found a few jobs but.... (Charleston, Huntington: real estate, travel, income)

[amanda757]

I have found a few state jobs my husband could apply for that are right up his alley. But the problem is most of them don't give you a area ...cause its all over the state.

I was wonder what are some areas I should just all around stay away from??

little background on us.....we are in our late 20's live in on the eastern most part of virginia (we are the bottom of that thumb pointed down) the easternshore many think we are a part of maryland. It is pretty rural here, no good jobs, well they are taken by folks looking to find something to do while they "RETIRE" here. Housing costs have gone up but income hasn't. We have two young boys (3 and 8) I like the small town but with things going on for the familys kids etc. If we want to find something fun to do with the kids we have to ride 45 minutes to VA Beach and or Norfolk to do anything or do any good shopping......plus we have a bridge tunnel toll of $17 round trip and that gets annoying!! like fairly low crime, decent schools (we have no choice here lol) decent affordable homes, and stuff to do fairly close by............. any suggestions (areas of the state to look at)

we have looked at wheeling and it seems nice but I know nothing about your state, my husband has been to morgantown and I think elkins but said he didnt think I would like it....so who knows

Im so tired of this place and want a fresh start

[GottaHerdOn]

How small of a town are you wanting? WV has many small towns and cities with populations of 500, to 5,000, to 50,000. Many cities in between those as well figures as well

[SteelersFan09]

If you can find a good, steady, job there, I would highly recommend Wheeling. There's not a TON to do there, but there's enough. The schools are good and it's a very safe city. If you get bored with what it has to offer, Pittsburgh's around 40-45 minutes away. (and I can promise you, you wont have to pay a 17$ fee to travel there)

[amanda757]

well our county is small no cities here.....just small towns all over the place and not all even have a post office. If I want to go to the grocery store I have to drive 10 minutes out two towns over. I guess towns of 5k or more would be nice.....dont have to live in the middle of it, outskirts is cool too.

thats my thing I dont know where any of these jobs are located they dont tell you, cause it is all thru the state guess you dont know until they tell you that you have the job. he keeps telling me find me the job and I'll apply for it if you want me too.....men :P

[mtneeratheart]

Well many West Virginina towns are exactly as you describe your current living situation, that is having to drive a long way to get to a grocery store, not having a post office, etc..Wheeling/Northern Panhandle is rather depressed economically, has been for years so I'm not sure I would highly recommend living there unless you got a really good job offer. It is true that Pittsburgh is a forty-five minute drive away and there is a lot to do there.

Morgantown is a nice, progressive area of West Virginia, as is the Eastern Panhandle outside of DC although housing there is still rather high compared to other areas of the state. I grew up in Charleston which is the biggest "city" in West Virginia with a population of around 50,000 and metro population in the ballpark of 300,000. I would highly recommend looking into that area as well, it might not have a booming economy but depending on what your husbands specialty is he might be able to land a job there.

[amanda757]

the driving doesnt bother me too much I tend to shop in bulk LOL. Here folks act like their stuff dont stink, friendly but in a very fake way....not the area I imagined it to be, it has changed in the past few years. I grew up in a area of kids and neighbors, playing in fields, the woods, riding bikes down to the corner store. and my kids dont have that here .....not anymore.

we have spotted a few state jobs that he could apply for that are pretty good in pay, actually like nothing that we have here. he went to north dakota and studied fish and wildlife managment and fisheries. came back here and thought he would be able to get a job with the game and fish department, well its a job here that has gotten harder and harder to get and (its on who you know I have read that WV is having problems but right now there are many states that are. only have read that a few are really booming. but that will just cause the cost of living to go up too fast.

So what is the deal with the teachers.....are they only accepting applicants that have 4+ years of college and studied to be a teacher. cause I was asking VA has a teacher switcher program that tries to get folks to switch to teaching, with a matter of taking a couple classes. does anyone know any details....

[tbailey1138]

I'm not entirely sure if this is what you are looking for with regards to teaching, but Marshall University in Huntington has a program called a Master of Arts in Teaching where you can use previous classes that you have taken as a foundation to get your teaching degree quicker. Here's a link with some contact info.

Marshall University Graduate School of Education and Professional Development

If you are looking into this program and even looking into Charleston as the above poster suggested, then you might want to check out Huntington as well. Huntington is a city of about 50,000 as well with lots of smaller communities all around it. Huntington offers a lot of opportunity along with plenty to do and a top notch parks system. It has a very close feel as a community and was recently ranked by Forbes as having the best cost of living in the entire US. Here are some more links to the area to give you an idea of what it has to offer. Also, if you want to see a good movie and see Huntington, go rent "We are Marshall" with Matthew McConaughey. Most of the movie was actually filmed here and it gives you some good shots of the city. Hope this helps and let me know if you need anything else.
Tim

City of Huntington, West Virginia
The Greater Huntington Community Web Portal
Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District
Marshall Artists Series
http://www.huntingtonmall.com/home/index.ch2
Pullman Square - Restaurants Shopping Entertainment
Modern Photo Album | Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, Inc.

[clorenzo17]

Hi There! I love the eastern shore, but have never really spent time there (just drove through there via a slight detour from VA Beach to DC. I'm not an expert on WV, but I do have some thoughts on various parts of the state.

I hear nothing but positive things about Morgantown. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't they rated in some magazine as one of the best medium sized cities in the country(?). Everytime I drive through there the people seem friendly plus housing seems to be affordable based on a skim through of the real estate ads. Jobs, relative to the rest of WV, I l believe are more plentiful based on the close proximity to WVU. its progressive, yet has that "down to earth-ness" that WV is famous for.

Eastern Panhandle is another option, but as someone who lives in Northern Virginia I feel the eastern panhandle is just an extension of NOVA. I even work with people from that part of the state. You may still find "fakeness" in the eastern panhandle as you do in NOVA. As far as the rest of the state, I can't really comment as I dont know much about it.

Thats my two cents lol.

[mtneeratheart]

I live in Northern Virginia as well and while the Eastern Panhandle is quickly becoming an extension of NOVA it is one of the best areas the state has to offer. Beautiful historic towns such as Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry along with newer more suburban areas such as Charles Town and Martinsburg. Most people commute to neighborign states for jobs however.

Morgantown is an awesome place, I went to college there GO MOUNTAINEERS! clorenzo is correct that it was rated as one of the best small cities to live in the nation. Many jobs are affiliated with the university which also contributes to the areas decent job growth and low unemployment.

Since both Charleston and Huntington are recommended (I am partial to Charleston only because I grew up there, Huntington is a nice place too) you could split the difference and live in the Teays Valley area of Putnam County. This suburban community is about 20-25 miles away from both cities for jobs and cultural events. The Teays area has really grown over the years and is quite a desirable area, well respected schools etc.Some people will tell you of the horrible traffic there (my relatives included) but its a non issue as far as im concerned. Traffic at midnight on the DC Beltway is worse than the peak rush hours on I-64 going into Charleston or Huntington. Bottom line, its a great area to also consider, especially if you're wanting smaller town while being close to the larger cities of the state.

[amanda757]

thanks I will write those down to have on hand if he applies for these jobs...I have to stay on this man lol he is such a procrastinator its not even funny :P