I was pretty bushed by the time I got to my room in Atha’s modest, unpretentious house not far from downtown. It was convenient and inexpensive – just what I needed for the night. I crashed for an hour or two, but woke up in time to go to Market Square for dinner.
Like many US cities, Knoxville has undergone a revitalization in recent decades. The University of Tennessee grew from 3,000 students to about 30,000 between 1945 and 1975 and the large Market House (which photos suggest was a pretty neat building) was demolished and replaced by a pedestrian mall. The city was home to a World’s Fair in 1982, built on the site of some railroad yards and a rough neighborhood known locally as “Scuffletown.” This involved Interstate road-building and construction of new hotels and was apparently reasonably successful, drawing 11 million visitors. In the following decades areas of downtown were renovated, historic structures were preserved, and residents have been lured back to the city center.
Market Square has become a hub of activity with a large, inviting pedestrian mall and lots of restaurants. I ate supper at Stock & Barrel and had a remarkably good gourmet burger (locally sourced), probably the best onion rings I’ve ever had, and a tasty craft beer. I investigated the opportunities for playing music at one of the restaurants, but it was pretty late so that wasn’t going to work out. Instead, I grabbed my guitar and set up on one of the benches.
Meet Gary the Busker.
