Charleston area (Huntington, South Charleston, Dunbar: apartment complex, how much, neighborhoods)

[kkirk]

I am moving to the Charleston area after the first of the year so this is info is very helpful for me as well. I was in the area over Labor day w/e and we drove around as much as possible. We really liked the area out by Southridge but what city is that considered? Also, does anyone know anything about the Catholic schools in Charelston?

[vec101]

Southridge shopping plazas are in South Charleston. (Yes, that is actually the name of the town - very original. Separate govt from Chas, etc.) Not too far down the Corridor (toward Logan) is Lincoln County. You may also find that some of the developments are actually in towns other than South Charleston. Not sure of the boundaries. You may want to email the SC Convention Bureau - they are nice folk and would be glad to help with info I am sure. South Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau

Everything I hear about the Catholic school in Charleston is excellent. Not sure if there are more than 1. Called Charleston Catholic.

PS. The actual town of South Charleston is not very close to Southridge. It lies along MacCorkle Ave. From Corridor G you would take Jefferson Road to McCorkle then make a right (go under I-64) and go for 1-2 miles to South Charleston proper.

[kookamus]

I am from Youngstown too. Let me tell you i have lived in Charelston for 30 years and if i had it to do all over again i wouldn't have moved here.

[vec101]

There is a woman from Chas on Judge Judy right now - suing her daughter about a car.

[harborlady]

vec and to think the econo plan swat on the backside used to solve all this. hahahahaaa

Kkirk I noticed a more extensive boundary map that lays out areas/boundaries of townships was on the wall of Old colony realtors, but I have no clue how to get that map. No information you get by hearsay, statistics, or realtors can substitute the real judge of wandering around like you did. It all just winds up being a corroborated story of reality or not.
Kudos for doing homework. It's the best guarantee you'll find your slice of heaven. Make sure you take full advantage of city-data.com statistics site because many quality of life issues that matter to most are answered by the click of a mouse.

[Bob Hannah]

Originally Posted by kookamus

I am from Youngstown too. Let me tell you i have lived in Charelston for 30 years and if i had it to do all over again i wouldn't have moved here.

Youngstown was BAD in 05 when we moved and is getting worse everytime we go back to see the families. If I may ask what do you not like about the Charleston area? We are going to be in WV to check the areas that interest us on Sept 10. We hope to come up with some kind of opinion about the area and the schools there.

Thanks Bob

[r601020]

Originally Posted by kookamus

I am from Youngstown too. Let me tell you i have lived in Charelston for 30 years and if i had it to do all over again i wouldn't have moved here.

Kookamus, since you have 30 years into this place and have been part of its history, I can understand a disenfranchised view of it. We have different stories, but I would launch many paragraphs to express distain of where I came from.

However, I moved here in November last year and I've read some of your negative posts. We just don't see things the same way. Where I could agree this place could justify a negative view, and it still has problems, it's also got a promising future. I think the snapshot of this city today will not compare to what it will be like in 10 years, and if I had my way, I'd bulldoze every boarded up building this afternoon and reboot. Know anybody that's got a bulldozer?

Disagree about the unfriendliness. Yes, there are turds . . want examples, I'll give you a few. But most people I talk to (and everybody is a stranger to me), are friendly. There is a fellow who moved here from Boston, and we both think Charleston is friendlier than where we came from. It's a step up for us. We improved the quality of our lives by moving here!

I actually told one fellow to leave Charleston (face-to-face). Because life really is short, and he should think about being happy somewhere instead of making excuses why he can't be. Or, if instead of complaining, and you want to do something about the negatives, then why not start a citizen action committe . . take a single issue at a time, something that can be accomplished, and get it done.

Stone soup just needs a pot, some water, and a fire. Then, if anyone has a little salt, that always helps with the flavor.

[thebalogas]

Originally Posted by harborlady

thebalogas- I'm new to WV but something about WV'rs I've noticed-- when they don't know something they tend to just be silent.
Not mentioning St Albans on my part is all about that because I've only been there for lunch one day. Not enough info to go by, but it has a pretty main street area with a laid back gentrified feel to it. That's the end of my knowledge/contribution about St Albans. Sorry I can't help you out more.

I really don't need help with St. Albans, just wanted to know why no one was mentioning it. I lived there from the time I was 5 until I left home to go to the "beach" when I was 24. I graduated from West Virginia State College, as it was called back then. I loved it. Close enough to Charleston and Huntington, but not too close. St. Albans, to me is kind of in the middle of everything, but not close enough to the stinky smell. LOL No crime. It was a culture shock when I moved to FL. Beautiful new high school built a few years ago, that unfortunately I haven't been able to tour, my brother has. My family lives there, still. Most of the people that were transferred into the area, the chemical plants, C&P (I know it's not that now) Columbia Gas, IBM, moved to St. Albans when they moved to WV. Most of my friends that went to school with me were from OH, NJ, NY, and TN. I only left because I hate the cold and the snow. My husband has just talked me into the Carolinas after living in FL for 22 years. I was just curious as to why no one has mentioned this as an option to the question. That's all.

[harborlady]

thebalogas- Carolinas are pretty. My little sis & her family landed in SC and they've finally (after 16 yrs of struggling to buy a home) stopped running in place getting nowhere in a hurry by that simple move. They have a brand new home now and his skills are well rewarded relative to the economy. College for my nephew became a non issue at the snap of a residency finger. NC mtns I love, but it's a bit crowded for my taste. Charleston was a goldie locks perfect medium of not too hot, not too cold, but the people really won this tough bird's heart (plus they deserve a medal for tolerating me).

I haven't noticed any stinky anywhere along I64 from charleston to huntington. Perhaps that was the plant in institute or nitro prior to EPA rules going into effect? Grandfathered tank storage elsewhere allowed chem/oil to have open roof designs that often ruined air quality for miles with not much more than 15 kt winds. I'm new here so the only history I know is what I can google and what the old timers tell me. Sounds like you could stand to come home for the holidays and walk down memory lane in St Albans. Don't forget to wave hello at the hills while driving past charleston.

R- there's an oscar the grouch in every town, isn't there?

[thebalogas]

I don't know about the EPA rules or when they went into effect, but it hasn't been that long since I"ve been home and I can still smell it going through Institute. As long as my family comes to visit me, there really is no reason to go back there. The majority of my graduation class, 420, and all of the group that I was close to have left the area and only go back on rare occasions. Even their parents have moved out. When I do go back, it takes about 20 minutes for me to be ready to go back home. There just isn't anything there for me anymore.