In need of help. Relocating to Claypool Hill Area (Richmond: appointed, transplants)

[FSE.TECH]

I need honest and truthful opinions about SW VA. I'm relocating my family to this area due to a tech job. I noticed there are a mix of beatiful and affordable homes in this area. I currently am finding throughout posts that people are bad mouthing this area and commenting on the fact that there aren't any reasons to move there but many to leave. We are an interacial couple and would like to know residents take to this type of relationship and how hard is it to adjutst. Is it difficult to find employment for a spouse. Please answer this honest and truthful. Please be respectful. Im jsut trying to understand why the percentages for non-whites are so low. Im also trying to find out if my reasons for moving there will be fruitful.

[williamsburgfan]

you need to visit the area, more than once and for more than a few days. You get a very small sample of opinions on websites like this. You are making a huge decision and need to visit.

what type employment is your spouse pursuing?

[seanpecor]

Originally Posted by FSE.TECH

I need honest and truthful opinions about SW VA.

I'm not familiar with the area, but a friend of mine might be helpful with regard to insight into the day to day life of an interracial couple in SW VA. He's got a blog:

http://themacbeangene.blogspot.com/

As far as I know they're well accepted into their community.

I have friends who were retired who toured Tazewell county looking for property and they said it was gorgeous country. If you've landed a tech job in the area with a relatively high pay scale then I'd say go for it. SW VA is growing tech jobs really fast. There are over 1,000 unfilled I.T. jobs in SW VA and you'll be able to climb the ladder in SW VA and take advantage of low real estate prices.

There is a farm in Burkes Garden that you could call and ask about the area, such a farm will know lots of people in the area and be able to connect you to folks who can give you valuable insight:

http://www.gardenmountain.com/

Sean

[theburro]

A few things about Claypool Hill, Tazewell County:

First, it's not a town at all, merely a crossroads (U.S. Routes 460 and 19, I think.) There's not a town center just a spread of subdivisions along with the usual retail meccas. Your job offer is probably in an industrial/office park or a public facility, right?

It's a sort of transition area between the agricultural areas of eastern Tazewell and the coal mining areas to the west. Some might even argue that it's a bedroom community of Richalands, a hardscrabble little town a few miles to the west. There used to be some manufacturing in Richalands but that all went overseas a good 30 years ago, leaving coal mining and retail as the only games in town.

These coalfield counties have the closest thing you will find in the U.S. to socialized medicine. The mine workers and the UMWA (whats left of it) have negotiated a sort of "cradle to grave" helth care system for themselves and their families. Since the area is medically underserved, most of the physicains operate out of "clinics" where they see hundreds of patients a week, in many cases doing cursory exams and dispensing pain medications (a lot of gruesome injuries occur in the mines).

This created an illegal drug problem several years back. I don't know if the authorities have gotton it under control, but there was a time that lots of Oxycontin and powerful prescription opiates were circulating on the streets and young people were getting addicted in record numbers. The problem for people like ourselves is that these poor kids would steal almost anything not nailed down to buy a tab of Oxycontin for $100 or more. The Sheriffs were running out of jail cells and the Commonwealth's Attorney was setting up special "drug courts" to prosecute the incredible caseload.

People do have a very hard Appalachian accent throughout that area. To me, it's not a pleasant sound, I prefer North Carolina and Georgia accents myself, and genuine Virginia accents. Unfortuantely, you would pickup these mannerisms of speech if exposed long enough and your children if you have any, would be extremely vulnerable.

There is a nice Community College down-county and as you say, some very nice and affordable housing. The Baptist Church is probably the most important institution in the area. I don't know about racial matters as I don't pay much attention to that sort of thing. There is certainly a good number of "redneck" types down there and it's not as diverse or progressive as Northern Virginia, for example. Overall, there's more people depending on public assistance and educational attainment is lower than Virginia statewide averages.

[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.

[seanpecor]

FSE.TECH, I think that you'd enjoy your time in that area of SWVA. The small tech economy in SWVA is growing, each quarter the governor announces new commitments from large companies like Northrup Grumman, XM Satellite Radio, CGI Software and so on. Speaking as an I.T. entrepreneur, I think it would be a sensible move for you because you'd be in a friendly community and establishing relationships with influential folks in the industry.

The poverty issue in Tazewell county is often overstated. In reality, the % of people living below poverty level (at 15%) in Tazewell is lower than many cities in Virginia. Retail is also strong for a county with only 45,000 people. In 2002 there were 617 million dollars in retail sales, and this is certainly higher at present. Retail sales per capita in 2002 in Tazewell was $14,000 - which is $3,000 higher than the state average and higher than the fastest growing county in Central and Western Virginia (Caroline County outside of Richmond). So retail is actually quite strong.

I'd go for it!

Sean

[kjuhl]

FSE.TECH, I moved to Claypool Hill 6 years ago. It is different here, but no different than any other place that's new to you and miles from where you came from. As for "shabby" healthcare, I beg to differ. Clinch Valley Medical Center is a 200-bed hospital with remarkable offerings for a community this size. Examples? Image-guided IMRT: CVMC was just the fifth hospital in the WORLD to acquire this technology, which is radiation therapy combined with a CT scanner that enables extremely precise positioning to kill cancer while protecting surrounding tissue. A PET/CT fusion scanner, that until recently was only available in large teaching and research hospitals. MRI, nuclear medicine, a medical laboratory with the highest accreditation level. General and specialty surgery including vascular, thoracic, orthopedic microsurgery and urologic laser surgery.

