mountains (Roanoke, Blacksburg, Christiansburg: apartment, rent, low crime)

[REBEL88]

me and my wife are looking at moving to either west va or virginia, im not sure exactly where the mountains start in virginia? what counties are the most mountainous? that would be a big help because i dont know where to start looking...thanks...

[SmerkyGrl]

Thankfully, you won't encounter miscreants like the above poster in the charming blue ridge mountains. I would suggest looking into the New River Valley---anywhere from Roanoke to Blacksburg to Floyd. Actually now that I think about it, Floyd County is a pretty darn mountainous area. Its very small and rural though, so I'm not sure if you're going for that but if you are, its definitely a good place to start. Montgomery County is less rural (comparatively) but still very close to the mountains.

[REBEL88]

what im looking for is a county where its all mountains, cheap land and cheap rent, low crime, low population yet close enough for shopping and other conveniences, a list of counties to look at would help...and are there any counties i should avoid?

[ashbrn4]

Pretty much all of the Shenandoah Valley area is what you describe. Maybe someone from the area will answer your questions, but the mountains really are pretty and in the fall,t he colors can be gorgeous.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by SmerkyGrl

Thankfully, you won't encounter miscreants like the above poster in the charming blue ridge mountains. I would suggest looking into the New River Valley---anywhere from Roanoke to Blacksburg to Floyd. Actually now that I think about it, Floyd County is a pretty darn mountainous area. Its very small and rural though, so I'm not sure if you're going for that but if you are, its definitely a good place to start. Montgomery County is less rural (comparatively) but still very close to the mountains.

Thank gosh for that; there are enough miscreants in TX.

The area you mention is exactly where I'm dreaming of relocating. I only hope it becomes a reality and the sooner the better. Floyd appeals to me for it's rural charm. I have heard one can only see the mountains in the distance, but I like the way you describe it better.

[SmerkyGrl]

Originally Posted by REBEL88

what im looking for is a county where its all mountains, cheap land and cheap rent, low crime, low population yet close enough for shopping and other conveniences, a list of counties to look at would help...and are there any counties i should avoid?

In terms of living expenses, the entire New River Valley (or Shenandoah Valley) is very very (very? ) low. If you live somewhere out in Christiansburg, VA, the rent can be as low as 200/mo for a 1 bedroom apartment. The only drawback of Christiansburg is that it has become less rural due to Wal-Mart and the expansion of the Peppers Ferry Shopping Center. It is, however, still in the valley and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Another area you may want to consider is around Radford. Its a smaller town with still much of a "country" feeling but it has enough in the city to make you feel like you're still near civilization. As for counties to avoid, I really can't name any in particular that would be considered "troublesome" unless you consider being out in the middle of Bumfluxville, Middle of Nowhere troublesome. Crime rate here is all fairly low, though in the recent years, Roanoke City has seen some increase in gang violence. I don't think Roanoke would be where you want to go , though, since I would not consider that area rural at all.

[PaperTrail]

I live in Bedford County, which is on the eastern side of Roanoke. Not many mountains on this part, though I do have nice views of the Peaks of Otter in the northern part of the county.

I agree that the New River Valley between Roanoke and Blacksburg would be great for what you're looking for. I've driven it only once, but people in Roanoke say that's beautiful country.

I'd also suggest Catawba. Hopefully, that's not too rural for your tastes, but I was looking at a lot of housing up that way, and it's very affordable. Plus, you're right in the middle of the mountains with lots of hiking opportunities right near you: the Appalachian Trail, Dragon's Tooth, etc. Cool area.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by proud_to_be_texan

The tallest peak in Virginia is Mount Rogers in Grayson County, at 5729 feet (1746 meters) above sea level. VA's call this a mountain.
By definition a mountain has to be over 8,000 feet. This is more like a hill.

Tallest peak in Texas is Guadalupe Peak - 8,749 feet.

Your simplistic understanding of mountains is laughable.

In addition to this definition of mountains,
"a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2000 ft. (610 m)." Note that this does not necessarily mean altitude above sea level; some elevated geographical features, such as plateaus, may not be considered mountains despite their altitude. Likewise, "mountains" may rise thousand of feet from the ocean floor but never break above the surface."

you seem to think all mountains are somehow the same, or should be.
In fact, there are 5 basic types of mountains: Dome, fold, fault-block, volcanic, and plateau mountains. These different types of mountain names not only distinguish the physical characteristics of the mountains, but also how they were formed.

Dome Mountains
Dome mountains are the result of a great amount of melted rock pushing its way up under the earth without folding or faulting resulting in a rounded dome. As the dome is raised above its surroundings erosion occurs, and as a result of erosion, peaks and valleys are formed.

Fold Mountains
Fold mountains are formed when two plates collided head on, and their edges crumbled, much the same way as a piece of paper folds when pushed together.
Examples of fold mountains include Himalayas in Asia, the Alps in Europe and the Andes in South America
Find out more....

Fault-block Mountains -
These mountains form when faults or cracks in the earth's crush force some materials or blocks of rock up and others down. Instead of the earth folding over, the earth fractures and blocks are stacked. Examples include the Sierra Nevada mountains in North America and the Harz Mountains in Germany.

Volcanic Mountains
Volcanic Mountains are formed when molten rock, or magma deep within the earth, erupts, and piles upon the surface. Examples of Volcanic Mountains include Mount St. Helens in North America and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
Find out more ....

Plateau Mountains (Erosion Mountains)
These are mountains that are really plateaus that have worn down from erosion. The dictionary describes these as large areas of ‘high levels’ of flat land.

Before you continue to spout off about things you obviously have no real knowledge of, perhaps you would just consider doing some reading.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by proud_to_be_texan

The tallest peak in Virginia is Mount Rogers in Grayson County, at 5729 feet (1746 meters) above sea level. VA's call this a mountain.
By definition a mountain has to be over 8,000 feet. This is more like a hill.

Tallest peak in Texas is Guadalupe Peak - 8,749 feet.

You forgot to tell the Virginians that Guadalupe Peak is only 10 miles from the New Mexico border in desert land. That is about as far away from civilization as one can get. The drive to get out there is the ugliest drive I've ever been on.

The Davis Mountains are way out there too, so yes, Texas does have mountains if you want to drive well over 500 miles from Dallas to see them. The Ozarks are closer to most of the populated areas in Texas.

Since you're a professor at the Univeristy of Maryland, you should have known the definition for a mountain as lovesMountains stated.

That kind of reminds me of a Texas college professor that came to a junior high school in my area with some of his students. He introduced one of the young men as being from Idaho, and I quote, "Idaho is way up there next to California." I burst out laughing but quickly composed myself. I didn't want to hurt the feelings of the Texans. One other person caught the error and he's from Minnesota. At least they taught geography in California and Minnesota.

If you are a college professor, I'll eat a cactus!!

[perfctplace3]

Yeah, but the mountains in Texas are ugly. Virginia has gorgeous scenery. Go to Texas if you like hot and Dry--drought.