Interested in relocating to Bedford Virginia (Roanoke, Lynchburg: for sale, low crime, coops)

[fieldofdreams]

Ive lived here in Vermont most of my life and yet it's a beautiful state the winters are really too cold here and the taxes and cost of living are way to high. Im a country woman looking for a countriesh setting with low crime and Bedford seems to be the place. I would love to know more about the area:
-jobs, are there any
-taxes, property or school taxes high?
-minimum wage?
-people, friendly?
-bugs, are they an issue?
-weather tornadoes? FLOODING? what areas are prone to flooding?
-are there other towns like Bedford
-things to do
-stores
-distance to roanoke

[TN Lily]

I think jobs in Virginia are like the rest of the country --- jobs that pay enough to live on are not easy to come by unless you have a special skill or a college degree that puts you in high demand.

[Flamingo13]

You don't say where "here" is. What type of job, etc. - Bedford is a VERY small community.

[roanoker 4]

Bedford is a nice town to live. To me, the town has always been rather "dead", not much to do. The downtown district has been improved and I believe the locals are trying to encourage more downtown businesses. Roanoke & Lynchburg are only a short 30 minute drive or less, very easy to access. Smith
Mountain Lake is the big attraction in Bedford County. "The Lake" is populated by mostly affluent people from NoVa and northeastern states, NC, etc. The folks at the lake are rather cliquish or the polo shirt crowd. The folks in the town of Bedford are the locals, conservative church go:ers and generally friendly people who tend to be open toward outsiders. Bedford town is not redneck like some towns in this region nor is it youthful, just rather ordinary.
I like it because of the beautiful scenery and the access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are apple orchards, wineries, etc. It is a very nice place to live.

[Kreutz]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

because of the beautiful scenery and the access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are apple orchards, wineries, etc. It is a very nice place to live.

This is Bedfords biggest asset. Its otherwise an unremarkable quiet place...which some people crave. Others crave to get away from places like that.

School taxes here a joke, yet they provide a good education. Its very different form Vermonts socialist tax structure...yet we don;t have Vermont carry unfortunately!

[badger74]

Also some very nice older homes usually for sale very cheap in my book. Some good new restaurants and stuff recently have opened in town or nearby. Good shopping for small town plus R and L are within 30 minutes.

[palotasfamily]

My family and I are also looking to relocate and are researching many cities to visit in March. We really appreciate all the comments left for Bedford. The only other question I have is, does it snow here?

We are moving from Florida (originally from Ohio) and would would love to appreciate some snow and some beautiful scenery and a small town tight community. We are excited to hear that Bedford has this.

So does it snow in Bedford? I have read that it snows pretty much mostly on the western side of VA? Anyone on this?

Also are there is local artcenters? My husband is a professional artist, so that would be nice. I know there are some in the larger towns, which isn't much of a drive away!

Thanks!! Jess

[palotasfamily]

Oh Also, please let us know of the schools, our children are 7 and 9 right now. The reviews, or shall I say, lack of reviews on school digger weren't so good.

Plus any other cool details would be nice. Like when we moved to Florida it would of been nice if they would of told us about the fire ants and the palmetto bugs and oohh the ants. Anything like that to be thinking about?

Thanks again!

[phoyt916]

We are also most likely moving to Bedford. With all of the lakes, creeks, ponds, rivers (which we love), I would really appreciate if someone could comment on flooding & well water quality issues. Are there areas to stay away from? We have a 10 & 16 year old, so something about the schools would be great too! It is such a beautiful place and we really can't wait!!

[novanwbie]

palotas, you might also look at Lynchburg and Roanoke -- you'll get stronger schools. I taught at Bedford Elementary and it's a good school, but the county has some pretty major financial issues that are really starting to impact schools. Their student numbers are dropping, and they're having to consolidate. I think the teachers do the absolute best they can, but I think the options in the bigger towns are better. Bedford is a small, rural town and you'll get that mindset. Hunting is a big deal (not for everyone, of course); the schools are very sports-oriented. Now, the county is big, so there's a real range, but the stronger schools over by Lynchburg also come with a big house price tag. Much bigger.

There are some lovely artist coops in Bedford, and Lynchburg has a wonderful art scene. The Sedalia Center outside Bedford has some great resident artists. I'm sure Roanoke has similar offerings. Bedford also has some wonderful little restaurants and shops, but not many. We absolutely love Town Kitchen, and their nicer restaurant Millstone Tea Room. And Olde Liberty Station is neat.

My son was in Lynchburg City schools for a while (Bedford Hills) and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. I would put him back there any day, but we recently left the area. Remember that school digger and great schools rank largely based on test scores, and all these smaller communities have very mixed populations, so their standardized test scores really range. I would encourage you to look at the school system websites to see what they emphasize, and also the specific schools' sites for areas you're serious about.