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I also think Elkins is beautiful and has a lot going for it. I currently live in Norfolk, Virginia and the property taxes are crazy high. And the price of housing here is also very high.
I'm hoping to move to WV myself in a year or two and Elkins is one of the spots I'm heading for.
I mean look at this photo. What's not to love? This is on Route 250 outside of Elkins.
I mean look at this photo. What's not to love? This is on Route 250 outside of Elkins.
I love that valley, probably the most beautiful i've seen on the east coast. The actual location is Highland county, Va. Drive west one mile from where this pic was shot is Hightown, Va.
I'm glad *you* know the location. Sorry to say, all I remember is that it wasn't that far from Elkins and on Route 250. Do you live in that area? If so, you are a very fortunate person!
I'm just enamored of West Virginia. Wish I could figure out how to get there - sooner rather than later. Seems like there really is a post-perfect view around every bend in the road.
Do you live in that area? If so, you are a very fortunate person!
I'm just enamored of West Virginia. Wish I could figure out how to get there - sooner rather than later.
Yea, this area is charming to visit. Then you move here and reality sets in. I've been here a little over a year and trust me, living here & visiting are not comparable, not even close. It may be the place for you, with 7 good friends i have that moved here from various midsized cities, the odds are against you.
The nicest statement from any of the 7, "adapting to this area is difficult". He hasn't made the transition yet, 4 years after he moved here. And he grew up in the area. Personally, i doubt i can handle this place 3 years max and then, back to Va.!!
Since i can't abide by the requirement of this site of only posting almost heaven fantasies... Send a PM if you want truths about you likely will encounter locally. Ask questions if any, there's fantastic, ~ good & very bad aspects living here.
I'm from Elkins, I lived there for 18 years up until college and I love it there and I can't wait to go back tomorrow to see my friends and family. Send me a PM if you want to hear about why I actually like Elkins and want to move back one day. Some people are just miserable no matter where they are and will look for negative things instead of noticing the great things about a place.
My husband was born and raised in Elkins. He's not so hot on going back, but I want to be far away from the maddening crowds. I'd love nothing more than to live in a little secluded hideaway, with a 2-mile gravel driveway between me and polite society.
The hubby was also raised by a single mom and times were tough for them. The dad took off when hubby was three years old and those growing up years were pretty lean. And yet - he made it through college on scholarships (Davis and Elkins) and graduated second in his class from Washington and Lee with a law degree.
I really can not imagine why he's not chomping at the bit to go back. He tells me he's too "city-fied."
Please contact me and let me know what you don't like/do like about living in West Virginia?
And here's another reason to love West Virginia: They have an abundance of Sears Kit Homes!
Here's the catalog image - from the 1930 Sears Modern Home's catalog, followed by the extant photo:
I've lived recently in both Northern Virginia (DC suburbs) and Morgantown, WV, working comparable jobs. Pros of Morgantown: excellent health care for a small city because of the WVU medical school and hospital, lower housing costs, seventy miles from a real city (Pittsburgh), many locally-owned businesses give the place real character. Cons: rush-hour traffic in some areas rivals Northern Virginia, no Metrorail (the university's PRT mainly serves student areas), fewer job opportunities than DC, seventy mils from a real city.
If you don't require big-city atmosphere and amenities, West Virginia might serve you well, as long as you don't move here with either (1) a chip on your shoulder because you're from such-and-such a place, or (2) a stereotype that West Virginia is all backwoods hillbillies. They're sensitive about stereotypes here.
RosemaryT, if you do end up moving to WV, you'll have to come check out the Southside of Huntington if you like Sears houses. I've never researched it myself, but I've heard there are a lot of Sears homes here. There are also a few Lustron houses here which are neat to see as well. Here's a link of some houses including a Lustron home.
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