Roanoke Information (Lynchburg, Blacksburg, Fredericksburg: apartment, power lines, low crime)

[fllover]

Just came upon information on Roanoke and was interested in finding out a little more fromm locals. We (myself, my husband & our little boy) are looking for somewhere affordable with good schools and low crime with that nice city feel (originally from NY). We miss being able to do outdoorsy things since it's usually 110 degrees here invegas in the summer. Also, I was looking at housing and it seems affordable (we're not the McMansion types...just want something comfortable that we can call our own). Also, jobs...what's the market like (HR and IT)?. Thanks in advance for any info!!

[nova]

Me and my wiife is doing the same thing. I'm orig. from the shenandoah county area now we live in bullhead city az. were it gets 133 degrees . We are thinking of the roanoke area to. we are looking to move the spring of 2007.

[fllover]

Hi Nova!

Too funny that you say that, we're originally from NYC and moved here to Las Vegas where it gets slightly less warm than Bullhead City, AZ (lol). We're also looking to make the move in the Spring of 2007...sooner if we can secure employment, only thing worrying us is that there have been posts on the lack of jobs in Roanoke. What field of work do you and your spouse do?

[nova]

Well i'll try this again, for some reason it disappeared.
Vegas grl,

Don't worry about jobs look at where you live now. High crime,no outdoor life, a very dirty city,expensive home with bad pay.
Virginia is a very good state to live in. I lived in germany, indiana,ill.,az.,and virginia. Virginia beats them all by far. See the people out there complaining about jobs or pay really don't know or don't try.
the adv. pay in bullhead/laughlin area is 7.25 with the adv. housing costing 237,000. Vegas has a pay scale about 3.00 more an hr adv. with housing costing 370,000. Now yes I'm making more as so are you probably, but the adv is the adv. most jobs is at the casinos in both areas. This really sucks i am an armed security bike officer, when i use to be in management and owned my own small side buisness in construction and was a professional down hill mountain biker for GT. My wife was a receptionist and never cooked in her life, now she is the lead swing shift baker for a casino. The casino enviorment is wierd you have to look and try and just do it. There is alot of jobs with alot more people out here, so jobs are hard to find,and good ones are worse. The jobs are here though, and no one should be out of work.
When i hear there is alot of jobs out there, but people refuse to work them or think they are above them, why listen to them. You know what it is like from new york to vegas like me from chicago to laughlin we seen the real paying jobs of then, to what we have now with the cost of living with this pay. Roanoke has a vast amount of jobs within about an hour drive you have 4 other small-med. cities. There pay is comparable to laughlin(little less then vegas), but the housing is about 150,000 adv. (87,000 lessthan laughlin ,vegas 220,000 less). The people out there will just lose the jobs to people like us because we know and we'll try. Better living with a little land and nice home, descent pay for the area and awesome view.

[fllover]

Nova,

You make total sense, why worry so much about it when here in Vegas we can barely afford the apartment we live in, let alone buy a house, it's awful. I guess having it put into perspective the way you just did has helped me see that it's not all that bad to just up and take the chance. Thanks again Nova!!!
=D

[nova]

Well stay in touch vegas grl, me and my wife have decided to take a vacation out there. We are going to go to roanoke/bedford and the blacksburg/radford area. Roanoke is by far the best we see so far, but what the hell we'll be out there. We should be leaving early sept.

[nebwe]

My wife and I are also thinking of Roanoke. WE found your information interesting. WE will both be retired so the job market is not a concern. Proerty with a water view would be ideal.
Does anyone know if this is available in the area?

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by nova

Well i'll try this again, for some reason it disappeared.
Vegas grl,

Don't worry about jobs look at where you live now. High crime,no outdoor life, a very dirty city,expensive home with bad pay.
Virginia is a very good state to live in. I lived in germany, indiana,ill.,az.,and virginia. Virginia beats them all by far. See the people out there complaining about jobs or pay really don't know or don't try.
the adv. pay in bullhead/laughlin area is 7.25 with the adv. housing costing 237,000. Vegas has a pay scale about 3.00 more an hr adv. with housing costing 370,000. Now yes I'm making more as so are you probably, but the adv is the adv. most jobs is at the casinos in both areas. This really sucks i am an armed security bike officer, when i use to be in management and owned my own small side buisness in construction and was a professional down hill mountain biker for GT. My wife was a receptionist and never cooked in her life, now she is the lead swing shift baker for a casino. The casino enviorment is wierd you have to look and try and just do it. There is alot of jobs with alot more people out here, so jobs are hard to find,and good ones are worse. The jobs are here though, and no one should be out of work.
When i hear there is alot of jobs out there, but people refuse to work them or think they are above them, why listen to them. You know what it is like from new york to vegas like me from chicago to laughlin we seen the real paying jobs of then, to what we have now with the cost of living with this pay. Roanoke has a vast amount of jobs within about an hour drive you have 4 other small-med. cities. There pay is comparable to laughlin(little less then vegas), but the housing is about 150,000 adv. (87,000 lessthan laughlin ,vegas 220,000 less). The people out there will just lose the jobs to people like us because we know and we'll try. Better living with a little land and nice home, descent pay for the area and awesome view.

I live in Az( HOT) Can you tell me what the winters are like in Virginia? Do you get a lot of snow?

[nova]

for nebwe- That would be smith lake just outside roanoke.

for a1m1700- Winters are good. I'm use to 20 below with 60 below wind chills and many feet of snow from when I lived in NW indiana. In virginia your only talking in single digit inches and approx. 15 degrees with single digit wind chills above 0 degrees. If you go to below the mountains you'll see even less snow and warmer temps.
I like the weather out there alot better then NW indiana for the winters. Just to say though driving in mountains with snow is tricky for some than driving in snow on flat ground. Now for summer time lets say when it is 120-130 in az., you will only see approx. 90 degrees in virginia. This means you will be able to enjoy summer, just remember there is humidity. Yes you will sweat in virginia instead of having salt crystal on your arms, because in az. the heat is so great the water evaporats before you can sweat.

[rubytue]

Originally Posted by a1m1700

I live in Az( HOT) Can you tell me what the winters are like in Virginia? Do you get a lot of snow?

It depends on where you are in Virginia. I've lived in:
* Blacksburg (30-45 mins SW and uphill from Roanoke) for 6 years. Blacksburg got a fair amount of snow. Probably about 10 times a year, 3 of which were 4+ inches. Roanoke is 1000 feet lower in elevation the Blacksburg, so it would sometimes get rain instead.

* Lynchburg - in the peidmont. I was only there for a year. I don't remember significant snows.

* Fredericksburg - 2 years there. A couple of snows a year. Under 3 inches.

* VA side of DC Metro - 5 years. Seems to be either a lot or none. I won't go to work in the snow here (not b/c I can't drive, but b/c 400,000 of my closest friends will be on the beltway too), and I tend to use 2 to 4 snow days a year. This year, we only got one major snow (8 inches). My first year, we had about 6 snows that were 4+ inches.

The thing about snow in Virginia is that its generally not cold enough for the soft, powdery stuff. Instead we get heavy, wet snows that take down power lines and are impossible to drive on. And icing is always an issue too. We get ice storms too, especially further south. It won't be cold enough in the atmosphere for snow, but its cold enough on the ground to freeze. So you get ice everywhere. All the norther folks who say southerners can't drive in the snow tend to forget our snow is slicker than theirs

Anyway, I don't want to scare you off. Virginia is really nice! When you get your first snow here, take the day off work, read up on snow driving tips, then give it a try close by your house. I've only slid off the road once, and that was coming home from a ski slope in virtually white out conditions.