Inside of Knoxville

Knox Heritage’s 2025 ‘Fragile & Fading’ Includes the Usual Suspects + 3 Newcomers

Leslie Bateman·August 13, 2025

“Before it’s too late” isn’t a cliché. Twice in my adult life I’ve stood on the sidewalk in my pajamas, watching 19th-century Knoxville buildings burn. First was the Pickle Mansion in Fort Sanders, 2003. I lived...

Reimagining the Downtown Connection to the Interstates and Reclaiming Human Space

Knoxville Urban Guy·November 13, 2024

When originally imagined, the Interstate system was intended to connect cities. And it did. Small towns that once enjoyed passersby slowly began to die. Cities that had thriving centers were cut in half, with large swaths...

An Updated Look at Downtown Knoxville Density

Knoxville Urban Guy·July 7, 2022

From time to time since 2014, I’ve used a graphic on this website that shows how dense downtown buildings were packed in around the mid-1930s and how much density we lost between then and 2014. Over...

Keener Building Opens to Residents

Knoxville Urban Guy·August 1, 2018

The first residents moved into the near-completed Keener Building this past weekend. While not quite completed – workers were scurrying about at every turn when I visited – the building has experienced a stunning transformation from...

A Look Inside the Keener Lighting Building + Future Plans

Knoxville Urban Guy·August 16, 2017

A reader joked the other day that I must get tired of writing about one building and being asked about ten more. I don’t, really, but it is hard to keep up with all the construction...

Electric Company Lofts Opens Quietly, Extends Downtown Fringes

Knoxville Urban Guy·August 14, 2017

While it might seem that the stock of older, pre-war downtown buildings available for redevelopment has been expended, there are actually quite a few. Not necessarily located in what we now think of the downtown core,...

1894 Saloon Building Continues Downtown’s Northward Expansion

Knoxville Urban Guy·November 16, 2016

Prior to its facade improvements last year by Dewhirst Properties, the 1894 Saloon building might have been overlooked or dismissed as an old, tired and no longer useful building. In fact, the building had been in...

Yoga, Dragon Boats, Rappelling and Block Parties, Oh My!

Knoxville Urban Guy·September 2, 2015

I absolutely cannot let this past weekend go without comment. Last Saturday offered downtown residents a stunning array of possible activities. We had the Market Square Farmers’ Market, a Jazz Festival featuring all day jazz events...

Do Cars Eat Buildings? Ask Whitney Manahan!

Knoxville Urban Guy·September 16, 2014

I often hear from visitors to our city that Knoxville has done a good job keeping its old building stock. It’s interesting to consider since, for those of us keeping an eye on such matters, it...

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Whitney Manahan

Knox Heritage’s 2025 ‘Fragile & Fading’ Includes the Usual Suspects + 3 Newcomers

Reimagining the Downtown Connection to the Interstates and Reclaiming Human Space

An Updated Look at Downtown Knoxville Density

Keener Building Opens to Residents

A Look Inside the Keener Lighting Building + Future Plans

Electric Company Lofts Opens Quietly, Extends Downtown Fringes

1894 Saloon Building Continues Downtown’s Northward Expansion

Yoga, Dragon Boats, Rappelling and Block Parties, Oh My!

Do Cars Eat Buildings? Ask Whitney Manahan!

Shop Local! A Guide to Downtown-ish Holiday Markets

Three Downtown Businesses Closing Brick & Mortar to Focus Elsewhere

Former TVA Bank Building Becomes The Onyx; Development to Begin in Spring 2026

Your Ultimate 2025 Downtown-ish Holiday Calendar

Ghost Walking the Christmas Streets of Knoxville: The Inaugural Knoxville Santa Claus Parade