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Old 05-19-2011, 05:25 AM
 
3 posts, read 7,622 times
Reputation: 10

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My husband is looking into taking a new job in Harrisonburg. We currently live in PA. We have 2 boys, one will be going into 9th grade and the other will be going into 6th. We are looking for a house to rent.

I was wondering where the best schools would be, they both love to play soccer. We currently live in an area that kids move in and out of all the time, so when a new kids comes to school, it is not a big deal. I am curious how that compares to this area.

We are looking into the Harrisonburg area, Staunton, or Waynesboro. Fishing is also important to us. We have a small fishing boat, so it would be nice to be close to a boat launch on a river or are there any lakes nearby?

Any information would be extremely helpful. Thanks!!
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Old 06-03-2011, 06:26 PM
 
3 posts, read 7,622 times
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Anyone? We are getting closer and I'm getting more confused. Any help would be appreciated
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Old 06-03-2011, 08:15 PM
 
Location: Thornrose
894 posts, read 2,314,193 times
Reputation: 1308
Quote:
Originally Posted by vabound1 View Post
My husband is looking into taking a new job in Harrisonburg. We currently live in PA. We have 2 boys, one will be going into 9th grade and the other will be going into 6th. We are looking for a house to rent.

I was wondering where the best schools would be, they both love to play soccer. We currently live in an area that kids move in and out of all the time, so when a new kids comes to school, it is not a big deal. I am curious how that compares to this area.

We are looking into the Harrisonburg area, Staunton, or Waynesboro. Fishing is also important to us. We have a small fishing boat, so it would be nice to be close to a boat launch on a river or are there any lakes nearby?

Any information would be extremely helpful. Thanks!!

Hi there! I'm more familiar with Staunton since I'm from there. As far as schools go, I'm not sure. An unofficial rule in VA it seems is that city schools are generally worse than county schools. But I'm sure the schools are just fine. Harrisonburg has been statistically the fastest growing city in the state, so I'm sure that being the new kid is nothing to worry about. There really are no big lakes in the area, but there are some within a few hours drive. But right there in Rockingham county is the Shenandoah River that you should be able to boat or fish on. But not sure.

I hope that helps a little bit. I saw no one had posted so I'll try to be of some help if you have any further questions. Just curious what part of PA you're coming from as that will be able to help compare the areas better.
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Old 06-04-2011, 05:57 AM
 
Location: Roanoke, VA
1,812 posts, read 4,218,989 times
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We lived in the Harrisonburg area for six years and miss it a lot. I would move back without any hesitation. When we lived there, the folks we knew preferred Turner Ashby High School to the others. It is a Rockingham County School.

The area has grown a lot since we left in 2005. Shopping is not an issue as there are lots of big box stores as well as local stores. There is a new hospital.

There are places to fish with public boat ramps. Lake Shenandoah is one such place. Go to this link for a list of public boating access in Rockingham County:

Public Boating Access

Go online to greatschools.net to look up school information. You can also find SOL information online. SOL is the acronym for Standards of Learning. Virginia public schools tend to teach for the SOLs which is not always good. The Virginia Dept. of Education has webpages that can give you this information.

I have not lived in Staunton, but have gone through it and shopped there on many occasions. If your husband is working in Harrisonburg, I would recommend you live in that area. Save gas money and wear and tear on your car. Interstate 81 is loaded with big rigs and accidents that cause major traffic backups have become all too common.

I personally think Harrisonburg is more tolerant of diversity and nicer than Staunton. Undoubtedly others on this board will disagree.

The Harrisonburg area has three colleges even though most folks think of James Madison University. There is also Eastern Mennonite University and Bridgewater College. There is also the local community college - Blue Ridge.

Good luck! I wish I was moving back there!`
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Old 06-05-2011, 05:07 AM
 
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Thanks for the feedback!! We are moving from State College, PA, and from what I have seen, Harrisonburg has a similar feel of State College. I'll keep you posted
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Old 06-05-2011, 08:39 AM
 
Location: Thornrose
894 posts, read 2,314,193 times
Reputation: 1308
I have never been to State College, but I have alwys thought Harrisonburg kind of resembles some of the central PA towns and cities. Now if you were coming from Philly of Pittsburgh it would be compklete and utter culture shock.

Welcome to the area and btw, PA has always been my home away from home. I lived around Scranton as a little kid and Pittsburgh is one of all time favorite cities!

And like I said earlier, I am from Staunton, and while I feel it has a little more charm and character than H-burg, I would reccomend jusy looking around H-burg. No need to travel i81 everyday. It seems like daily there's a big rig accident. And downtown Harrisonburg has character and charm too.
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Old 06-05-2011, 01:27 PM
 
Location: Roanoke, VA
1,812 posts, read 4,218,989 times
Reputation: 1178
Vabound1, you have no idea how many times our daughter says, "It was better in Harrisonburg." Insert just about anything for "it." She is not a fan of Louisa. She too would move back without any hesitation!

Good luck!
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Old 06-05-2011, 01:52 PM
 
Location: Thornrose
894 posts, read 2,314,193 times
Reputation: 1308
Geez, ignore my typos in my previous post. I guess I hadn't woken up yet.
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Old 06-11-2011, 11:31 AM
 
57 posts, read 205,888 times
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not sure if you still need info, but we live in Bridgewater, just south of Harrisonburg. Our schools are fantastic John Wayland/Pence/Turner Ashby and the town has a great, involved community. Many professors from JMU live in the area and we also have a smaller private college in town.

We love it here, but it could be a challenge finding a rental. We are close enough to H'burg and Staunton, but not living right in the middle of it. B'water is a great little community.

I know there is a pretty good soccer league, but my kids are younger, so I don't know anything about it. I think you'll find this area to be great for families. We aren't from here, and people were very friendly to us when we first moved here. feel free to send me a PM if you have more specifics and i will do what I can to help you out.
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