Had enough

[Threerun]

I wouldn't rule out Hampshire or Morgan counties in the Potomac Highlands area of WV. Very close to great healthcare at the Winchester VA medical center. Baltimore and DC are within a reasonable distance for any advanced care. A good friend of mine is receiving some top notch care in Winchester, and they reside about 30 minutes in Hampshire county in a little mountain cabin on 45 acres.

As far as humidity- yes, the Eastern Panhandle (where I live) is pretty soupy, as well are the interior and southern counties. However if you travel to Randolph, Tucker or Preston counties which are along the Allegheny front, the humidity is really not so bad at all. We usually retreat to Blackwater Falls for family camping in July, and it's fantastic. Cool evenings, warm sunny days.. Really nice

And Berkeley County is a far cry from NJ. There is a lot of development going on, but for what i's worth there are plenty of quiet places here. The county is sandwiched between two high growth markets (Winchester VA and Hagerstown MD), so it's becoming a bedroom community. I would rate downtown Hagerstown as FAR worse than Martinsburg, and Martinsburg a little worse than Winchester VA.. But even then, it's not that bad.

[TyAyGM]

Neelix, I have said this several times but again we have lived all around the US and the world. We had the pleasure of living in WV for 5+ years. Having grown up in the South and living with incredible humidity. WV was not one of the places it was bad. We lived in the Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg area. The people were very nice, the scenery beautiful and a very pleasant life style. If you are interested in good medical care I would stay in the Morgantown (Mon County) area. Ruby Memorial is one of the best in the nation. Preston County is very nice if you want mountains / and little to no humidity. Marion County (Fairmont) as well as Morgantown has a lot of employment. Salaries are low but the cost of living is not NJ. Housing is very affordable. I don't think you could go wrong moving to WV. Best of luck

[Ibeme]

Whoa there. Obesity & tobacco use are personal choices anyone can choose to control. That's not the state's fault. According to CA A Cancer Journel for Clinicians West Virginia has a lower incidence of breast cancer than my current home state of New york

Trends in Breast Cancer by Race and Ethnicity: Update 2006 -- Smigal et al. 56 (3): 168 -- CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and "The incidence of oral cancer in West Virginia is below the national average, even though this state has the highest consumption of chewing tobacco in the United States.

22 Oral Cancer and Precancerous Lesions -- Neville and Day 52 (4): 195 -- CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and West Virginia's ranking of 40 is far better than my current ranking of 2 in New York.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/335.html . My guess is your young. Young people move to the cities big ambitious to compete & earn a higher salary but when you get middle aged you tire of the cut throat corporate pressure & hecticness of urban living so you move to suburbs and rural areas which West Virginia has aplenty. West Virginia is very attractive to the greying population.

[appalachiangirl]

Hi,Neelix.
If you live in WV--I grew up near Morgantown--it is one of the better places to live for health care in the state(Morgantown,that is). You aren't too far from Pittsburgh and Morgantown has some good doctors. The eastern panhandle would be good as well,although I am not too familiar with that area. I am hoping to move further south myself--hate winters, and want an area with better job opportunities. The Shenandoah valley of virginia is also beautiful,(I actually like it better than WV),but I'm not too sure about the health care quality there-it may be very good,I just am not familiar with it.

[Mr. Bridgeport]

It is a beautiful, historic City. We're getting a new State of the Art Health Care facility. We're close to Ruby Memorial in Morgantown. It is beautiful and peaceful here and we love dogs. Welcome!

[Evanesce]

Neelix,
I hope it is not too late to change your mind about moving to West Virginia. I moved here looking for a healthy livestyle in the country and found that I am living in a cancer cluster. West Virginia is environmentally very dangerous. Medicine here is very backward (read 1940s). In fact many of my friends travel to Johns Hopkins or Pittsburgh Medical Center to see a doctor. They would rather die than subject themselves to the so-called medical professionals in Morgantown. Morgantown hospitals refuse to publish their infection rate statistics.

