Drive time: From Signal Mountain Town Hall, where the ball parks, tennis courts and pool as well as the Signal police department are located on Taft Highway, it is roughly a 14-minute drive to cover the 8.4 miles to the Tennessee Aquarium downtown.
Locator map: https://tennessee.hometownlocator.com/cities/map,n,signal%20mountain-tn,fid,1270254.cfm
Curb appeal: The median sales price of homes in Signal Mountain was $415,000 in 2021.
Breakfast: Mayfly Coffee offers an eclectic array of coffees, plus outside seating for enjoying cool mountain mornings and WiFi. Plus, there are some locally named breakfast options such as the Taft breakfast burrito (egg, cheese, bacon and sausage).
Lunch: Whether you dine in or order for takeout, the Southern Star delivers on its slogan of putting "a little South in your mouth." The menu varies but the staples, such as the Rooster (chicken) sandwich with fries on Wednesdays and fried catfish on Fridays are always popular. Southern Star offers prepared take-out options for dinner, too, but the Mexican food next door at El Metate is worth the trip as well. Plus, the connection to the town can be felt throughout the restaurant, whether it's a ball team eating after practice or a book club chatting over chimichangas and margaritas.
New business: The ever-changing options at Pruett's Market in the heart of Signal Mountain have made the grocery store a destination for shoppers and snackers alike. Food options change but the outdoor sitting areas offer green spaces as well as fireplaces. Plus, the new addition of the draft craft beer offerings offers an added way to unwind.
In the News:
- UTC lecturer has a squirrel sanctuary on her 11-acre Signal Mountain property.
Happy Place: Signal Mountain is among the area's most popular communities for families, and the town embraces public parks with a vigor. One of the most recognized public venues is the Pumpkin Patch right off Taft Highway about a mile past Town Hall. Trails for walking wind around all sorts of playground equipment for kids of almost all ages.
Shop Talk: Several retailers have found a niche on Signal. Threads is a personalized boutique for thoughtful gifts. Mountain Top Toys is a birthday gift staple - especially for those last-minute party shoppers - and is a hubbub of activity around the holidays. Accents draws shoppers from off the mountain with an eclectic mix of clothing, home decor, jewelry and gifts.
Livability score sheet
Walkability: There are a lot of mid-day walkers braving the hills for exercise throughout Signal neighborhoods. Plenty of sidewalk space accommodates most areas, and the growing number of cyclists also is notable.
Health care assets: There are two small satellite offices of the two largest Chattanooga hospitals - Erlanger and CHI Memorial - on Signal, as well as a walk-in clinic in the CVS drug store on the main mountain road.
Claim to fame: Speaking of the main mountain road, it's impossible not to notice the infamous spaceship house as you navigate up the 1,790-foot rise in elevation to the top of Signal. And the name - Spaceship House - truly says it all.
Parks and rec: The town operates several leagues that occupy the parks in Signal. There are two ball fields and four batting cages at Town Hall Fields. There is one field and a T-ball set-up at Timberlinks Fields. Plus, adjacent to the public pool at Town Hall are tennis courts as well as the Town Hall gymnasium.
Schools:
- Nolan Elementary, grades K-5; enrollment 672.
- Thrasher Elementary, grades K-5; enrollment 550.
- Signal Mountain Christian School, grades K-5; enrollment 43.
- Signal Mountain Middle High School, grades 6-12; enrollment 1,240.