good news
READY TO RIDE
At Stringer’s Ridge, a rotation system on multi-use trails keeps traffic tame: cyclists go one way, hikers and run- ners the other—the next day, they switch. Quirky trail names reflect their designers’ Chattanooga pride:
It’s a poster-child for river-city revival. Once among the most polluted metros in the country, Chattanooga has undergone a green-space makeover so dramatic it earned Outside magazine’s endorsement as “Best Town Ever.” Now Chattanooga can count another urban park in its list of outdoor ameni-
ties: Stringer’s Ridge, a hundred-acre forest just five minutes from downtown. Officially opened last fall, the park has something to suit every mood—from heart-pounding singletrack to quiet views of the city from the overlook deck. Its easily accessible location meant locals had used Stringer’s Ridge as an unofficial park for decades. When developers announced plans to construct 500 condominiums on the ridgeline, Chattanoogans turned to The Trust for Public Land for help. With a long history of converting the city’s old industrial river- front to greenways, we were more than up to the task. After hundreds of hours of cleanup, trail building, and community fundrais-
GIG CITY
A techie nickname for Chattanooga. The city says its 1-gigabit-per-second Internet access is the “fastest in the Western Hemisphere.”
ers—including donated sales of a Stringer’s Ridge–themed craft beer—the land is now permanently protected. Cheers to that!
STRUT
Part of the city’s annual Riverbend Festival, the Bessie Smith Strut honors Chattanooga’s “Empress of the Blues” with street food and live music.
NEGLEY’S KNOLL Named for Union General James Negley, whose troops fired the first shots on Chattanooga in 1862.
22 · LAND&PEOPLE · SPRING/SUMMER 2014
darcy kiefel
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