Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
 
Old 12-17-2009, 08:56 PM
 
1 posts, read 50,341 times
Reputation: 24

Advertisements

My wife and I will be moving to VA in the Spring of 2010. We are looking for a place that has all four seasons, as well as people who are friendly and down-to-earth. We'd like to live in an area that has trendy shops and restaurants, but also some local country flavor. We'll begin having kids in the near future, so we need an area with a good school system. If we had our choice, we'd rather live closer to the mountains than the coast, and we'd like to avoid the traffic from the D.C. area. Please give us your thoughts if you live in VA or have spent a good amount of time there. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-18-2009, 08:17 AM
 
168 posts, read 840,894 times
Reputation: 93
Staunton, Harrisonburg.

Roanoke.

Cville ( a bit bigger and more metro)
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 09:26 AM
 
370 posts, read 1,010,137 times
Reputation: 323
C'ville and Staunton would certainly be good options. Harrisonburg has turned a bit too suburban for my tastes but you'd have access to Menonite produce and goods.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 10:49 AM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
14,129 posts, read 31,246,614 times
Reputation: 6920
Quote:
Originally Posted by arejohnston View Post
My wife and I will be moving to VA in the Spring of 2010. We are looking for a place that has all four seasons, as well as people who are friendly and down-to-earth. We'd like to live in an area that has trendy shops and restaurants, but also some local country flavor. We'll begin having kids in the near future, so we need an area with a good school system. If we had our choice, we'd rather live closer to the mountains than the coast, and we'd like to avoid the traffic from the D.C. area. Please give us your thoughts if you live in VA or have spent a good amount of time there. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
All of VA has four seasons. It's not THAT big. If you don't want to be near DC but want trendy your only real choices would be Charlottesville or Richmond. I'd suggest the former since it's closer to the mountains and not quite as trafficky (although there's still a fair amount there at certain times of day on certain roads). Plus it's a college town. Someone mentioned Harrisonburg - not trendy.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 07:51 PM
 
125 posts, read 496,754 times
Reputation: 34
Another vote for Charlottesville.

I agree, Harrisonburg doesn't really sound like it would fit your criteria of trendy shops & restaurants.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 09:43 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,616 posts, read 77,596,211 times
Reputation: 19101
Charlottesville would be my recommendation as well. You are over two hours from Washington, DC, so you are just far enough away to avoid the commuter sprawl madness that has now encroached out as far as Fauquier County (Warrenton Area). People are now even commuting to the DC Metro Area from places like Winchester and Fredericksburg as well.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 10:50 PM
 
Location: alive in the superunknown
542 posts, read 991,538 times
Reputation: 237
Ditto on everything said. One place not mentioned was Lexington. It's very small but has VMI and W&L. It's basically a compact Charlottesville with none of the traffic. It's 40 miles to Roanoke for shopping and etc. or 30 miles to Staunton. The downtown is full of locally run shops, some chains on the outskirts. The place is very historic and some might even consider it a little snobby. And it is in the Shen. Valley, so surrounded by mountains. But honestly while reading your post I was thinking Charlottesville all the way. Good luck with your search and welcome to VA(eventually).
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-19-2009, 06:04 AM
 
Location: Florida
407 posts, read 1,074,571 times
Reputation: 373
We're in the same situation as these folks, but we're hoping to move in Nov 2010. We already have two young children, so our concerns are the same as far as schools are concerned. How about Roanoke? Any thoughts?
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-19-2009, 06:16 AM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,616 posts, read 77,596,211 times
Reputation: 19101
Quote:
Originally Posted by touretteboy65 View Post
We're in the same situation as these folks, but we're hoping to move in Nov 2010. We already have two young children, so our concerns are the same as far as schools are concerned. How about Roanoke? Any thoughts?
I've never been to Roanoke, but I have done a lot of research into the city and received a lot of help from this forum. Living here in the endless sprawl that is Northern Viriginia I really do miss some of the creature comforts of my former home in a place not unlike Roanoke---walkable neighborhoods, friendly people, historic architecture, a rebounding downtown, independent mom-and-pop stores and restaurants (as well as outlying big-box stores and chains), etc. I really do want to visit for a long weekend sometime next Spring or Summer myself to snap some photos, chat it up with the locals, skulk around the neighborhoods (I'm especially fond of the "Old Southwest" neighborhood), and just breathe in all that Roanoke has to offer.

For my personality the I-81 corridor cities (Roanoke, Lexington, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Winchester) are really more my style---far enough away from the bustle so that you don't have to pay $1,200/month in rent for an average 1-BR apartment and sit for hours each week in traffic jams---but still "urban" enough to have First Friday events, First Night celebrations, farmers' markets, book signings at book stores, coffeehouses, and adequate retail/dining options.

I'm sorry I can't be of much more help other than just relaying my own "hearsay" to you, but I wish you the best!
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-19-2009, 07:22 AM
 
Location: Florida
407 posts, read 1,074,571 times
Reputation: 373
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre View Post
I've never been to Roanoke, but I have done a lot of research into the city and received a lot of help from this forum. Living here in the endless sprawl that is Northern Viriginia I really do miss some of the creature comforts of my former home in a place not unlike Roanoke---walkable neighborhoods, friendly people, historic architecture, a rebounding downtown, independent mom-and-pop stores and restaurants (as well as outlying big-box stores and chains), etc. I really do want to visit for a long weekend sometime next Spring or Summer myself to snap some photos, chat it up with the locals, skulk around the neighborhoods (I'm especially fond of the "Old Southwest" neighborhood), and just breathe in all that Roanoke has to offer.

For my personality the I-81 corridor cities (Roanoke, Lexington, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Winchester) are really more my style---far enough away from the bustle so that you don't have to pay $1,200/month in rent for an average 1-BR apartment and sit for hours each week in traffic jams---but still "urban" enough to have First Friday events, First Night celebrations, farmers' markets, book signings at book stores, coffeehouses, and adequate retail/dining options.



















I'm sorry I can't be of much more help other than just relaying my own "hearsay" to you, but I wish you the best!
Sounds good to me. We're looking for an area that's not out of touch with civilization, but not bogged down by it, either. Thanks!
Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


 
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top