Physician specialties include cardiology, orthopedic surgery, vascular surgery, radiation oncology, pulmonology (w.sleep studies subspecialty), ophthalmology, ENT, neurology -- and on and on. Just about the only services not available are neurosurgery, open heart surgery and transplants.

It's a beautiful area. The people are friendly and for the most part accepting. The cost of living is unbelievable. (The cost of our house here was at least $100,000 less than what we owned in Michigan.) I say: Come here with an open mind and enjoy your stay. There's no traffic congestion, the air is pure, the nights are black and quiet. Jobs are not plentiful, at least not high-paying jobs. But good jobs with benefits are always available because too many people are just not interested in working. (And they're doubly put to shame by the rest of the people who have an amazing work ethic.)

[FSE.TECH]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

FSE.TECH, I think that you'd enjoy your time in that area of SWVA. The small tech economy in SWVA is growing, each quarter the governor announces new commitments from large companies like Northrup Grumman, XM Satellite Radio, CGI Software and so on. Speaking as an I.T. entrepreneur, I think it would be a sensible move for you because you'd be in a friendly community and establishing relationships with influential folks in the industry.

The poverty issue in Tazewell county is often overstated. In reality, the % of people living below poverty level (at 15%) in Tazewell is lower than many cities in Virginia. Retail is also strong for a county with only 45,000 people. In 2002 there were 617 million dollars in retail sales, and this is certainly higher at present. Retail sales per capita in 2002 in Tazewell was $14,000 - which is $3,000 higher than the state average and higher than the fastest growing county in Central and Western Virginia (Caroline County outside of Richmond). So retail is actually quite strong.

I'd go for it!

Sean

Hello Thank you for the info. I have taken the position and have been searching around the area. I have met many nice poople. I have been told businesses are coming into the area. I am a little disappointed with seeing the downgraded homes in the communities. It's very heartbreaking seeing how some of the people live but I also have seen how some hard working individuals live. I feel the area will grow on me but it will take a moment since Im used to living on the east coast. Thanki you so much for your input.

[FSE.TECH]

Originally Posted by kjuhl

FSE.TECH, I moved to Claypool Hill 6 years ago. It is different here, but no different than any other place that's new to you and miles from where you came from. As for "shabby" healthcare, I beg to differ. Clinch Valley Medical Center is a 200-bed hospital with remarkable offerings for a community this size. Examples? Image-guided IMRT: CVMC was just the fifth hospital in the WORLD to acquire this technology, which is radiation therapy combined with a CT scanner that enables extremely precise positioning to kill cancer while protecting surrounding tissue. A PET/CT fusion scanner, that until recently was only available in large teaching and research hospitals. MRI, nuclear medicine, a medical laboratory with the highest accreditation level. General and specialty surgery including vascular, thoracic, orthopedic microsurgery and urologic laser surgery.

Physician specialties include cardiology, orthopedic surgery, vascular surgery, radiation oncology, pulmonology (w.sleep studies subspecialty), ophthalmology, ENT, neurology -- and on and on. Just about the only services not available are neurosurgery, open heart surgery and transplants.

It's a beautiful area. The people are friendly and for the most part accepting. The cost of living is unbelievable. (The cost of our house here was at least $100,000 less than what we owned in Michigan.) I say: Come here with an open mind and enjoy your stay. There's no traffic congestion, the air is pure, the nights are black and quiet. Jobs are not plentiful, at least not high-paying jobs. But good jobs with benefits are always available because too many people are just not interested in working. (And they're doubly put to shame by the rest of the people who have an amazing work ethic.)

I was told top stay away from this hospital for many reasons. One of which diagnosis for some people I work with have been wrong when it came to their medical care. I was also told emergency care takes a tremendous amount of time to wait for due to the high amount os drug traficking that goes on here in Tazewell county. Mainly the amount of drug overdoses and such. I was told they take an extra ordniary amount of time to get to you in waiting rooms.

I don't doubt the technilogy you say they have. I just don't know but I have people telling me from experience. I guess I will have to find out for myself. I at one time worked on Litho equipment and familiar with xray technology as well. I will do my research and find out what I will be faced with in the future if I choose to use this hospital. Again Thank you so much for your info.

[kjuhl]

I think if I'd had access to this forum before moving to SWVa I would have been too scared to do it!

People like to tell dramatic stories. Some are mostly true. Some have a basis in truth but get embellished in the retelling. Some are "friend of a friend of a friend" stories that the originator would never recognize.

Every emergency room has horror stories; a lot depends on the timing of your visit. And if you use the ER when you should be seeing a primary care physician -- as many people here do -- then you'll likely have a long wait. From personal experience, I've been a patient in Clinch Valley Medical Center's emergency room. So has my husband. Both times, the care was quick, accurate and compassionate. I've also been, on a separate occasion, a surgical patient at CVMC. I do recommend CVMC to others.

Full disclosure: I moved here to take a job with CVMC. I am proud of our hospital and staff, and -- because I have a basis for comparison, unlike the majority of Southwest Virginians who have never lived or worked anywhere else -- am still amazed at the level and scope of services it provides in a community this size, as well as what it gives back to the community. Any hospital has problems. Every hospital has horror stories told about it. Given the care options available in the area, CVMC continues to be my first choice.