eleanor and Charleston (Huntington, Teays Valley, Hurricane: for sale, real estate, how much)

[EternalNomad]

My husband may take a job in Eleanor, WV. Does anyone have any info about that town? I was thinking that we would be better off living closer to charleston and having more access to things like malls, museums, etc.
Can anyone give me some info as to where i should look at real estate?
i have 3 children and by the time we get there, they would be in 4th, 2nd, and kindergarten. any school districts that are best/worst?

from what i have read charleston sounds very nice. some of the posts on this board really crack me up!

[NOVAmtneer82]

In this situation it is really going to depend on what your families desires are. I grew up in Charleston and my family still lives there, so I know a great deal about the area. Eleanor is a predominantly rural area, about thirty or so miles from Charleston comprised mainly of older people or those who commute to Charleston.

Normally I would say go for right in Charleston but since your husbands job is in Eleanor that is a long drive to deal with especially considering gas over $3 a gallon. I personally would recommend the Teays Valley area of Putnam County (the same county as Eleanor), I think here you might not feel so isolated. Teays Valley is a very surburban area that has really built up over the years. Lots of young families, nice new homes and excellent schools. If you locate there you will be within 20 miles of both Charleston and Huntington (2 largest cities in the state) for mall shopping, cultural outings, etc. There is some local shopping in the Teays Valley but is pretty much limited to suburban conveniences such as grocery stores and restaurants. The main towns in the Teays Valley area are Hurricane...pronounced HURRICUN for some reason I don't think anyone will ever understand, Teays, and Scott Depot/Winfield. There is a small water park out there that was always fun to visit when I was younger along with a small community museum. This is where many families in the Charleston area tend to locate so if you have children I would definitely look into it.

[EternalNomad]

i greatly appreciate your advise on the area. i have never been there so i know virtually nothing about it.
based on the photos i have seen and the press on the forum, charleston and huntington both great mostly positive reviews.

i dont mind a rural setting. i love the country and the mountains. but when you a stay at home mom with 3 kids, it can get a little boring to have no where to go and nothing to do.

i dont mind driving an hour to get to a museum or something like that. i dont really want to drive forever just to get to the grocery.

what is the regional culture of charleston? would it be more southern? or northern? or is it a culture all unto itself?

[NOVAmtneer82]

Thats the best thing about Teays Valley is that although it's a predominantly suburban area, there are still pockets of rural areas mixed in so you can still feel like you're somewhat out in the country, especially if you drive five to ten minutes from the interstate area. I'm in no way bashing Eleanor I've just been out there before and it seemed very rural to me. The schools are also known to be better in the southern end of Putnam County (Teays Valley) than the northern end.

The regional culture of Charleston tends to be more southern than northern, however that can be open for interpretation I guess. I live in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC now so people back home tend to seem a lot more southern to me (I consider that a good thing). Usually WV people seem like a perfect mix depending on what part of the state you are in, Senator Robert Byrd says it best "West Virginia is the most northern of the southern states and the most southern of the northern states."

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by jfronz

Senator Robert Byrd says it best "West Virginia is the most northern of the southern states and the most southern of the northern states."

That's funny he would phrase it that way. Long ago (as in decades), Charleston used to have the nick-phrase, "The Southern most Northern city, and the Northern most Southern city", when describing it. Mostly due to the fact that culture wise, you do see a mix sometimes. People drink sweat iced tea, but also eat philly sandwiches. The city itself is more compact and close-in like a Northern city, yet there's the "southern belle" paddleboat.. etc etc.. Charleston has always had a mix of the two cultures, with a bit of distinct Appalachia mixed in as well.

[EternalNomad]

Not sure IF we will definitely move there or where exactly we would live
but i think i have it narrowed to either putnum or kanawha county.

does anyone know anything about public pool system in either county? which one is (if any) is better than the other? i read about a water park -- looks nice based on picture...
swimming is a very important thing to my kids.
but i would highly doubt we would buy a house with a pool or put one in.

so a nice pool system would be good.

does anyone know anything about a state park south of there...i think it is beech fork or something like that. they had a pic of a pool and it looked really nice.

[creemarie]

Originally Posted by EternalNomad

Not sure IF we will definitely move there or where exactly we would live
but i think i have it narrowed to either putnum or kanawha county.

does anyone know anything about public pool system in either county? which one is (if any) is better than the other? i read about a water park -- looks nice based on picture...
swimming is a very important thing to my kids.
but i would highly doubt we would buy a house with a pool or put one in.

so a nice pool system would be good.

does anyone know anything about a state park south of there...i think it is beech fork or something like that. they had a pic of a pool and it looked really nice.

The wave pool in Hurricane (Putnam County) is very nice-- I have been there a few times. It also has a great water slide. As with most public pools, though, it does get a bit crowded in the summer time.

The pool at Beech Fork (south of Huntington) is also very nice. I visited it for the first time this summer with my 18-month old. The kiddie pool is great for most kids under 6-7 and the adult pool is nice as well. (I was mostly in the kiddie pool). My only complaint is that there weren't enough lounge chairs, so you might need to bring your own if you plan on sitting much.

I don't remember how much the Hurricane pool costs, and I think it was only about $3/person to get in at Beech Fork. I'm sure that both places have family discounts and summer passes available.

Both pools seem to have a good and attentive lifeguard staff, as well.

Check out these links for more info (if you haven't already):
Recreation at Beech Fork State Park
Waves of Fun

Hope this helps!

[kkrussell]

Hi. You were inquiring about possibly moving to the Eleanor area. There is a lovely newer subdivision in Eleanor called North Woods. It is only about 5 years old and there are beautiful newer constructions up there with acreage and beautiful wooded views. I have lots of information on this area and can assist you with locating a house to purchase. I have also can assist you with moving to the Hurricane/Teays Valley area. I have access to all available homes for sale. Please feel free to e-mail me at kkrussell@suddenlink.net or call on my cell phone @ 304-539-2707.

[KimberRN]

I live very close to Eleanor....Going into the small town you'll see the sign..."Welcome to Eleanor, The Cleanest Town in WV".....it's a great place with small town values as most towns in WV.....But you'll have to drive a bit to get to Charleston or Huntington and there is no interstate access either, however you can be in Charleston in 30 mins or so........But we're all used to driving to go shopping or movies......Personally I'd rather do my living in a small town and drive 30 min to go to the mall etc....But you will have the grocery store and post office in Eleanor....

The schools in Eleanor are small too...another plus in my book.....

I would say Charleston is way more southern than northern ( another huge plus in my book)....Lot's of hi's...y'alls....and chit chat, very friendly........Actually it's Appalachian culture....it's very special and nothing else like it no where.....