Break down the Charleston neighborhoods for me - still good or bad or? (Huntington: best neighborhoods, sale)

[harborlady]

I haven't the finesse to discern between a nutburger and a nutball. Over time I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to distinguish. The world will never run short of assorted varieties of mixed nuts. I consider myself something of a pecan.
I haven't nice things to say about atlanta, so best I just hush. Well, I do like georgia peaches, decatur was a very friendly fun place, and I found savannah quite charming.
Sleepy towns are all over america. Usually all you have to do is take a sidestep outside the fray and there's the time warp. I like it, though.

TN smokey mtns were gorgeous, but the pricetag was steep throughout that region as result. Interior tended to be kind of swampy/buggy in the summertime, and I wondered how well flooding was managed in many areas. Memphis I couldn't drive through fast enough. I seriously doubted my safety there. Knoxville seemed not bad, but I didn't have the time to linger because I was destined for KY. Traffic jams don't seem to be around anywhere but the VA/NC border for roanoke and asheville. I missed chattanooga, and will be sure to check it out if a road trip calls me west.

Another big reason why I chose WV out of all the states of similar lattitude was the infrequency of tornados, earthquakes, and hurricanes. I have every confidence in how they've managed for flood stages in charleston, less so in the southern tier of the state. Disasters here tend to be man made with coal or chemicals. You can't legislate a tornado, though. LOL My sis and her family relocated to SC, she's in the center of the state but tornado warnings still go on there. I worry about them because they don't have a basement. Anything happens I have more than enough to offer them here. The one complaint I can already hear her make is- you gotta be part mtn goat to live here. It really is uphill both ways! Dang me!

Look for links in previous threads by Tbailey regarding huntington wv. Well worth a look see. ST albans kept its small town feel, and add something new pretty regularly to spice things up.

Economically, another source of info is wv.gov. Mojo puts out his state of the state address monthly so you can read the good news there, even if its a tad overstated as we know politicians have habits.
Good luck wherever your shoes take you.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Silkdashocker

I can see how Chattanooga is faster paced than Chucktown though. Especially with the interstate traffic they get on I-75, i'm sure it's a big tourist area with the Mountains and outdoorsy feel to it.

Chattanooga gets a ton of business from Atlantans who go up there on the weekends to get away from the city. Atlanta has an enormous problem with bums downtown - a tourist can walk 5-6 blocks and most likely be asked for money at least 2-3 times. It's not the cleanest of downtowns as well, and once you get past our own Aquarium/CNN area, there's not a lot to do as it's a very spread out city instead of being compact with a well defined downtown area.

Chattanooga has the riverfront area, and a really nice Aquarium of their own surrounded by hotels, clubs, restaurants, etc., with... NO BUMS. So for Atlantans at least, it's a great weekend getaway. They have their own set of issues and problems as a city as well (to them) but to us it's nothing.

That's always been my one "sigh" about Charleston - that you can go to a place like Chattanooga and see what Charleston MIGHT be if the right people/investors got hold of some land in that area. Now, Charleston doesn't have an Atlanta and Nashville 2 hours away. Pittsburgh and Columbus are 4+ hours away, so Charleston wouldn't be able to draw the "day trip" big city-ers that Chattanooga can get. Still, aside from the Clay Center, I think there could be more to do in downtown Charleston that would draw visitors there.

Originally Posted by Silkdashocker

With the bulding of the Clay Center downtown, the Appalachian Power Park, it gives us young folk reason to be in Charleston after dark. Did you see that the County is building a new state of the art public library downtown too? It's going to be a great asset and will help re-beautify Leon Sullivan Way.

What's going to happen to the old Library building? I remember spending tons of time there when in school. There was a McDonalds across from it though that everyone called "McGhetto" because it always seemed to draw in the vagrants. For years people tried to get it closed up, but it was around the last time I came in there years ago.

What Hurt Charleston:

I think the one thing that hurt Charleston's atmosphere the most (and this may sound surprising to some) was Town Center Mall. The mall opened for business when I was 17 and in my Jr. year of High School. I believe it was the same developers that built the Town Center Cobb here in the burbs of Atlanta who had a hand in it, and the IDEA was valid - "Build a mall downtown, and people HAVE to go downtown to go to the mall, so, all the business won't go to the burbs like in so many other cities".

The problem was - it was too large. Shortly after opening, every store and shop just about downtown moved into the mall. Capitol and Quarrier Streets became a ghost town almost overnight. Before that, Charleston had an older-style "shopable" downtown area with department stores and restaurants, and people actually walking around in the evenings and on weekends. After the mall opened, you could almost see tumbleweed on the streets. It took forever for ANYTHING to start back up there, and from what I've heard from relatives, it's still not even close to the way it used to be.

