Chattanooga in Photos
Chattanooga is a beautiful city, from its food to its people and everything in between.
I’ve been carrying my camera around with me a lot more in the last few months, in an effort to be a little less millennial-like and pay attention to what’s around me. Yes, my actual camera, not just my iPhone. My trusty little Sony HD point-and-shoot has lasted for at least four years and still has plenty of life left in it. There are so many places, people and sights in Chattanooga that are worth capturing and I often miss so many of them because I’m too absorbed in my phone or food (we’re all guilty of it sometimes). Or I don’t realize I don’t have a photo of them until I need it for a blog post.
I’m certainly no professional photographer, nor do I have a ton of training (I took one photography class in grad school). But I’ve come to enjoy walking around and snapping photos of whatever catches my eye. As I was going back through all the photos I’ve taken recently, I noticed that I’ve accrued a wide collection so far this year. From food to street art and everything in between, I’ve captured some of the best glimpses of life in Chattanooga.
Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite photos from my adventures and explorations around Chattanooga (and a little beyond).
Street art fascinates me, and Chattanooga has its fair share of it. There are two alleys on Frazier Avenue (on the Northshore) that are always filled with graffiti masterpieces. Each time I walk around that area, there’s something new painted on those brick alley walls. This was one of my favorites.
It’s hard for me to walk around the Northshore without stopping by Clumpies, one of the best ice cream shops in Chattanooga. Clumpies has its classic favorites (their cookie dough and French silk ice creams are divine) and rotating seasonal flavors. Earlier this spring they had a Very Berry Lavender ice cream and it sounded so unique that I had to try it. Great decision on my part.
Last weekend, my friend and I ventured to South Pittsburg for the National Cornbread Festival. It was the cutest, most Southern-feeling event I’ve been to in a long time. Imagine endless cornbread samples and all of the typical fried carnival food for as far as the eye can see. There was a spot called Cornbread Alley, and for $5, you could go through a line of about 10 stations, each with a different type of cornbread. It was marvelous. I think the peach cornbread was my favorite.
Also last weekend, Moon Pie celebrated its 100th anniversary at the Sunday farmer’s market. There was Moon Pie everything all around the market, including the “world’s biggest Moon Pie” cake that was served up that afternoon. Milk & Honey had special Moon Pie gelato and y’all, it was heaven in a cup.
Can we talk about how much I love our farmer’s market for a minute? It’s only in season end of April through Thanksgiving, so I go as often as I possibly can and enjoy it while it’s around. I do half of my produce shopping there, especially for fruit. Sometimes I like to grab a few zucchinis and some lettuce, but I usually leave with a bag full of berries, peaches, apples or whatever is in season. Right now it’s strawberry season, and I came home with two quarts last weekend. Bring on the jam-making.
Sometimes I like to take a little walk around town before heading to the office for the day. A few weeks ago after having breakfast at Rembrandts, I strolled around the art district and the Hunter Museum for a bit. The way the morning sun hit the mansion was just perfect. Side note: I still haven’t actually gone to the Hunter and looked at the art displays inside. Maybe the next rainy day?
After the Frothy Monkey wine dinner a couple weeks ago, I took a few minutes to check out Station Street, the area of town right by the Choo Choo that has been revitalized in the last year. It was dark, cloudy and rainy, but worth taking the extra time before heading home. It’s so nice to see parts of Chattanooga being transformed into fun spots for all ages. Station Street includes the Choo Choo, STIR (one of my favorite drink spots in town), Frothy Monkey, Songbirds Guitar Museum, Revelry Room, The Comedy Catch and several other great spaces.
Mean Mug is one of my favorite coffee shops in town for a multitude of reasons. The people who run it are super nice, the coffee is on point (as is the tea and hot chocolate), the eats are phenomenal and the atmosphere is perfect for anything from a business meeting to catching up with a friend. Additionally, whoever is in charge of the clever signage out front never fails to make me laugh.
And, lastly, because this is just one of the prettiest, most perfect sights in the entire city. It doesn’t matter how many photos I have of the river from either side. I will always, without fail, take at least five more each time I go downtown.
I always love the reactions I get from people when I take my camera out for a photo, especially people in the next generation up. “It’s so nice to see a young person using an actual camera instead of a smart phone,” is something I hear a lot. And they’re right. While yes, some of the photos I take will inevitably end up on my Instagram or on here, some I take and save for another occasion or project. Others, I save just to look at later, when I need a smile or a memory.
Chattanooga has blessed me with plenty of those.
Do you have a favorite photo of a scene or sight from your town or city? Show me! Tweet me your photo @kate3robertson and I’ll share another photo of mine in return.
