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Hi,
My family (3 of us) & I have decided that somewhere in the northern half of West Virginia is the place for us....now, we just need to figure out which area is "the perfect fit" for us!
First, we need an area that isn't known for having horrible humidity! We can deal with heat, but not awful humidity! Where we now live (Arkansas) it is unreal in the summer....a sauna on high doesn't begin to describe it!
Ok, here's who we are:
We are just good, peaceful, country lovin' people who live by our word and take friendship & family very seriously!
We believe that a handshake still seals the deal, morals count, honesty makes the difference, and that there's more to life than having loads of money and we feel that "progress" isn't always the best of matters....sometimes things are best left the way they are!
We are friendly, but we also value our privacy. We value a simple life and need some land to roam upon, we enjoy just about everything to do with nature....we have several pets and they are part of our family!
We want to be around people who care about others and aren't too busy to offer a heart-felt smile or a wave at their neighbor or a passer-byer.
I guess we would be considered "middle-class"....not totally broke, but not well-off by any means! We are a mix of both modern and country people!
We enjoy festivals, trade shows, garage sale-ing and other bargain hunting, fishing, camping, horseback riding, gardening, and woodworking.
We also use the internet a lot....emails, research, and everything else from school assignments to Craigslist!
We would love to find out all we can about towns between Parkersburg and Grafton....and maybe even up towards Fairmont too?
Here's some of what we hope to find in a place to live:
*A nice, clean, small-medium size (more than 1,500-less than 10,000) friendly town with welcoming folks of all ages.
*Nearby good doctors and a good hospital.
*Nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter and small town shops.
*A nice piece of land (5-40 acres)--not too close to a river-we don't want to deal with any flooding!--where we can build a house....or, a nice piece of land with a mobile/manufactured home. A shop on the land would be wonderful
*Beautiful scenery....we NEED views of rolling hills and/or mountains and
the country, but NOT isolation or seclusion (had enough of that where
we now live in Arkansas)!
In sum, we have heard LOTS and LOTS of VERY GOOD things about the people of West Virginia....we have heard that they are friendly, warm, welcoming, and real to heart (the way people used to be before the fast pace of life and chasing every dollar took over)....we need to be a part of a community that cares and shows it!
Please share what you know about WV and tell us anything and everything that might help us to figure out where we are meant to live in WV!!!!
Based on your criteria, I would suggest Elkins since I like it best. There will be some humidity, but the temperatures during the most humid season are fairly low and comfortable. Winter can be a little rough, but you will have to deal with some level of winter pretty much anywhere in northern WV.
Outside of Clarksburg/Fairmont/Morgantown would be a great option. The population of them is higher than your criteria, but they are small enough that you can be totally rural in a few minutes outside of town. Between those 3, you will find plenty of stuff to do but won't feel like a city.
In addition to the places already mentioned, I'd look at Buckhannon (about halfway between Weston and Elkins) along US-33, and New Martinsville (along the Ohio River), at the base of the Northern Panhandle.
Go with Elkins!!! I'm moving back there in two months, and I'm so excited
There is a hospital (Davis Memorial Hospital) and there is a doctors office for most specializations.
There is a WalMart supercenter on the Beverly 5-Lane, along with a Big or Super Kmart.
There are lots of little shops in downtown, as well as some nice places to eat. (CJ Maggies) and a new restaurant in the railyard. There is a tourist train in Elkins that takes vacationers up into the mountains and to the High Falls. So a lot of stuff in downtown is centered around the train depot and Elkins' history involving the Western Maryland Railroad.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
City of Elkins (http://www.cityofelkinswv.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49 - broken link)
Last edited by GottaHerdOn; 10-16-2010 at 12:35 PM..
Hello to each of you and thank you for the suggestions!
*I am new to the forum....I hope I am doing this correctly!*
Wow, it looks like Elkins must truly be a great place! In various places and other sites I have read lots of positive/good comments about Elkins and I have always wondered about it....can you describe a few things that set Elkins apart from other towns? How are the schools? How are the roads into/around Elkins? Is the drive slow from Elkins to Fairmont? Oh, I have so many questions!!!!
Hmm, I have never heard of Buckhannon, I will have to look that up on the map. What are a few things that make Buckhannon a nice place to live/work? How are the schools and the roads there?
I haven't ever heard of Keyser either....what can you tell me about it? I am going to have to find it on a map too!
I really appreciate everything you are telling me....my family & I already love the thought of becoming West Virginians and can't wait to learn more and more about the great state of West Virginia!
Hello to each of you and thank you for the suggestions!
*I am new to the forum....I hope I am doing this correctly!*
Wow, it looks like Elkins must truly be a great place! In various places and other sites I have read lots of positive/good comments about Elkins and I have always wondered about it....can you describe a few things that set Elkins apart from other towns? How are the schools? How are the roads into/around Elkins? Is the drive slow from Elkins to Fairmont? Oh, I have so many questions!!!!
