harrisonburg, va... (Richmond, Shenandoah: movie theater, university, living)

[419gottaminute]

what can you tell me about living there...

[michgc]

This question is better suited for the general Virginia forum, not Northern Virginia.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by 419gottaminute

what can you tell me about living there...

Imagine a reality show where they plop a bunch of party hearty Northern upper middle class suburban kids into a town full of farm fresh conservative evangelicals.

[AnalyzeThis]

LOL @ CAVA

I have never lived there but have stayed there quite a few times when we visited Shenandoah. Based solely on my observation, I would say the mix of the population is primairly: 1) JMU college kids; 2) Old white Retirees; (3) Some sub-sect of the hispanic ethnicity; we didn't see alot of black people there. With the exception of the college students there were ALOT of very obese people there. The area overall seemed fairly country, the exception being the stores/strip mall/movie theater close to the University. I personally could not see myself living there, but that is beacuse I enjoy diversity, life after 9pm, and close access to a variety of things to do. We almost felt like we traveled to another state when we were in Harrisonburg. But overall if you like the slower pace of life, can tolerate a little more sprawl in your daily living, and don't mind the mix of people, then it seems like a decent place to live.

[FindingZen]

This thread was moved from the Northern Virginia forum to the general Virginia forum to increase response.

[RunningNorm]

I have lived in Harrisonburg for two months now, and I am loving it! CAVA's assessment is somewhat accurate, tongue in cheek, but when you drive across campus, you see a lot of NJ, MA, PA, NY license plates. The JMU students definitely enjoy their socializing...house parties seem to be the preferred party location as there are not really any dance clubs. But, the downtown is very hip with lots of cool shops and local restaurants. The area feels very arty, very outdoorsy. But, the town has every shop, store, etc. that one would need, including a good vinyl store, a good comic book store, and some wonderful restaurants! The campus of JMU is one of the most beautiful I have seen. And, it is cool that the football stadium is right on campus. Yes, the area seems to be light on diversity, but the area is also ranked as one of the safest in the country in which to live. But, overall, I could see myself settling here permanently. Plus, Baltimore, DC, and Richmond are within comfortable driving range.

[strawberrykiki]

It's full of college students.