Lots of folks in this Tennessee city will tell you that Walter Cronkite once called Chattanooga “the dirtiest city in America.” It seems a little harsh coming from the gentlemanly newscaster and, in fact, the story has come into question. But folks like to repeat the insult anyway. It’s a good reminder that the once gritty industrial city has undergone a remarkable transformation.
Nestled along the Tennessee River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Chattanooga has never lacked for natural beauty. When civic leaders decided to tackle decades of pollution and smog, the Tennessee River was key to the city’s revitalization. To help reclaim the riverfront, they turned to CambridgeSeven. Based in my hometown of Cambridge, Mass., the architectural firm designed the New England Aquarium. When it opened in 1969, Boston’s aquarium spurred the resurgence of the long-neglected harborfront. Chattanooga was hoping for similar magic. They certainly got it.
Opened in 1996, the Tennessee Aquarium (1 Broad St., tnaqua.org) brought visitors and positive attention to a river once known mainly for its heavy industry. The engrossing exhibit “A River’s Journey” celebrates its namesake river by tracing its path from tiny streams high in the Great Smoky Mountains until it joins the Ohio River, flows into the Mississippi River, and finally empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The exhibit was the first in a major aquarium to focus on America’s powerful inland waters. It’s no exaggeration to say that it boosted the city’s energy and pride.
Walking, jogging, running — and eating — by the water
But that’s not the only way to appreciate the river. Less than a decade before the Aquarium opened, a roughly two-mile stretch along the river took shape as the Tennessee Riverwalk. It’s been growing ever since and now stretches for about 16 miles. A particularly lovely section with shaded pathways and wooden bridges leads 1.7 miles east to Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar (1459 Riverside Drive, boathousechattanooga.com). The restaurant — opened in 2002 in a renovated 80-year-old boathouse — makes a good stopping point. My friend Patti and I enjoyed guacamole, wood-grilled oysters, and a grilled tuna salad while watching boats along the river.
In the pre-Cronkite years of more than a century ago, the natural beauty of the region earned Chattanooga the nickname of “Scenic City.” Nowawdays that seems just right again.