Hmm, I have never heard of Buckhannon, I will have to look that up on the map. What are a few things that make Buckhannon a nice place to live/work? How are the schools and the roads there?
I haven't ever heard of Keyser either....what can you tell me about it? I am going to have to find it on a map too!
I really appreciate everything you are telling me....my family & I already love the thought of becoming West Virginians and can't wait to learn more and more about the great state of West Virginia!
Elkins is a great place!!!!!!!
Buckhannon is a town about the same size as Elkins, and has almost as much to offer both culture wise, and service wise!
Buckhannon and Elkins both have small private colleges, that are well know for academics. Both towns are along Corridor H---US-33 which is a four lane which connects I-79 with the tourist areas in Eastern West Virginia
Go with Elkins!!! I'm moving back there in two months, and I'm so excited
There is a hospital (Davis Memorial Hospital) and there is a doctors office for most specializations.
There is a WalMart supercenter on the Beverly 5-Lane, along with a Big or Super Kmart.
There are lots of little shops in downtown, as well as some nice places to eat. (CJ Maggies) and a new restaurant in the railyard. There is a tourist train in Elkins that takes vacationers up into the mountains and to the High Falls. So a lot of stuff in downtown is centered around the train depot and Elkins' history involving the Western Maryland Railroad.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
City of Elkins (http://www.cityofelkinswv.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49 - broken link)
Tell the Truth about Elkins, Randolph County WV it Sucks! Everyone has their nose stuck in everyone's business. They don't take care of their own business because the person next door does that for them! The Pill Junkies who are thieves are everywhere! The drugs are horrible in Randolph County, WV. If the law would do their job it might get better but since they don't it only gets worse.
Yeah, I'm moving back to Elkins in December after I graduate from Marshall. I'll live there probably till March or April, or maybe the end of the school year... so I can sub and save up a little money before I head to Phoenix for grad school.
Chriscross309 - You're right about both being great towns. However, I feel like Elkins is more spruced up, due to the high number of tourists in and around Elkins. Elkins has a little more of an arts scene with the Randolph County Community Arts Center, as well as the 3 local theaters.. The Old Brick Playhouse, American Mountain Theater, and the one being constructed on the 5 lane. Buckhannon though can pull in a lot of great acts/shows at Wesleyan.
Searching4RightPlace - I'm glad to hear about your upcoming move to West Virginia! Elkins is set apart from other WV towns/cities in that it is at the foothills of many of West Virginia's prominent natural attractions/wonders. Elkins is headquarters to the Monongahela National Forest in the Potomac Highlands region.
Within an hour from Elkins, either east or south you can be right in the middle of ski country at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Canaan Valley Resort, or Timberline Resort. Seneca Rocks, Smokehole Caverns, Seneca Caverns, Blackwater Falls, Dolly Sods, are all close by. Fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and biking opportunities are also abundant.
The schools are good, newer schools or newly remodeled, with ample technology available in the classroom. Dual credit, Advanced Placement, Honors, and college courses area available. If public schools aren't your thing. There are a few smaller private schools in the area.
Elkins is about 45 minutes to an hour away from Fairmont depending on which road you take and the amount of traffic. I actually went to Fairmont State my Freshmen year, and my dad works in Fairmont. You can take U.S. 33 (Corridor H) to I-79 to Fairmont, or you could take a two lane U.S. 250 to U.S. 119 to Fairmont. I usually take that road when I travel from Elkins to Morgantown because it usually faster, no cops, and you use less gasoline compared to 79.
The roads in Elkins are in fair condition. Corridor H that goes through Elkins will eventually connect I-79 Weston to I-81 near Strasburg and connecting to I-66 making a trip to D.C. within a 2 1/2 drive.
Is Elkins perfect? No.. not by any means, but it is a great place to live. People should not come to Elkins and expect NYC style life. They should expect to have a nice house with a yard, good schools where the teachers care about the students, and will call your parents to let them know if you've been getting into trouble. Expect plenty of parks to take your kids to play, as well as a plethora of sports available through school, the YMCA and Elkins Parks and Recreation. My parents started me in Jerry West basketball at the YMCA when I was 5 and I played tee ball and minor league too. Expect people to wave at you and smile and start up a conversation while your waiting in line at Kroger or another supermarket.
Don't expect to change people... Generally as long as your a good person, have a friendly disposition, pay your taxes, etc people don't care if you're a devout Christian, Agnostic, straight or gay, man or woman, black or white or anything in between.
Hope this helps.. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
LOLURALIAR - I get up to Elkins usually every 2-3 weeks... I go out to the bars downtown and party a little bit with my friends.. and I've never noticed a drug or pill problem. Sounds like you're hanging out with the wrong people...
That being said... tell me where this magical place is on earth where there isn't a substance abuse problem??? I've been all over the United States... Central America, and Europe... Drugs are everywhere...
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Love the info!
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