Nelson county....anyone? (Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville: house, theater, school)

[curious mama]

Hey everybody, I posted before about the counties in between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, but I haven't really gotten any replies. Does anyone out there live in Nelson county? I would love some info about the area. You see, my husband is going to be working in Lynchburg, but I would prefer to be in Charlottesville. I was told, that some parts of Nelson county are centrally located between the two. We have always lived in rural communities and are used to about a 30 minute drive to the city. Any advice out there? Maybe areas of Nelson I should begin my house search in? Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks in advance! :0)

[matthews1965]

Hi - wish I could help, but I don't know enough about that area to help you. I will ask around and get back to you if I find helpful information. Best of luck!

[curious mama]

Thanks! It is starting to seem as if no one leaves the city limits of charlottesville...

[sregorat3]

Nelson and Amherst are both very rural, as is Albemarle County south of Cville. If your husband is working in Lynchburg on a daily basis, it would only make sense to look in the Amherst area. I once considered commuting from the Sweet Briar area- and have looked at Clifford, which is 4-5 miles north of the Town of Amherst. In regards to scenery, I think the Clifford area tops anything in Nelson or Albemarle; it provides sweeping vistas of some of the tallest peaks in between Mt. Rogers and New York. Nelson county and southern Albemarle are both a bit less open, with less rolling farmland. Lovingston, directly between Cville and Lynchburg is another option, but unless you plan on doing every bit of your shopping in Cville, Amherst will be much more convenient. When shopping for basic, everday houswares and goods, one has more options in Lynchburg; when looking for the very high end products (Sephora, Beecroft and Bull, etc.) head to Cville. There are high end shopping opportunities and dining in Lynchburg, but they aren't as numerous as what you find in Cville. Also, when shopping in Lynchburg, one would find it much easier to get in and out of the city, as their are several limited access roads that have direct access to shopping areas; in Cville, growth has been poorly planned and you can easily spend some good shopping time sitting in traffic that is reminiscent of cities 4-5 times larger.
My wife and I enjoy getting to Cville at least every month for a change of pace; ten years ago we would go to shop, but these days, many of the stores we frequented have built stores in Lynchburg, so our trips end up being walks around the downtown area, eating, and visiting family. We have also been to some concerts and shows in Cville that we don't get to see in Lburg; hopefully the Academy Theater, which is currently being renovated, will provide a venue for more entertainment that what is currently offered here.
Hope that helps out a bit. If you want more assistance, PM me and I could refer you to someone who can give some insight on what is available in the areas I mentioned.

[alice_61]

I lived in Nelson County for 8 years and loved it. Most of the county is rural. I usually shopped in Charlottesville.

[curious mama]

Thank you so much for the info. We will be visiting family in Lynchburg @ Thanksgiving, and we hope to do a lot of exploring then. You mentioned Lovingston as being half-way in between. How far a drive do you think it is to either Charlottesville or Lynchburg? I have a 6 year old daughter, and I would prefer her to go to school in Charlottesville(Peabody, maybe?) However, she is a gymnast and would probably attend classes in Lynchburg(better gym). I am not familiar with anything in this area...we live outside of Asheville...do you know if Charlottesville is similar in any ways(restaurants, art scene, music, etc.)? Thanks so much for all your help!!

[curious mama]

Which area of nelson county did you live in? How long of a drive was it to Charlottesville. I have heard the area is beautiful. Thanks for the positive feedback!

