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Welcome To Oak Ridge Tennessee

It is said that Oak Ridge had a symphony before it had sidewalks.

Diverse cultural and recreational opportunities make Oak Ridge a great place to live. What's more, the city's incredible offerings are available at one of the lowest costs of living in America.

Housing costs are 89 percent of the national average, while Money magazine lists East Tennessee as having the nation's lowest overall tax burden. Health care, transportation and utilities rank among the best in the country and are available at affordable prices.

Welcome to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of world-class
science, award-winning schools and family-friendly neighborhoods.

Celebrating a 21st-century renaissance, Oak Ridge is a city with heightened energy, and many endeavors are changing the community landscape. Work started in 2005 on a modern, model high school for this new century and on an extensive renovation of the city s central retail area.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory prepares to open the world s newest billion-dollar science program, the Spallation Neutron Source, in 2006. The Y-12 National Security Complex has begun an extensive modernization program. About 3,600 new homes will be built across the city in the coming years in Rarity Ridge, Centennial Village, Willow Place, Jackson Crossing, Emory Valley and other neighborhoods.

This energy is focusing attention on Oak Ridge as a great place to live, to work, to play, to raise families and to educate children. Retailers and restauranteurs are now calling Oak Ridge developers to see what s available. Planners from other states are taking a look at creative housing developments here. Surrounding communities are joining with Oak Ridge to spread the word about the opportunities in the Innovation Valley. Horizon Center is one of the city s newest greenfield business parks, with the latest in telecommunications and infrastructure.

Our festivals and regattas draw thousands here to enjoy what we enjoy daily views of mountains and lakes and acre upon acre of parks, trails and woodland.

Mayor David Bradshaw takes pleasure in telling folks that just about every home in Oak Ridge is within walking distance of a park or a greenway trail. He and his family ride their bikes in Haw Ridge Park and hike some of the 55 miles of trails that are all within the city limits. Three golf courses in Oak Ridge also lead residents to play outdoors year-round.

Outdoor recreational opportunities abound just a short drive from the city. Nearby are the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cherokee National Forest, and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Mayor Bradshaw will also tell you how blessed this city of 28,000 is to have its own symphony, playhouse, museums, community college and rowing course, as well as what a value residents get for their tax dollar, particularly where public education is concerned.

Oak Ridge schools show up often in lists of the nation s top-performing schools, highlighted in such places as the Wall Street Journal s Offspring magazine, Expansion Management magazine and Money magazine. Support for the public schools is so strong here that the community rallied to pass a small sales tax increase designated for the new $55 million Oak Ridge High School. But even more important than test scores, one newcomer noticed, is the care and attention that teachers give to students throughout the school district.

As work progresses on the new, Oak Ridge s past isn t forgotten. Museums the American Museum of Science and Energy and the Children s Museum of Oak Ridge and a historic preservation group are the keepers of the city s storied history, reminding us of Oak Ridge s World War II origins that molded the scientific, technology-focused city of the future.

It s a good time to be in Oak Ridge, John McKittrick, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce s 2005 chairman of the board, commented recently. Indeed it is.

Come enjoy our parks, hike our greenways, row on our lake, attend our festivals, wander through our museums, learn about our past and help build our future. Come grow your business and raise your family. The best in Oak Ridge is yet to come.

Oak Ridge offers a variety of indoor and outdoor sports activities including golf, rowing, swimming, tennis, and soccer, to name a few.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum has 260-acres to explore with 800 species of plants in their natural habitat.

Sixteen parks are strategically located throughout the city to be within one-half mile of each residential area. For more information on Oak Ridge Parks and Recreation, click here .

The Clinch River, which borders Oak Ridge, offers clear, naturally flowing water for boating and fishing enthusiasts.

Melton Hill Lake is a top course for world-class rowing events. The Oak Ridge Rowing Association promotes the sport and teams from around the world use the course for Olympic training.

Oak Ridge is less than an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , the nation's most-visited park, with miles of hiking trails and trout streams. Just 30 miles north is the less crowded Big South Fork National Recreation Area . And 60 miles south is the Ocoee River with world-class white-water rafting and kayaking courses used in the 1996 Olympic Games.

The Oak Ridge Civic Ballet, Oak Ridge Symphony and Oak Ridge Art Center showcase the talents of area professionals and rising young stars.

A mix of locally owned stores and major retailers lines Oak Ridge streets. Oak Ridge Mall, and the adjacent Tinseltown 14 theater complex, offer great shopping and first-run films.

Historic Jackson Square is a popular spot with unique shops, antiques, restaurants and the acclaimed Oak Ridge Community Playhouse .

The American Museum of Science and Energy lets visitors discover firsthand why Oak Ridge was built and the technologies it has produced. The Children's Museum offers dozens of engaging interactive exhibits.

Oak Ridge Education - Schools

No matter what age or ambition, educational opportunities are limitless and highly regarded.

Oak Ridge schools have been praised for excellence since the system began in 1943. With 4,800 students, the system includes four elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school, all certified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Students are assured individual attention from the system's professional staff of almost 800. The student-to-teacher ratio in kindergarten through fourth grade is 13 to 1.

Higher learning institutions in the area include Roane State Community College , Pellissippi State Technical Community College , and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville .

For members of the workforce seeking new training opportunities, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development offers several programs, including the Industrial Training Service, Manufacturing Means Jobs and Tennessee Job Skills.

