Possibly Relocating to Harrisonburg Area... (Goshen: college, moving to, land)

[washingtonianthinker]

Hi Leslie,

Harrisonburg is a great place to raise a family (that' the reason we moved to this area). Homeschooling is becoming pretty common here, I know many young conservative families that homeschool their kids (a good part of my church, actually). My wife and I are considering it as well, although we like the idea of the private Christian school.

As for living in the country, I'd recommend some areas of Rockingham County and/or Augusta County. I would not recommend Elkton or Shenandoah as they fit the description of the place you currently live in.

Taxes in Harrisonburg city are ridiculous and so is housing, but some areas of R'ham county are pretty, affordable and SAFE.

If you ever come to explore the area, my wife and I will be happy to show you a few places. Wish you the best.

[Dr.Jim]

With regards to Elkton,....I guess I should clarify myself a bit more.
When I think of Elkton, I do not necessarily think of being IN Elkton.
Elkton to 'me' just means the area east of Harrisonburg that is at the base, and also IN the mountains.

Elkton really has nothing but 2 streets downton, and maybe 3 stoplights, surrounded by some OLD neighborhoods, and a few new developements.
There is a 'small strip mall' with a Food Lyon, Domino's, video rental and a few other small stores.

My place is in Elkton, (not technically though)....yet I don't have to go anywhere near 'Elkton' unless I choose to.
Similar to Waynesboro, or even Grottoes, those are areas that border the mountains.
If you want to live in the woods/mountains then you will kind of be associated with one of the areas bordering the woods/mountains. If you live IN Staunton, Hburg..etc you will not be in the middle of the woods or mountains.

Ofcourse, there are some interesting goings on in some of these towns, and the occasional 'feud getting out of hand' (Beldore Holler in Elkton for example.....).

Again,...best bet is 340 north/south. There are lots of places to live that are completely wooded, no neighbors in site but yet are 30 minutes from Hburg, or even much closer to the bare necessities. Who really cares 'where' they are located, as long as you like the people in the area, the area is safe and you find your 'dream home'.

Washingtonianthinker is also quite correct about Rockingham county and Augusta as well. You should take him up on his offer when you come down.

Any more ??

[Cdshiflett]

I'd try Rockingham, Dayton, Staunton. By the way there is a place on Rt11 in dayton....... you will find it right away......just look for the two big windmills..... Awsome pies and cakes, jams and jellies

[Arbre12]

Thanks, everyone.. another question. We've just been looking around and saw a few homes in the Luray area. When I type it into mapquest though, it says it takes a good 45 to 50 minutes to Hburg. Is it really that far? It just doesn't look that far on the map but if the roads are winding in there, I guess that makes sense.. yes, I'd like to stay no more than 30 min. away from Hburg. The cost of gas just isn't worth living any farther!

[Arbre12]

Ok, I have my VA map out and I see route 340.. haven't heard any mention of McGaheysville or Grottoes? Are those nice towns?
And those are next to one set of mountains, so what about the mountains on the other side? Is route 42 sort of similar to 340 with all the trees and mountain views and everything? I apologize if I'm over-asking a lot of things, it's just that when we go, it'd be nice to zero in on a few areas and skip others if they're really not worth looking at....

thanks

[Dr.Jim]

Luray IS about 45-50 minutes to Hburg. You either gotta get over to 81 and go south, or take 340 south to 33 and go west. 2 lane roads,...etc..etc.
Luray IS nice though,...Main street is undergoing an upgrade, and it has alot of nice shops...etc..etc.....real estate can be pricier, especially wooded retreats since Luray is a destination for DC weekenders.

McGheysville is just west of Elkton, a ways east of Hburg on 33. McGheysville is in the Shen valley, so its more farmlike....rolling, not mountains. Massenutten is adjacent to McGheysville, and is kind of a resort/ski area.....alot of mountain homes, but on .25 acre lots, very small lots to fill the mountains with homes. :-(
Grottoes is south of Elkton, and north of Waynesboro on 340. I am not too familiar with it as I have only driven through it,...I am sure there is some mountain real estate there, but it 'does;' seem a bit of a depressed area. No downtown,....alot of broken down homes...etc..etc...sounds like NOT what you are looking for.

The valley is bound of the Blueridge mountains on the east, and the appalachian/alleghany mountains on the west, with 'the valley' in between.
The Massenutten range is part of these mountains as well

Cant help you with Rt 42, except it paralells 81 and runs the west side of the state, close to WV.

Plan as much time as you can, line up some realtors first.....due to the rural nature of things, realtors cover much larger areas than in more populated cities.

[appalachiangirl]

Bridgewater seems like a nice area,although I haven't been there in 3 yrs or so. It's about 5 miles or so south of Harrisonburg.

[meskito]

between Staunton and HBurg there are some rural areas. We have friends in Mt. Crawford, and they seem to like it. Staunton is a nice hub - very small with rural surroundings.

To answer your question, it's pronounced "StAnton".

Look at the Staunton website if you want info on the town - click here: Staunton Home Page

[alice_61]

Harrisonburg has an interesting mix. There is a large university, James Madison University, with ~17,000 students. There is also Eastern Mennonite College, with a Mennonite presence in the area. There is a large poultry processing industry which has brought in a lot of immigrant as well as local labor. There is also a substantial agriculture and manufacturing base. The area is quite beautiful with rolling hills and fertile valleys. Bridgewater is a small town with Bridgewater College. That might be a nice town to call home.

[washingtonianthinker]

Just replying to someone’s private message: "From: Anonymous. [FONT='Tahoma','sans-serif']You in Real Estate? What's ur Broker’s name?"
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Ohhhh… no :-) I’m not a Real Estate Agent, never been interested in Real Estate, I’m not soliciting here.
I simply enjoy meeting people new to the Valley (most of them bring culture, diversity, stories, etc).