Charleston, the capital of West Virginia and seat of Kanawha County, is a regional hub for transportation, finance, retail trade, commerce, government, and health care, and acts as a lively center for the arts and recreation while also serving as West Virginia's state capital. A vital urban area, the city also projects a comfortable charm that invites visitors and residents alike; its downtown is active and filled with people in the evening. With its nineteenth-century style brick sidewalks and streets lit by antique reproduction light posts and dotted with wooden benches, the Village District stands as a monument to the modern thinking that has kept the city on track both financially and aesthetically for years.