Info on Farmville...small farms, country life in Va? (Richmond: low income, best cities)

[cody]

Hi there! My wife fell in love with the Farmville area on a recent job interview and we will be moving there shortly. We currently live in a rural community in upstate NY; we have a small 45 acre country house and horses and donkeys. We reallyenjoy the relaxed country lifestyle and the outdoors, but snow lasts too long up near the Great Lakes, so we are really looking forward to spending more times outdoors in Va. Any advice from people in SoVa on the area? Hiking trails, canoe routes, neat old towns, etc, that we can explore? Thanks for the help.

[onevthoki]

You know, I grew up in nearby Nottoway County, but unfortunately didn't do much in Farmville as far as outdoor recreation. There is Twin Lake State Park (Twin Lakes State Park) in Prince Edward County that may provide you some options. There is also a Rails to Trails project that I heard quite a bit about at one time (High Bridge Rail Trails Virginia State Park). Not sure what point it is at now, but you might look into that.

Hope this helps.

[slowlane]

Farmville is the most cosmopolitan town in the very rural several-County surrounding region, because of Longwood University and its cultural offerings, also Hampden-Sydney College, both whose faculties include many Northerners, making the town's society less insular. The town has a new YMCA, a new movie complex, a new Lowe's store, a new hotel, and the enormous Green Front furniture store. Also a small hospital, and I think a community theater the "Waterworks Players". Further south an hour, on the VA-NC border is a very large lake-reservoir popular with fishermen and boaters where people have cabins. Charlottesville which is rated by several sources as one of the best cities in the USA to live in, or retire to, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an hour to the North (but more expensive to live in). Lynchburg, an hour to the west, has some historic architecture and culture and has the large fundamentalist Liberty University which has just opened a new winter sports facility. Amelia, VA has a mine. I understand the town of Scottsville has some charm.

[cody]

Thanks for the info,

We can't wait to put roots down in the area...the people we've met have been fantastic and the area is rural like back home. The High Bridge Trail and the natural state parks in the area really sealed the deal for us, my wife is a runner and we both enjoy the outdoors. We are looking for a small house (1600sf+) with some acreage (10+ acres) for our horses/donkeys that is kind of quiet and private, and near those areas. She will be working in Burkeville, so we were thinking places near Green Bay, Keysville, Rice, etc would be a good in-between area, and still close to Farmville. Since we are new to the area, anything special we should be concerned about? Are basements usual or a lot of crawl spaces? How's the area for well-water? Traffic doesn't look bad at all. I thank you for all your help!

[onevthoki]

Seriously, in Burkeville? One of my parents has worked in Burkeville for over 20 years! It's not often you hear folks that even know where Burkeville is located!! :-)

Okay, you mentioned looking for a house. On the basement side, I think it will depend on the house. My folks built there home over 20 years ago and it does have a basement. But then there are plenty of others that do not. As to well water, haven't heard any complaints.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

[Polly.Anna]

What a small world! I, too, am going to Burkeville in a few months. Driving isn't my favorite activity, however, I don't think I have seen any room/ apartment for rent near Burkeville.

Farmville seems like the closest town. I tried Craigslist and other websites but am not having much luck finding an affordable 1 Bed 1 Bath in Farmville. Most seem to be for undergraduates or individuals with low income. Someone has suggested the Farmville Herald. Is there anything else you would recommend?

Thank you for your time.

[slowlane]

I have visited relatives once or twice annually, in the Burkeville-Crewe area all my long life. Burkeville is a very small, incorporated village where two US highways intersect. It has the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital (it may have a different name now?), a Tyson chicken factory, a Luck's stone quarry, two convenience stores, and a nice Comfort Inn. No longer any Greyhound busses or newspaper. Crewe is a bigger town, established in 1888 for the railroad repair shops - with charming big Victorian homes. Crewe has lost its former supermarket and some other shops - people now gravitate toward big-box department stores in Farmville and Blackstone. The closest supermarkets and Wal-Mart's are in Farmville and Blackstone.

[onevthoki]

Polly - Some folks may advertise their rentals in the Blackstone paper, The Courier Record. If you do an on-line search a link should be there. Good luck with your move!

[slowlane]

Cody mentioned Keysville, VA. Keysville has one of the two campuses of the small "Southside Virginia Community College" - also a small cigarette factory. Even further southwest, in the larger town of "South Boston" is a cultural arts facility called "The Prizery" (which has a website).

Farmville endured some shame in the 1950s by completely closing down its public schools for a few years to avoid racial integration, but that is now "ancient history".

[bornnraise]

Keysville is a very small and quiet country town, people are every friendly and alot of open land. It is nice to raise a family. The town has one grocery store, a Burger King, a pizza/italian restaurant, a motel/diner, a Community College and anything else larger you will have to drive to Farmsville or Richmond.