Bad as it sounds? (Huntington, Parkersburg: home, rent, travel)

[bmurphy]

I hear a lot about how depressed West Virginia is; the economy is bad; few jobs; a declining state in general. How true are these comments? It's scenic, but on almost every piece of literature I've read it was always "West Virgina" down there at the bottom of desirable states. Perhaps it's a hidden gem? Anyone want to shed light? I like their climate as far as I can tell, but I'm not sure how gay-friendly it would be (yes, I need gay friendly).

[awakenthesun22]

I think that in some ways it is a hidden gem that even many of its own residents don't realize. As for economy, jobs, etc, no it's not the best place in the country. But what it is: it's a huge outdoor playground abundant with forests, hills, mountains, rivers, lakes, and the list goes on. I've been fortunate to see most of the United States, and few places match the overall beauty of WV (western NC, Colorado, North Arizona come to mind). It all comes down to what you want and what kind of lifestyle you want to live. No matter where you go, you're going to trade something for something else, few places have "everything." If you're an outdoorsman, it's a massive playground in your backyard. If you're not an outdoorsman, you're probably going to get bored. WV isn't a place to sit inside on your butt (and I've found that a lot of people who complain about the state do just that). You gotta get into those mountains and breathe the fresh air, hike, kayak, camp, ski, I think that's what WV is all about. Most places in the state have "rugged" terrain, but to get to what I'm talking about, some areas are further from some of it than others, but nowhere in the state are you really that far from it all.

[GottaHerdOn]

Ehh... Pretty much the gay friendly places are Morgantown and Huntington. Due mostly infact because of the high number of younger college students. I go to college in Huntington, and me and my boy friend only have had one experience with non gay friendly people. Its generally well accepted here. We can walk down the street holding hands and its not too big of a deal. At home it would have been a big deal not so much in a non gay friendly way, but like I was looked at as like a science project or experiment. But Huntington/Morgantown, are the most gay friendly. Any city with a population over like 15,000 though is generally pretty accepting in WV. Not completely and not always... But generally

Also.. about all the literature on WV being depressed and everything. My opinion is this. Decades ago WV was pretty economically depressed compared to the rest of the country. Which was not the fault of its inhabitants, but fault of the mountainous terrain. Which kept roads and infrastructure from opening up the state to new economic activities. Also the rest of the country decided that "everyone" in WV are hillbillys, and its been that assumption ever since. For instance it costs 1 million dollars for 1 mile of highway through the hills of WV. Compare that to the cost to build a highway through a flat area and you'll see a huge difference. So it was easier for flatter areas to become for economically attractive to companies and factories. So to an extent WV is still depressed but not to the extent people have in their minds. It really bothers me when people from the other side of the country make assumptions about WV and think we all sit on our porches and pick banjos. As I've learned from my travels around the states is that there are places in all states that are economically depressed but the mindset that WV people are rednecks is just a form of prejudice that has been instilled in millions of Americans for decades.

[Need_affordable_home]

Hello, WV is one of the states im interested in. Its winters are obviously milder than in PA. Also its very affordable almost everywhere. Below are the cities(crime index) that I am interested in. Which would you recommend?


West Virginia has Bluefield(260)Elkins(300)
Follansbee(80)Weirton(110)Wellsburg(40)
New Cumberland(50)Triadelphia(zero!)Cameron(100)
Moundsville(150)Wheeling(300?)Parkersburg(350?)
Weston(20)Clarksburg(300)Fairmont(200)

[bmurphy]

What makes you say the winters are milder? Being a rugged state, WV in some places has very cold snowy winters, perhaps worse than PA. If it's milder, it's definetly not hugely milder.

[Georgia]

West Virginia and it's economy can be summed up this way.
"So goes the Coal commidity, So goes West Virginia"
During it's heyday up to the 60's WV was a booming state, a population in excess of 2 million. Coal was the main crop in the south and central part with steel beaming up in Wheeling. The Eastern Panhandle had manufacturing such as DuPont, Corning, Royce Hosery, and General Motors.

As with anything, nothing lasts forever. With the environmental crowds pounding down coal, the commidity suffered thus the industry suffered. Next came outsourcing, you know, giving Communist China our entire manufacturing base. Say goodbye to Corning Glass, DuPont, the steel industry, and textile.

