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We lived in the Roanoke area for a year, and there were many strange things that I never anticipated. If you are from a more progressive state, it will be like going back in time, and not in a good way. After a year in the Roanoke area, we moved up the road to a college town, but are ultimately thinking of going back to NJ.
First is the job situation. If you have a pension and your wife works from home, you are all set, but if you need to look for a job you might not turn up much beside $10/hr part-time jobs. As for job benefits, this will leave you in the Marketplace zone, which is fine, but if your income is below a certain range, your kids will have to go on Medicaid. Our son's application sat in the Medicaid office waiting for approval for six months. with no answer as to when it would be approved or denied. I just wanted it denied so he could be on our Marketplace plan. So my 10 year old was basically uninsured from January til June. Then, of course, he broke his arm.
It took about two months of phone calls to get him out of the Medicaid/Marketplace snafu, and of course, after the arm fracture, we had the hospital and ortho doctor on our backs to pay up.
More with the job situation, if you aren't 'kin to someone, or have an out of the area accent, you'll have a much harder time than a local in finding a job.
Churches - way too much religion here. With a lot of people we met, the first question they asked was, "You want to join our church?" If I said no, I never saw them much after that. A lot of the kids activities, social groups and such revolved around churches.
Racism - it still exists here. I don't think gays are accepted too well either.
Dogs - we could never keep the windows open because of the large number of dogs barking day and night. I was nervous taking a walk as there were so many dangerous-looking dogs behind fences, looking like they'd be over the top in a matter of seconds.
A lot of the homes we looked at on our initial home search were foreclosures (that should have been a red flag for us).
There was a lot of bullying in the school - of minority children, foster children and special needs kids. On a field trip, I was horrified to see the special kids be bullied. My son said it happened often.
There are a lot of people living below the poverty line, and a lot of issues with drugs. This might have a direct correlation to the other odd thing around here - a large amount of children living in foster care, or being raised by grandparents and distant relatives.
So come down and really do your homework before moving. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I wish someone had told me all this before we moved.
No worries, I appreciate your honesty. Sorry to hear of your misfortunes, hope things turn around for you. It's a big risk making a move, some land on their feet, others on their face. Wasn't but 5-6 years ago we moved out of state and wound up moving back because things didn't go well. We've pretty much righted the ship, which makes us gun shy to ever consider moving again, especially with two kids in tow. We're going to give ourselves a year to contemplate, and if the desire is still there and things look good, we'll make the move. By then, we hope to have enough visits to the area under our belt to make an informed decision and have jobs lined up. Anything short of that, I believe we'll end up staying where we're at. Thanks again and good luck to you.
For the record, I moved to Roanoke from Northern Virginia 7 years ago and had an experience nearly the opposite of hers -- good employment, very friendly people, nice places to live (and affordable), and no one (that I know of) cared that I don't go to church. I'm straight but none of my gay friends/acquaintances have mentioned that they face intolerance in the area. I am sorry to hear she and her family didn't like it or had a difficult time or lived in a bad neighborhood, but that experience shouldn't be considered the norm for Roanoke. Good luck with your decision.
For the record, I moved to Roanoke from Northern Virginia 7 years ago and had an experience nearly the opposite of hers -- good employment, very friendly people, nice places to live (and affordable), and no one (that I know of) cared that I don't go to church. I'm straight but none of my gay friends/acquaintances have mentioned that they face intolerance in the area. I am sorry to hear she and her family didn't like it or had a difficult time or lived in a bad neighborhood, but that experience shouldn't be considered the norm for Roanoke. Good luck with your decision.
I agree with CapsChic’s post. We moved here from the Northeast about two years ago and we love it here. All experiences with neighbors and local people have been excellent and we find the people here to be warm and friendly. Yes, many people are religious here and do belong to various churches,however it seems to be more of a social and community aspect more so than back east. I think that’s more of a positive than a negative and really don’t think others judge us if we choose not to belong to a church. Sure there are several things from the NE that we do miss, but all things considered, this area offers much more for us.
The job market can’t really be compared to some of the largest Cities in the US. We lived just noth of NYC and close to north NJ so obviously it was a top area for gainful employment and salaries, however the taxes and cost of living were one of the highest in the US as well. Obviously we considered all of that prior to our move to Roanoke and have been happy ever since. This area might not work for all people, however it is a truly wonderful place to live for many reasons.
Carrie's experience doesn't mirror my own either. Granted, I'm new here, but I've done quite a lot of prospecting thus far.
Overall, at least downtown, it doesn't feel especially "churchy". In fact I have yet to encounter anyone mentioning religion in any capacity whatsoever. Salem, on the other hand, comes across like it might be that way. But even there I haven't seen any obnoxious overblown displays of "holier than thou"/megachurches/etc. Which is, of course, exactly how religion should be: Modest and humble.
