Story by Curt and Lane Holman
We recently visited Chattanooga to rediscover its distinct blend of big-city diversions and outdoor activities. But we also wanted to whet our curiosity about Chattanooga’s nickname. Do locals really call it “The Noog?” Or is it more of a civic branding thing?
The answer seemed to be both, more or less. Compared to a sobriquet like “The Big Easy,” which New Orleans natives never use, plenty of Chattanoogans apparently refer to their hometown as “The Noog.” But it’s also prominent in the city’s tourism and marketing as a hip, tech-friendly place to live with a rising artistic scene. You’ll see it all over, on “Noog” T-shirts, stores with names like Taco Nooga and more. I met the owner of a 50-year-old art store who compared it to slogans like “Keep Portland Weird.”
And NoogaNet, the city’s groundbreaking fiber-optic network for high-speed internet, is one of its selling points for new business and the young creative class. The city synonymous with a choo-choo now emphasizes 21st century communication over 19th century transportation.
During the 1990s, we made the two-hour drive to Chattanooga and paid memorable visits to sprawling, historic Chickamauga Battlefield and the lavish Tennessee Aquarium (which since then has ceded some of the spotlight to the Georgia Aquarium), but little else stuck out. Since then, Tennessee’s fourth-largest city has reshaped itself as a much more impressive place to live, work or get away for the weekend.
For instance, Chattanooga offers several landmarks and attractions that can hold their own against equivalents in Atlanta. Instead of the BeltLine, for instance, the 13-mile Chattanooga Riverwalk offers a series of paved walking/biking trails that afford spectacular views alongside either shore of the city-bisecting Tennessee River. Note that "Riverwalk" does not always mean riverside — on the southern shore heading west toward downtown, the trail bends inland and uphill along the Bluffview Arts District, so for a few blocks you can't even see the river for the upscale houses.
Highlights of Bluffview Arts District include the River Galley Sculpture Garden, where pieces like Russell Whiting’s Icarus are gorgeously framed by the hillside. The River Gallery offers a well-curated collection of local, regional and national works across a spectrum of media, as well as a good source for gifts. For a pick-me-up while rambling through the area, Rembrandt’s Coffee House offers sandwiches, soups and salads along with exquisite pastries and chocolates made onsite.
Nearby, the Hunter Museum of American Art is housed in three buildings from 1904, 1975 and 2005, respectively, with collections representing the breadth of U.S. fine arts.
The glass-floored, mildly vertiginous Homberg Bridge leads from the Hunter Museum to the south entrance to the 2,376-foot Walnut Street Bridge that spans the Tennessee River. Built in 1890 and closed for most of the 1980s, it was modified as a pedestrian-only bridge that provides a 10-15 minute walk from shore to shore and would make an eye-popping addition to any metropolis.
On sunny weekends, the bridge affords an excellent view of the activity on the Tennessee River, where people ride kayaks, paddleboards and pleasure boats. During riverside music festivals, boating spectators gather on the water like a laid-back fleet.
Seafood restaurant The Boat House provided our favorite meal along the river, with dining room murals and décor inspired by vintage postcards. We happened to be there in time for Monday’s half-priced oysters on half shell, and found the sauces artfully presented in oyster shells. A po-boy came with pleasingly sizable fried shrimp — bigger than equally-priced sandwiches would be on Florida panhandle.
Next door to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo downtown, the Terminal Brewhouse offers tasty local craft beer along with such well-executed pub fare as burgers and salads. Their hearty Brewhouse Pot Roast Nachos pair well with their White Shadow witbier.
While downtown Chattanooga includes the aquarium, familiar restaurant chains and a 2018 expansion of Miller Park, the NorthShore features funky shops, eateries and street art, particularly along Frazier Street. Look down and you’ll see footprint diagrams for dances like the Cha-Cha in the sidewalk. The gift shop Plum Nelly carries a huge selection of handblown glass by Chattanooga’s Prentice Hicks. His simple, organic-looking stemware would make an ideal wedding gift for art-loving couples.
In an older building fronting Frazier Street’s Coolidge Park, the Greek restaurant Opa piles plates with succulent roast lamb, garlicky hummus and house-made pita bread. For dessert, local chain Clumpy’s Ice Cream offers a particularly delectable scoop of espresso chocolate chunk.
The Chattanooga area’s most prominent feature is undoubtedly Lookout Mountain, which is clearly visible from most places of the city and offers multiple leisure activities. (Atlantans can imagine if Stone Mountain were significantly bigger, closer and offered more things to do.)
At the foot of Lookout Mountain, the St. Elmo neighborhood offers a favorite place for walking and window shopping. Stop by the newly refurbished 3800 St. Elmo building for a brew at the Tap House, or find a more bracing beverage at Plus Coffee, just across the hall. Up the block, the tiny retail spot Studio 11 offers gorgeous artisanal gifts and home goods from across the region.
For Southern Coastal cuisine in the neighborhood, 1885 Grill serves delectable grilled trout, Adluh stone ground grits, beet salad and the Dirty Elmo cocktail — their version of a Moscow Mule, redolent of cherry with a gingery kick.
St. Elmo offers the entry point for the mile-long Incline Railway, leading to the top of Lookout Mountain and part of the area’s trifecta of famous tourist destinations. Ruby Falls includes a 145-foot underground cave, while Rock City offers a series of elaborate rock formations, waterfalls and more. Know that these can be highly popular at peak hours.
An attraction in its own right is Lookout Mountain’s Fairyland neighborhood, featuring lovely homes on winding streets named for storybook characters. From the summit, you can find spectacular overlooks and often see hang gliders riding the air currents. But don’t miss the Bluff Trail, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1930s. From the Ochs Gateway just below Covenant College, the trail begins with a half-mile hike to Judith’s Bluff, a picturesque northwestern view, with more intriguing miles of trail after that.
With so many options for diversions and so much potential for continued growth, Chattanooga offers Atlanta competition that would have seemed unlikely 20 years ago. Check the rearview mirror: the Noog is catching up.
Insider tip
For the Lookout Mountain “Discount Triple Play,” you can save $5 on admission to Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway for $49.90 for adults.
The Refindery on McCallie, a sprawling, barn-like warehouse in Highland Park, offers vintage, antique and new home furnishings, tableware, art and gifts — even a taxidermied tom turkey.
If you’re interested in exploring nature but adverse to the Southern heat, consider a cave tour in Lookout Mountain’s Cloudland Canyon State Park. G3 Adventures offers one-, two- and four-hour tours of Sitton’s Cave as long as you don’t mind getting muddy.
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