Why Artists Are Buying into Chattanooga Artists gave Chattanooga's Southside a new life--and the neighborhood returned the favor.

Chattanooga, Tenn., may be most famous for its choo-choo, but it's another engine entirely that's fueling much of the Southern city's renaissance. A number of initiatives have attracted and retained Chattanooga's working artists, helping them buy property, learn business basics and work with like-minded creative entrepreneurs.

"One of the great things about Chattanooga is that we are a city that really understands partnerships and collaboration," says Helen Davis Johnson, co-founder of CreateHere, a 4-year-old nonprofit that promotes culture, entrepreneurism and the arts.