Moving to north-central WV with kids--suggestions? advice? (Morgantown, Fairmont: property taxes, insurance)

[LilyLaLa]

Hello all-- I hope you can help me. I'm looking for a home in north-central WV or the eastern panhandle, and have been researching towns. I'm finding numbers and statistics, but not many photos, and not much of a "feel" for anything. It's been a long time since my last visit.

Which places are best for a family with children? We'd like a playground and library close by, trees or a park, good schools, and perhaps a few annual events or attractions near home. I prefer smaller towns to cities, though I do like Elkins (any comments?) and could reconcile to a city if I could find the sort of tree-lined front-porch neighbourhood that wouldn't feel too urban -- can I find such a place in Fairmont or Clarksburg or Morgantown? I prefer old-time houses on old-time streets: the more affordable the house, the better, so the eastern end of the panhandle is already crossed off. Any suggestions? Or any towns I should avoid?

(Jobs aren't an issue; I work from home and my husband is more than willing to retire.)

Quirky or odd is a big plus for our gang: the kids like Flatwoods for the 1952 alien crash (yes, just saw Indiana Jones!) and we've noticed there's an "Ireland" too, which is hard to resist. So any favourite town names, ghost stories, or weird attractions would be welcome news too.

Thanks for any help--

and thank you for all I've learned already on your forum!

Lil

[Retired Navy]

Point Pleasant, just across the Ohio river from Gallipolis, Ohio, has the Mothman of "The Mothman Prophesy" fame. They even have a statue of that rascal just off Main Street!! BTW...does anyone know that Mothman was actually a Sandhill Crane that took up residence for a while in the TNT Area near Point Pleasant? Myth Busted!!! It's true!!

[LilyLaLa]

Thanks!

What a creepy contender, the kids would love it and the relatives WOULD visit a place with that history. I'd forgotten the Mothman stories so looked it up again...funny nobody ever connected the birdlike appearance with a nearby wildlife sanctuary during all those years of sightings? Makes you wonder...

Sadly, it's too far west for us. We need to be a kid-friendly drive from Baltimore, and Dulles airport. But we'll definitely visit after we've settled in!!

[snorpus]

I like Elkins, too, but if you're looking for something smaller in the same area, look into Beverly, about 5 miles south.

A couple of other smallish towns to consider would be Kingwood and Terra Alta, both in Preston County east of Morgantown. They're both about 10-15 miles from I-68, which would make the trips to Balto and Dulles fairly easy.

[David Kennedy]

Cumberland, Maryland should get a look...has the train...has the canal...has the senic splendor...has the old streets and homes...skiing...and all that you ask for plus the I-68 for the drive to Balto...2 hrs. Dulles 2.5 hrs....its overlooked...and almost in Wv...

[LilyLaLa]

Thanks Snorpus!

I'd never heard of Beverly, but googling it turned up historicbeverly.org, and... I .... LOOOOve it. History is an addiction of mine (along with antique shops and collecting holy pictures, imagine what a fun Mum I am!!). Beverly and I might be made for each other. Wonderfully nice of their website to offer the "virtual town tour" ... if more towns would do that my research job would be a lot easier lol.


Thanks also for the tip about I-68; I'd been looking along route 50 for the same reason so far.

[LilyLaLa]

Thanks David! Cumberland, Hancock and Hagerstown were on our original list, even Oakland, but property taxes and other costs were higher in Maryland when we checked into all the details like insurance, utilities, cost of living and all. I have a lot of good memories in West Virginia too, and that's a big pull.

But the Cumberland *area*, now you've got me thinking... I'll look back into Keyser and nearby towns some more, as being close to Cumberland with its transporation and big-town advantages can be a big plus. I just haven't been able to find out much more than numbers and dry statistics...what's Keyser (and other nearby border towns) like at heart?

Finally, well, Cumberland has a sad family association for us, involving the federal 'facility' nearby (long story and enough said! )

[LilyLaLa]

Kingwood is giving Beverly a run for its money after another Google. From the website of the Preston County Buckwheat Festival (in Kingwood):

"King Buckwheat LXVII will also be named at the May 7 event and the escorts for the Maids and Senior Princesses will be formally introduced. "
Preston County Buckwheat Festival- Official Site

King Buckwheat LXVII...those are real roman numerals. I could so live in a town that uses roman numerals.

(My husband is asking if it's buckwheat the food or Buckwheat the Little Rascal, oh good lord...)

Has anyone been to the Buckwheat Festival? Is it as adorable as it looks??

[David Kennedy]

Keyser...nice little one McDonalds college town...sometimes get the air drift from the paper mill at Westernport...LaVale area south on 220 into Wv...I mentioned Cumberland because I like the Amtrac service into DC...Keyser had a stop at one time, but I don't know if that service is still in operation...hearing that the Cardinal may be made available from DC to our area through the mountains again...that would be fabulous...air service is almost cheaper by private plane...

Kingwood is a great little town and the 'buttwheat festival' is a great fair....you have not lived until you have sampled their Preston County manna...'buttwheats, home grown sausage and maple syrup from the tree...thats what food is all about..

'buttwheat cakes...buttwheat cakes...made with ham or bacon...
buttwheat cakes...buttwheat cakes...how I love those buttwheat cakes...

I'll see if that song is on the net somewhere...Grampa Jones would sing that one..how crazy!

[snorpus]

Lily,

When I was in high school (and the Buckwheat Festival had a lot fewer roman numerals in its title), I marched (along with the rest of the HS band) in the Buckwheat Festival Parade. I always thought the three high points of our marching season were the Buckwheat, Strawberry, and Forest Festivals.

One thing WV has no shortage of is fairs and festivals. It's a little slow in mid-winter, but from March through October there's usually two or three each weekend (in different parts of the state). Do you like ramps?