Moving to WV...freaking out

[italianbluesboy]

My sister lives in the "south hills" neighborhood of Charleston, up Louden Heights Road, and it is nice and pleasant and safe. Teays Valley and Winfield also contain safe, pleasant neighborhoods with basic amenities. More elaborate accomodations can be found at the shopping area in Barboursville or on US 119 aka Corridor G south of Charleston. Depressed and sometime dangerous areas are Dunbar and Institute and Nitro.

[snorpus]

As an intern/resident, would your husband have to be (or want to be) close to the hospital? As someone else wrote, check with the hospital for info on nearby housing.

[OUTLAW304]

Originally Posted by jfronz

I find it somewhat difficult to believe that Putnam County which is a well heeled predominantly suburban county has the highest meth-lab bust rate in the state. I would think counties in far southern WV like Mingo, Logan, MAC Dowell or Boone would top that category.

i don't think i would want to go into some of those places in southern part looking for a meth lab - ya might not come back - i've worked there before and there are some pretty rough characters there

[mtneeratheart]

Look into the Kanawha City (CAMC Memorial is located here) or the East End areas of Charleston. Be careful with the latter though, there are great sections of the east end which contain BEAUTIFULLY restored historic homes and apartment complexes but there are also some run down areas that have a slight crime element that you will want to be cautious in. Some people will tell you there is nothing short of gang warfare going on in parts of the East End, this is about as far from the truth as it gets. The area in general is very safe and as long as you stay out of the drug dealing business I can't imagine having a problem.

[mountaintop]

Thanks jfonz. I will definitely check out your recommended areas for sure. Hope to headed in that direction in the few weeks. What are your thoughts on Rand. area?

[mtneeratheart]

STAY AWAY! Rand is a very economically depressed town in the Upper Kanawha Valley about 20 minutes outside of Charleston. The municipalities in that area, Belle, Rand, DuPont, Quincy and several others, were once thriving factory towns however they have been plagued with job loss, massive population decline, and rather high drug crime rates for the past two decades.

I've driven down Route 60 through Rand with my dad on little road trips to Hawks Nest State Park and it was horrible, homes in disrepair, abandoned buildings, etc. I felt like the newest thing in that entire area had been built perhaps during the Nixon administration. I'm sure property there is very cheap but there is a reason for that, lack of interest.

[mountaintop]

Good to know!! A man with a rental house in Rand contacted me recently and was hoping we would commit. Man, I am so glad I found this website and that people are responsive.

[mtneeratheart]

I would really recommend living right in Charleston mainly for the convenience. I live in DC but grew up in Charleston so I know the city well and it has a lot to offer for one of its size. Within city limits you will find plenty of safe, affordable areas to live that will be convenient to work, decent shopping, cultural attractions, dining, etc... If you have any other questions just let me know!