Charleston"s flavor?

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by cubmom

Charleston WV has about as much flavor as Kroger kool aid. No night life unless you think hanging out at Outback on a Friday night has meaning.

I get the attitude from Chareston and West Va overall that they are a peaceful type people, and feel they should be treated accordingly ..only I see them being taken advantage of, and have a coal field mentality to not cause trouble or make waves..so they are continually being *****cuted. Health care is ancient..some of the shopping centers are trashy, LITERALLY! You have to step over fast food bags and straws to get to your car. I have never seen so many smokers in my life..and it seems they feel they can smoke when ever or where ever they like...I have to push the smoke away sometimes if I walk into my water company or the local bowling alley. Ridiculous.

I hate to describe it, but there is a sort of backwoods hilly billy flavor..it seems the citizens are happy to go to their mall job, then at 5 go home, eat some biscuits and gravy, smoke a cigarette, and go ATV'ing or sit and watch tv...on Wed night, go to the Baptist church for gospel.

So many people don't care about night life and don't need to be entertained by such. No, hanging out at Outback has no meaning as most night life doesn't in the long run. Many of us want to get back to the basics of life, the simple things that ultimately are of much importance i.e., attending church services, nature (love it), peace and quiet, family, exercising, and the list is endless.

Actually, Charleston would be way too large for me; I really want the country living away from the hustle and bustle. The smoking sounds horrendous, yuck, and too bad for the smokers and breathers of that nasty stuff.

ATV'ing and TV, not important either. Walking or bike riding would be a great substitute for ATV'ing and much healthier in getting the cardiovascular system pumping.

Oh well, different strokes for different folks.

[Cooljonesgirl]

I suppose every city/state has its pros and cons. Charleston's pros are: cheap cost of living, low-crime rate (compared to larger cities), and light traffic. It's also a great place to raise kids-very family oriented. However the cons are: struggling job market, lack of diversity, and unfortunately very racist. However most of the racism is from the older community. It seems like the younger community are embracing each other very well. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for.If your're coming from a larger city (like myself), and looking for the same perks of a large city;you may be disappointed. But if you're looking to take it slow-then Charleston may be the place for you.

[NCinWV]

Having moved to Charleston just a couple of years ago, I've been pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a small-city and that does come with its own brand of unique charms and limitations. The city really does have some gems though -downtown has some cool places like Taylor Books (cafe, bookshop, and art gallery all in one), Capitol Market (during the spring/summer months this is THE place to shop for fresh veggies. There's also a wine/cheese shop, fish shop, butcher, Capitol Roaster's coffee, Holl's Chocolates, the Purple Onion grocer, and others), Vandalia Lounge (nighttime hotspot). New restaurants, both local ventures and chain outlets are opening. We have the typical Target, WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot, Kohl's, Pier One, Marshalls, Circuit City, etc out on Corridor G.
Other cities are well within a day's drive. New York City - 8 hours; Columbus, OH - <3 hours; Washington, DC/Northern VA - 6 hours; Pittsburgh - 4 hours; Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC - 4 hours.
All-in-all a fairly comfortable place to live.

[AnotherBravesFan]

Hi, all. My mother (now over 70 years old) moved to Elkview (about 20 minutes from Charleston) from L.A. (!) in 1996. Talk about a 180 degree change. I must admit, I didn't think she'd last more than one winter, as she'd always complain if it got below 60 when she lived in CA! But to my astonishment, she has stayed there for 10 years and is quite happy. In L.A., she was too intimidated to drive on the freeway, but she drives around Charleston quite confidently. Yes, she misses Trader Joe's market and the like, but the scenery there is GORGEOUS (I've never seen so many trees), she shops the farmers market and online, and her neighbors are friendly and helpful. No place is perfect for everyone, but Charleston has been good for her. She took her dogs for a walk last Sunday morning and heard nothing but her footsteps - very peaceful and serene. Imagine trying that in L.A.!