Any student looking for something fun to do need look no further than their own backyard. With many renovations completed and more changes still to come, many feel the downtown and Market Square district is the perfect place to spend some free time.

Some of the notable changes in downtown would be the addition of the Mast General Store and the Regal Riviera Stadium 8, along with the renovations and re-openings of the Tennessee and the Bijou theatres, drawing more people downtown.

Jeanine Brown, assistant manager of the Bijou Theatre, said, "I have to say my first three years at UT ... I came to the Bijou one time. So I definitely think ... with the Tennessee being renovated and reopened, now the Bijou, and ... different spots on Market Square ...there's always something to do."

These venues for movies, theatre and music have been a major reason for people to return back downtown, especially for students, since previously the nearest place to catch a flick would be in West Hills or Turkey Creek. Charlotte Tolley, a manager at Bliss, a locally owned shop in Market Square, has noticed the increase in people. "Definitely. And then the movie theater opened this year, [with] huge backing by the mayor, so they've been really pushing people down here. And there's just events going on all the time now," she said.

"Events galore" might be a better way to put it. With downtown looking better every day, it now is being used more often by the community. Tour de Lights, Sundown in the City, Fantasy of Trees, Farmer's Market, Holidays on Ice, Big Orange Blast pep rally - these are just a few of the events offered by locals, businesses and the community. 

Mayor Bill Haslam has been a big supporter of the downtown development, even investing personal money into it, and he can be seen from time to time at the Regal Riviera or other events downtown. But Mayor Haslam's involvement is really only a fraction of what the city government has been doing for downtown, as "there are a number of behind-the-scene ways" the city is encouraging growth and development downtown, said Madeleine Weil, the deputy director of policy for Knoxville.

With events frequently occurring downtown, there needs to be some way to feed the masses, and, to answer this need, new restaurants are popping up all over, one of the newest being Trio (which stands for Three Refreshing Innovative Options). Trio opened this past March in the Square. "I put the restaurant here because I moved downtown and felt like it was such a happening cool place, and it needed a very fun restaurant to blend in," said Adrienne Knight, one of the restaurant's owners.

If Trio's first week open was any indication, then this restaurant really is a perfect addition to Market Square. "As a matter of fact, we didn't do any advertising, we just opened the doors. And, in the first week that we were open, we did more business than I even anticipated. I mean, we ran out of food, didn't have enough staff -  it was just crazy-busy," Knight said.

Downtown is also turning into to great place to live. Knight herself resides in the area. "It's hip and growing still, very eclectic. It's just a nice blend of people. Besides the fact that all the urban development and the neat lofts that are being built... - fun!"

Thomas Williams, a UT graduate of fall 2007 and a realtor, has invested many hours into downtown real estate, with his biggest project being the renovations at the Chocolate Factory. "I thought it'd be cool to do a project that involved a historic building in Knoxville that revitalizes it and brings people back down ... to what the city used to be and used to be used for," he said. He also feels like downtown is quickly becoming a more popular place to live. "I see a lot more students moving downtown because they like that feel. You know, they go to New York and they're like, ‘All right, I want to live like that, but I'm still in Knoxville.'"

More living space is becoming available, as all the unused buildings downtown are being bought and converted into condos. With the addition of new condos, according to Williams, prices for downtown real estate will stay steady for the next year, but will "skyrocket ... in the next six or seven years."

Downtown also provides stores to buy furniture and home products, with shops like Bliss, which has three locations in Market Square. "You can tell when school's back. People are moving into dorms, and with our ‘Home' store we can see people coming in there and getting [things] for their new [apartments and dorms]," Tolley said. "When I was in school, there wasn't anything like that down here." Bliss has also begun to sell clothes, which Tolley thinks has helped bring students into their stores as well. Clothes are also sold in Mast General Store and Vagabondia.

After a full day of shopping and events, there is no lack for late-night activities in downtown, as perhaps many students are already aware. Blue Cats, Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria, Preservation Pub, and the Downtown Grill and Brewery are some popular locations for music and drinks. Students can also check out the new additions of Club 106 and the Knoxville Pearl for late-night fun. So no matter which theater the student is leaving or when that midnight craving hits, there are several location downtown still serving the student population.

And the city also provides a safe way for the students who stay up later than most to get back home. "One thing that we've done recently is we've worked with Regal to help set up the Late-line Trolley, so that it starts a little bit earlier," providing students with safe transportation to and from the downtown area, said Weil.

With all these different attractions, and the number still growing, it's not hard to see why more and more people are heading in the direction of downtown. But there's still something more that makes the area so appealing.

"[Downtown] has a pretty sizeable residential population, but it also is the place where people from all over Knoxville come either see a play, or now see a movie, or go to a restaurant, or go to an event on Market Square, a parade on Gay street," said Weil. "We want Knoxville residents to feel like it belongs to them. We like to say... ‘Downtown is really everybody's neighborhood.'"

"I can tell you what draws me to downtown," said Tolley. "It has much more personality... than the new developments, like strip malls or whatever... Turkey Creek - Y'know, it's so far... People talk about... there's all those great shops there - yeah, there is but... there's no personality in hanging out in a strip mall."

Knight explained why she lives downtown. "I felt like moving from Hawaii, that it was so beautiful in paradise, that the only cool place in Knoxville was downtown, so if I was going to live in Knoxville, I was going to live in the best place."