So I think lesson learned: Malls are bad no matter where you build them. LOL. Anyway, that was a bit of "Charleston in the old days 101" trivia.

[harborlady]

kanawha cty library currently has a french restaurant/cafe across the street from it, no McD's in sight. Malls across the USA don't seem to get as much traffic as they used to; personally I find them stressful and over priced. The exceptions might be those having a circus like atmosphere for the kids. The one in mineapolis I hear is doing fine. Parking is downright annoying in downtown charleston. Makes me wish I had a segway.

Quarrier, virginia and court streets I see people making an effort to restore her traditional gilt edges. The bus traffic folks near the mall seem to be where charleston police concentrate their attention. Mostly bored teens trying to look cool.

Realtor and I got to chatting and agreed- downtown along the river really needs a restaurant row for summertime leisurely strolls. I imagined a seafood/pub, a barristers steak house having happy hours daily, a modest sized night club geared for an older crowd, an ice cream parlor/patissery/cafe that stayed open after hours, and of course my beloved brooklyn italian old world tradition food.
That whole area has great accoustics for outdoor musical venues (with exception of air braking tractor trailers from interstate). Would really make a difference from the strictly business feel going on in much of downtown. Away from the river a few hip shops are rooting like indie upstarts, but along the river has such a classic gentile feel in architecture, I think any development there has to follow that lead. Bring back the romance.

I'd love to take a steamboat ride tour, but as far as the realtor knew, that's fallen out of favor. Costs for fuel were prohibitive so they stopped running. That's the hearsay.

[David Kennedy]

Pittsburgh has the steamboats...Gateway Clipper Fleet...and a great evening tour to dine and dance the night away...
Guessing here about Cinncinatti...but in years past they had a tour boat.
Parkersburg? a small paddlewheeler to take a person to Blennerhasset.

Pittsburgh the very best...take in a game with the guys and take the paddlewheeler taxi to the PNC dock and walk to the stadium...or...make it an overnight at the Sheraton at Station Square...take in the river tour and then walk and sit at the water fountains at Station Square with the masses of humanity....get a hotel room at the Sheraton overlooking the river and the city lights of the 'burg.

Take in the soot...as its now proclaimed the 'sootiest city in america....ha...who cares?
Beat out LA this year...the 'burg is a great tawn...Great polish bars on Mt. Washington...tramway up to the overlook...has everything...

[Silkdashocker]

Cinci also has a steamboat that takes folks from the bars at Newport on the Levee to Great American Ballpark. It's a good time, and always has a mix of Reds fans and visiting team fans.

[David Kennedy]

Silkdashocker: Is that riverboat the 'Delta Queen?

[harborlady]

DK and silk- are these the booze cruise kinds or just dinner and a band or just a ride?

I saw some archive photos where charleston used to have some sort of steam/wheel boat regatta, but I don't know if the event was just a parade. On a more affluent riverfront property in dunbar, I saw some steamboat parts relegated as lawn ornaments.

[David Kennedy]

Gateway Clipper has a website...

Whenever we want to really do it right we rent a room at the Sheraton...take the cruise..have dinner on the boat and see the city up close and personal. walk around Station Square and share an ice cream...sit on the fountains with the hundreds of others who come down to hold hands and talk...I like to dance and the dance floor is spacious and grand with a 3 sided balcony from the above deck...

Gateway does just the sunday ride too...I don't know about the booze tour...see their website...everything is with 100 yds of the Station Square complex...

Also is the paddleboat from DC to Mt. Vernon...everyone should take that trip at least once in a lifetime...

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by harborlady

I saw some archive photos where charleston used to have some sort of steam/wheel boat regatta, but I don't know if the event was just a parade.

Unless it's been cancelled this year they still have the "Sternwheel Regatta" each summer downtown. URL: A Labor Day Family Affair

[Silkdashocker]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Unless it's been cancelled this year they still have the "Sternwheel Regatta" each summer downtown. URL: A Labor Day Family Affair

I think the have eliminated the Sternwheel part of the Regatta, they no longer have the boat races or the Sternwheelers on display.

Harborlade, Dunbar is also home to several nice family sized houseboats and smaller sternwheelers. You can catch a nice glimpse of them across the river on McCorkle Avenue West bound once you get out of Spring Hill, and just before you get to what is known as Jefferson.