Break down the Charleston neighborhoods for me - still good or bad or? (Huntington: how much, hotel)

[NOVAmtneer82]

Originally Posted by Silkdashocker

To be precise....

Fairfax County, Virginia median per capita income is $81,000

Here's a link Highest-income counties in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No it isn't, I live in Northern VA not even 10 min from Fairfax so I think I would know...As of 2006 it was $100,318 for Fairfax, a county of over 1,000,000 residents, and a close second at $99,371 for Loudoun County which is right next door. Fairfax County’s median income breaks six-figure mark, tops nation - Examiner.com.

Or here by the census bureau...America's 25 richest counties. 11 of the top 25 are here in the DC area.

Not that it really matters but I'm not going to just throw random numbers up here to make my argument look strong...

[Big_Al]

It is difficult to choose between smaller and bigger city.
I spent first 30 years of my life in 5+mil city and enjoyed variety of museums, concerts, excibitions. I really miss it in Charleston. I discuss this with my friend who lives in NYC and have an access to all these events. So, this is what we agree about: if you work hard you have no energy to do anything after work anyway. So it doesn't matter where you live; in smaller city you can make more money (including lower expences and taxes), have bigger house, quiet life, shorter commute, minimal traffic and can take vacation and go somewhere to enjoy theaters, exibitions etc. In our case-Pittsburgh, DC, Baltimore are easily accessible by car( airplane is getting cheaper compate to driving..) So, despite my lifelong experience of big city I feel comfortable in Charleston. I tell everybody- Do not forget Charleston is the Capital!

[harborlady]

Deciding on a location has so much to with the season of an individuals life. I can see why charleston works for you. It works for me in similar way. I don't need to chase the newest/latest trends and even my arts interests can be pursued from afar with tech being what it is now. No where is ALL good, because it's so subjective.

[atlantagreg30127]

Slightly off center of the topic, but, is there a larger problem with bums in downtown Charleston than there used to be?

I just had a customer come in where I work now, and he said his brother lives in Huntington. He told me he goes up to WV about 3 times a year to visit relatives, and goes through Charleston and then on to Huntington to see these folks. He told me that both Charleston and Huntington now have in his words "huge problems" with bums downtown.

Now, here in Atlanta there are parts of downtown where you literally see dozens of bums asleep on the grass or peeing on stuff right out in the open. It's pretty darn bad, and has been on more than one news show. So for someone to say that back home it's "bad" means something.

In the early 80s when I was a teen, of course much of my spare time was spent in downtown Charleston. We had a few bums here and there but it was never a problem that was out of control. A couple on a park bench downtown - that kind of thing. He was making it sound like Chas/Hunt now have them roaming the streets like a Dawn of the Dead movie at time. Any observations on this?

[NOVAmtneer82]

I go back to visit several times each year and I haven't really noticed a large bum problem. However my opinion might be somewhat jaded because I am used to being harassed for money at least 5-10 times each block in downtown DC...

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by mtneeratheart

I go back to visit several times each year and I haven't really noticed a large bum problem. However my opinion might be somewhat jaded because I am used to being harassed for money at least 5-10 times each block in downtown DC...

Well, that's the way it is here in Atlanta. The last time I went downtown I was asked for money something like 6 times on a 5 block walk. I'm thinking maybe his idea of a "bad" bum problem isn't what I'd call bad - he (customer) lives in the far burbs here, so maybe hasn't had the intown Atlanta experience to compare them to much.

[David Kennedy]

I thought they were Hari Krishna's...perhaps they were only bums after all...their signs were very professional...

[tbailey1138]

I haven't really noticed a huge problem in Huntington. There was an increase when Pullman Square was first built but you hardly have any of that going on down there now. I guess it's all in how you look at things.

[harborlady]

charleston doesn't have them visible. I think they hang in abandoned houses so they're less of a presence on the street. Who can beat free rent? That part is the worst going on in charleston right now. Haven't seen anyone laying on any street anywhere. There was a guy in Kmart laying in the display hammock last saturday, but I think he was just dodging his honey-do's.

Downtown there were panhandlers on washington ave. Outskirts like West charleston, I haven't seen even the panhandling stuff. Working middle class tend to make an unpleasant atmosphere for those types, so wherever they are in W. Chas. they know to lay low.

Last night I had three deer running through my yard. I was pretty surprised to see them with lots so close together in this area. Didn't anticipate I'd have to consider them for landscaping plans.

[David Kennedy]

West Virginia has made a real effort to arrest these unfortunates as vagrants...when they are seen panhandling near the interstate intersections they are picked up...

Back at the turn of the 20th century bums were given one way tickets to other cities.

Fairmont/Clarksburg would send their bums to Clarksburg/Fairmont on the street car and vice-versa. Was a funny, but temporary solution, I'm sure.

Most of the men and women we see, were denied medical help during the Arch Moore/Ron Reagan years and put out on the street to fend for themselves...many are vets who just couldn't make it. Almost all have a mental condition that prevents them from inclusion.

These I feel compassion for and they rarely ask for anything...'there goeth my brother'.....