Family neighborhoods in Morgantown? (Cheat Lake, Westover: transplants, apartments, rental)

[jarthurs]

Hi all - I'm looking at a job at WVU, and wondering about the implications of the move for my family (spouse and two young kids). In particular, I'm interested in hearing about family-friendly neighborhoods in Morgantown - i.e. not student ghettos or suburban cookie-cutter developments, but residential neighborhoods with, say, decent access to a park, maybe a grocery store and a couple of kid-friendly eateries. Obviously proximity to schools would be great.

Or - as a big-city resident - am I barking up the wrong tree here? Is it either downtown party central or suburban wasteland? Anything in-between?

Thanks for any insight!

[vec101]

What price range for housing?

There are some nice neighborhoods not far from the Evansdale campus of WVU - not subdivisions but old fashioned type neighborhoods. I have no idea of the names of the streets. Just know we sometimes cut through back streets going from the stadium to Star City. There's also a new development off Van Voorhis - also forget the name. OK, I am NO help except to say, yes, there are nice family type neighborhoods in MoTown.

Haven't seen DK on here lately, he or WVUPharm should be able to help you more.

There is a wonderful neighborhood in Cheat Lake called Greystone but it's pricey. It's about 5 miles from MoTown. Home

[WVUPharm2007]

Originally Posted by jarthurs

Hi all - I'm looking at a job at WVU, and wondering about the implications of the move for my family (spouse and two young kids). In particular, I'm interested in hearing about family-friendly neighborhoods in Morgantown - i.e. not student ghettos or suburban cookie-cutter developments, but residential neighborhoods with, say, decent access to a park, maybe a grocery store and a couple of kid-friendly eateries. Obviously proximity to schools would be great.

Or - as a big-city resident - am I barking up the wrong tree here? Is it either downtown party central or suburban wasteland? Anything in-between?

Thanks for any insight!

Suncrest is by far the nicest neighborhood in town, IMHO. It's close to everything, yet quiet. It'll cost you, but you get all that...no cookie cutter houses in the older, established streets (some developers have made some houses like this at places like "The French Quarter", but it's mostly older homes)...good elementary and middle schools directly in the area. Suncrest Middle always wins awards...and the high school is the big one downtown, so it'll be a car trip...and a location that is literally down the street from the Coliseum and the football stadium, right in the middle of town near the busiest streets in Mo'town (Patteson and Van Voorhis)...yet tucked away when you leave the busy streets and get into the neighborhoods. Dozens of restaurants that are kid-friendly, a Kroger grocery, and many other stores are nearby. I had an apartment there and left it to get closer to the stadium...I've regretted leaving the little neighborhood ever since. A LOT of people like Kilarney Drive...which is in Suncrest.
Here's where it is in Morgantown:


If you go onto Trulia.com, you can get an idea of what the housing is like by focusing on the area and doing a search for homes on the market.

[jarthurs]

Thank you both for the info!

[David Kennedy]

Thistledown....best little community...just 1 mile south of Morgantown..

[ABCDom]

Good advice from everyone -- To sum it all up, much as Vec indicated, there are several little family-friendly neighborhoods in Morgantown (and growing). There are so many small communities it will depend on what you are willing to spend and your personal preferences. I stongly encourage you to take a long weekend and visit. If possible, arrnage to get a tour from a local so that you can see all of the outlying areas. I lived in Morgantown for 30+ years (relocating in 2008), so here are my opinions based on my experiences:

Family Neighborhoods Close to Town:
Cheat Lake-Probably the most expensive homes in town, but extremely nice -- Keep in mind, Morgantown housing is relatively cheap compared to the housing market in bigger cities, so don't rule this community out, as it is a wonderful and friendly place!
Suncrest-Like WVUPharm says, it is nice, but probably has the worst traffic in town.
Baker's Ridge-Very much just like Suncrest, but less crowded; sits atop a huge hill (bad for winter).
Chestnut Ridge-What I consider the "new" Suncrest. The fastest growing section of town; new homes (condos & apartments); congested, bad traffic, and some students (mostly young professionals and graduate students).
Westover-Close to the major shopping mall & downtown, but older homes & some questionable neighborhoods.
Woodburn-Very quiant; literally in the middle of the town and close to everything; students are starting to move closer.
Sabraton-Older homes & the section isn't growing.
First Ward-Very sparsly populated (for a city) with some views of the mountains. Some questionable neighborhoods.
Southpark-A lovely neighborhood with the very oldest homes in town (historic homes that have been updated & remodeled). This is where I would have suggested you looking, but it is within walking distance to downtown; therefore, students are very close by.

