Growing up in Knoxville TN. | Living in Sequoyah Hills
By: Crystal Coffey
I grew up in Knoxville and I’ve lived here most of my life. When I
think about Sequoyah Hills the first thing that comes to mind are
the drives my parents used to take through the neighborhood on
weekends. I used to get carsick and it was miserable sitting in the
backseat as they would wind through all the curvy roads. We
were living in deep West Knoxville, but at the time it was very
country and there were not many amenities in the area. When I
say country I mean behind our house were cows and on the other
side of the street behind those houses were goats and various
other animals. I loved it. My mother however loved Sequoyah Hills
and wanted to move there for years before we finally did.
I was 12 years old when we moved. I was definitely not excited!
We looked a lot of beautiful homes. The one that I thought was
perfect and would make it worth moving for was on Cherokee
Boulevard. It was a beautiful two story, yellow brick home with a
large front porch and a tiara on top. That home was every girl’s
princess dream house! When we arrived at the house for the
showing two older ladies met us there. They were sisters. They
had been living there for years. They reminded me of the Baldwin
sisters from the Waltons tv show. They were elegant, beautiful
and full of stories and memories about the home. When you
walked in the front door, the staircase was show stopping with
beautiful woodwork. It curved from each side of the foyer and then
up into one staircase. When you walked to the first landing, you
could enter the morning room. At the time I didn’t know what a
morning room was, but I knew it was beautiful. Unfortunately, this
would not be our home. Interestingly enough, my parents made
an offer on that home twice with decades in between, but it just
wasn’t meant to be.
When we did move to Sequoyah Hills they chose a traditional two
story home with cedar shake siding. It was a beautiful deep blue
color. They were told it was the second home built in Sequoyah
Hills.
After we moved, I got a job at Sequoyah Drugs, the neighborhood
drugstore. I worked at the back counter, making breakfast,
hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled cheese with bacon, you know the
typical food that drugstores used to serve. The drugstore was a
community gathering place where people would sit and talk and
enjoy a quick meal. It has since been replaced by the Plaid Apron.
When I was growing up, there was also a grocery store and a gas
station in the middle of Sequoyah Hills. Unfortunately, the grocery
store is no longer there. Back then the neighborhood was
basically self-contained. You could get everything you needed in
the heart of the neighborhood.
Although things have changed, there are still many amenities in
the neighborhood. Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church is a
welcoming church with a beautiful sanctuary. The choir is
fabulous! I mentioned the Plaid Apron earlier. There are also
various condominiums and apartments in center of the
neighborhood. This allows for diversity of available housing that
you don’t normally see in modern Knoxville neighborhoods. I
believe Knox County should look at this when they’re looking for
new plans to include everyone in a neighborhood. I think it’s an
wonderful way to do it.
When I think about living in Sequoyah Hills, the first thing that
comes to mind are the beautiful old homes with large landscaped
yards. Sequoyah Hills is unique in that it has many different
styles of homes. You have the traditional style homes like I grew
up in, the Spanish style homes with beautiful architecture, the
unique homes that have a one of a kind floor plan, and of course,
the southern style homes that I admired so much as a child. As an overall neighborhood, I would describe Sequoyah Hills as reminding me of a grand lady, one of a kind, elegant, and full of
character.
It’s not just the homes that makes Sequoyah Hills special. It’s the
neighborhood. When you first turn off of Kingston Pike onto
Cherokee Boulevard you see the stone arch marking the
beginning of the neighborhood. Cherokee Boulevard is divided in
half by walking trail. You see people walking and running, many
with their children and their dogs. If you follow Cherokee
Boulevard down you see a beautiful fountain, and parks on the
water with people playing games and having picnics, one even
has a boat launch. If you turn off of Cherokee Boulevard and onto
Kenesaw Avenue you will find the heart of the neighborhood with
Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, the restaurant, apartments
and condominiums. There is also an elementary school in the neighborhood.
Sequoyah Elementary is for children in kindergarten through 5th
grade. Last, but not least, the neighborhood has its own library
branch located on Southgate Road behind the elementary school.
Are you interested in purchasing or selling a home in Sequoyah
Hills? I would love to be your personal tour guide and introduce
you to this incredible West Knoxville neighborhood.
Here is my YouTube video of Sequoyah Hills so you can see
some of the highlights of the neighborhood.
https://youtu.be/XLaWvHXpVm0?si=oOeE9qUlAsY1HTrp
I would love to chat or answer your questions about the neighborhood. Please feel free to call or text me.
Crystal Coffey
Crye-Leike
865-938-7750 Office
865-719-3638 Cel