From the 1960's through 2000, WV lost over 250,000 residents to other states. Heck, being from Berkeley County over 75% of my HS graduation class left the state to make a living.

Since then, not much has been done by the WV government in the way of innovation to attract industry back to the state. Yes, there is a Toyota plant that popped up and lets not forget the lower G level paygrades of government jobs sent to the state by the Ex Grand Dragon himself, Robert Byrd. Not only was he the King of the KKK, but the King of Pork.
The other issue to is taxation. WV ranks #13 nationwide on a personal level of overall taxation, but in the top 10 in business taxation. This to keeps business from crossing the border.

The best example right now is the growth area of the state, Berkeley County.
The county has ballooned from 25,000 in 1980 to 100,000 today. All a bedroom community to the Marc train to Washington DC. You can tour the town and not see much in commercial growth. The shopping and overall business atmosphere is half of what it was when I was a kid. Today, its basically a crowded shopping center on King Street, a run down downtown, with an ever increasing crime rate.

Of course, with all this said some could ask do we want an industry boom in the state? West By God is a very beautiful place. Peaceful, Quiet, and one of the most beautiful places in the Southeast/MidAtlantic area. From New River to the Capitol building, to Tucker County. Do we want to turn it into a "Boom Town", a "Boom State"? Take for example my current home in Atlanta. A boom town of boom towns. Over 100,000 new people per year in a 5 county area. My county now has over 700,000 people in an area the size of Berkeley. Try that on for size Granted, it's all new, we have everything at our fingertips, but with this you have gridlock and road rage. No peace, no quiet.

I guess it's a double edged sword.
In some circles West Virginia is a depressed state, in others it is a secret utopia. Only you can judge that for yourself. After many years and seeing my hometown turn into what it has along with my current town feeling like a crowded ant hill. I think I would prefer the land that does not offer that much in a material realm over the boom town anyday.

[beenaround]

Right on Georgia! Just thought I would add this: I'm from extreme western MD myself, which has more in common with WV than the rest of MD, and the same economic forces happened there too, as well as most of PA. I have also been to Atlanta over the years and have seen that place explode with growth. Kind of a mixed blessing; yeah, everything is newer, but with more people, it takes longer to get to places. But it is nice to be in a growing area if you want to sell your home, and of course, to be able to find a job. In a slow or no growth area, most things are old, rundown, and depressing. But to me, the old downtowns and old buildings have more character than the new strip malls and new office complexes.

[GottaHerdOn]

In regaruds to Need affordable home You were checking on places to live. If your looking for a place thats growing but not a place where you'll get a headache from the traffic. Check out Elkins, the older people seem to LOVE IT. I enjoy it, but I went to college in Huntington (a college town) with lots of "things" to do for college age people. Elkins is by far a great place to live if you don't like lots of excitment and a slower pace of life.

[neatsark07]

WV ranks at the top in unemployment and poverty and obesity and heart disease, there is little developement and unless you are an executive, doctor or lawyer you just cant survive hear. I love this state and is very sad to me what it has become, crime is up and sexaul abuse is absolutely rampant check the state police website, I grew up in wheeling and a middle class family, which doesnt exist anymore, you are either rich or poor period. the people here used to be friendly but not anymore, even in the mountains where we have owned property for decades and spent much time there in the summers (Tucker and Grant counties) the people are not nice anymore they look at you with suspicion and resentment. we have had abissmal leaders here for a long time and things just keep getting worse.

[GottaHerdOn]

I agree, at least we have a govenor now that wants to move WV forward and get the state off the listings of the obesity, unemployment, and heart disease charts. But you have to realize we have many things wrong with us as a state, including the majority of the leaders in WV. But we have many great assests and if we just elect progressive leaders that actually do their jobs instead of just ride it out in office, our state has the potential to BOOM! We are located within a days drive of 2/3 of the population of the USA and 1/3 of Canada. Peoples attitudes have to change about WV as well, the stigma that is associated with our state harms it so much. We have to sell our state to companies and to possible future residents. I say we can change our state for the better if we all tried a little harder