Chattanooga 101: Tips for locals, new and old
Whether you're new to town or have lived here for years, there are some public services and places that every resident should know about.
By William Newlin
Did you know the downtown branch of the library has a recording studio? Or that the electric shuttle is totally free? Did you know you can ask the city to pick up that futon you kicked to the curb? Or those half dozen bags of fall leaves?
Since 2015, more than 20,000 people have moved to Hamilton County, with more than half of those coming from out of state, according to census data. (The net increase in Hamilton County and Chattanooga's population is much lower, since people are always moving out of town as well.) In addition to people who have made Chattanooga their permanent home, our pool of newcomers swells each fall as UTC welcomes a few thousand new students.
Like anywhere else, it can take a while to figure out everything Chattanooga has to offer. Odds are there’s more than one city service you’ve missed. So, here’s a quick guide to the public services, transportation, and places every Chattanoogan should know.
311: Your call to City Hall
Chattanooga comes equipped with its own city services information center: 311. Or as 311 Director of Operations Derek Frizzell described it, “It’s your call to city hall.” Fielding around 200,000 phone calls per year, 311 employees are well-equipped to help you with any of the following (and plenty more):
Receiving a recycling bin
Getting on a garbage route
Removing yard waste and bulky trash
Reporting downed trees, potholes, graffiti or litter
Finding out how much tickets and fines cost
Paying sewer fees
They even field requests to install and repair the flags on Veterans Bridge. To contact their office, simply call 311, text 311 to 61222, email them at 311@chattanooga.gov or visit them at the City Hall Annex on East 11th Street. You can also report issues, submit requests and reserve parks on their website or app.
Getting around
CARTA
You see them cruising from downtown to Northshore to Hamilton Place Mall in East Brainerd. CARTA buses, the city's main public transit, charge $1.50 for adults to ride one-way. Or, if you just need a lift across the downtown area, there’s a free electric shuttle that runs from the Choo Choo to the Aquarium. Find out all you need to know about routes and fares at gocarta.org.
Or, check out the Chattamatters guide to riding the bus here.
Bike Chattanooga
There's also the breezy way to get around.
At 42 locations across the city, Bike Chattanooga docks allow people to rent bicycles for their sight-seeing and errand-running needs. It’s $8 for a daily pass or $50 for an annual pass. Some bikes are electric, too, which can help boost you up the hill to UTC’s campus. Go to bikechattanooga.com to find one.
There are 400 bikes and 42 docks located all around downtown Chattanooga. There's a real-time map of where bikes are currently docked at bikechattanooga.com.
The great outdoors
Whether you want to feast your eyes on the towering sculptures at Montague Park, wet your toes in the Coolidge fountains or feel the burn mountain biking through Stringer’s Ridge, Chattanooga Parks & Outdoors has you covered.
The department’s website lists seven signature parks: Ross’ Landing, Walnut Street Bridge, the Aquarium Plaza, Renaissance Park, Montague Park Sculpture Fields, the Tennessee River Walk, and Coolidge Park. Then there are the dozens of community parks, located across the city from Brainerd, to East Lake, to Riverview, and more than 35 miles of trails and greenways.
Stretching up to the Chickamauga dam and down all the way to St. Elmo is the Tennessee Riverwalk – great for strolling, biking and skating. Go to chattanooga.gov/parks to learn more.
Outdoor Chattanooga is the more exotic side of the parks department, providing a guide to activities in and near the city. Recent events included archery and rock climbing training, but visit outdoorchattanooga.com to find your next caving, climbing or camping adventure.
The Chattanooga Public Library — way more than books
For climate-controlled fun, there’s nowhere better to get creative than at the Chattanooga Public Library. The downtown branch features guitar rentals and a recording studio, T-shirt-making spaces and a 3-D printer just to get you started. There are four other branches in Alton Park, Hixson, Avondale and Brainerd/Eastgate. You can even check out free passes to the Chattanooga Zoo, Creative Discovery Museum, and Reflection Riding at the library!
Browse books and activities at chattlibrary.org.
If you’ve been here a while, hopefully this guide taught you something new. And if you’re still wondering which one Walnut Street Bridge is, welcome to Chattanooga!