Chattanooga has worked pretty hard to bootstrap itself
It used to be this forgettable little town, a place you drove through on your way somewhere else. They had a sprinkling of fading 50's-era attractions that were losing relevance in This Modern World. Not much to it.
They built an amazing aquarium. They cleaned up their downtown and populated it with nice shops and restaurants. They refurbished an old pedestrian bridge cross the river, tying it into a new riverwalk and parks. Those are just the moves I can think of.
Now Chattanooga is a tourist draw for the whole Southeast. The downtown area is bustling until long after dark, with families strolling and enjoying themselves. It's been an amazing transformation. I live in Atlanta, and I've taken visiting family and friends to Chattanooga for the day many times. Atlanta built their own aquarium (not as good and in a dodgy area) trying to claw back some of those tourist dollars.
Gotta give 'em credit for working hard to modernize and create some appeal!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
