Central VA or VA Beach? (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake: school, camping, living)

[snosurfa7]

Central VA (not Charlottesville) or Virginia Beach?

Having went to school in Charlottesville but lived in VA Beach and worked in Chesapeake and Moyock it is a tough choice. Charlottesville was cool but has become too urban in my opinion, so would probably live elsewhere like Nelson, Augusta, Amherst...

I'm about to graduate from PA school and my wife is a teacher so I'm pretty sure we could find work at either locale. Beach has its benefits: surfing before work, outer banks is only an hour or so away, mountains are only 3-4 if you need it. Always feels like I'm on vacation, ride my bike right down to the beach. But its getting so hectic down there, I kinda long for that slower pace of life and miss living by the mountains.

Central VA is great too: mountains!, less traffic (trust me its less than hampton roads despite whatever increases are occurring), more laid back, snowboarding is ok, you actually get some snow in the higher elevations, great camping and hiking, blue ridge pkway, dirt biking close by etc and beach is only 3 hours away if you need it (for that occasional swell that rolls through)

Tough call - anybody lived in both being an outdoors type person? thanks yall

[j1n]

hey snosurfa7...
I actually saw your other post on the ID forum. I've been looking at ID too. But as of now, I am in the Roanoke Valley.
You mentioned "Central VA". Well keep going and check out sw VA and Roanoke. The mountains get bigger out here! Roanoke is ringed by them. We've got hiking, camping, paddling, rock climbing, the AT, easy access to Masanutten and Snowshoe for snowboarding and skiing, easy access to Shenandoah Nat Park and Skyline Drive, easy access to Great Smoky Mtns Nat Park, low cost of living, slow pace but a real city too...with all the amenities you need...plus farms, farmers markets, music and harvest festivals, etc. You folks...teaching and medical, right? Carilion and Lewis Gale Hospitals are here...and a Veterans Admin too. Your wife should have no problem landing a teaching job...public or private. Plus, you can be at the beach for a weekend of surfing easily...VA or NC coasts!

[snosurfa7]

j1n,

Thanks for the reply and info on the area. Yeah, Roanoke is actually pretty sweet we were looking down that way as well (Roanoke, Lynchburg, Bedford areas). You're lucky to live there. I've been down in SW VA and I love it - it really does have a lot of outdoor type things to do.

The only thing is it is really pushing the day trip thing to the beach. Thats pretty big for us - we've become pretty attached to the beach lifestyle - but like I said, the hampton roads area has its downsides. We've done VA Beach to north/central Nelson Co in 3 and a half hours going the speed limit and its an easy day trip - Roanoke to VA beach however is more like what? 5 hours or so? I (think??) I'd give up the beach access for Idaho just because of the vast amount of snow and wild compared to VA...

Good luck with your Idaho search - not trying to pry, but generally speaking any particular reason why you want to move out of Roanoke and to Idaho?

thanks!

[Mr_Jonas]

Originally Posted by snosurfa7

j1n,

Thanks for the reply and info on the area. Yeah, Roanoke is actually pretty sweet we were looking down that way as well (Roanoke, Lynchburg, Bedford areas). You're lucky to live there. I've been down in SW VA and I love it - it really does have a lot of outdoor type things to do.

Skip Lynchburg.

[j1n]

Originally Posted by snosurfa7

generally speaking any particular reason why you want to move out of Roanoke and to Idaho?

I'm pretty madly in love with the American west...specifically the Rocky Mountain states. High altitudes, vast mountain ranges, real snow, good people, wide open spaces, and the bluest skies I've ever seen.
If someone like me is going to stay on the east coast, it's gonna have to be Vermont, Upstate NY, or this area of VA. Otherwise I'll be going through mountain withdrawal!

[snosurfa7]

Originally Posted by j1n

I'm pretty madly in love with the American west...specifically the Rocky Mountain states. High altitudes, vast mountain ranges, real snow, good people, wide open spaces, and the bluest skies I've ever seen.
If someone like me is going to stay on the east coast, it's gonna have to be Vermont, Upstate NY, or this area of VA. Otherwise I'll be going through mountain withdrawal!

I can relate to that! Unfortunately I love the beach too much too, having both within a days drive is pretty nice, hard to do anywhere but southern california but not moving there! I guess that is why I liken Virginia to a lesser man's southern california..I've surfed an early morning session and then snowboarded at Wintergreen later that afternoon and evening - pretty sweet but kinda weird when you think about how drastically the 2 landscapes change in a matter of a few hours.

Looks like Idaho is nice in the south but gray and cold 5 months in the north. Lots of snow good for a snowboarder but not someone looking for blue skies! thanks for your input though, good luck with your possible move out west.