Drive time: Eastgate Town Center in Brainerd is 6.9 miles from the Tennessee Aquarium if driving Brainerd Road and McCallie Avenue.
Locator maps: The Brainerd community is essentially bisected by Brainerd Road, which runs from Missionary Ridge to South Chickamauga Creek. It is bordered to the south by Interstate 24 and to the north by Shallowford Road.
Curb appeal: The median selling price for houses in Brainerd in 2025 was $269,000, an increase of 7.6 percent over the previous year, according to a Greater Chattanooga Realtors report.
Breakfast: Name a breakfast chain, and Brainerd Road probably has it. Waffle House, Huddle House and IHOP can all be found within five minutes of each other. If you’re looking for something quicker, hit up Krispy Kreme. The doughnut shop rolls out seasonal lineups, or you can stick with the classics, like glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and maple iced.
Lunch: Mah Kin is one of several restaurants that opened in Brainerd in 2025. The restaurant specializes in traditional Thai cuisine, from tom yum to naem khao tod to Chor Thong. Food writer Lyric Lewin tried the latter and wrote: “The adorable dumplings are perfect for sharing with kids since they are not spicy and fit perfectly into tiny palms dipping the tiny bundles into sweet soy sauce.”