Might move to VA (Roanoke, Lynchburg: real estate, houses, job market)

[mf12283]

I am 23 years old and have lived in the DC suburbs my entire life. When I was a kid my area was really nice-it was pretty rural, there were farms everywhere and people were really nice and everything. Now its still nice, but its grown into a city -bad traffic, mean people, and houses and shopping centers are everywhere. I want to move away from here within the next couple years, and I was thinking about someplace in VA, that way I could still be nearby my family and friends here in Maryland but still live in a rural area with farms and a low cost of living. I love the mountains, so I was thinking maybe the Roanoke or Bristol area. The only thing I don't want to happen to me is to move someplace then there is a real estate boom and the place grows rapidly-I've already experienced that and it sucks. Anyone know what cities in western VA where this isn't/probably wouldn't happen? Thanks!

[Homeless Bum]

Any cities in the western part of VA where there won't be a real estate boom? HA, take your pick. You can't call them "cities" though.

Blacksburg is undergoing something of a boom however....

I'm surprised you want to move to a rural virginia setting coming from a dc suburb. The rest of VA is very different from Northern, VA which you are probably more familiar with.

Maybe I would suggest Winchester or someplace near there.

[mf12283]

Yeah I know, I'm weird...nobody else likes the country like I do. Even Winchester though is on the verge of development I believe. People commute to DC from areas around I-81 from Front Royal to Hagerstown, personally I don't know how they do that and keep their sanity.
Question for you though-where's Nephlon 12?

[Faughorn]

I don't know what kind of career you are into but southern VA is wonderful. Any historic town like Lexington has protections against too much development to preserve its beauty.

[Colby "The Punk" Wells]

Bluefield or Wytheville always seemed like a good place to me when I traveled back and forth from West Virginia to Georgia.

[Mike from back east]

Gaithersburg: The whole I-81 corridor is nice. Hagerstown, MD to Strasburg, VA is now considered to be within commuting range of the DC Metro Area. Still, this won't bother you unless you get on the roads and compete with these folks, who often leave home at 4-6 AM to get "into town" for work.

If you want a quaint town out in the foothills, consider Hancock, MD. It has the scenery you like, enough size to provide things you need, and good access to PA, MD, VA, WV at this point. Don't rule out moving up into PA either, it's a real cool place, just above Hancock.

There's also a lot to consider in Martinsburg, WV area. One neat thing is the commuter trains run on weekdays into DC Union Station, with stops along the way (like Gaithersburg and Rockville and Silver Spring, etc). Go find the MARC site if interested.

Moving south, take a leisurely drive down the Shenandoah Valley. Get on mapquest and tell it to take you to Carmel, VA. When that comes up, draw yourself an imaginary rectangle on the map, with Front Royal and Strasburg on the north and Luray and New Market on the south. This is the area you want to search out on a day trip. This time of year the valley is a stunning green color with new foliage. I suggest taking Hwy 340 South from Front Royal, down to Luray (especially lovely area). Going down 340 you are in the valley and will have mountains on both sides, gorgeous. At Luray, take 211 West to New Market, and then go north on 11 to Strasburg.

Find a quaint place to eat in one of these towns, talk to the locals. Jobs are not much in this area, but you may get lucky and find something, especially if you're a teacher or nurse, as there are schools and hospitals everywhere in the country, not just that mess called the DC metropolitan area (which we finally left last year for the glory of Colorado).

Good luck and let us know how you do.

s/Mike

[ccgranny]

grundy,Sounds like it would work for you

[roanoker 4]

Don't laugh. Try Weirs Cave. Its a small town close to Harrisonburg.

[happygal0000]

Originally Posted by mf12283

I am 23 years old and have lived in the DC suburbs my entire life. When I was a kid my area was really nice-it was pretty rural, there were farms everywhere and people were really nice and everything. Now its still nice, but its grown into a city -bad traffic, mean people, and houses and shopping centers are everywhere. I want to move away from here within the next couple years, and I was thinking about someplace in VA, that way I could still be nearby my family and friends here in Maryland but still live in a rural area with farms and a low cost of living. I love the mountains, so I was thinking maybe the Roanoke or Bristol area. The only thing I don't want to happen to me is to move someplace then there is a real estate boom and the place grows rapidly-I've already experienced that and it sucks. Anyone know what cities in western VA where this isn't/probably wouldn't happen? Thanks!

You would probably love Roanoke but get a job before you come here. The job market is very tight. Roanokers like to think we're growing but it won't be happening any time soon, especially if Roanokers keep making the same decisions (er, mistakes?) they have been making.

Jobs in the Bristol area are in a bad slump right now so I wouldn't recommend that area.

If you are truly looking for a boring, "going nowhere" town, with no hope of expansion (in your lifetime, anyway), try Lynchburg. It's really small town-y (that's the nicest way I can put it) and proud of it. But it's close to the mountains and really religious, if that strikes your fancy. BE SURE YOU GET A JOB FIRST because they are all "good ol' boys" in Lynchburg and that's the only way to get a job, once you're living there.