[sregorat3]

My mom went to school in Asheville- Ben Lippin- and lived for a time with her grandparents. They were heavily involved in the Asheville social scene when they were in their prime. We recently had a small reunion with my aunt, who is the last remaining family member in that area (Weaverville), and went back to visit the old family home on Woodland Rd. (used to be known as the Sunset Hills area, very close to the Grove Park). Any of those names ring a bell?
Having quite a bit of experience with both areas, I'll try to compare Cville and Aville for you.
1. In regards to the vibrancy of the downtown areas and the shops and restaurants that populate the downtown, Asheville has much more to offer than Cville. Nothing around compares to Grove Arcade, and the larger, walkable downtown area od Aville simply has more to see and do than Cville. The Asheville downtown area is much more like the Roanoke downtown area.
2. The stores that inhabit downtown Charlottesville tend to be a bit more sophisticated then what one might find in Asheville or Roanoke. Several of the shops are of the same caliber as any high fashion store in DC or New York.
3. Charlottesville has an unusually high number of college students as compared to Asheville. While Asheville has a good number of young bohemian types, Cville has those and more.
4. Congestion in Cville would double that of Aville, mainly due to the density of the city. While not a large city, the ~45,000 residents are packed into a 10 sq mile area- about 4500 per sq. mi. In comparison, Asheville's density is ~1750/sq.mi and Lynchburg's is ~ 1450/sq.mi.
5. I find the people of the Asheville area very hospitable and approachable. There seems to be quite a balance in the population between income levels and one would have a hard time distinguishing between the haves, the have nots... and the have a lots! In Charlottesville, the lines between social classes are much more defined and it is obvious that there are some very poor people, and some very, very wealthy people; not nearly as many in between as you have seen in Asheville or you will find in Lynchburg or Roanoke.
6. The arts scene in Cville is outstanding and some of the biggest concerts in VA are held at UVa's John Paul Jones Arena. As there are a lot of philanthropist types in the area, the availability of high quality productions is unparalleled for a city of its size, and UVa productions only add to the mix. Asheville does have a great art scene and some great small venues to see up and coming stars, but I think that Cville trumps it.
7. Location and scenery- Cville has the edge on history, but Aville takes the prize for scenery.

Just a quick rundown on some of the things that you were interested in. Are you allowed to mention where your husband is working? A downtown job would be about 30 min., while a JCrew job would be closer to 45 minutes. I mentioned JCrew because they have (or had) a warehouse facility in Asheville. Depending on his job, a Lovingston one-way trip could be anywhere from ~35 min. to close to an hour. From my house, Lovingston is just about equidistant from my cousins house, close to the campus of UVa. Coincidentally, I have a friend who has kids at The Covenant School in Cville all the while commuting to Lynchburg on a daily basis. It takes him about 45 minutes to get to his downtown office and he lives about 15 miles north of Lovingston. What gym are you looking at in Lynchburg?

[curious mama]

Small world...we live north of Weaverville in a little town called Marshall. My husband will be working with an engineering company...he is a land surveyor. I have been in Lynchburg enough to know I don't want to live there. The reason for the gym in Lynchburg, is that my daughter is really involved in competitive gymnastics, and her coach here recommended it...can't recall the name right now...power tumbling something??? Thank you for all the info. We are definitely not one of the "have-a-lot" families! Wonder if we can find a niche in Charlottesville... The music and art scene sounds great...traffic sounds terrible. I wonder if your family is related to my husband's?...seems like he's related to everyone around here!(his mom was one of 8, and his dad one of 7). Thanks again for the great information!

[sregorat3]

Lovingston probably will be to your liking. It is easy to look up the demographics of the area; if you do, you'll find that Cville will be a great place to visit, but not a parallel move from Aville. I know there are a couple of firms on the west side of town; Hurt and Proffit, by far the largest, is moving to a new facility in that area soon. The commute from Lovingston would be @ 45 min.
As for family, my aunt has chosen to stay in Weaverville even though her parents have passed and her siblings are all from Lynchburg, north to Nantucket. She works part time at the Ace Hardware and we've enjoyed making the trip down for family get togethers, even though it is about as inconvenient as it could be. We usually take 26 south from Bristol, so I've seen those signs for Marshall.
While Lynchburg might not be for you, I find it to be a great place... though the Well-Bred Bakery in Weaverville would really help round out my morning dining options! They have the absolute best eclairs in the world, and if you've never stopped there, make it a point to before leaving!