Welcome to the Tennessee River and Clifton, Tennessee

Clifton is home to an emerging arts district, with local theater, fine arts, music, literature, and artisan crafts fueling the town’s culture. Life in an artsy small town is about more than craft fairs and festivals, though Clifton has plenty of both. It means stretching your wings and auditioning for a part in community theater; abundant arts programming for kids, local studios open for tours. You can even experience a piece of literary history at the historic home of T.S. Stribling, the first Tennessean to win a Pulitzer Prize in literature for his 1933 novel, The Store.

Folks in Clifton claim their river gem with pride. They love the quiet pace, close-knit community, and gorgeous backdrop. Plenty of non-natives are catching on, too. They’re walking away from the packed restaurants and urban buzz of “It” cities to enjoy picnics on the library lawn and slow, peaceful dinners on the riverfront. They’re more than willing to trade tourist-packed nightlife for relaxed, comfortable evenings catching up with their neighbors at a local watering hole like the Bear Inn or the Clifton Marina.

In fact, the Marina’s new owners are transplants themselves. They arrived with boat dreams to fulfill, and loved this community so much they now own a historic Main Street building they’ve turned into a thriving Airbnb destination called The Landing. Another “newcomer” family opened an art studio on Main Street; yet another has taken on the role of volunteer curator at the T.S. Stribling Museum. Proof that it’s easy to fall in love with Clifton, and easy to find your place on the river.