Chattanooga Neighborhoods - Historic DownTown

With the Waterfront Project of 2002 and its predecessor, Vision 2000 in 1982, Chattanoogans have been making awe-inspiring efforts to reclaim their downtown and in-town neighborhoods.

Indeed, these striking communities were seriously compromised with the onslaught of post-war industrialization, urban blight, and the powerful suburbanization trends in the decades that followed. In the face of abandonment and disinvestment, once-charming neighborhoods were degraded as they became havens for crime and poverty. As recently as 10 years ago, very few of Chattanooga?s in-town communities were considered safe, much less, desirable places to live, work, or play.

Since then, combining the national advent of the service-based industry with city-led de-industrialization and community-led re-investment efforts, in-town Chattanooga has begun to experience a period of glorious revitalization. Not to be confused with urban renewal and gentrification--the process whereby existing residents are disenfranchised and forced to relocate due to increased cost-of-living. Chattanoogans are intent on ensuring Community Development, wherein the benefits of downtown renaissance transcend social and racial boundaries.

• NPR Morning Edition named us one of the Great Cities (2001). Chattanooga "is not a state capital, has no major university, but a strong sense of community, handsome natural landscapes, civic pride and the ability to solve problems that are often daunting to bigger cities."
• Southern Living: "Chattanooga's downtown just keeps getting better and better." (2000)
• Parade Magazine: "Chattanooga is one of America's reborn cities." (1999)
• US News & World Report: "One of six cities worldwide that work at creating great urban experiences." (1998)

Today, these neighborhoods have become the ideal communities within which a new century of Chattanoogans are choosing to live, work, and play.

1. Urban Neighborhoods
2. Historic Neighborhoods

1. Often classified as a "Historic District"
2. 80% or more of the buildings feature pre-1940s architecture
3. A small minority of the buildings are classified on the Historic Register
4. Homes are reputed for their historic character and replete with original details
5. Streets are structured in a grid-like network where geography permits
6. Vacant lots are a rarity