Go to your public library and check out the Public Broadcasting (PBS) special called "Appalachia" to better understand the history of the people in this State. Go to Google or any search engine and look up "Buffalo Creek Disaster." Absolutely nothing in West Virginia has changed since Buffalo Creek.
A couple of years ago, there was a news story about the threat of flooding possibly causing a mountain to come down on a small town. When one of the residents called the state police, the police sent the mining company representative instead! When I had mine subsidance, the government officals called out the coal mining boss.The mining companies completely control the State government. Nothing goes on here without their okay. For some reason, some folks posting here are either not telling the truth or they are in la la land regarding the dangers here.

I wish someone had warned me before I moved here. See my earlier post below.

Please, please, if you value your life and health and the lives and health of your family do not move to West Virginia. This State is an environmental nightmare. Some of the folks posting here sound like me before I moved to West Virginia from the big city -- looking for fresh air, country living, low population, peace and quiet, etc. What I found was that I am now living in a third-world country, where I have no rights. West Virginians are not aware of their constitutional rights and if you try to exercise your rights here you will get no where. West Virginians have been exploited and oppressed by the mining and timbering industries for many generations and do not know any other way of life. Here are a few of the environmental problems I have personally experienced:

· an uncontrolled release of anhydrous ammonia (deadly) requiring me to "shelter in place" in my home;
· mine subsidence with a sinkhole in my backyard;
· sewer gas
· sewage threats with my neighbors having sewage backups in and around their homes
· raw sewage running down the street
· an illegally operating factory spewing formaldehyde and VOCs out of a 4' pipe in the roof only 400 yards from my house (There is no zoning.)
· factory dumping formaldehyde resin into the local creeks
· high levels of lead contamination in the soil throughout the community
· living in a cancer cluster
· water quality issues (EPA violations) not even West Virginians will drink the water.
· PCBs, infectious medical wastes, and asbestos in the landfill that drains into our water system
I'll stop here, but my list of personally experienced West Virginia horrors is 4 pages long.
In case you think the State government will protect you, know that they are paid-off by industy to look the other way.
I am desperately trying to get out of West Virginia. I would rather live anywhere but here.

[confusedTee]

This is horrible conditions that u are living with Evanesce I do know when stuff like this happens to u personally it does leave a bad taste in the mouth...........I went thru similar situations in Fla..well of course not the mining stuff................where we lived we were in a nonflood zone WRONG we were flooded everytime it rained the sewage was horrible our officials didn't care oh so much i could list here what we went thru..It was on our thoughts DAILY that's all we talked about etc............Finally we said enough..and due to alot of issues we had with FLA..we decided to move.Yes it takes a mental toll on you and u find anyway u can get out of this mess..We got tired of fighting the politicians and health officials..ok we ran away u can say but WE left we had to it was OUR family i cared about.............We could have chose to move to another part of fla but then we still HAD those other issues about the area we didn't like..So dh had family here perfect timing we MOVE to WV..we didn't do alot of research BIG mistake..But thankfully with the family help WE knew WHERE not to live..I couldn't be happier in the town we are in.........i have seen some horendous areas in WV and I have seen some in Fla..and lived them too..........Anybody moving anywhere do thorough research talk to neighbors have jobs ahead or LOTS of money go in SMART as heck about WHERE u are moving to...........HAVE A PLAN!!!!!!!! I have had my own battles in WV I would share my story again MY story mite not be their Story..and that can happen anywhere U move............that's why i stress ALWAYS if possible to RENT first that way if u are in a bad area U can GET out........

U should be happy in your HOME no matter where it is.........wish all the best..

[walesca2003]

I love WV I moved from FLorida to WV it is great! It is very rural but awesome! I thought my children where not going to ajust but they are all doing there thing.
check out the WV Times or MountainStatesman or Dominion post. Top newspapers.