Quote:
Originally Posted by RedWhiteBlack
I realize they are not mountainous, but i am willing to compromise on that some what, are they near mountains? is it poor looking with run down buildings,and abandoned lots like alot of west virginia is? How is the job market? i have a cdl class b and more than likely will be looking for manufactoring work or transfering with my company which is home depot is there one near by? How is the crime?
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Ashland isn't that bad...I should know, since I live in the Ashland area. I'd call the area "hilly" instead of mountainous. If you travel about an hour to the east or south, you'll begin to see "real" mountains. These aren't the huge mountains that you see in the western U.S., but they're definitely mountains and offer plenty of recreational activities. From the Ashland area, you can make easy day trips to places like Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge, and Breaks Interstate Park, as well as several lakes and state parks.
Ashland is a small industrial town. It's like most other places...it has nicer neighborhoods and not-so-nice neighborhoods. When I say "not-so-nice neighborhoods," I don't mean unsafe places full of empty houses and vacant lots. These are simply neighborhoods with modest, older houses, some of which are suffering from neglect. I'd break down the neighborhoods like this:
25% very nice with beautiful houses, mature trees, etc.
50% decent, well-maintained middle class homes
15% pretty small older houses but still generally well-maintained
10% in bad shape, some just need a paint job and others need to be torn down altogether
The downtown business district has a few vacant buildings, but I'd estimate that at least 80-85% of downtown buildings are occupied and a few more are in the process of being remodeled. This is actually an improvement over ten years ago. The riverfront is largely filled with industrial businesses, although the city is planning to carve out a little space for a riverfront park. These industrial businesses (especially on the south side of town) are not exactly attractive to look at. Unfortunately, people often pass through town along Rt. 23, which bypasses the main business district and travels along the river (right by all the industries). People from out of town see all the "ugly stuff" but almost none of the nice parts of town. This gives people the impression that Ashland is a poor, depressing place, but this is really only a small part of the whole picture. I'm not going to pretend that Ashland is some kind of thriving metropolis with cutural activities to rival New York City, but it's not a bad place to raise a family. The local economy isn't great, but the hospitals have added a lot of jobs and some of the larger industrial employers have been doing better over the last couple of years.
The nearest Home Depot is in Barboursville, which is just east of Huntington. It's about 25-30 miles from Ashland, depending on what part of town you live in. As far as crime is concerned, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Ashland is a fairly safe city.
I may try to take some pictures of the local area this week and post them on this site.
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Pictures of the Ashland area
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