Johnson City is a small town tucked into the the North East corner of Tennessee. It was originally chartered in 1869 and founded by Henry Johnson. Currently, we have a population just breaking 56,000. (note: this is what the sign on the highway says, but I have my doubts.) We're about 100 miles East of Knoxville, and about 20 miles off of I-81
As I have lived here all of my 21 years, I thought I should give a few tips to any visitors we might get.
Points Of Interests
1. We are the home of Dr. Enuf, that strangely citrus/milky soda of international fame.
2. The majority of all visitors are here because of NASCAR. We're just a 15-30 minute drive from Bristol Motor Speedway, which has been called "the fastest track in NASCAR". Of course, I don't know, they wouldn't let me drive on it.
3. If your not coming for NASCAR, don't come during a race weekend. It's impossible to drive, and the entire town becomes a speed trap.
4. We are also home to East Tennessee State University. Of which I am a student.
Food
1.Pug's Subs: This is easily the best sandwiches in town. Heart-cloggin Philly Cheese Steak (the Cheese Whiz kind), a damn good Reuben, and they are soon to open a pizza place just across the street. And, it's pretty cheap. Plus, there's a picture behind the counter of the owner brandishing a baseball bat. How could you not love a place like that?
2.Dixie Barbeque: While I personally have some problems with this place (ex: Their roof is painted like a GIANT rebel flag), I can't deny they have some really good pulled pork sandwiches. They also play The Andy Griffith Show on multiple TVs throughout the entire day.
3.Magic Wok: The cheapest and best chinese restaurant in town. It's not to clean and the service isn't that good either, but unless your a stickler about it, it's worth it.
4.A note about restaurants: We have over 100 restaraunts in this town, so I only named a few that are cheap and serve good food. The majority of the restaurants in Johnson City serve your basic chain restaurant type of fair.
Drink
1.The Sophisticated Otter: The only brew pub in the area. I can vouch that their beer is pretty good, but I mainly stick to the Guinness. It's loud on the weekends and empty during the week and occasionally they have live shows. (With a penchant for Rockabilly) It also doubles as a restaurant, with fairly decent food. (And it's only 2 blocks from my house! No DUI for me.)
2.Note: Because The Sophisticated Otter is the only real standout of all the bars in town, the rest only get brief mentions.
3.Dance Clubs: Wanna do body shots and get seizures from strobe lights? Well, check out the The Planet, Rafter's, and Poor Richards. Expect lots of college kids and vomit in the parking lot.
4.Country Bars: Feel like wearing a big hat and line dancing? Check out The Nashville Sound. It's a pretty big place, and with all the extra bouncers they hired, it should be fairly safe.
Shopping
Shopping in Johnson City is pretty limited. Not because there aren't many stores, but because the vast majority of the stores around here are major chains. You can buy stuff at The Mall, or if your feeling frisky, go to one of the strip malls that are popping up daily. So, included here are the only two small record stores lef tin town:
1.Mr. K's: This is all about used CDs and books. Trying to find a cd there is kind of hit and miss, but if you look from A-Z, your bound to find something you want. Their book selection is pretty good to, and you'll be amazed at some of the books you'll find. BTW: They just started carrying vinyl.
2.Dad's CDs: Basically about the same as Mr. K's, except for the fact that they also carry new CDs. The selection is pretty diverse, and if your looking for something uncommon, it's the place to be. It also beats going to the Mall and buying from Waves.
All in all, Johnson City's a pretty nice town. It's growing pretty well and more and more suburbs are popping up on the outside of town. It's not to redneck for the South, and still kind of feels like a small town.
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