The Scruffy Stuff

This week's podcast is not about projects that have been announced for 2023 (you can visit knoxnews.com to read all about that). Instead, we share our bold predictions for the new year – which businesses announced for 2023 might not happen, for example, and which neighborhood is going to be the hot new place to live and play.  Ryan Wilusz and Brenna McDermott have big ideas about whether crumbling...

It's a bizarre scene — sometimes harmonious, other times cacophonous but never loud. At least, not by modern dance club standards.  Silent Disco is not a new concept, but it seems to be picking up in popularity in communities across the country where people have the unshakable urge to dance.  That's definitely true in Knoxville.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com.

Knoxville has charm, but a handful of ugly structures in the city's core are dictionary-definition scruffy: unkempt, shabby and worn.  If character is what makes a downtown Knoxville building attractive, then lack of character can make it an eyesore. Ryan Wilusz, Kelli Krebs and Brenna McDermott explore the ugliest buildings in downtown Knoxville.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com....

From flavorful food trucks to fast-growing neighborhoods, downtown Knoxville and surrounding areas offered a year's worth of fun and growth in 2022. While the best way to support businesses and entrepreneurs is by spending money and spreading the word, a little recognition never hurts. That's why hosts Ryan Wilusz and Brenna McDermott take it back to the days of high school yearbooks to share supe...

For those in the giving spirit this holiday season, a large amount of money makes for a fine gift. But an even better gift is one that keeps on giving, like an upgrade to downtown infrastructure that encourages growth for generations or (on the crazier side) a publicly accessible party boat on the Tennessee River. While $50 million may seem like pocket change to some major downtown Knoxville inves...

Major residential developments have been announced for downtown Knoxville and the surrounding areas in recent weeks, and each project has unique characteristics that set them apart.  There's Honeysuckle, a condo project among the trees of South Knoxville, and the modern redevelopment of the former Hotel Knoxville. Plus, seasoned downtown developer Buzz Goss has something big planned for the lot ne...

Downtown reporter Ryan Wilusz and visual journalist Calvin Mattheis return to Knoxville to share what they learned from their trip to Durham, North Carolina, where a downtown baseball stadium opened in 1995 resembles the plans for downtown Knoxville, just east of the Old City.  As the Tennessee Smokies prepare to move downtown in 2025, visit  knoxnews.com  for more insight gathered from our trip,...

With Knoxville’s downtown stadium scheduled to open for the 2025 baseball season, Knox News and "The Scruffy Stuff" visited Durham, North Carolina, to meet with representatives of the Triple-A Bulls team and other local leaders to learn if a downtown ballpark can become a community asset and catalyze growth. Visit  knoxnews.com  for more insight gathered from our trip, including video tours and st...

It has been a wild first year for Marble City Market, the downtown food hall that hasn't lived up to its potential – yet. Since management has been turned over to Paul and Ashley Moody, the couple behind SmashCity Knoxville has been working to turn things around by making changes that include improving the food hall's public perception. Paul and Ashley join hosts Ryan Wilusz and Brenna McDermott o...

The Tennessee Volunteers' monumental win against Alabama was a "Third Saturday in October" for the history books and, shortly after, Google added "Neyland Stadium Goal Post" as a geographical pin in the Tennessee River. But this electric game, followed by fans rushing the field and even more national media attention, put Knoxville on the map in another major way. Ryan and Brenna explore how on-fie...

Simple bar food is great. There's nothing more classic than burgers or wings with beer, but bars on this podcast take it up a notch by offering high-quality flavors and unique ingredients. Then there's the more-unique side of bar food, where watering holes thrive by offering out-of-the-box items that seem totally reasonable when you're drinking and turn out to be quite tasty. Downtown reporter Rya...

Downtown Knoxville living is a fantasy for many and a reality for few. No matter how you slice it, living in the center of the city almost always is more expensive than the suburbs. Listen as growth and development editor Brenna McDermott and downtown reporter Ryan Wilusz help guide you through the decision of whether it makes sense to give urban life a try. We break down amenities that are most i...

