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Charleston metro area is doing fine. Look at the growth west of Charleston. I don't think it's anything to worry about, or all that suprising.
Unfortunately it isn't doing that well, in fact I believe that Forbes survey was including the metro area. There is decent growth in Putnam (mostly all from Kanawha County) but it hasn't been nearly enough to stop the hemorrhage from other counties in the metro.
You will notice the Charleston metro has dropped from 309,635 in 2000 to 303,950 in 2007, although it did manage to eek out around 100 new residents this year. This isn't a unique thing in WV though, with the exception of Morgantown and Martinsburg, technically no MSA's in WV are really faring well. Huntington has had large losses so have Parkersburg, Wheeling, Weirton, etc.
Not trying to sound doom and gloom but people always tout the growth in Putnam as some sort of lifesaver, that county has done nothing but suck the life out of Kanawha and to a lesser extent Cabell. I had quite a few friends from Putnam in college...they all moved there from Kanawha.
I still think even with large population loss, Charleston still has quite a bit to offer, especially when compared to other areas in WV.
This town is going right down the drain. Walk downtown and it is rundown and dirty. The mayor is a hateful arrogant ***h***. There aren't many decent jobs. Why would the young people stay?
Born in Charleston, kin on mom's side from St. Albans.
Before I knew any better, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. I look at a cousin my age and the paths we've taken.
She's living in Huntington, on her 4th or 5th marriage with scads of kids. She's got dreams but none of them materialize. She's been to the Grand Canyon (once) and Ohio. She graduated high school.
I'm still on my first marriage (sometimes I wonder!), have lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Colorado, and Louisiana. College grad with frankly incredible career.
One's no better than the other, I wonder what I would have become had we stayed.
The state is so gorgeous, there's so much to offer. That it's not exploited is pathetic. WVA is so stunning, the scenery is amazing, the parks are incredible, the people are poor but usually wonderful.
The missed opportunities in such a beautiful place are shameful.
Dog Lover, that type of stuff with life has more to do with the people involved than it does with the location you are in. 5 different people can look at the same situation in life and come out of it with 5 different outcomes.
I agree though that this state does not promote itself as it should. It only promotes itself as a place to vacation/visit rather than a place to live and do business. This place could be so much better if the leaders would believe in its potential like many of the people do!
Dog Lover, that type of stuff with life has more to do with the people involved than it does with the location you are in. 5 different people can look at the same situation in life and come out of it with 5 different outcomes.
I agree though that this state does not promote itself as it should. It only promotes itself as a place to vacation/visit rather than a place to live and do business. This place could be so much better if the leaders would believe in its potential like many of the people do!
As you stated; cousins can be quite a bit different--------much more so than siblings.
That's a sad article to read about my home town. I had one day hoped to return to Charleston but if you read it at face value, it makes it sound like the city will be dried up and blown away by the time I make it back up there.
One thing I think that hurts Charleston more than anything is motivation by the people. Every single friend of mine who ever went up there with me who was from somewhere else said the same thing after interacting with the locals for a few days - that everyone seemed depressed, down, and had a general, "there's nothing great possible" attitude. I would have to agree now that I've lived in other places since then.
Of course, a strong job base and economy is going to make any city thrive, and the lack of anyone in leadership to work on city tourism is hurting the city as well. Nice attractive public spaces to perk folks up and make people want to live near them is another thing that Charleston seems to lack. The word "landscaping" isn't common.
Here's an interesting video someone posted about Chattanooga. It's a good comparison since Chattanooga is roughly the same size as Charleston, and also sits in a valley on a river, too. At one time it was a dried up hull of a city, but now has a large tourist industry, and a lot of public spaces that are making people want to move there to live (bringing attention and industry with them). The only different is that there seems to be a good number of people with drive and "umph" to them there, and maybe some folks in Charleston need to light a fire under the britches to get motivated like this. Now some of this video is a little "blah" but watch it through - it's got some good pointers to what a city CAN do if enough motivation is behind it: YouTube - Fred Kent
Our government fails the people by not creating wealth for most everyone....and that key to a greater society is tied directly to education...
It has never been the intention or practice of the Wv government at any level to really do anything about education. The high school consolidation process, the great overloading of administration...the useless overload and costs of too many small colleges (now universities...all of this is a great finiancial drain...and it has been a failure to our kids for the most part.
the solution has always been to move to other areas of the USA and not waste a lifetime here...things are changing...its regional...Putman County, EP...Morgantown/Bridgeport/Grafton. Sen. Byrd changed it...no one else.
The entire country is failing and WV is standing out in many ways. I'm glad I stayed and weathered the storm.
Our government fails the people by not creating wealth for most everyone....
When I make that point elsewhere, they call me a communist.
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It makes me so sad
