Will I fit in in Charlottesville? (Arlington: ski resort, find a job, school)

[banAnna]

Despite all the people clogging the roads in the DC area, I haven't found many people with similar interests to mine around here. I do not doubt that they are out there... but I'm still wondering if it would be easier to find more like-minded people in Charlottesville. There's nothing keeping me in DC, and I'm ready for a change.

Will I fit in in Charlottesville??...

I'd rather go to a sporting event than to a museum.

I'd MUCH rather go to a local bar than to a trendy dance club.

I'd rather go for a hike than for a pedicure.

I'm not in to politics, power, or working a job I dislike just to make a lot of money. Thus, I don't make much money.

My dog is a friend of mine. Is Charlottesville dog-friendly?

I snowboard - badly - and LOVE it. Do people head to the mountains on the weekends in the winter?

I'm 25 and single --- are there singles there? Or college kids and then straight to families??

I didn't go to UVA.


Please let me know if Charlottesville would be a good fit for me or if there's somewhere else I should consider. I greatly appreciate your help!!

[beachy keen]

I lived in C'ville a few years ago, so let me see if I can help you.

First, while it's true that there are a lot of college students and families in Charlottesville, there are also young professionals who live there. In fact, there is even a group called Charlottesville Young Professionals that you can join and participate in planned events to meet new people. (It's not a dating service.)

One of the main reasons I left C'ville was because it was difficult to find a job. Do you already have a job lined up? The economy is something to consider, especially transitioning from a major metro area to a small city.

Reading your list (bars, nature, dogs), from my experience you can find most if not all of that in Charlottesville.

[theshan]

Overall, I'd say yes.

Charlottesville is pretty doggy. You'll meet folks on O Hill on grounds.
Wintergreen for your snowboarding.
There are some non-UVA singles. I'd say head to South Street Brewery.
And you will really love this group for your adventures in hiking and more:
Outdoor Adventure Social Club of Greater Charlottesville, VA

Good luck!

[SkiiGal132]

I grew up in Charlottesville and just recently moved to Minnesota for graduate school. All the things you're interested in doing in Charlottesville are possible - the mountains are close by for hiking, good skiing is available 3 hrs away in West Virginia, and UVA provides a good pool of young professionals for dating.

I'm going to echo what another person has written about finding a job. Despite being bigger than most college towns, most of the good jobs in Charlottesville revolve around the University, so if you don't have an "in" at UVA it might be hard trying to find a quality job. I'm also familiar w/ D.C. because my brother lives in Arlington. In D.C. a variety of jobs (engineering, non-profit) are plentiful. This is not so true in C'ville. Again, a lot of it revolves around UVA.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by SkiiGal132

, good skiing is available 3 hrs away in West Virginia,.

I always found Wintergreen to be a sufficient and decent ski resort and you can get there in less than an hour.....