Manchester thriving and Tullahoma dying?

The recent release of U.S. census figures for Manchester and Tullahoma show one town is growing and the other is barely treading water.

Manchester's population grew to 10,102 in 2010, which is a 22 percent increase compared to its population in 2000. Tullahoma's population was fairly stagnant, growing only 3.7 percent to 18,655 people.

What does it mean? It means Manchester is enjoying the benefits of a better geographical location when compared to Tullahoma. Manchester is the county seat of Coffee County and is located along Interstate 24. This is important because Manchester is only a 30-minute drive from Murfreesboro, which has been a boomtown over the last decade.

Murfreesboro's population has now topped 100,000 and Manchester appears to be a logical choice for those not wanting to live in larger cities. Add the exposure the town gets from such events as the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Manchester appears to be at the right place at the right time.

While Tullahoma is a nice city, it appears adrift geographically from the areas of central Tennessee that have shown substantial growth, and I do not know what can be done about that.

If given the choice of which city to live, Manchester is the obvious place to be right now.

Tullahoma becoming Manchester's suburb

I have lived in Manchester for almost all my life, and during this time, I have seen the town grow. Before the recession, there was a boom in housing, plus Manchester is an international player on the music scene with the Bonnaroo festival. Strategically located along Interstate 24, it is only a half-hour drive from Murfreesboro, which has been a city of enormous growth during the last decade or so.

Toss in quality of life perks like a blossoming park system, and Manchester is a town with a strong heartbeat.

Because of all this, I can't help but think of the role reversal Manchester and Tullahoma have seen. When growing up, the towns were opposites in many ways. Manchester is the county seat of Coffee County, but Tullahoma has the bigger population. Because of this, a natural rivalry exists between the towns.

However, the moods of the towns are different now. While Manchester has grown, Tullahoma really has not. When I was a teenager, it was very common to go to Tullahoma to see a movie or cruise around Northgate Mall. Today, Northgate Mall appears virtually empty and the movie theater is second rate. Why go see a movie there when just a little longer drive to Murfreesboro lets a person see a film in the comfort of stadium seating?

Bobby Dylan wrote: "The times, they are a-changin.'" He was right, but I don't think he had Coffee County in mind when he wrote it.