Aside from these neighborhoods (I may have missed a few minor ones), there are a few others that I am not too familiar with. I may be wrong about these, but this is all that I "know" about them: Thistle Down-I have heard that the homes are gorgeous, but that the landscape (giant hillside) is horrible and a bit over-priced. Ashton Estates-Very nice little "gated" community with clubhouse & pool, but mostly "cookie cutter" homes. Out the Goshen Road (Paradise Lake)-You can find a lot of land for a very good price, but you are on the very outskirts of town. Up the Kingwood Pike-Again, a lot of land for good prices, but on the outskirts of town. This area is starting to really grow (toward Preston County) with newer developments which look nice, but I have never been in a house there. Out River Road-I haven't been out this road in years, but I heard that some nice houses are being built out this way.

I do want to mention the neighboring county -- Many transplants are living in Preston County and commuting to Morgantown...Preston County offers Kingwood & Bruceton where you can get a lot of land for a good price.

Lastly, I want to name a few places to avoid. I would steer away from Sunnyside, downtown (proper), Stewartstown, Jerome Park, College Avenue, Richard, Marjorie Gardens, parts of Star City, Granville, and Osage. Most of that advice is common sense for townspeople, but I wanted to mention it nonetheless. Also, there is nothing horribly wrong with any of these areas (it's not like there is violent crime), but "for the most part" you have to really search in order to find something that you may want in any of these areas.

I apologize for the long post. Like I said, I may have missed a few neighborhoods. Also, these are just my opinions (formed over 30 years -- I am 36 years old), so others may see the town in a different light (no offense intended to anyone). As I said earlier, you would be wise to visit and see for yourself (if at all possible). In the meantime, if you have any questions about a specific area or general questions, please let me know, as I would be glad to help.

[WVUPharm2007]

Nice summary.

To add, I currently live in Bakers Ridge. I love it 7 months of the year. It's quite perfect. But as soon as that first snow flake falls, God help you. You will fly off of one of the hills faster than you can think. I've only gotten stuck in a snow mound twice in three years...thank God. People actually stand on their porches and watch the cars slide by...into ditches. Cheap entertainment.

And to reinforce one point - for the love of all things good and holy, stay away from Sunnyside. It's like Mardi Gras every night when school is in session. Here's a
youtube video created by one of its "citizens". And if WVU wins a big time game, do not come within a 2 mile radius of Sunnyside.
This is why.


But, hey, that's Sunnyside. It's literally controlled by the students. Stay in Suncrest or one of the other areas mentioned above and you'll be safe and it'll be quiet.

[vec101]

Awesome post ABCDom.

WVUPharm, I can't believe they labeled that video "Morgantown Riot".
That's just a good old fashioned post-game pep rally

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by jarthurs

Hi all - I'm looking at a job at WVU, and wondering about the implications of the move for my family (spouse and two young kids). In particular, I'm interested in hearing about family-friendly neighborhoods in Morgantown - i.e. not student ghettos or suburban cookie-cutter developments, but residential neighborhoods with, say, decent access to a park, maybe a grocery store and a couple of kid-friendly eateries. Obviously proximity to schools would be great.

Or - as a big-city resident - am I barking up the wrong tree here? Is it either downtown party central or suburban wasteland? Anything in-between?

Thanks for any insight!

If you're like most "big city" types, you'll love Morgantown. It offers many of the amenities without the hassles of a larger city, and it is one of the safest cities in America. I have lived in the NYC area for 15 years, and am in the process of relocating back to Morgantown. It's a great place to live.

ABCdom's summary is excellent.

[instigator59]

Hi,
I too have lived in the Morgantown area for a long time since 1968. It depends on what you are looking for. Looking for rental or wanting to buy. How old are you kids? Interests? Although I do disagree with about some of the neighborhoods that were mentioned not to look at because I myself live in one of those and have lived in some of the others and never had a problem. How far do you want to travel to work? You say you are looking at aposition at WVU. Is that the actual college, the hospital or what? It depends on that also. Morgantown in all is a great place to live in but there are a few neighbor hoods that you do want to stay out of because they are student oriented, so please give more details as to what you are looking for so that we can recommend some more. If you do come to town to check things out feel free to let me know I will be more than happy to show you around. you can send me a direct message if you would like a tour. thanks and good luck