Where to move? (Morgantown, Fairmont, Beckley: ski resort, homes, landscaping)

[tonybologna000]

Hi, I'm a guy who lived in WV for a few years when I was a kid. I live in Louisiana now, and I've always wanted to go back. I'm considering moving there once I graduate nursing school. The ideal location would be reasonably near state parks/camping sites/hiking trails. A place where I might find rugged country land where I could have a small-scale farm, but hopefully within 30-40 miles of a town where my wife can find ample clients as a landscaping architect. Good schools would be a priority for my daughter when she starts (she's 2 now). Escaping into a beautiful, natural environment takes precedence over good shopping/entertainment here.

Any suggestions of where I might like to live? I know the above description is a little idealistic, but I'd like the closest possible match that you guys know of.

Thanks so much.

[snowshoemtnman]

Google Pocahontas County WV. You described us above in your post.

[tonybologna000]

Are there any colleges in or around Pocahontas county? I certainly does look like a beautiful area.

[Hinton Bound]

Tony,
There are a ton of threads with people asking the same questions! I settled on Hinton, right between Beckley and Lewisburg. My wife is a nurse and found plenty of work in Beckley. I found a great little town with some real nice people. Seems you get that anywhere you go in WV. You've just gotta get here and see what/where you like it best. Not too sure about the Landscape architect jobs though. I think mother nature did a pretty good job with WV.
~Mark

[GottaHerdOn]

The nearest college to Snowshoe would be Davis & Elkins ( D&E ) in Elkins to the north. There is a medical school (doctor of osteopathic medicine) in Lewisburg which is an equal distance to the south (depending on what part of Pocahontas County)

[tonybologna000]

Thank you guys for all of your informative posts. I am planning a 7 day trip to WV in a couple of months to scope the place out. The towns I have in mind are Elkins, Teays Valley, Marlinton and Bridgeport. I probably will not prefer to live inside these towns, but rather take advantage of the job opportunities. Are there any other towns I should add to my list? I think I'd prefer to live in a mountainous region, which will probably lead me to the eastern part of the state.

Thanks again everyone.

[Hinton Bound]

I would say a stop in Hinton would be worth your time. There is a hospital there, it's a nice small town, and there is a ton of hiking/sightseeing/outdooring. There is quite a bit of property available outside the city, and it's not too pricey. About 25 mins to Beckley, 30 to Lewisburg.

[tonybologna000]

I'll be sure to add Hinton to my list.

Can anyone tell me about Preston, Taylor, Barbour, or Tucker counties?

These would be close to Elkins and Bridgeport, while also being relatively close to Fairmont and Morgantown, two college towns.

Thanks once again!

[snorpus]

One very nice farming area is the Little Levels district, around Hillsboro in Pocahontas County. It's about a 5 by 10 mile plateau that has some very nice farms (cattle, sheep, hay, corn) on it.

Tucker County is Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley State Park, Timberline Ski Resort, Monongahela National Forest, and the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. Would definitely satisfy your desire for mountainous.

But Tucker County might be inconvenient for your wife's landscaping business, however. Low population, some 2nd homes being built, but not an overly active construction area. Closest population center would be Elkins, about an hour away.

I think to give your wife some good opportunities, you're going to want to be relatively close to the I-79 corridor from Morgantown to Weston. There appears to be a fair amount of new construction going on, both residential and commercial, and the population density is reasonably high for West Virginia.

It's only about an hour from I-79 (the western edge of the most mountainous area) to US219, which runs through the heart of the mountains. One thing there's no shortage of in West Virginia is opportunities for outdoor recreation, and practically every county is dotted with small to medium sized farms.

[David Kennedy]

Biggest money investment in the state is North Central WV. actually from Uniontown, Pa to Weston, Wv and periferally to Elkins (Snowshoe) and Buckhannon...Investment with turnover of 200 billion. Bridgeport/Shinnston would be the center of it all. good luck.