Fall, Autumn or Spooky Season – whatever you want to call it, there's something different in the air around downtown Knoxville.  Downtown reporter Ryan Wilusz, your host, is joined by growth and development intern Keenan Thomas to discus which activities you should not miss this season, from film screenings to drink specials to fall festivals.  "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Wan...

Some live by the philosophy that rules are meant to be broken, but what about non-rules that are meant to be followed? Residents and frequent visitors of downtown Knoxville know what we're talking about, even if they never publicly acknowledge these unspoken guidelines − the shortcuts to bar entries, the etiquette on sidewalks and the red light some people believe is totally OK to run through. On...

When streaking came to Knoxville in 1974, a couple Knox News staffers were around to witness the craze that earned the city its streaking capital nickname from Walter Cronkite. Though teens at the time, they still remember (all too vividly) some of the best parts (all too literally). There were bare-bottomed bikers and robe-less rooftop revelers. Sarah Frazier, now a Shopper News editor, tagged al...

If "The Strip" isn't already unrecognizable to old-school Vols, just give it a couple years. Cumberland Avenue is heading in that direction, as the city's vision for a pedestrian-friendly corridor next to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville continues to evolve.  Chicago-based Core Spaces has major plans to build four student housing buildings, which means some existing buildings have to go. W...

As construction crews lay the groundwork for a new Tennessee Smokies stadium, team owner Randy Boyd's bold and ambitious vision for creating a new centerpiece of downtown Knoxville is off and running.  With public hurdles behind him, Boyd joins this week's episode amidst a deluge of million-dollar property transfers around the site, which already is undergoing transformations.  "The Scruffy Stuff"...

It seems like TV production gets all the attention in Knoxville, while the impact of the movie industry too often goes unnoticed.  Sure, the Scruffy City isn't a top destination for actors, stunt doubles or directors of film. But when it comes to showing a movie, Knoxville-based Regal Cinemas has you covered – in a wide variety of ways.  While part of this episode examines the future of the movie...

It wasn't long ago that a food hall or minor league baseball stadium seemed like wishful thinking for downtown Knoxville. But as the city continues to grow, so does its offerings.  Despite downtown's fantastic features, there always is room to improve.  From curated exercise experiences to unique drinking environments to more meals on wheels, Ryan and Brenna share what's on their downtown wish lis...

It's hard to get excited about an empty stadium site that has done nothing but close roads in recent months and that's still almost three years from completion. The good news is construction should be starting soon, and it doesn't appear like any additional taxpayer money will be going toward the project – sort of.  Boyd is expected to put up a loan covering cost overruns that could be repaid by a...

Paul and Ashley Moody have had a large impact on Marble City Market since the downtown Knoxville food hall opened in November, serving up mouth-watering smash burgers proven to get people in the door.  But now, with the entire food hall under their management, Moody Foods Inc. is working to help Marble City Market regain the relevancy it had leading up to its opening.  Brenna McDermott and Ryan Wi...

The downtown Knoxville stadium project might be moving slower than some people had hoped for, and the same could be said for the city's second food hall planned south of the river.  But don't get hung up on delays or what's missing. Plenty of projects planned for 2022 will be ready before the year wraps up in five months, and "The Scruffy Stuff" couldn't be more excited.  Silas Sloan joins Ryan Wi...

A sharp logo could be the difference between someone opening the door to a downtown Knoxville business or just walking past. And what makes a good logo — color schemes, readability and style – also can be what makes for a bad one.  Logos should capture the personality of a business. But when a local brewery looks corporate or a classy restaurant looks casual – that might be confusing for customers...

Within roughly the past six months, Knox News has welcomed aboard public safety reporter Liz Kellar, growth and development reporter Silas Sloan, trending news reporter Devarrick Turner and investigative reporter Anila Yoganathan. Coming from as far as Alaska and as close as North Carolina, these Knoxville newcomers have seen their expectations blown away since exploring the city in more depth.  T...

While bars across Tennessee could soon see their cigarette-friendly rules go up in smoke, the city of Knoxville does not plan to act on a new state law allowing local governments to place additional bans on smoking indoors.  Brenna and Ryan discuss the new law and how allowing indoor smoking can impact downtown Knoxville bars and their customers, from Preservation Pub to Urban Bar & Corner Caf...