Authored By kendrastantonlee

I’m celebrating four years in Chattanooga this year. If Chattanooga were a high school, I’d be cutting class right now. I mean, I’d be getting fitted for my graduation gown. I know stuff. I know the touristy spots, and I know that the forecast of a snowflake is going to shut down the city for the better part of a week.

Knowledge is power, and knowing handy information such as the following 10 “secrets” can make life in Chattanooga even better.

The produce du jour at the Chattanooga Market is mostly picked over by 2 p.m.

Sure, the open-air market on Sundays (which reopens in less than a month-woot!) at the Tennessee Pavilion operates from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. But the locals know the drill. You get there by noon at the very latest if you want the fresh strawberries, the peaches, the tomatoes or whatever the in-season produce is that week. There are still charming artisan booths to visit at 3:30 p.m., but do not expect the bounty of fresh flower bouquets to wait for you, stragglers.

The city mouse/country mouse can be found on Walnut Street Bridge, but do you know where else?

I’ve found it here. Do you know where this is?

Where else have you seen it, Chattanooga?

There is a warehouse sale at Rock/Creek every year.

The annual warehouse sale on Riverside Drive, where you can get deep discounts on everything from boats to boots, is usually around Memorial Day. Follow them on Facebook, as they update the feed quite regularly.

You should clear half a day for McKay Used Books.

“I think I’ll just run into McKay and grab whatever’s on the shelf,” said no one ever. It’s always a process, and you always wish you had more time at the greatest used book/music/movie warehouse on earth. Locals know to go on a Monday or a Tuesday if they can manage because the lines aren’t as long and the turnaround on book sales is swift.

Bring your own Frisbee, baby stroller and climbing gear to Coolidge Park; do not bring your dog.

I made this rookie mistake-thinking that spongy grass in Coolidge could stay that way even with pet traffic. Sorry, players. No pups in Coolidge. Dogs gotta go meander in Renaissance Park.

If you go into Brash Coffee asking for a flavored latte, you will be given an education.

This indie coffee shop in Warehouse Row is, for the uninitiated, a rung above. If you think you can roll up in there and order a soy vanilla dolce cinnamon latte on the rocks, you’ve got it twisted. The barista will explain their levels of purity and how they can offer you “some Sugar in the Raw … I mean, if you want.” It is the kind of place that “Portlandia” would have a field day with. The coffee is outstanding, but I can’t have you locals not knowing how to do Brash Coffee.

There is a “special cabinet” in Shadowbox Paperie.

I keep things pretty straight-laced, but it tickles me to know that there is a “21-and-over” cabinet of cards and wares in local stationery store Shadowbox Paperie. It might be one of the few places on earth you can get carded for trying to buy one-a card, that is. It’s easy to overlook the adults-only cabinet, but know before you go.

Bluegrass Grill is open on Sundays-but only for those who know.

This Southside breakfast hotspot is only open on the last Sunday of the month, and reservations are encouraged. The family takes a little respite sometimes, though, and who can’t respect an establishment that makes sure “the regulars” are in the know?



The gnomes are watching you and not the other way around.

We all know that the gnomes of Rock City are actually in charge. It is impossible for all those gardens to be so well-manicured, all those little gullies and paths and caverns to be so meticulously maintained. Chattanooga knows the gnomes are ever behind the scenes, pulling the ropes of practically every curtain on this Scenic City. They see us from their perch atop Lookout Mountain. They’ve been watching us ..

If you aren’t meeting people, it is your own fault.

I don’t buy the lie that Chattanooga-or any city, for that matter-is too hard to penetrate. Unless a place is war-torn or under siege, I’m pretty sure there is a Meetup group that will connect you with some fabulous folks who can’t wait to meet someone new. I have met some truly kind and good-humored people over the past four years in Chattanooga. Many of these friendships started online and continue face to face. Just the other night, I ran into Nooga.com’s own Sean Phipps. In between cigar puffs, he asked me what I was doing downtown. I explained I was just catching up with myself. “Good luck finding yourself,” Sean said. It was as if he were also in on that other secret that many in Chattanooga have found. Sometimes it’s great for meeting people, and sometimes it’s great for meeting nobody at all.

Kendra Stanton Lee is a transplant to Chattanooga via Boston. She teaches journalism to university students and enjoys holding their millennial attention spans by jumping on tables and sweeping around like a whirling dervish. She lives with her husband and their young children, with whom she enjoys hiking, road tripping and supporting the ice cream industry. She blogs at kendraspondence.com and welcomes a Twitter follow @kendraspondence; or you can email her directly at [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column belong solely to the author, not Nooga.com or its employees.