If you moved to Chattanooga in the last five years, chances are you’re either an entrepreneur or an outdoor enthusiast. Why? For the entrepreneur: fast internet, venture capital dollars, and a farm–to–table scene capable of wooing those NYC and San Francisco partners. Ten gigabit per second fiber optic internet – yes, you read that right – is the crown jewel, the fastest in the world, and the reason why bigs from across the country are pressing the airport to expand. Now for those who moved for the outdoor scene, it depends on your interest. Climbing? Kayaking? Trail running? Fishing? The Scenic City has over 1,000 climbing routes within an hour's drive of the city, class IV-V water up the road at the Olympic Center, two dozen certified trail runs, and Nickajack, a lake with world-class bass fishing and a sweet name. All of this wouldn’t be complete without the amenities necessary to become a mid-sized city gracing the covers of national magazines. The local joints hold up to foodie tourist scrutiny. Public parks are noteworthy and green. Young families dot the sidewalks and bike the riverwalk. What’s left is to visit and see for yourself. We haven’t even gotten to Lookout Mountain, Tennessee’s most beautiful walking bridge, or the duck boat. That’s right, 10–gig internet and a duck boat.
Whether you’re into pulling on highball boulders with sketchy top-outs, swinging from auto-belayed obelisk structures, or taking climbing lessons from world-renowned wall crawlers, High Point has you covered. You should also know—if you see a few trendy youths swinging from the wall outside the parking garage, it’s not a new rendition of Stomp, just some Noogans enjoying the iconic glass climbing wall.
