Beckley? (Charleston, Fayetteville, Bethlehem: ski resort, crime, property taxes)

[msw222]

I'm thinking of moving there from Buffalo, NY.

What should I expect if I do intend to move??

[snorpus]

It's a much smaller area (population wise) than the Buffalo area... less snow, no lake effect... a lot more hilly/mountainous.

[vec101]

I like Beckley a lot. Not a large town but largest in that area. I live in Charleston and the only reason I would not move to Beckley is cuz it is at a higher altitude and gets more snow (I HATE snow). BTW, there is a little ski resort outside of Beckley called Winterplace. It's 2-3 hours from a nice ski area called Snowshoe.
Here's some info on Beckley
City Of Beckley, WV
Raleigh County West Virginia Travel and Tourism - Southern West Virginia CVB

Beckley is 1 hour from Charleston, the WV State Capitol. Lots more shopping, etc. here. I know of a LOT of people who live in Beckley and work in Charleston.

Next to Beckley/Raleigh County is Fayette County - pretty with a lot of outdoor activities. People come from all over the world to do white-water rafting in Fayette Co. (the New River and the Gauley River). People also come from all over the world for Bridge Day. There is also a great state park called Hawks Nest.
New River Gorge, West Virginia Events - New River CVB
West Virginia White Water Rafting
Bridge Day: New River Gorge Bridge Day Fesitval in Fayetteville, West Virginia (WV)
Hawks Nest State Park, West Virginia State Park

Crime - I wouldn't be worried, however, like anywhere in the world - use good judgement. Here's a link to crime info but looks only up to 2005 http://www.disastercenter.com/westvirg/crime/index.html
Also see the city-data info

The people in WV are wonderful - I just love them.

[Hinton Bound]

Originally Posted by msw222

I'm thinking of moving there from Buffalo, NY.

What should I expect if I do intend to move??

I'm an ex-NY'er (Oneonta / Middletown) living near Beckley. The winters will be much less harsh, and the summers about the same- if not a bit longer & warmer. The look of the land is a bit more hilly than Buffalo, even more so than the Catskill area. You're obviously no stranger to winter driving, so no issues there. The people are very friendly and open - if you are. Things tend to happen a bit more leisurely, and we like it that way.

Beckley has everything you'd need in a city - Hospitals, restaurants, shopping / mall, and of course Tractor Supply

Ditch the high property taxes and political bufoonery and come live "the life" in WV!

[NYGirl1216]

I was born in Beckley and raised in Buffalo, NY. My family (generations) lived in Fayette County and migrated to Buffalo in the 50's & 60's to work at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna. My Mom (she was born & raised in WV) and I try to visit Beckley yearly, although we haven't been in about 2 years since we moved to the Atlanta area. I love West Virginia and would consider relocating to the Beckley area, and I'm a die hard New Yorker .