Is Buffat Heights safe?
Knoxville, Tennessee · safety score updated nightly
Mostly yes, with normal city awareness.
VibeLoco rates Buffat Heights as “Go, stay aware”.
Gogo's take on Buffat Heights
“Go. Buffat Heights is a peaceful, established residential community in Northeast Knoxville that poses minimal safety concerns for visitors. While there are few traditional tourist attractions within the neighborhood itself, its quiet streets and suburban setting make it safe to navigate by car.”
About the area
Buffat Heights is a hilly, wooded residential enclave in Knoxville characterized primarily by mid-century single-family homes and modest suburban lots. It offers a quiet, relaxed atmosphere removed from urban bustle while maintaining quick highway access to downtown Knoxville and nearby parks.
- Quiet Residential
- Car-Dependent
- Hilly / Wooded
- Suburban Pocket
Walking and biking in Buffat Heights
Walk score: 18/100 · Bike score: 22/100
There are no dedicated bike lanes or bike-share stations in Buffat Heights, and narrow, hilly roadways require caution when cycling.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Lower rates of violent crime compared to the wider Knoxville urban core
- Stable residential neighborhood with high homeownership and mature tree cover
- Quick vehicular connectivity to I-640, Broadway, and downtown Knoxville
Cons
- Occasional opportunistic property crimes like vehicle break-ins along perimeter routes
- Almost complete lack of pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks and crosswalks
- Virtually no commercial amenities or dining within immediate residential boundaries
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is negligible within the residential core of Buffat Heights, with only occasional individuals seen along major commercial routes further south.
What Buffat Heights is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and safe as residents start their morning commutes with little to no foot traffic.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Calm and quiet, with street presence mostly restricted to delivery vehicles and occasional yard care.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Settled and safe, though limited streetlighting on interior lanes requires extra attentiveness.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Very dark and low-activity; safety risks remain low, but walking is uncommon due to car-dependent infrastructure.
Transit, parking and getting around
Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) serves the broader region via routes along outer arteries like Rutledge Pike and Washington Pike, but service does not penetrate the interior neighborhood streets.
Free residential curbside parking is widely available without permits, and nearby commercial plazas offer abundant free surface parking.
Things to do in Buffat Heights
- Enjoy the playgrounds, splash pad, and walking trails at nearby New Harvest Park
- Take a scenic drive through the rolling hills and wooded streets of Northeast Knoxville
- Visit nearby Alice Bell Park for open green space and community baseball fields
Local favorites
- Pizza Palace · Italian Drive-In · 4.4★ (2150)Iconic vintage drive-in diner famous for scratch-made pizzas, spaghetti, and onion rings since 1952.
- Pratt's Country Store · Country Store & Deli · 4.7★ (1120)Longtime local staple offering fresh produce, smoked meats, baked goods, and Southern deli favorites.
- El Mezcal Mexican Restaurant · Mexican Restaurant · 4.3★ (920)Neighborhood eatery serving generous platters of classic Mexican fare and margaritas in a relaxed setting.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.
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