looking for a great small town (Roanoke, Harrisonburg: houses, neighborhoods, theatre)

[4sandie]

I have lived in Northern Va all my life and remember when it wasn't the dreaded overcrowded congested "Northern Va". I am ready to move, my ideal home would be an antique (pre Civil War) house on some property, maybe on the water somewhere, maybe mountain views, near a nice small town, not suburbia, not a traffic jam....a place with charming streets and sidewalks, not backroads or malls.....any one know where my mythical small town is???????

[poohki]

I am a northern virginia native. I am also in search of a great small town and much less crowded area to live in. We currently live in Warrenton, which provides that great small town feel, with quaint shop lined streets, BUT the traffic to get anywhere is getting so heavy. I believe there is a great small town like Warrenton out there but with alot less congestion.

Good luck in your search!

[j1n]

Originally Posted by 4sandie

I have lived in Northern Va all my life and remember when it wasn't the dreaded overcrowded congested "Northern Va". I am ready to move, my ideal home would be an antique (pre Civil War) house on some property, maybe on the water somewhere, maybe mountain views, near a nice small town, not suburbia, not a traffic jam....a place with charming streets and sidewalks, not backroads or malls.....any one know where my mythical small town is???????

married? kids? career? retirement? i assume that you want to remain in VA?
once we get an idea of where you are at in life, it will be way easier to offer some suggestions.
also, what do you consider a "backroad" and "mall" when you say "not backroads or malls"?

[4sandie]

I'm hoping to find a town where all those lifestyles fit.....and yes, in Va.....
"backroads" means rural 2 lane roads, I know everywhere has them, but I'm looking for a town with streets and blocks and sidewalks going to restaurants, shops, maybe a library, town square, courthouse, etc, all within a walking area....not a place you have to get stuck in traffic to get to the grocery store....is there still such places, or is suburbia and shopping malls (like Potomac Mills) the only kind of communities left??

[BoCoNative]

I am originally from Botetourt County, VA. It was the perfect place to grow up and it still has many small towns that have the courthouse, the library and the sidewalks you are looking for. Buchanan, is one such place and it has some local restaurants, a small movie theatre that has been in the town for over 50 years and actually has a neon marquee. There are no stop lights in this town and it is about a half hour from Roanoke, VA so when you do need to go to the mall etc. you can jump on I-81 which runs by the town and get to store. I went to school in Lexington, VA which is also off I-81 between Roanoke and Harrisonburg. It is a college town where Washington and Lee and VMI are located. It has a great small town feel. It is much larger than Buchanan and is located in Rockbridge County. It is about a 2.5 to 3 hr drive from D.C. area. It has culture, small shops, a movie theatre, courthouse and even some conveniences like a local Walmart etc. There is no traffic in this town and it would be a great place to investigate if you want that small town Americana feel. Hotdog's, Apple Pies, and fireworks on the 4th of July!!!!

[meskito]

Along interstate 81 there are many towns that have what you are looking for. I currently live in Staunton, and I visit Lexington often. These towns are very historic. Staunton survived the civil war pretty unscathed. In fact, film makers have used Staunton as a backdrop because of it's historic downtown which recently underwent renovation (Evan Almighty, Hearts in Atlantis). If you are looking for an older home with lots of character - this is the place! There are few subdivisions, most of the neighborhoods here are older - and the ones in the Historic District are coded so that it will always have that appeal. Good luck!

[CHIP72]

I would suggest looking at towns in the Shenandoah Valley. As was already suggested, places like Staunton and Lexington would probably be good bets. I think Winchester is a very nice town, though it is a little closer to DC (haven't experienced bad traffic when I've driven in/near the town however). Though you said you wanted to stay in Virginia, there are towns in the Great Valley (the name for the entire valley between the Blue Ridge and the Appalachians, including the Shenandoah Valley portion) in the West Virginia eastern panhandle, western Maryland, and south central Pennsylvania that aren't too far from northern Virginia and would probably meet your criteria too. I'm from Pennsylvania, and places like Carlisle, Gettysburg, Chambersburg, and Shippensburg, particularly the first two, would meet most/all of your criteria.

[vamtncat]

Not knowing what kind of work you do you might consider Abingdon. It seems to fit your bill of Charming small town, LOTS of historic homes, Bristol is only about 15-20 minutes down the road for major shopping needs. Abingdon does not have a Wal-Mart if that tells you anything.

[skp7700]

I am looking for the same mythical small town. I search the internet at 2am when my frustration with Chicago is at it's peek. Let me know if you ever locate your dream town

Susan

[seanpecor]

There are so many great small towns in Virginia. The trick is, "great" is subjective

In my area (Roanoke, Franklin County, Floyd County) you can certainly find some pre-civil war houses. I even know of one that was on the market last year in Boones Mill that I'm sure is still there if you look for it.

Staunton and Lexington are really nice towns too. You might even consider Blacksburg. It's the largest town in Virginia. It's the home of Virginia Tech and it does have some historic houses (although it's not a historic town in the vein of a Staunton or a Lexington).

Sean