Best/Worst Neighborhoods? (Roanoke, Cave Spring, Vinton: credit, buying a house, safe neighborhood)

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by j1n

kinda hard to put my finger on, or to explain. I'll try...
We have some friends in Vinton. If we go 460 from the Civic Center, and up Gus Nicks onto Mountainview, it basically feels fine...like any other town. However...if we take 220/581 to Elm and up that way into Vinton, it just has this sort of depressed and neglected feel. Sort of like if it were more rural, folks would have a bunch of old cars up on cinderblocks in their yards, or a fridge on the porch, etc.

If we are thinking of the same area, keep an eye on things the next time you drive through there. The first 2 or so miles after you turn onto Elm is Roaonke, not Vinton.

I used to equate that with Vinton, but the town doesn't actually start until somewhere around Tinker Creek, which is roughly where the blight stops. Knowing this, I see Vinton in a totally new (and positve) light.

And as for those "depressed" areas you mentioned, well, I try not to think of all of Roanoke as being that way, but it's hard.

[j1n]

Right...that area that you pass through on Elm, just east of 581...is considered the Belmont section of Roanoke. Where is the Vinton line? Somewhere near the Advance Auto?
I actually kind of like that Roanoke isn't richy-rich over here and dirt poor over there. I like that it's mixed up a little. The way I see it, these neighborhoods can go either way. If good folks move in and have some pride, keep their yards clean, and work to beautify and make their neighborhoods/streets safer...hopefully it'll start trends.

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by j1n

Right...that area that you pass through on Elm, just east of 581...is the Belmont section of Roanoke. Where is the Vinton line? Somewhere near the Advance Auto?

Wait, so if you agree that that isn't part of Vinton, how does that fit into the "Vinton Redneck Theory"? Sounds like you think Roanoke actually has the rednecks

Coming from Roanoke down Gus Nicks, Vinton starts just after you pass Thrasher Park (on the right) and just before you get to Holdren's Country Store (on the left). Coming down Elm, Vinton begins at Tinker Creek, which is right about at the Hess gas station (on the left).

[j1n]

I guess I always thought of Vinton as beginning on Gus Nicks (from that direction). And from the other direction (Elm) somewhere near 13th. I guess I'll have to pay more attention. I'm not familiar with Tinker Creek? But I know there's an older area (Belmont) between 581 and maybe 13th St. It may extend further east than that.
I actually wouldn't discount areas of that section of Roanoke. There's actually some really nice stuff south of Elm and east of 581...Montrose, etc. Again...it's tough to say "bad" or "good" because it changes as fast as the block sometimes!
And yeah, Roanoke does have a ton of rednecks. I guess that the ways I have gone into Vinton, there was some blurring of the lines...like you had mentioned driving thru depression to get into Vinton. Maybe I'm letting those fringe areas of Roanoke influence my opinion of Vinton!
On the other hand, we have friends in Vinton - up off of Mountianview in a newer development. Nice neighborhood for them. I just don't go in for that "Poltergeist" type of insta-neighborhood...no old trees, little lots, etc.

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by j1n

I guess I always thought of Vinton as beginning on Gus Nicks (from that direction). And from the other direction (Elm) somewhere near 13th. I guess I'll have to pay more attention. I'm not familiar with Tinker Creek? But I know there's an older area (Belmont) between 581 and maybe 13th St. It may extend further east than that.
I wouldn't discount areas of that section of Roanoke. There's actually some really nice stuff south of Elm and east of 581...Montrose, etc. Again...it's tough to say "bad" or "good" because it changes as fast as the block sometimes!

And I guess that just gets back to the whole reason I stoked the coals of this thread: You really can't make a blanket statement about any city/town/county in the Roanoke Valley. Whether it's Vinton or anywhere else. The areas are so diverse in terms of economics, amenities, race and atmosphere.

So, aimed at joelpac's original post, if you see houses in Vinton online that you appeal to you in your price range, go see them in person. You may turn out hating them, you may love them. But it's definitely worth checking them out in person!

[j1n]

PT's right...drive through and check it out

[Ryleigh]

Originally Posted by j1n

On the other hand, we have friends in Vinton - up off of Mountianview in a newer development. Nice neighborhood for them. I just don't go in for that "Poltergeist" type of insta-neighborhood...no old trees, little lots, etc.

I'll jump in here one more time and say I agree with this totally -- I much prefer established neighborhoods instead of former farm fields where some developer plunked down a bunch of identical houses on small lots and forgot about trees. Lots of that in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, where PT and I moved from. Not as much of those neighborhoods here, thankfully, but they do exist.

Other people may like homes like that, but they just don't trip my trigger.

[meskito]

Thanks for all the info! I looked at Old Southwest online and it's very pretty, and close to the park (good for my son). It also seems like you can still buy fixer-upers in that neighborhood for a decent price? I am guessing that it also has some shady parts being so close to downtown?

[j1n]

Originally Posted by meskito

Thanks for all the info! I looked at Old Southwest online and it's very pretty, and close to the park (good for my son). It also seems like you can still buy fixer-upers in that neighborhood for a decent price? I am guessing that it also has some shady parts being so close to downtown?

You are correct. You can find some great old houses worth fixing up. And again...Roanoke's "good" and "bad" are random, and seem to coexist outside of specific neighborhood boundary lines.

I will give you a piece of advice/info that I wish I had known before we relo'd here...
Newspapers, maps, online neighborhood descriptions, realtor sites, etc, etc...will not really give you an entirely accurate image of what Roanoke is like. (Realtor pics are shot from flattering angles, etc.)
Your best bet is to visit. Stay for a long weekend, or a week! Drive the various parts of the city, the counties, Salem, Vinton, etc. Then drive back through the areas you are interested in...at night! Preferably a Fri or Sat night!

The Roanoke valley really needs to be seen to get a better understanding of what it's like.

[Oneida]

[quote=j1n;3313170]

Your best bet is to visit. Stay for a long weekend, or a week! Drive the various parts of the city, the counties, Salem, Vinton, etc. Then drive back through the areas you are interested in...at night! Preferably a Fri or Sat night!


I fully agree with jin on the visit the areas you like at night. I found some apartments I liked in NC, they looked great, area looked great. I was there on and off durning the day light hours before my apartment was ready. I made a big mistake of not going there at night and see what nightlife was like there. Boy, was it bad, I would have never moved there if I had seen it at night. Always check day/night/week/weekend if possible.

Oneida