Why SWVA? (Richmond, Roanoke, Blacksburg: home, schools, tornadoes)

[DCNPA]

You won't be happy there. Political cliques, mountaintop removal mining, general poverty, mass logging and dependancy on state and federal grant money for new jobs are just a few facts. The jobs evaporate as soon as the grant money is gone.

Terrible roads, following coal and logging trucks, impaired water quality.

Go ahead and visit, by all means, but keep your ears and eyes open. Read the local papers, talk with some of the locals.

Read a few historys of the Appalachian Mountains to get a feel for the area.

Above all, know that it is pronounced App - uh - LATCH - uh, not App - a - LACE - shu!

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by DCNPA

You won't be happy there. Political cliques, mountaintop removal mining, general poverty, mass logging and dependancy on state and federal grant money for new jobs are just a few facts. The jobs evaporate as soon as the grant money is gone.

Terrible roads, following coal and logging trucks, impaired water quality.

Go ahead and visit, by all means, but keep your ears and eyes open. Read the local papers, talk with some of the locals.

Read a few historys of the Appalachian Mountains to get a feel for the area.

Above all, know that it is pronounced App - uh - LATCH - uh, not App - a - LACE - shu!

Surely there must be some place in the mountains or near the mountains that you can recommend. The beauty of which many speak on this forum must be so. Please elaborate on the areas to which you're referring or areas to which you're not referring.

I pronounce it Ap-A-Lay-Tions. App-uh-LATCH-uh, good grief, I never would have guessed.

I know I have to be there, see it, and listen but I must say, I'm getting very discouraged. I've even thought now of moving to the Hill Country of TX for a taste of hills although they certainly don't compare to the SW VA area. If I stay in TX, I'll definitely not be so far from my kids.

Every time I scope out possibilities in the Hill Country, I think, "Oh, it just isn't green enough and majestic beauty is not here and Texas is being overrun with illegals and it's too blasted hot and I hate tornadoes, and, and, and, AND I've got to get out of here.

If I don't hurry up and decide, I'll be too old to move.

Thanks for your post; I, for one, need to learn all I can before I even visit certain areas.

[theburro]

KewGee - you're getting worked-up over nothing. Remember the thread you started way back in October, "Appalachians or Blue Ridge Mountains?" Just remind yourself of the basic physiography:

Floyd County, Roanoke area, Franklin County, et al. : Blue Ridge
Blacksburg, Giles, and surrounding area : Appalachian Plateau
Shenandoah Valley/Great Valley: between the Blue Ridge & Appalachians
West Virginia (entire state), Virginia coalfield counties: Appalachian Mtns.

I realize I'm oversimplifying some, but the point is to avoid the last category.

[seanpecor]

In a way, she's not getting worked up over nothing. DCNPA is misrepresenting the entire region. If he really meant to say he believes one wouldn't be happy in the Appalachian Mountains, then he should have titled his post "Why the Appalachian Mountains?" Instead he's grouping the entire SWVA region together and being terribly misleading, insofar as I'm concerned. Worse is it's not entirely clear to me at all that he's lived there within the past decade, if ever.

SWVA is NOT the last few counties in the narrow corner of Western Virginia. It begins in Roanoke and extends hundreds of miles westward. Floyd is arguably the hippest smallest town in SWVA; for goodness sake I know of a National Geographic photographer, a former SUN Microsystems executive, and dozens upon dozens of authors and artists who live there. Where else can you go and take piano lessons in a modest studio with a guy who toured with Emmylou Harris? I believe that's the sort of area KewGee has in mind when she thinks of an idyllic place in SWVA to live. She's not thinking of moving to a valley in Wise County beside a coal mine!

*shakes head*

Sean

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by theburro

KewGee - you're getting worked-up over nothing. Remember the thread you started way back in October, "Appalachians or Blue Ridge Mountains?" Just remind yourself of the basic physiography:

Floyd County, Roanoke area, Franklin County, et al. : Blue Ridge
Blacksburg, Giles, and surrounding area : Appalachian Plateau
Shenandoah Valley/Great Valley: between the Blue Ridge & Appalachians
West Virginia (entire state), Virginia coalfield counties: Appalachian Mtns.

I realize I'm oversimplifying some, but the point is to avoid the last category.

I'm not really worked up per se, just confused and really wanted to hear the response from DCNPA as so many of you have helped to convince me that SW VA is a great place to be, and I don't doubt it.

Yes, I remember all my posts as I have pages and pages of printouts from information on the area just from this forum alone which will be used well as a guide for my upcoming trip.

Thanks!!

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

In a way, she's not getting worked up over nothing. DCNPA is misrepresenting the entire region. If he really meant to say he believes one wouldn't be happy in the Appalachian Mountains, then he should have titled his post "Why the Appalachian Mountains?" Instead he's grouping the entire SWVA region together and being terribly misleading, insofar as I'm concerned. Worse is it's not entirely clear to me at all that he's lived there within the past decade, if ever.

SWVA is NOT the last few counties in the narrow corner of Western Virginia. It begins in Roanoke and extends hundreds of miles westward. Floyd is arguably the hippest smallest town in SWVA; for goodness sake I know of a National Geographic photographer, a former SUN Microsystems executive, and dozens upon dozens of authors and artists who live there. Where else can you go and take piano lessons in a modest studio with a guy who toured with Emmylou Harris? I believe that's the sort of area KewGee has in mind when she thinks of an idyllic place in SWVA to live. She's not thinking of moving to a valley in Wise County beside a coal mine!

*shakes head*

Sean

So right, Sean. No coal mines near me, I'll make sure of that should I be so lucky to relocate in this beautiful section of the country of which the majority of people speak highly.

I did question one time about those counties like Lee, Wise, etc. but was quickly informed about that area and therefore, have definitely crossed it off my list of possibilities.

Thanks for your comforting words.

[SCBeaches]

To KewGee:

I don't remember if I have responded to your posts about SWVA before, but I have family in Bristol (Washington County), Abingdon, Wise, Pound, Buchanon and Dickenson Counties, as well as in Richmond, Charlottsville, and Christiansburg so I am well acquainted with the various types of towns, people, and geographic features of Virginia even though I don't live there. I love the state! I especially love the culture of the Appalachian people who still keep their music, crafts, recipes, home remedies, speech, etc. alive - this is the heartbeat of America. I am proud to have family who practice the old crafts and go up there every chance I get.

I have bought 10 1/2 acres of land in Scott County (next to Washington County and 20 minutes from Bristol, 25 minutes from Kingsport) where I plan to build a log home after I retire from teaching in 8 years. From the spot where I have chosen to build, I can see mountain ranges in any direction....Heaven! I plan to write, hike, garden, join a church and maybe a book club, do some volunteering, maybe sing in a local group, and just enjoy visiting with family in my retirement years. I can't speak for their local schools if you have school-age children. Shopping? I'm not a big shopper so big name stores doesn't hold a facination with me. We have Saks Fifth Avenue, Laura Ashley, and many other big name stores here in Charleston (SC) but I have no need for any of them.

If you just want a piece of country to call your own, with deer and birds as your neighbors, I strongly suggest SWVA!

[educatormom]

Google corridor and Virginia. Look at all the companies adding production facilities in VA. Check out Galax and Wytheville...

[KewGee]

The more I read, the more I know I'm going to love southwestern VA and I'll be there next week.

Thanks everyone for all the delightful posts and help you've given me.

Southwest VA, here I come. I wish I lived there right now!!