In need of help. Relocating to Claypool Hill Area

[samantha73]

Originally Posted by FSE.TECH

Very informative. Yet scary on the stats. My wife is currently in retail. I dont plan on being in the area long. Just long enough to obtain the training and get well off to receive a transfer and relocate to a better location within the company. Its just down right scary to think the healthcare is shabby and there aren't any jobs for my spouse. We have yet to have kids but by the tim ethey would be conceived and turn five I would be out of there, hopefully. Long enough to recieve equity in a home since we have been renting for the last 9 yrs. It will get us started as home owners but I just not sure if this is the right opportunity. Yes, my company is locate in a business park. After reading the good/bad of this area I just am not sure of what to expect. The employees at the moment where I would work are friendly and warm. So who knows. I just can't figure out if this is the coreect move. It seems like I keep reading about the poverty within the communities. I currently live in northern VA where homes are outragious and roads severely congested. Its just annoying. There it seems more quiet but again the stats from readers within this forum is just scary.

As with anywhere you will find bad doctors, poverty etc. But if you are willing to work, there is work. If you want to find a good doctor there are AMAZING doctors here. The wages may not be as high in some other areas but they match your cost of living. The people are friendly and accepting, but as with ALL places there are those who show their ignorance, you just have to look over those people, but again they are everywhere. The best place in this area that you are looking at is a place called Cedar Bluff. This area is clean with a low crime rate, they promote community activities and as I said before, if you are willing to work then you will find work. There are plenty of people on welfare and what have you, but they are lazy or older people. This area is wonderful to raise a family or even as a pit stop for learning and developing yourself before moving on to better things. No place is perfect, but my area is pretty close to me. There are bad things no matter where you live, you just have to be the better person. And another thing, we may talk "funny" but don't mistake that for ignorance or poverty, most people think that the way I talk is charming and hipnotic and even sexy!!! You should take the time to visit and make that call yourself, it is a big deal, but judge yourself, some people have had bad experiences and take that out on the community because they got a speeding ticket or busted with drugs. Another thing, Tazewell county in general has cracked down on the drug problem and nearly wiped it out, so think no more of that. It is everywhere, but as bad not even close to being as bad as some other areas. Good Luck

[rangerwvu]

PLEASE READ BEFORE TRAVELING TO CLAYPOOL!!!

I specifically went onto the web to see if I could find some sort of contact information for this town. I feel compelled to share my concern with anyone moving or traveling into this area. It has NOTHING to do with poverty and other concerns. I was raised in a poor community in a very similiar area, that is not geographically far from Claypool.. However, there were several critical differences.....it was not illegal for a black man to walk down the street, people of other races were not stared at, spoken to rudely and overall treated very poorly by EVERYONE encountered (there was one person who treated my friend normally, in fact, I think he was probably trying to make up for the obvious racism of those around him...). I am not imagining this as I am a white man who was along for this ride of crazy racism, I was blatantly treated normally, better.

Now, for the 'hand on a Bible' details....a policeman literally pulled over in front of us (we were walking), stopped us and asked if my black co-worker has identification. This question was never directed to me. Once grilled over his identification (we are both truck drivers for the same company delivering to the local Lowes and were not going to be unloaded until 4 am so we struck out on foot to find a restaurant, etc...) as if he didnt believe that he was a driver, he was then asked if he had any warrants out for his arrest. I was not only shocked, but very angry at this point. But it was very clear that any response other than the expected 'yessir' would potentially get you in the back of the car or worse. The policeman then proceeded to take my co-workers ID and go to his car and run the ID for warrants. At this point, I am embarrassed for my very race as well as at how this is representing what I have always known to be good, hard working country folks. This popliceman was young, no more than 30, so I could not even offer the unacceptable excuse that this was some old racist from a time long gone by.

After all of this, he finally listens to me and seems to understand that we are simply looking for a place to eat and it is sort of hard to drive an 18 wheel flat bed through neigborhoods, nor is is appropriate so we walked for that reason as well as to just get out of the trucks. Now, after reading all of this, there is even more. He offers to give us a ride, I am thankfull that he is finally coming to his senses, but then he looks at my friend and says, "you do not have any weapons on you do you?" I tried to play this off as he was joking and he corrected that real quick with a 'please understand that a knife is also considered a weapon".......I can not get out of this time warped racist town quickly enough. I literally have some fear for my friend. We are not small men nor do we become easily afraid. You do not stay a driver long if you are weak of heart.

If the law enforcement is representative of the larger community, if employees and patrons of two restaurants are reprentative of the local people, then I would recommend that you steer clear of this place unless you are in a large group with an attorney in tow.

Beautiful place, so terrible it has so many sad, ignorant people.
Please be carefull!