Moving to North Central WV near Pennsboro (Parkersburg, Morgantown: new home, neighborhood)

[Drapermill]

My wife and I are considering a move to relocate to somewhere in North Cental WV. near Pennsboro. How do the local people take to people moving in from a nearby state like Delaware?

[ourkidzrmylife]

in 1995, my husband and I moved to a community nearby to Pennsboro. We moved from there within 3 years. I never felt welcome in that area. If you were born there you were accepted. If you like a very small town, this may be a good place for you. however, there is not much there at all. The closest shopping mall is 30 -40 minutes away. There is not much in the area. Good Luck

[Drapermill]

Thanks for the reply. Where my wife and I want to move from is a very small area west of Dover, DE. Our state is getting swamped by the people from New Jersey and some from PA and NY state. They are welcome here but it is causing our taxes to go higher and our roads getting crowded. Any suggestions where we should go! West Virginia is centrally located between our children.

[David Kennedy]

Your acceptance will be determined by the level of frendliness. If you are a friend, you will gain the friendship and loyalty and protection of people who will give you the shirt off their back..If you arrive in your new neighborhood as an expert from the best place in the world and tell everyone how great things were in Podunk, you might get off to a less than great beginning. My sister-in-law did that when she moved back home from Ohio and it took years to establish any rapor with the community. She was from here...we tossed it off as hormonal...
To boil it all down...You get back what you give.

You speak of Delaware as some foreign place...well, we are too...most of us in WV are Irish....and Italian, Hungarian, Russian, Negro, Black, African/American, Native American, Cuban, English, Mexican, Chinese, Korean, Malayisan, Japanese, Indian, Nigerian, Ethiopian ...just simple folk, doing the best we can...West Virginians...Americans...all of us. These are the people in my neighborhood.

[Drapermill]

Your message was well spoken and received. If we moved into a neighborhood and acted like we were better than or from a better place or less than friendly, I would expect to be treated like an outsider or jerk from somewhere else. It sounds like West Virginian's are a great people that want to be treated as such. I would not expect any less. We are still very interested in checking out different areas but probably somewhere in the North Central area. I have a small business that I want to bring with me for something to do and for a little extra income. I sharpen chipper knives, chainsaw chain and sell chainsaw chain along with some welding and machine shop work. How would this business work out in this area?

[ourkidzrmylife]

I imagine that type of business would fit well in WV. WV is a beautiful state with wonderful people. I lived there for 34 years. The people in WV are very friendly. However, in smaller areas I think it sometimes takes awhile to prove yourself with the natives....My husband and I both are from WV, we do not live in WV now. We are in Houston, TX. We both enjoy a bigger city than what WV has to offer. However, if you like small town life and want to live in a safe place, WV is wonderful. Morgantown is a wonderful small town, Bridgeport is also a great place. We have lived in Parkersburg, Morgantown and Fairmont. All are good areas; however, Fairmont is becoming quite depressed. I think it all depends on what you are looking for in a community. I wish you much luck in making WV your new home.

[David Kennedy]

If this is a mainline income, you will starve...If its a suppliment, you will do OK.
What we lack is common handyman services. Anybody who can change a faucet, hang a door or window, paint or do odd jobs that require a small amount of technical knowledge can build a steady clientele in a hurry.
The old folks cannot do these jobs and the young people do not want to take the time.

Small engine repair is big because so many are into lawn care and need overhauls on weed cuttters and mowers.

A man who works for me still cuts firewood and has several chainsaws...he re-sharpens chains for $4.00 each.
No one will cut wood...but they will buy it.. $45/75 per pick-up truck load...non delivered.

Welding and machine shop work is not abundant, but I see the adds often...Welders start at $10 per hour...machinists start at $15. A lot of work related to the coal mine repairshops and High Tech Prefabs in North Central WV.

[OUTLAW304]

fairmont is depressed ?

[ourkidzrmylife]

I should preface that statement with in my opinion, Fairmont seems depressed in comparison to what it used to be. It seems time has passed it by. There is not even a shopping mall. However, there is a Highlife Lounge on every corner. Aside from Wal-Mart, you must leave Fairmont to shop. There is growth in the area of Whitehall. However, outside of that, I don't know of much. I hope that changes. It is a nice community with nice people.

[Sheila Ganoe]

I think you would love Pennsboro! I was raised in St. Marys, WV which is about 15 miles from Pennsboro. My mom was from Pennsboro and we all drove to Pennsoboro every Sunday to attend church. Our little church was the first church built in Ritchie County. Unfortunately, the church had to be condemned a couple of years ago due to being 140+ years old and the expense to repair was too much. Our church combined with another Methodist church in Pennsboro and is doing just fine. Some of my fondest memories as a child were visiting the glass factory where my pappa was a co-owner. He was a glass blower by trade and it was wonderful to watch him. There was a marble factory across from the plant and they would make marbles from the left over glass. The glass factory has since closed but I don't know about the marble factory. The old railroad tracks are now part of the rails to trails project which is just wonderful. I still have family that go to church in Pennsboro and would have it no other way. I truely believe you will love the people there, they are truly near and dear to my heart.