What's the Best City in West Virginia? (Wheeling, Morgantown: loft, neighborhoods) - Page 23 - City-Data Forum

CTMountaineer · 11-19-2009, 03:44 PM

It all depends on what you want. If you want to hang our around
a lot of politicians, Charleston is the place. If you like the blue collar
crowd then it is Huntington or Wheeling. If your taste runs to
government bureaucrats it is Martinsburg or Charleston. If you want
to be around the best athletics and entertainment, as well as the
State's academic/cultural focal point it is definitely Morgantown, which
is also currently the State's (and one of the Nation's) hottest job market.

There is no clear answer to this question because it is different strokes
for different folks, as they say.

snorpus · 11-19-2009, 05:52 PM

And if you want to get away from it all, it's Mobley or Seeburt.

LynnJameson · 11-19-2009, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snorpus

And if you want to get away from it all, it's Mobley or Seeburt.

Or Monterville!

CAVA1990 · 11-19-2009, 06:29 PM

Orgas. Yeah there really is a WV town by that name.

Threerun · 11-19-2009, 06:34 PM

Martinsburg is not really a political town at all. I think more fed workers live in Jefferson County than Berkeley.

Berkeley is more of a family centric/blue collar/white collar mix. It's fairly healthy from a demographic standpoint.

CTMountaineer · 11-19-2009, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Threerun

Martinsburg is not really a political town at all. I think more fed workers live in Jefferson County than Berkeley.

Berkeley is more of a family centric/blue collar/white collar mix. It's fairly healthy from a demographic standpoint.

My daughter lives in Martinsburg and teaches in Hagerstown. My son-in-law teaches in Jefferson County. My observation is that much of the town, especially on the outskirts, is comprised of Federal bureaucrats. Just my opinion.

clintsullivan · 11-19-2009, 08:34 PM

Yep, lots of Feds here in Jefferson & Berkeley.

But I would have to agree with Threerun, that it's really a fairly even mix of types of workers & lifestyles.

And when the question is "What's the Best City in WV" the answer has to be "For What?"

Threerun · 11-20-2009, 06:10 AM

I lived and worked there for a long time and I am comfortable stating that Berkeley is not heavily comprised of bureaucrats. Jefferson County has more gov't employees per capita by a long shot. Berkeley is definitely more of a mix of blue collar / professional.

CTMountaineer · 11-20-2009, 06:49 AM

I'm sure you are correct. It's just that where my kids live, and lived
before they bought their house, they are (have been) surrounded with people who work in, and are escaping from, DC. I'm not talking about downtown Martinsburg. I mean in the newer areas outside of town.

One place we're overlooking with this discussion is the hometown of my ex-wife... The Greater Glasgow-Cedar Grove Metropolitan Area. That is certainly an up and comer. Located between Charleston and the Mount Olive prison complex, it is an important stop over for inmate families on their way to and from visits... a perfect 25 miles from both locales.

Threerun · 11-20-2009, 07:30 AM

Berkeley has a lot of people from Baltimore, Hagerstown, Winchester, Frederick, NoVa and the DC 'burb' areas.

It's not as concentrated with folks from DC as many portray it to be. For example, most do not consider Frederick, Hagerstown and Winchester as DC burbs. Totally different places with vastly different employment bases.

It's a fairly healthy mix. The folks that bought my spread in South Berkeley lived north west of Baltimore, and they certainly aren't typcal DC types. Another person who had an offer on my house was from the Seattle area, and another (third) offer on my house came from someone again from the north Baltimore area.