Moving to Morgantown WV (Fairmont, Cheat Lake: ski resorts, new home, neighborhood)

[imnotsleeping]

Micah Girl asked: Is it a typical college town? Great book shops, coffee shops, interesting cultural activities, fun stuff to do for families? Is it progressive or conservative? Is it multicultural or homogeneous? How does it take to newcomers?


As for fun activities, Morgantown relies on the university, of course. There is an arts series, such as Broadway style shows like Cats, The Producers, etc. Every summer the WV theater puts on 7 or 8 shows. Sporting events such as Mountaineer football, basketball, soccer, etc.. A few shopping areas and malls, you've got the basics like 2 Super Wal-Marts, Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, K-Mart, etc. Local shops and restaurants. Great restaurants, actually. As far as politics go, it could be 50/50 Republican and Democrat, or maybe leaning a little more Democratic. We have a Democratic governor. They are outdoor things to do like hiking, swimming, etc. They are (supposedly) building a huge indoor waterpark about 15 miles south of town that should be open in a 2 years or so.

As for outsiders, I don't know how to answer that question, because I've never noticed things like that. It's as multicultural as WV is going to get, considering there are a lot of foreign students who attend the university and some of their children attend the public schools.

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by imnotsleeping

Micah Girl asked: Is it a typical college town? Great book shops, coffee shops, interesting cultural activities, fun stuff to do for families? Is it progressive or conservative? Is it multicultural or homogeneous? How does it take to newcomers?


As for fun activities, Morgantown relies on the university, of course. There is an arts series, such as Broadway style shows like Cats, The Producers, etc. Every summer the WV theater puts on 7 or 8 shows. Sporting events such as Mountaineer football, basketball, soccer, etc.. A few shopping areas and malls, you've got the basics like 2 Super Wal-Marts, Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, K-Mart, etc. Local shops and restaurants. Great restaurants, actually. As far as politics go, it could be 50/50 Republican and Democrat, or maybe leaning a little more Democratic. We have a Democratic governor. They are outdoor things to do like hiking, swimming, etc. They are (supposedly) building a huge indoor waterpark about 15 miles south of town that should be open in a 2 years or so.

As for outsiders, I don't know how to answer that question, because I've never noticed things like that. It's as multicultural as WV is going to get, considering there are a lot of foreign students who attend the university and some of their children attend the public schools.

Thanks for the info!

[ohho]

Could you suggest me several realtor agents for buying a house?
I am looking for a house in Morgantown area.

Thank you very much.

[HannahB2]

Try Howard Hanna, KLM, JS Walker, and Old Colony realty.

[Shoteka]

We're also moving to Morgantown this summer of fall for grad school. Hiking there must be lovely, no? How bad are the ticks in the summer? Are there many lakes/rivers for water activities?

[ausurfer]

Originally Posted by ohho

got an offer from a company in Morgantown WV. Does anyone give me any idea of the community safety, living cost, 2000 sqt house price and property tax, etc?
I checked the map of this town, it is very close to Penn. If the property tax is high in Morgantown, how about living in Penn side and working here?
Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Hi

I lived in Morgantown for almost 8 years -- moved there from Australia and only recently moved back home to Brisbane, Australia. Looks like you have had some good advice as to the places to look for a house (Cheat Lake and Southpark are probably the best -- and of course, the most expensive). Southpark is much closer to the CBD and the University than Cheat Lake.

I never felt unsafe in Morgantown, though of course you should always be careful about where you might want to walk at night. The police were always friendly to me and seemed to be dedicated to keeping the city safe and respectable. Being a college town, of course there was some petty crime, but nothing too major...more students having fun, drinking more than perhaps they should, especially when there was a football game on -- Morgantown has a reputation in relation to the burning of couches (students seem to like to do that after a particularly intense game with rivals) --Virginia Tech and Penn State are both considered the enemy. :-)

The cost of living to me seemed a little high for the size of city and what was available, but I think that the costs were inflated because of the university -- demand for housing has spiralled in the last few years, and major developments around the city should fix that some once they come on line. I also thought that the price of housing was way too high, again attributable to the University example. For not much more you could get a decent house in Pittsburgh, but of course then you'd have to commute, and with the price of gas (and winter road conditions) that wouldn't be such a good option if you were looking to save some $.

