Chattanooga, TN
City Center
Chattanooga’s City Center is the city’s dynamic heart, blending history with progress. It hosts an array of office spaces, landmarks, and cultural venues, including galleries and theaters. From a rich arts scene to a variety of dining and shopping options, it is a hub of activity and attraction. With landmarks like the Tennessee Aquarium, the Creative Discovery Museum, and the scenic Riverwalk, the City Center offers a mix of culture, entertainment, and Southern charm.
Urban and Historic
City Center/Downtown is the heart of Chattanooga. Equal parts
business and pleasure, City Center/Downtown is known for its vibrancy and energy, major employers and hospitals, historic homes and educational opportunities. City Center/Downtown offers a balanced blend of urban and historic and highlights to visitors and residents alike the reason why Chattanooga is one of the best cities in the Southeast.
Healthcare
Primary locations of Chattanooga’s three mains hospital—Erlanger Health System, CHI Memorial, and Parkridge Health System—are located in or near Chattanooga’s City Center/Downtown. Each of these has satellite facilities scattered throughout the region. A Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center (CRPC), Children’s Hospital at Erlanger is located directly across Erlanger Hosptial, and is staffed with pediatric specialists and sub-specialists. Chattanooga’s newer VA Clinic, is located at 6401 Shallowford Road; see the “East Brainerd” neighborhood for more information.
Real State
There is a diversity of living options—including rental and for purchase—in City Center/Downtown ranging from industrial apartments to contemporary townhomes, and from Queen Anne Victorians to luxury condos with waterfront views. Click here to see what’s currently available.
Educations
City Center/Downtown provides for students at every educational level. For pre-K, there’s Montessori School. Elementary school options include Battle Academy and Calvin Donaldson Elementary. Middle and high schools include McCallie, Girls Preparatory School (on Northshore), Baylor School, Chattanooga High Center for the Creative Arts, Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence, and Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. Sisken’s Early Learning Center provides educational support for children with special needs. Finally, for undergraduate and graduate courses, there’s the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Why Chattanooga?
And it doesn’t end there
Lodging
From affordable accommodations to luxury suites, there’s something for everyone in City Center/Downtown. National chains include Hampton Inn & Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn, and Marriott.
Upscale options include the Read House, the Edwin Hotel, Hotel Indigo, The Chattanoogan, The Moxy, the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, The Westin, and Mayor’s Mansion Inn.
Outdoor Activities
The Tennessee Riverwalk is a great walking/hiking/running path that stretches 16.1 miles long around the outskirts of City Center/Downtown. Almost the entire area, including Northshore, is accessible by bridge, and is highly walkable. Or if rock climbing is more your thing, High Point Climbing and Fitness’s City Center/Downtown location offers climbing, fitness and yoga for adults and kids.
Shopping:
If you love to shop, check out the Chattanooga Market, an outdoor covered market open on Sundays at the First Horizon Pavilion. Other prominent areas for shopping downtown include West Village and Warehouse Row, both of which have more upscale, specialty, or boutique offerings. Special spots downtown include Signal Mill, Cause Cloth Thrift Shop & Boutique, and Handmade Here.
Employers
Prominent employers in the area include Blue Cross, Unum, CIGNA, Erlanger Health System, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Arts and culture
Tap into the arts with the Hunter Museum of American Art. Attend cultural events and learn about the contributions of the African American community to Chattanooga and the nation at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and African American Museum. To learn more about civic virtue and military valor, check out the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Cultural Center. And for something a little more off the wall, check out the Chattanooga Pinball Museum off of Broad St.
Entertainment
Animal lovers will appreciate the diversity of fresh and saltwater life at Tennessee Aquarium, Kids of all ages will love the Creative Discovery Museum which focuses on childhood education. Arts lovers flock to the Tivoli Theater to hear the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra or see the Bobby Stone Film series, which runs throughout the summer. Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium features Broadway shows such as Jersey Boys, Rent, Hairspray and Anastasia. For a special movie night, check out the IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, featuring panoramic nature scenes. Adults can check out Gate 11 Distillery, one of Chattanooga’s two distilleries, located inside the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Festivals
Besides local and national sporting events, there is no shortage of fun—and often free—things to do in City Center/Downtown. Held on Ross’s Landing in the fall, the free two-day 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival hosts national and local talent, as does the free summer-long Nightfall Concert Series held in Miller Park. One of 2022 FilmFreeway’s “coolest” film festivals in the world, the Chattanooga Film Festival features classics as well as contemporary films in June. And although now only a two-day event, Chattanooga’s iconic Riverbend Festival, also held in June on Ross’s Landing, attracts well-known national and local talent.
Employers
City Center/Downtown sporting options include the Cincinnati Reds double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts, with baseball games at ATT Field, and soccer matches with Chattanooga Football Club at Finley Stadium (or, in East Ridge, the Chattanooga Red Wolves at CHI Memorial Stadium). If more extreme sports are your thing, there’s the spring and fall Ironman triathlon events or the annual Head of the Hooch regatta, held every November. For gym options, check out the local downtown branches of the YMCA or the Sportsbarn.
The Location
Meet The Neighborhood
Chattanooga’s City Center is strategically located at the core of the city, offering easy accessibility to various neighborhoods. Nestled between the scenic North Shore across the Tennessee River and the vibrant Southside district, it serves as a nexus that connects these diverse areas. It’s just a short stroll to the historic West Village and Innovation District, creating a perfect blend of old-world charm and modern innovation within a stone’s throw.