Harrisonburg, VA (Charlottesville, Staunton, Waynesboro: real estate market, rent, condos)

[hollowayla]

my be relocating there?? Can anyone tell be about this town/city? what better CVille or Harris?

[shy chic]

I don't live in Harrisonbug,but have been there many times. It is a growing area in a very beautiful part of Virginia. There are 3 or 4 universities in the area. Winters will be a bit colder than eastern VA,although milder than,say the upper midwest or New England. Charlottesville is also a nice area,with many historical sights(Montecello) and the University of VA. I understand it's a bit expensive to live there,though.

[Dr.Jim]

I live just outside Harrisonburg.
Your other post talks about a job in Cville,...is this correct? The drive from Hburg to Cville is about an hour, and its OVER the mountains,.....which can be tough in winter.

Harrisonburg is definately a bit more conservative than Cville. No racism in the immediate Hburg area,...BUT like I said in my other post....as soon as you get out of the city there are alot of very rural, old, conservative towns that might have some prejudiced. Maybe.

Hburg has less going on that Cville, less shopping, virtually no nightlife,....it does not have much of a 'historic' district,....has alot of strip-mall sprawl,.
It is home to JMU which although a good sized university...it does not seem to affect the Hburg culture the way UVA does in Cville.

If it came down to money,...Hburg is a cheaper area to live in than Cville. BUT, for you...being so concerned with diversity and all I would stick with the Cville area.

Good luck....and btw - Are we going to get a "Waynesboro" & Staunton post next? ;-)

Shy chic - 3 or 4 universities?...Really? Who are they? I only know of EMU & JMU....and a couple small community colleges......

[shy chic]

I was mistaken--there is a college in Bridgewater and I was thinking of that one besides EMU and JMU (maybe I should have used colleges instead of university). I almost moved to the area years ago when I was considering going to JMU but didn't want to be too far away from my family at the time.

[tkkd1029]

My daughter is thinking about going to JMU - I don't know anything about the area - is it safe? She would be VERY far from home and I am worried - can you tell me about the area?

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by tkkd1029

My daughter is thinking about going to JMU - I don't know anything about the area - is it safe? She would be VERY far from home and I am worried - can you tell me about the area?

JMU is an extremely safe university. It's a great school surrounded by a small very conservative town. The kids pretty much hang out with each other all the time so she would rarely find herself alone or farther than shouting distance of other students. I'd be less concerned about safety there than at most other schools.

[IAMJJ]

I, personally, am not a fan of Harrisonburg. I was born and raised in the area, and I believe it has declined in recent years due to a few problems with drugs, immigrants, and some JMU related issues (had a "civil disturbance" over the weekend at springfest and cops tear gassed a crowd of students). Overall, its not necessarily a dangerous city per se, however, the majority of the crime in the Rockingham/Augusta county areas originate from Harrisonburg. From Charlottesville its about 50 miles. I lived in charlottesville for a period of time and worked at a car dealership in Harrisonburg, it wasn't a pleasant daily commute to say the least. I currently live in the Staunton area, and it is a great place to live (as long as you aren't seeking employment within the city, there aren't many available jobs). The rent and real estate market are cheap and the overall housing quality is pretty good. Staunton has the best downtown area, and a fairly decent nightlife scene. I have several friends and family members who work in Cville and live here. Its about a 40 min commute to the UVA campus. If I were you, save the money and the hassle, move to Staunton.

[Herb of Grace]

We've lived in Harrisonburg for nine years and love the city and R-ham county. We have three kids and live downtown. The downtown area has revived considerably in the past four or five years and new shops, restaurants and condos appear monthly. The city itself is quite safe-- my kids and I walk the 3/4 mile to the downtown from our house weekly to the library and shops. There's a large alternative-living community here (which we find very attractive), but also a great mix of traditional suburban neighborhoods. The college community is a little different than the "townies", but they're only here for half the year and they at least provide us with regular entertainment and free concerts!

H-burg is very racially diverse and I've never seen or heard of any negative racial stereotypes. There are various heritage festivals every spring and summer-- including a big International Festival every fall celebrating the myriad cultures represented in our community. You can walk through Walmart any weekday and hear at least five different languages by the time you hit the checkout, including Spanish, Russian, Kurdish, French, Imheric, and others I can't identify.

The area outside the city is very rural and downright pastoral. You can live right in farm country and be only five minutes from the mall. There is a thriving art and music community-- including a yearly Bach Festival and a downtown celebration of local artists.

Comparing to Charlottesville... in general, H-burg is smaller and a little quieter and a lot cheaper to live here. I wouldn't want to commute daily to C-ville, but we find it well within weekend-shopping/dining distance. Staunton also has a lot of great things to offer in the way of arts and entertainment, including the world's only replication of Shakespeare's Blackfriars Theater-- the home of the American Shakespeare Company.

All in all, I highly recommend this area. It has a little something for everyone! If we weren't relocating for job reasons, we'd stay here into retirement!

[Danni923]

JMU and the chicken plants are the only things keep Harrisonburg going. Dayton (South of Harrisonburg) smells like an old fart, because the chicken plant releases the chicken "stuff/crap" into the air after burning it off. YUCK. JMU students are the only good part of the area, okay to go to school but not to live. Also you will be asked "what church you attend" a hundred times a day. If you daughter is going to JMU warn her of RTE 11, most students have to cross it and over the years kids have been killed because there is no real crossing area for the students, they have to run out into traffic. Plus, first year students are not allowed to have a car on campus so it makes it really hard on them since the campus is not just in one area anymore, but all over town.

[smokemaster]

sounds like someone received a "thin letter" from the Office of Admissions. Much safer than C'ville; no comparison to College Park. I lived in town for my last three years of school; no one asked me about church.