My advice -- live in Morgantown. It's not a bad place, has some great eating places and lots of major chains have recently come to the city -- so shopping choices are very good. Healthcare is excellent with a major teaching hospital (WVU) and a major private hospital (Mon General)...plus lots of specialist fields.

If you need any more info, feel free to email me.

Cheers
Kim

[ausurfer]

Originally Posted by Micah Girl

Is it a typical college town? Great book shops, coffee shops, interesting cultural activities, fun stuff to do for families? Is it progressive or conservative? Is it multicultural or homogeneous? How does it take to newcomers?

Hi
I would think it is similar to most college towns -- having spent some time in Ann Arbor (Uni of Michigan) in addition to my 8 years in Morgantown, it seemed to be pretty much the same. There is a B & N and a Books a Million in the area, plus a couple of independent booksellers.

Plenty of coffee shops -- the University has a coffee shop in its library on the main campus; there's one called Jay's Daily Grind located very close to the campus (walking distance) and is extremely popular with students and staff/faculty; there's the Blue Moose, which is a local hangout for a lot of locals. I liked it because it has free wireless internet access, so it is a great place to study and enjoy good coffee etc at the same time.

Cultural activities abound -- there's a strong international student presence and of course this generates many multi-cultural activities. You'll find a lot of neighbourhoods really band together and have activities. I doubt you'd experience any problems finding things for families -- lots of sporting fields, skating rink, swimming pools etc. Lots of great parks both in and close to the city.

In terms of how it takes to newcomers, I think it's pretty good -- once again, the presence of international students has helped there -- when I moved there from Australia, I really felt welcome (and not only because of my Aussie accent).

I think you'll enjoy it there.

If you have more questions, please feel free to email me.

Cheers
Kim

[SimpleHillbilly]

If you don't mind a 20- 25 minute drive- you might want to try Preston County if you are worried about high taxes. My taxes (1900 sq. ft house w/1.3 acres) is a little less than $300 per year. Preston County is south and east of Morgantown and a little higher elevation, so you will see more snow. I personally like it, but some people don't like the snow. It's a lot cheaper to live here. If you would take my rural dwelling with acreage to Morgantown, the price would probably be 1.5-2 times the cost.

[damnyankeega]

Hi, I have just moved here in the last few months and like Morgantown. Here's some words of advice... For resale try to stick to neighborhoods. There is no zoning outside of city limits (city has higher tax). Most homes are older. Make sure you see all the homes in your price range before you decide on one.

1.) Cheat Lake is nice but it may take you anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to get home from the Colliseum area. Nice homes, but I would rather pay more for a house and live in town than drive. Most people who live in the Cheat Lake come in to town for the events so it's you preference. Greystone is a nice neighborhood but most of the homes are older OR new and top dollar. Personally I think it is over rated. Price per sq ft $122 - 200

2.) Suncrest/ Star City is full of older small homes (1930's- 60's), excellant location in town. Occasional new homes replacing here and there. Price per sq ft $70 - $200

3.) Southpark- 80% of this area in my opinion is college housing/run down. Some nice homes in Hopecrest section, but to get anywhere from this area during rush hour is brutal. Walk to town convenience. Price per sq ft $68- $100

If you like condos or townhomes there are a million of those, you'll see.

Morgantown really does not have control over building, zoning, or infrastructure, so be very careful where you choose to live. It's a great place but backwards in some respects.

Anything else I'd be happy to help! Good Luck!

[David Kennedy]

Morgantown/Monongalia county is one of only five or six counties in West Virginia that have city AND county zoning.
Have a realtor (KLM is good) show you the sub-division off Goshen Road...Thistledown.
I doubt if you will go to any other....
Morgantown has a new city income tax...called a user fee...not a problem until it goes to a %.