Featured Chattanooga Area: Tiftonia

The I-24 exit to Lookout Valley and Tiftonia

Lookout Valley and Tiftonia have long been favorite suburbs of Chattanooga favored for their proximity to the interstate and the low cost of living. It's a great option for those who want a short commute with all the advantages of living in the suburbs, and the possibility of avoiding both Georgia income tax and Tennessee sales tax.

Chuck Hamilton described the early history of the area in an article for The Chattanoogan, "Lookout Valley is the community in the valley west of Lookout Mountain from the stateline to the Tennessee River.  The Cherokee town of Tuskegee was there before the Removal, and for a long time the area was called Wauhatchie.  It acquired the name Tiftonia from a late 19^th century housing development.  However, to locals this name meant just the middle section straddling Cummings Highway; the northern section was Brown’s Ferry and the southern section near the railroad station was still Wauhatchie.  It was annexed in three stages in 1972, 1995, and 2003."

Today Tiftonia is a great community removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown or heavily trafficked areas like Hixson or East Brainerd. It boasts its own barber shops, a fantastic liquor store, a recycling drop off center, hotels, several restaurants, and plenty of beautiful scenery. The Chattanooga Nature Center and Arboretum is right smack dab in the middle of the area, and the restaurants and shopping in St. Elmo are a stone's throw away. And because Tiftonia and the other Lookout Valley sections were incorporated so long ago, and due to the fairly large size of Lookout Valley, comparable in size to other major areas like Hixson and Red Bank, there is great variety to the homes available. There's everything from 1948 homes at $90,000 to modern construction in the $200,000 range. Tiftonia even boasts a few mansions listed for above half a million. 

Michael Carillo, a Tiftonia renter who just renewed his lease said, "I can get to work in 8 minutes. 8 minutes! And my rent is only $400 a month, for a two bedroom. You can't beat that." Joanie Sompayrac, another area resident of several years, explained why she and her husband chose Tiftonia to settle down, "Tony and I looked at a lot of areas when we were engaged. We liked this area because it feels like we are out in the country, but we are still less than 10 minutes away from downtown. There is an interesting mix of old and new in the area, and we can enjoy the beauty of the mountains all around us." If you too are looking for an affordable area with the basic conveniences nearby and  quick access to downtown restaurants and nightlife, look no further than Tiftonia and the other Lookout Valley neighborhoods!