Inside Oak Ridge: A Local’s Guide to Moving to the Secret City

Oak Ridge / Courtesy of the City of Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge resident Angela England grew up in nearby Knoxville, attended college at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, and later married and moved to Kentucky. When she and her husband had children, they decided they wanted to be closer to family and relocated to Oak Ridge in 2017. 

England is a Realtor in the Knoxville area and a sales manager for The Preserve, a lakefront golf community where she also resides. 

“There are so many benefits to living in Tennessee, but in Oak Ridge in particular, there’s an affordable cost of living, and you’re surrounded by beauty,” England says. “You can see the mountains from anywhere, you’re surrounded by lakes, and you have all of this recreation right out your back door.” 

In this conversation, England shares insight on life in Oak Ridge. 

How would you describe the housing market? 

There are so many different areas of Oak Ridge that are available to all age ranges. In general, compared to Knoxville, a house is going to be $15,000 to $20,000 less. There are multiple new construction neighborhoods, like The Preserve, Forest Creek Village and The Summit, a D.R. Horton community. 

The city is split into two sections — the East End, which includes Oak Ridge proper, and the West End. The East End is older, from when the city was created [by the federal government] in World War II, so houses date back to the 1940s. As you move west, you’ll get 1980s and 1990s homes, then you get new construction options. There are options for everybody, whether they want a new build or something that’s older and needs to be remodeled. 

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

What are your favorite coffee shops and restaurants? 

Jefferson Soda Fountain is the oldest restaurant in Oak Ridge, and it’s a fun place for breakfast or lunch. All their dishes are named after things referring to the Manhattan Project, like the Y-12 Breakfast Bomb. 

Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery is the real-deal Southern soul comfort food. Everything is homemade and delicious — fried chicken, catfish, that type of thing. 

There’s a restaurant that just opened last year called Fire & Salt, opened by a chef who’s from here. They have high-end food; it’s a good place for birthday or anniversary dinners. We also have Calhoun’s on the river, which is a nice place to go and relax during the summer. It’s right on the lake. 

What outdoor recreational opportunities are there to explore? 

Oak Ridge is known for its trails and its lakes. We have Melton Hill Lake and Watts Bar Lake, where you can rent kayaks and paddle boats. The University of Tennessee rowing team uses Melton Hill Lake for its competitions, so people will come from all over the world for that.