05/26/2026
There’s no place quite like it.
Knox High Apartments is a hidden gem — and the people who live here know it.
THE BUILDING
This is a genuine 1911 schoolhouse on the National Register of Historic Places — not a
building that looks historic, but one that actually is. Patricia Neal, John Cullum, and James Agee
all studied here. In 2015, local firm Dover Signature Properties undertook a careful restoration,
turning the old classrooms into 85 apartments while keeping everything that makes the building
worth caring about.
What that looks like day-to-day: soaring ceilings, original architectural details, and
enormous windows that fill every room with natural light. The kind of light that makes a
Monday morning feel like a snapshot from that Instagram account you love.
Every unit has a completely unique floor plan — because no two classrooms were the same.
Studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms. Part of the fun of touring is finding the one that feels
like it was made for you.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Utilities are included in your rent — all of them. You handle your own internet, and that’s
it. One number, no surprises. For anyone moving to a new city, that simplicity is genuinely
worth something.
Almost every unit has in-unit laundry. There’s an elevator, a gym, and a rooftop deck
with a grill and seating — one of the building’s best-kept secrets, especially in the evenings. The
pool room has a pool table and electronic darts. There’s a dog courtyard, a community laundry
room, and a Pepsi vending machine for when you need one at midnight.
Trash pickup runs three times a week. Free off-street parking wraps all four sides of the
building, with paid parking available if you want a guaranteed spot. Pets are welcome. Renters
insurance is required — easy to set up, and worth having.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Knox High sits on the corner of Central Street and E. Fifth Avenue — one of the most
walkable pockets in Knoxville. Walk out the front door on a Friday evening with no particular
plan, and you’ll end up somewhere guaranteed to make you hoppy.
Xul Beer is steps away — an award-winning microbrewery in a beautifully converted
car showroom, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a rotating lineup of IPAs, sours, and pastry
stouts. Crafty Bastard Brewery has been a neighborhood staple since 2015: small-batch,
unpretentious, with a pet-friendly patio and the kind of regulars who’ve been coming for years.
Next Level Brewing is a short walk in the other direction — trivia nights, rotating food trucks,
and beer made with locally-sourced ingredients.
Not a beer drinker? Barrelhouse by Gypsy Circus is one of only five wild cider
barrelhouses in the country — pouring craft ciders, artisan meads, and over 60 East Tennessee
made beverages, all walkable. Mother Bar is a cozy, plant-filled cocktail and wine bar with a
bottle shop attached. The kind of place that works on a first date and a hard day in equal
measure.
French Fried Vintage is a woman-owned true vintage shop at 7 Emory Place — hand
picked, well-organized, spanning every era. The Bark is a dog park and bar in one: daycare
during the day, beer garden after work. The Wild Side is a creative, welcoming hair salon just
down the street that fits the neighborhood perfectly.
For dinner, A Dopo Sourdough Pizza does wood-fired Neapolitan pies on a
sourdough crust that have landed on national best-pizza lists. Reservations go fast.
Down the street, Old City has live music, craft cocktails, a working whiskey distillery, great
coffee, and the kind of energy that makes Knoxville feel like exactly the right-sized city.
All of this is walkable. You don’t need a car to have a full life here — though you’ll have no
trouble finding parking if you do.
NEW TO KNOXVILLE? HERE’S YOUR CHEAT SHEET.
The practical stuff — good to know before you arrive.
NEAREST ER
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
~1.5 miles · Open 24 hours
POLICE NON-EMERGENCY
Knoxville Police Dept.
~1 mile · (865) 215-7285
PHARMACY
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Lawson McGhee Library
~1 mile · Mon–Thu 9am–8pm
GROCERY
Kroger on N Broadway
~1 mile · Three Rivers Market is a 5-min walk
NEIGHBORHOOD BODEGA
Belew Drug · locally owned
~1.5 miles on N Broadway
Red Panda Grocery
~10 min walk · also exceptional sandwiches
People who live here didn’t just stumble into it. They found it, and they’ve stayed.
Come take a tour. We think you’ll understand why pretty quickly.