Job situation is a choose your own adventure proposal. Prices are low and opportunities are ripe. Which means you'll have to bring something new to the table here to escape lower than average wages. Roanoke doesn't (yet?) have the infrastructure to offer a buffet of available, medium-to-high paying jobs across the board. But again, that's also what keeps it affordable, full of character, and like an early Austin, TX on low simmer. Bring your creativity and stake your claim!
Downtown, I occasionally see gay couples holding hands. Lots of lesbians too, and even more who are heteroflexible but don't advertise it. Coming from Texas it's actually more progressive here than in many of our big cities there. To me, that's progress enough, even if it isn't color saturated visible 24/7.
As for the rest, choose your neighborhoods carefully. Most of that stuff applies to almost any city.
Going back to NJ, seriously? Could not be more different. NJ is much edgier with crushing taxes and significantly colder winters. But best of luck regardless... economics do determine where most of us ultimately wind up.
I am selling a large property that is just 15 minutes from both Smith Mountain Lake (Western End - Bay Roc Marina) and Roanoke City (Market square). It is located on Windy Gap Mountain, and has direct access to State Hwy 116, which is the well maintained emergency route from SML to Roanoke area hospitals.
The property has 6.5 acres in two lots. One 3 acre lot is mountain hillside and a storage shed. The other lot is 3.5 acres and sits atop a small ridge, with rolling landscaped and hillside sections. This lot has two yard barns, a 2 story garage (finished art studio above a 1 car bay and 8x16 workshop area), and two "dwellings"
One of these dwellings is the "guest house" which sits beside a 300sf stone patio in an 800sf raised garden behind a 40ft stone wall. This structure has 1400sf, with 2 BR, 1-BA, Great Room, Sunroom, Den and small Kitchen.
The other dwelling is the "main house" which has a 650sf deck, a 750 sf cellar which includes a 200sf finished hobby room, and two large wings. This structure is three floors (basement, first and second, with 2168 sf overall in two wings. The smaller, older wing has 2 large BR and 1 BA, hall, foyer and 2 walk in closets. The larger new wing has cathedral ceilings (Pine paneled), and a LR, DR, KIT, Den-Bar,
and 2nd Floor Guest BR with BA and balcony.
Both dwellings are approved for short term furnished ("AirBnb") rental to vacation and temporary worker visitors. The 'apartment' in one of them has been rented 5 times in three years for nearly $24000
The property is listed FSBO on Zillow as 7638 Jubal Early Hwy, Hardy VA 24101
I've lived here for nearly 15 years and am only moving because of failing eyesight. The mountains are beaufiful, the lake is first class, and city-life in Roanoke is great. We have a ball park, a regional airport, two hospitals, two large shopping malls, and many shopping areas in the surrounding area. I think of Roanoke as the "Queen City" of Appalachia.
Roanoke has a self esteem problem but it really is a great place. Beautiful valley with great outdoor recreation. A great downtown. Some good neighborhoods. Low cost of living. Your home budget will get you a lot here. Cave springs and the suburban neighborhoods southwest of Roanoke are nice but have a very boring suburban feel to them. Salem is a charming town and but feels a little insular socially. South Roanoke, Grandin, and the Old SW, are my favorite neighborhoods but the high school isn’t great.
There is crime and drugs and hyper religiosity but it’s a lot more than that and it’s easy to fall in love with the great parks, shopping, and scenery. It’s also a bit of a blue bubble in SW Virginia so it’s not quite as conservative as the surrounding area. More diversity and more inclusive. Come with open eyes and an open mind and you’ll love it. I moved from Roanoke two years ago and I miss it.
Roanoke has a self esteem problem but it really is a great place. Beautiful valley with great outdoor recreation. A great downtown. Some good neighborhoods. Low cost of living. Your home budget will get you a lot here. Cave springs and the suburban neighborhoods southwest of Roanoke are nice but have a very boring suburban feel to them. Salem is a charming town and but feels a little insular socially. South Roanoke, Grandin, and the Old SW, are my favorite neighborhoods but the high school isn’t great.
There is crime and drugs and hyper religiosity but it’s a lot more than that and it’s easy to fall in love with the great parks, shopping, and scenery. It’s also a bit of a blue bubble in SW Virginia so it’s not quite as conservative as the surrounding area. More diversity and more inclusive. Come with open eyes and an open mind and you’ll love it. I moved from Roanoke two years ago and I miss it.
