Does my criteria fit Roanoke? (Lynchburg, Blacksburg: rentals, crime rate, home)

[Book Lover]

Good Schools,prefer charter school if possible
Parks for kids and pets
No restrictions on pets
Various shopping opportunities
College of some kind near by
Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts and Kids sports teams near by
Open minded when it comes to non church attendance
Close to interstate
3 bedroom's for rent under 800$ a month
Plenty of eateries. Wife is a chef. She may want to work as well as I.

We were considering and still are Ky and Fl but my family is in NC wife's is in WV so this is half way plus its not far from the beach. We seemed to have skipped over Va all together somehow until now...We would even be happy with living outside Roanoke some if we could get what we wanted outside of the city.

[headnsouth]

Roanoke fits your list for the most part. No charter school but plenty of school choice. Not sure what restrictions on pets you mean but Roanoke is pet-friendly for sure. Dog park, chickens in urban backyards, etc. It's definitely churchy here but attendance isn't mandatory by any stretch.

[titaniummd]

Originally Posted by Book Lover

Good Schools,prefer charter school if possible
Parks for kids and pets
No restrictions on pets
Various shopping opportunities
College of some kind near by
Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts and Kids sports teams near by
Open minded when it comes to non church attendance
Close to interstate
3 bedroom's for rent under 800$ a month
Plenty of eateries. Wife is a chef. She may want to work as well as I.

We were considering and still are Ky and Fl but my family is in NC wife's is in WV so this is half way plus its not far from the beach. We seemed to have skipped over Va all together somehow until now...We would even be happy with living outside Roanoke some if we could get what we wanted outside of the city.

Pet restrictions depend upon your rental agreement if you choose to do so. Most places I reviewed had weight limits, no more than 30 pounds. Larger rentals are pretty sparse. You may want to try Zillow or Craigslist to see what fits your rental budget.

Shopping....well, Mebane, NC is not too far away (outlet malls).

Aside from that, your criteria is met.

[Book Lover]

Cool. I was looking on the city website and it said something about registering pets? I couldn't figure out if it was mandatory or no? I did look on craigslist and its about the same as Florida prices which is fine...What are some of the better areas/towns outside of Roanoke?

[titaniummd]

Daleville
Lynchburg
Blacksburg
Christiansburg
Clearbrook
Boones Mill
Fincastle
Catawba

[williamsleary]

I work in Mental Health here in Central FL and would probably rent before I bought dream home in Virginia. I was ultimately hoping for a modest home on an acre of land with mountains in view, a lake within driving distance, a decent town to take a stroll with or without my small dogs, a park, movie theater, some decent festivals to attend, history and culture, acceptance of diversity, a museum or two, and library or two, 4 seasons, with less humidity than central FL, and a slightly lower crime rate than Orlando. Is there a place in Virginia that meets this criteria that you know of?

[roanoker 4]

Originally Posted by williamsleary

I work in Mental Health here in Central FL and would probably rent before I bought dream home in Virginia. I was ultimately hoping for a modest home on an acre of land with mountains in view, a lake within driving distance, a decent town to take a stroll with or without my small dogs, a park, movie theater, some decent festivals to attend, history and culture, acceptance of diversity, a museum or two, and library or two, 4 seasons, with less humidity than central FL, and a slightly lower crime rate than Orlando. Is there a place in Virginia that meets this criteria that you know of?

I assume you are looking for a small town in this region. Look at Montgomery County which tends to be about 10 degrees cooler in summer than Roanoke Valley due to higher elevations. Some say it is less humid but it does get humid here like everywhere on the East Coast, but not as bad in this part of VA. Smith Mountain Lake is the big lake around here and the major town is Bedford, about 20 miles from Roanoke, adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway, beautiful mountain views! Another town south of Roanoke is Rocky Mount which is also
close to the Lake, maybe a little bigger than Bedford but it still is a big favorite of retirees.

[headnsouth]

Originally Posted by Book Lover

Cool. I was looking on the city website and it said something about registering pets? I couldn't figure out if it was mandatory or no?

Yes I think it's like $5/year per dog. No idea about other animals. I need to re-up my mutt, thanks for the reminder.

[Book Lover]

Ah. So its mandatory to register a pet like you do a car? Wow...that's just weird.

[headnsouth]

It's been the case everywhere I've lived. Urban/suburban/village, several states. I've never lived out in a rural area though, I imagine it's different there.