There are many reasons to live in Norris, but none is more compelling than the quality of life enjoyed by our residents.  Few other places offer the advantages for the interesting and rewarding lifestyle that can be experienced in our community.  This is a quiet and peaceful retreat where you can escape from the crowds and congestion of big city life.

Our sidewalks and hiking trails make such pleasures as walking, hiking and biking an easy and enjoyable experience.  And Norris is a gathering of bright, creative neighbors who love good books, the visual arts and music…where friends and family gather at the  Commons each summer for fireworks and a celebration on the Fourth of July…and at the Christmas holidays for a tree lighting….and where parents sit on the sidelines for Saturday morning soccer games or enjoy exploring  2,300 acres of wilderness and hardwood forest in the town's watershed, a carefully protected natural preserve. 

Yet, while enjoying the advantages of small town life, we still have the many fine restaurants and shops of downtown Knoxville readily available, only thirty minutes away.  There, one will find a variety of cultural and entertainment venues, including two magnificent historic theatres for live drama and musical performances, as well as the city’s Museum of Art, symphony orchestra and opera company.

But one doesn't have to travel to Knoxville to experience the arts and crafts of our Appalachian heritage.  Right at home, you will find a very energetic and talented group of artisans and craftsmen who display their wares at the Appalachian Crafts Center,  an endeavor that offers an ongoing calendar of shows, classes and exhibits in such crafts as pottery, weaving, quilting, woodcarving and many other fields.

Also, many of our residents take advantage of the institutions of higher learning available to them in Knoxville and Oak Ridge to continue their education either full-time or part-time.  Of course, just about everyone finds time to follow the athletic teams of the University of Tennessee's nationally ranked football and basketball programs.

The area’s excellent medical facilities and hospitals, including a new major hospital only fifteen minutes from Norris, together with the presence of a major airport, only add to the quality of life experienced by those living here.  

To view Norris scenes in New York Times issue 11/21/08, click here.