Pretty good assessment - however I would only add that while PATRICK HENRY HIGH SCHOOL (the public HS serving the neighborhoods mentioned above) is certainly more inclusive of at-risk students than your typical HS in the burbs.......NEVERTHELESS one thing I see clearly is that the affluent (those who could afford otherwise) community still remains pretty supportive of PH. Parents who pretty easily afford otherwise still send their kids to PH - and this makes it a stronger HS than similar urban schools where anyone with means moves away or goes private. Unfortunately, William Fleming HS (the other primary city HS) does not have that luxury, and serves a community composed of (by one estimate)
The actual percentages of economically challenged students at PH and WF do not appear all that different (not sure where they get the numbers since lunch is provided to ALL students so no income forms have to be turned in) - but the community perception of the two schools differs significantly.
Just wanted to add a little more detail than simply "isn't great"
We lived in the Roanoke area for a year, and there were many strange things that I never anticipated. If you are from a more progressive state, it will be like going back in time, and not in a good way. After a year in the Roanoke area, we moved up the road to a college town, but are ultimately thinking of going back to NJ.
First is the job situation. If you have a pension and your wife works from home, you are all set, but if you need to look for a job you might not turn up much beside $10/hr part-time jobs. As for job benefits, this will leave you in the Marketplace zone, which is fine, but if your income is below a certain range, your kids will have to go on Medicaid. Our son's application sat in the Medicaid office waiting for approval for six months. with no answer as to when it would be approved or denied. I just wanted it denied so he could be on our Marketplace plan. So my 10 year old was basically uninsured from January til June. Then, of course, he broke his arm.
It took about two months of phone calls to get him out of the Medicaid/Marketplace snafu, and of course, after the arm fracture, we had the hospital and ortho doctor on our backs to pay up.
More with the job situation, if you aren't 'kin to someone, or have an out of the area accent, you'll have a much harder time than a local in finding a job.
Churches - way too much religion here. With a lot of people we met, the first question they asked was, "You want to join our church?" If I said no, I never saw them much after that. A lot of the kids activities, social groups and such revolved around churches.
Racism - it still exists here. I don't think gays are accepted too well either.
Dogs - we could never keep the windows open because of the large number of dogs barking day and night. I was nervous taking a walk as there were so many dangerous-looking dogs behind fences, looking like they'd be over the top in a matter of seconds.
A lot of the homes we looked at on our initial home search were foreclosures (that should have been a red flag for us).
There was a lot of bullying in the school - of minority children, foster children and special needs kids. On a field trip, I was horrified to see the special kids be bullied. My son said it happened often.
There are a lot of people living below the poverty line, and a lot of issues with drugs. This might have a direct correlation to the other odd thing around here - a large amount of children living in foster care, or being raised by grandparents and distant relatives.
So come down and really do your homework before moving. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I wish someone had told me all this before we moved.
Move back to New Jersey??? You must be kidding!
As a person who was raised in NY, lived there my whole life and worked in the most affluent parts of NJ for 30 years, I wouldn’t go back if they gave me a million dollar home there! ( and even paid my taxes )
Our Roanoke experiences have been excellent across the board and we’ve had many instances when we compare situations here to those back in NJ and we laugh at the differences and how much better things are here than back east.
It’s unfortunate your situation living here was not positive and I feel badly for you and your family but it could be more of an anomaly. It might be better to just explain your circumstances on this site and let others decide to move here or not rather than telling them not to do so. People have different experiences and perhaps some of it has to due with luck and or timing but from our circumstances, it has been all positive with our relocation here in Roanoke and we love it!
[/b]From my observation of Roanoke it is a great location for an affluent retiree, typically from the Northeast. Im surprised more
folks havent discoverd this place. The millennials love it here, it is just deficient in good paying jobs, other than healthcare.
[/b]From my observation of Roanoke it is a great location for an affluent retiree, typically from the Northeast. Im surprised more
folks havent discoverd this place. The millennials love it here, it is just deficient in good paying jobs, other than healthcare.
This is very true, there are not an abundance of high paying jobs here since it is not a large City where you would have many large companies with a variety of industries. The Medical industry is the largest here in Roanoke so they dominate as the major employer. It’s unlike other large Cities where you would have major companies in the medical, pharmacitical, financial, technology, construction, manufacturing,etc. You’re not going to have a choice here in Roanoke compared to larger US cities.
IMO, Roanoke is very similar to Asheville but on a smaller scale and I believe Health Care is the largest employer there as well. As they say, It’s a great place to live, you just need to bring your job along with you!
I also believe this area is being discovered,however it takes a long time along with many growing pains until significant growth becomes obvious. It’s evident when looking at the housing market here, the demand is greater than the supply. It’s been a sellers market for at least the last several years.
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mountain retreat near Roanoke VA
