8270, earthtooldcity.com), where you’ll find bohemian buys like animal-shaped lamps and handcrafted soaps.
Dining
Knoxville’s traditional cuisine is ruled by smoky barbecued meats, but downtown’s rebirth exposes restaurants with cooking styles from around the globe. For a memorable evening of dinner and cocktails on Gay Street, head to Sapphire (428 Gay St, 865-637-8181, sapphire-knoxville.com). According to owner Aaron Thompson, it’s where “the prettiest people in Knoxville” gather. The restaurant, formerly home to a jewelry store and then a bank, offers killer mojitos, continental cuisine, sushi and their signature sapphire martini, which costs $350 and includes a 2.25 blue natural cut sapphire at the bottom of the glass (talk about a way to impress your date!)
Any of Market Square’s restaurants make a great destination for people watching; for a fusion of Latino and Southern cuisine (not to mention stellar margaritas) pick LaCosta (31 Market Sq, 865-566-0275, lacostaonmarketsquare.com). For casual Italian fare, stop by Tomato Head (12 Market Sq, 865-637-4067, thetomatohead.com), a Market Square pioneer. And the elegant yet comfortable Oodles Uncorked (18 Market Sq, 865-521-0600, oodlesuncorked.com) serves up comforting pastas and a late night cheese menu. Outside the bustle of the square, the intimate, basement level Copper Cellar (1807 Cumberland Dr, 865-673-3411, coppercellar.com) is a good choice for prime rib and fresh fish; sushi lovers should look no further than the popular Nama Sushi Bar (135 S Gay St, 865-633-8539, namasushibar.com).
A lively, casual lunch can be enjoyed at the Downtown Grill & Brewery (424 Gay St, 865-633-8111, downtownbrewery.com), where you can watch beer brewed before your eyes in the heart of downtown Knoxville. For a more elegant midday experience, head to the European-style restaurant in a house, The Orangery (5412 Kingston Pike, 865-588-2964, theorangeryrestaurant.com).
And if you’re determined to get that Tennessee barbecue experience, do it right at Calhoun’s (400 Neyland Dr, 865-673-3355, calhouns.com) on the river. The bustling spot, often visited before football games and for birthdays, includes an outdoor deck and panoramic view of the Tennessee River.
Nightlife
Some say Knoxville is strictly a bar scene while others argue it’s a split bar and club scene, but regardless of your taste, there are more than enough watering holes to fill a weekend. For a high in the sky experience in Knoxville’s most recognizable landmark, the tall vertical structure topped with a gold glass globe known as the Sunsphere, visit the newly opened Skybox Bar. Unfortunately, a power outage cut our visit to the bar short, but they still have our recommendation (who wouldn’t want drinks paired with an amazing view?)
Crowds gather on weekends at The Crown & Goose (123 S Central St, 865-524-2100, thecrownandgoose.com), an English gastropub that’s located in another populated downtown spot, the Old City. In fact, Freeman and her colleague, Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation Senior Manager of Public Relations Sarah Malak, recommend bar hopping from the Old City all the way through Market Square, noting that the presence of courtesy officers keep the areas safe. Other nightlife spots worth keeping on your list include jazz and blues club 4620 (4620 Kingston Pike, 865-558-0183, 4620jazzclub.com) and for beer lovers in the Old City, Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria (200 East Jackson Ave, 865-521-0092, barleystaproom.com).
If getting down under flashing lights is more your style than conversing over a beer is, head to Voo Doo at music venue/entertainment complex The Valarium (1213 Western Ave, 865-522-2820, thevalarium.com). With VIP bottle service, sexy performances from the Voo Doo Doll dancers and fire breathers, the club offers a Vegas-like escape.
Entertainment
Tennessee holds tight to its bluegrass roots, and every weekday at noon at the Knoxville Visitor’s Center (301 S Gay St, 800-727-8045, knoxville.org) coffee shop, you can witness Knoxville’s music culture at its best at the WDVX Blue Plate Special concert. The local radio station has partnered with the visitor’s center to create a raucous show that’s recorded live for the station’s listeners.
Performing arts fans (or really anyone for that matter) should take a trip to the grand Tennessee Theatre (604 S Gay St, 865-684-1200, tennesseetheatre.com), a palace-like, newly renovated venue that’s at the very least worth stepping inside to view the 1920s era interior design. The venue hosts six major concerts per month, including Knoxville’s own opera and symphony as well as touring Broadway shows and big name artists and comedians. “Whenever there is a show, all the restaurants on Gay Street are full,” Chyna Brackeen, the marketing and promotions director for AC Entertainment (the Tennessee Theater’s agent) says.
Brackeen adds that while the theater attracts crowds in downtown Knoxville, it’s the work of many business owners that’s enlivened the city. “There was so much focus on creating an attraction, when all along it was about creating a community,” she says. “There are some amazing, visionary people who opened up businesses that can’t be found anywhere else.”
For a more intimate theater experience, check out the Bijou Theatre (803 S Gay St, 865-522-0832, knoxbijou.com), a venue that hosts small groups and ensembles and student performing arts groups (and beware — it’s rumored to be haunted).
Attractions
While we didn’t have the pleasure of seeing it for ourselves, a great side trip option while visiting Knoxville is the famous Dollywood (1020 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, 865-428-9488, dollywood.com), a country theme amusement park in nearby Pigeon Forge. Its rollercoasters, water park and rockin’ shows are even rumored to have attracted a recent visit from Paris Hilton and Benji Madden.
Another enjoyable day trip for those visiting Knoxville for longer than a weekend is the charming mountain town of Gatlinburg (just under and hour’s drive from Knoxville) where you’ll find wineries, a haunted mansion and Ober Galtinburg (1001 Parkway, Gatlinburg, 865-436-5423, obergatlinburg.com) a ski resort and amusement park where you can take in spectacular mountain views on the 120-passenger aerial tramway.
If history is your thing, spend part of your day at the East Tennessee History Center (601 S Gay St, 865-215-8824, east-tennessee-history.org). There you’ll find the largest genealogy center in the Southeast, so if you’ve always wanted to trace your roots, eat your heart out. Southern history buffs can beef up on Tennessee’s background in “Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee” and “The East Tennessee Streetscape,” two permanent exhibits at the center.
While deep Southern roots are at the core of Knoxville, new cultural developments make the city a treat for anyone. As Freeman puts it, “There is a misconception that all you will find is the Dolly Parton lifestyle, but you will find arts and cultural opportunities and some great restaurants. You can expect the unexpected.” Adds Malak, “What’s unique about it is the downtown area. It’s such an eclectic mix. We’ve got history, the arts, shopping and restaurants. We’ve got it all.”
You may love the Palmetto State in the winter, but if your desire is to sink deeper into the magical feeling that cold weather brings, take a long weekend in the Tennessee mountains. It’s closer than you think, and you’ll be laughing at the preconceived notion that Dolly Parton, bluegrass and barbecue is all Knoxville has to offer.