Young professional woman moving to Huntington/Gallipolis (Point Pleasant, Athens: homes, safe area) - City-Data Forum

pharmacist2010 · 12-05-2009, 07:59 PM

Hi everyone,

I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA and I am graduating from pharmacy school in May 2010. I was recently offered a job as a pharmacist in the Gallipolis, OH area and I am really considering taking it. I am used to living in a city and I enjoy being around crowds. I am single and 23 years old, so I still enjoy going out to bars/clubs and meeting other people my age. I know that Gallipolis isn't exactly the most exciting place on earth, and I was wondering what you think of Huntington, WV? Are there young professionals living there? Is there any sort of nightlife in the area? What are nice, safe areas where I should look into living? Or do you think commuting all the way to here would be pointless? I also considered living in Athens, OH since there are mainly college student living there. Please feel free to recommend any other areas that may be good. I don't plan on staying in this area forever - 2 years sounds about right. THANKS!

tbailey1138 · 12-06-2009, 02:39 AM

I think Huntington will suit your needs quite well. You might start your search for a place to live on the Southside as there are many nicer homes in the area. This section of Huntington is also more convenient to downtown and to get to the interstate quickly. Living here, you will only have a short drive up Route 2 to get to Gallipolis for your work but living in Huntington will put you closer to many more things to do. The Huntington Mall should meet most of your shopping needs being the largest mall in the state. Downtown also has Pullman Square and several other quaint little shops with more currently in the planning stages. Huntington is also home to several parks with the best of these being Ritter Park. They are also currently working on extending and connecting the existing walking/biking trails around town so that once done, they will have a 26 mile network of trails to take advantage of.

There are also plenty of young professionals around with Marshall University being here and the local chamber of commerce also hosts something called the Young Professionals Committee that would be good for networking. There are also several clubs in town but the V-club and Hanks seem to be the most popular for the younger, out of college crowd. There's also plenty of events going on throughout the year with the Marshall Artist Series, the local civic arena, plenty of local festivals, the Huntington Museum of Art and all of the various activities at Marshall. If you ever need other job oportunities in the area, there are also 2 large hospitals in Huntington as well as a VA hospital. There are also several smaller facilities in addition to 3 other hospitals just across the river in KY and OH. Hope this is helpful and here are some links. Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Tim

City of Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce || YPC | Young Professionals Committee
Why Huntington WV
The V Club Night Club Live Music Huntington WV www.vclublive.com
MySpace - Huntington Underground - 100 - Male - HUNTINGTON, West Virginia - myspace.com/huntingtonunderground
WV FUNNY BONE | HOME -WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF LAUGHTER!
Big Sandy Superstore Arena - Huntington, WV
Marshall Artists Series
The Huntington Symphony Orchestra
Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV
Marshall University College of Fine Arts | Department of Art & Design | The Birke Art Gallery
Marshall University College of Fine Arts | Department of Music
Marshall University College of Fine Arts | Department of Theatre
http://www.huntingtonmall.com/home/index.ch2
Pullman Square - Restaurants Shopping Entertainment
GHPRD
The New Huntington PATH - Paul Ambrose Trail for Health

Retired Navy · 12-06-2009, 10:17 AM

As I remember it's about a 30 mile commute, one way, on Rt. 7 South from Gallipolis to Huntington. It's not a lot further if you use WV. Rt. 2. Gallipolis is a nice, clean and friendly little city but not much for the night life you want.

Silkdashocker · 12-06-2009, 12:41 PM

Retired Navy is right about Gallipolis. It's a nice little river town, across from another quiet little town in Point Pleasant. However Huntington has a lot more options as far as entertainment is concerned.

In Gallipolis, there are quite a few young professionals in the medical field due to the Holzer Hospital and clinics. I used to go there when i broke my jaw playing baseball, and they have a lot of nice young people there.

teachesathome · 12-13-2009, 10:42 PM

I have to agree with the others here. I grew up in Gallia Co OH (where Gallipolis is located) I currently live in a rural part of that county. But, I spent 13 years IN Gallipolis and 3 years living in downtown Huntington. You would find much more to do and many more young people to interact with in Huntington. In fact, my 22 yr old son and fiancee drive to Huntington for most of their entertainment. The only thing I wouldn't agree with is that it will take you an average of 45 mins to drive Rt 2 and a bit longer on Rt 7, of course depending on where you live. The six pharmacies located in Gallipolis are all in the same general location, so this is a better estimate, in my opinion. (I just drove Rt.2 last week to shop at the mall.)
Best of Luck to you in your new career. You'll find both areas friendly and welcoming.

pharmacist2010 · 12-14-2009, 10:02 PM

Thank you so much everyone! You have been very helpful. Huntington sounds like a place I could get used to for a year or two. What about Athens Ohio? I can't seem to decide between the two... I think they are about the same distance to Gallipolis.

WVPhoenix · 12-15-2009, 07:07 AM

I think Athens might be a bit of a longer trip, but not by much. In my opinion, Athens is MUCH prettier than Huntington. I think there's probably more people your age, and the bars and such are much better. The only thing I can really find lacking in Athens is there isn't much shopping.

ColoradoGuy24 · 01-31-2010, 12:22 PM

I'm in the same boat as pharmacist2010. I just accepted a job in Huntington, so I'll be moving there in a couple months from Colorado. I'm single and about to turn 24, so I'm still interested in the night life and meeting other young professionals. Are there any other places in the surrounding areas that people would recommend? Huntington sounds fun... at the same time though, I don't want to be living next door to some college students that will be throwing keggers until 3am every night.