Oak Ridge also has church school and private school opportunities for families interested in those educational paths. St. Mary's Catholic School serves 223 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades and is in the center of Oak Ridge. Several churches offer smaller school programs. A Montessori program is also offered and is affiliated with the American Montessori Society .

Click here for a brochure about Oak Ridge Education

Methodist Medical Center (www.mmcoakridge.com )

Methodist Medical Center is a 301-bed, nonprofit, regional medical facility serving Anderson and four adjacent counties. Its medical staff of more than 175 physicians represents 30 medical and surgical specialties.

As the first hospital to receive the coveted Tennessee Quality Governor's Award , MMC is fully accredited and has received scores of other quality care awards.

Among the hospital's offerings are the Methodist Regional Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art treatment facility that holds the highest level of accreditation possible for a non-teaching hospital; an advanced cardiology services department with the latest technology in bypass surgery, angioplasty, emergency treatment and rehabilitation; and the Wellness Place which offers health seminars, fitness classes and chronic disease supportive care for all ages.

Over the course of the next five years, Methodist will embark upon an ambitious $40 million renovation and expansion project. It will result in approximately 239 private rooms for patients, separate corridors for clinical transport needs and public use, and relocation and expansion of the hospital's emergency room. In addition, a new parking garage will be added.

Mental health services in the area include Ridgeview , a private, not-for-profit community mental health center, fully accredited by the Joint Commission of Health Care Organizations and licensed by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Health, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. The range of programs and services provides individualized care of adults, youth and children. Acute inpatient services for adults, as well as outpatient and administrative services are provided at Ridgeview's facility.

Oak Ridge Medical Facilities

Methodist Medical Center (www.mmcoakridge.com )

Methodist Medical Center is a 301-bed, nonprofit, regional medical facility serving Anderson and four adjacent counties. Its medical staff of more than 175 physicians represents 30 medical and surgical specialties.

As the first hospital to receive the coveted Tennessee Quality Governor's Award , MMC is fully accredited and has received scores of other quality care awards.

Among the hospital's offerings are the Methodist Regional Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art treatment facility that holds the highest level of accreditation possible for a non-teaching hospital; an advanced cardiology services department with the latest technology in bypass surgery, angioplasty, emergency treatment and rehabilitation; and the Wellness Place which offers health seminars, fitness classes and chronic disease supportive care for all ages.

Over the course of the next five years, Methodist will embark upon an ambitious $40 million renovation and expansion project. It will result in approximately 239 private rooms for patients, separate corridors for clinical transport needs and public use, and relocation and expansion of the hospital's emergency room. In addition, a new parking garage will be added.

Mental health services in the area include Ridgeview , a private, not-for-profit community mental health center, fully accredited by the Joint Commission of Health Care Organizations and licensed by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Health, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. The range of programs and services provides individualized care of adults, youth and children. Acute inpatient services for adults, as well as outpatient and administrative services are provided at Ridgeview's facility.

 

Oak Ridge Neighborhoods

Briar Cliff, Burnham Wood, Cedar Hill, Country Club Estates, East Village, Elm Grove, Emory Valley, Emory Heights, Greenview, Hendrix Creek, Highland View, Jackson Crossing, Oak Hills, Oak Cliff, Park Meade, Pine Valley, Rarity Ridge, River Bend, Rivers Edge, Rivers Run, Robertsville, West Village, Rockbridge Green, Scarboro, Southwood, Stone Bridge, The Palisades, The Rivers, Waterfront Village, Westwood, Willow Place, Wiltshire Estates, Woodland.

Oak Ridge Tn.. a short drive to..

Knoxville TN

Knoxville's roots run deep and strong. The city has served as the hub of the region since its founding in 1791. The best of its Appalachian heritage remains today - a strong work ethic, a family-centered community, and an intense respect for the natural beauty that envelopes the region.

While Knoxville is well grounded, it is also strongly positioned for the future and the technology-based world of business. One of the country's five national labs sits in Knoxville's backyard in Oak Ridge. The main campus of the University of Tennessee is home to nationally acclaimed schools of engineering, business and law. Seventeen additional colleges and training programs in the region produce a ready supply of trained workers. All these organizations feed the strong entrepreneurial spirit found in Knoxville.

Just as advanced technology resources connect Knoxville to the future, its location connects it to the roadways of the nation. Three of the nation's major interstates - I-40, I-75, I-81 - intersect in Knoxville.

Knoxville is not a well kept secret. The area has been recognized by national lifestyle and business magazines as a fantastic place to live and work. Some of those rankings include:

• Forbes magazine, Best Places for Business & Career ranked #5
• Expansion Management magazine, America's 50 Hottest Cities for Business Relocation & Expansion ranked #9
• Places Rated Almanac Millenium Edition, Best Place to Live for cities under 1 million population ranked #1
• Sperling's Best Places, Best Places for Affordable Living ranked #8
• Money Magazine , Best Places to Retire ranked #10
• Inc. magazine, Top Mid-Size City Boom Towns (for Job Growth) ranked #24
• Hotwire.com, America's Most Affordable Travel Destinations ranked #4

Knoxville Attractions

Knoxville is a great place to visit and abounds with things to do and see. With a deep since of history, fantastic natural attractions like the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and some of the nation s best college athletics, Knoxville as a place to visit over and over.

If you re planning a trip please visit Shop-Dine-Stay to choose a hotel and make other preparations. You can also call Chamber staff at 865-637-4550 or click here to email us. We ll be happy to help you find the resources you need.

We hope to see you soon!