Moving to Morgantown... maybe?

[WVUPharm2007]

If you want a cheap rental house, check out Fayette Co. Pennsylvania. Uniontown has tons of cheap places to rent. I drive there for work from Morgantown. Just about 35 minutes in the car to and fro'.

[YankeeCajun]

I think you have lots of options. i just came back from visiting family in Morgantown and was reminded of what I miss about the area. Great people, culture and cultural advantages near and far.

I would say take a look outside of the city in Bridgeport, Grafton, Fairmont or even Bruceton and Kingwood areas. The problem with PA is the taxes, although you can certainly find something affordable in Mt. Morris, Point Marion or the Uniontown area.

Good luck!

[snorpus]

PA State Income Tax ~3.5% (flat), vs graduated 3.5-6.5% in WV
State Sales Tax - 6% (same as WV, but no sales tax on food or clothing)
Property taxes are probably higher in PA, but you won't see that directly as a renter. And PA doesn't have a personal property tax on vehicles.

[WDCJoe]

Originally Posted by Kamaaina

Thanks for all that info - have been checking out a lot since my first post. Couple of questions regarding where to live: which section of town is the "avoid it" section (every town has them, even the best of places!), and which are more desirable? Which are more affluent, and which are more historic? What about commuting from further away; what is Fairmont like? Or any of the small towns in southern PA? We would like to find affordable housing as well -- what about renting a nice house? I don't see a lot of listings online; what resources would you recommend to look for such?

UMMMMM..... Considering that you live in the DC area currently, I wouldn't suggest Fairmont. I agree with most of the other posters here that Morgantown is a surprisingly vibrant small town. You honestly feel a bit of urban fabric around you while there, again surprisingly considering the small population of year round residents (about 30,000).

You have a decent variety of eateries, shopping opportunities, and a smacking of culture provided by the good ole Mountaineers. Fairmont on the other hand has a limited availability of all the above. I apologize to any individuals who will be offended by this post however I honestly feel that Fairmont is a good ten to fifteen years behind Morgantown now (basically far more typical of small town WV). While I lived in Morgantown, friends that I had that commuted from Fairmont attempted to spend as much of their time in Motown because of this fact. It is far cheaper to live there however!

In a nutshell if you enjoy the DC area the closer that you are to Morgantown, the happier you will be.

[Threerun]

If she wants to rent in the country side and not be 'within' the Mo-town area, then of course Marion County would be a viable option. Same with PA too.

Especially at $1,000 p/mo. That wouldn't get you a decent rental home in the countryside in Mon county.

[leesbro]

Kamaaina, you from Hawai'i? Have you moved to Mo-Town yet? My wife and I are from Hawai'i and we are moving to Mo-Town in one week (Cheat Lake area).

[twobums]

The OP has Pasadena MD listed as hometown... I lived there for 20 years before moving to Preston County WV. What a culture shock for us!

Morgantown was a day trip for us to do everything, MVA, doctor's app'ts, Target, Sam's Club & a real grocery store. Getting home was always a challenge, at least 5 months out of the year. Brandonville Pike is an adventure!

We have sinced moved.

[horseyjen]

You may want to consider Morgantown itself but stay out of the student areas (no one wants to live in Sunnyside). I havent spent any time in Morgantown since I graduated in 2004, but it seems like there might be some nice areas out towards interstate 68 around the airport but before you get to Cheat Lake (which is nice but very pricey). Westover or Star City might also be possibilities. Within Morgantown, South Park has some nice areas. From an outdoors perspective, there is a lot to do in/around Morgantown. Crime is low and mostly of the student variety. Morgantown will feel very much like a college town in terms of traffic, lack of parking, trash and student rowdiness. Also, if you are commuting from any distance, keep in mind that it can be very difficult in the winter. Windy, mountainous country roads with snow and ice are not fun! The city itself is usually fine but you will have to contend with it outside the city.

[Kamaaina]

No, not from Hawaii -- just love everything about it and am a "wannabe" kama'aina! Have not moved to M'Town, and unfortunately it looks like the job opp has fallen through, so won't be moving there. Thanks, though, to everyone for all the great advice!