Starting Over in Charleston - pretty specific on what I prefer!! (South Charleston: sale, apartment)
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I think I'm going to apply to Country Club Village and Roxalana Hills. Maybe Presidio. UC's housign site actually is giving out suggestions in Hurricane for some reason! Yeah thats way too long of a commute. For Roxalana Google maps does tell me to take the local bridge and not use Interstate 64. For my first year I do have to be in class at 8 AM or 9 AM every morning. The afternoon commute is less of a concern since I may stay over and use the library/gym on campus and also found Roxalana is within 15 minutes of two Walmart Supercenters. Roxalana Hills also looks like a very pretty neighborhood and setting.
I honestly woulnd't mind a place with lots of families. Prefer that over a lot of rowdy folks. Peace and quiet is very important to me, I can always drive to things. Where I live now its mostly singles and young families I've been able to meet a lot of people in the neighborhood and going out locally. I live in an area of Baltimore County that is a blue collar suburb with a small town feel (any of y'all familiar with Maryland I live in Dundalk/Edgemere). A lot of people around here have roots in WV from the last generation that came to work in the steel industry and automaking which are all shut down now.
I'll be able to meet people through my UC program though I don't want to be some some people who exclusively run with that crowd. I have friends who live in CHarleston though they live downtown (and don't think much about Cross Lanes or Hurricane) and unlike me prefer the more urban hip living and I also know people in Huntington, Lewisburg, Buckhannon, and Morgantown.
Dunbar has lots of local diners and bars? My favorite kind of place isn't really the club scene more local honky tonks with cheap beer and a jukebox
Tom Lennox, "In terms of the culture would y'all say its a very friendly and laid back culture? I'm used to that growing up in Louisiana and living in this part of the Baltimore area. Charleston felt kind of Southern to me while other parts of WV particularly Fairmont and Morgantown felt very northern."
Depends on how you define 'culture'. Some consider it ballet, opera, plays, etc, and you'll find that in Chas. Unfortunately you'll also find some of the folk that you are running into on the state forum.
Others consider it to the general attitude of the residents, and there I think you'll find it to be friendly and laid back for the most part.
Most part, it's a mixture. IIRC on the ski slope south of Charleston the standard attire was Hunter Orange and Camo.
The best part of the area, (and the only one I've missed) is the proximity to the river. There's everything from Walleye to cats, and huge carp in there, if you've never hooked a 4' carp on a lightweight fly rig, you ain't lived yet...... a carp hooked on the surface will jump! If you don't fish, there's still boating right at hand.
SorryIMovedBack, I like the Chuck U appellation, back in my day it was known as 'Harvey High'. This did not make those attending happy lol
I don't think the commute from Country Club Village would be an issue. Might be worth checking out if there is anything there. Like I said, see if you can pick up a copy of the Ad Bulletin. If I were looking for something not too far from UC, I would look in Kanawha City, South Charleston, South Hills. See if maybe Greenbrier Garden Apartments in the South Hills area has anything open. That would be convenient to get to UC.
They do suggest South Hill and Greenbrier but the complexes in Cross Lanes and Dunbar do seem nicer. Country Club Village and Presidio are too expensive for me.
The Oaks in Dunbar look very nice though they only have the pool but no gym but that is less important.
The Stratford apartments in South Charleston and Shady Pines in Cross Lanes (on Big Tyler Road).....any opinions on these areas? So far my top choices are The Oaks and Roxalana Hills.
Anyone yet have any suggestions on trailers? Someone mentioned trailer parks are prohibited by law in the city itself but what about the surrounding towns? Any nicer, better maintained trailer parks? That might be an alternative to an apartment.
The cross lanes area used to be gridlocked in the evening rush. Don't know if that's still true or not, need a local to chime in.
Also, I googled Stratford as I wasn't familiar with them, and it looks to be way the heck out Chesnut Rd, lovely area, fairly rural. We would have called that area more Alum Creek/Coal River rather than South Charleston. Unless they've upgraded the roads in that area, it used to be a winding narrow 2 lane. I had a friend who rented a house out past Mallory lane, and he had a heck of a time getting around in the winter. Might be easier to come and go by Corridor G, which can jam up around southridge. Not to discourage you, but forewarned is forearmed.
Maybe I checked the wrong addy for Stratford. the satlink from their website didn't show a development that I could distinguish. If so I apologise.
Need another local dangit.
Stratford is in Rock Lake Village. Once you get in there, the road forks and you go to the left to Stratford. I think Minitruck83 must be thinking of a different place. That area would also be pretty convenient and I think they are also decent. I have only been in one unit several years ago and it was fine. Nothing fancy but clean. No pool, etc., though if that is something you are interested in. Here is a link: http://www.stratfordapartments.com/
Shady Pines is in that section of Big Tyler that I said to avoid b/c too hard to get in and get out. Stay on Washington St or Cross Lanes Drive or avoid Cross Lanes totally. There were some "garden apartments" on Goff Mtn Road, on the left as you head from I-64 toward the light at Washington St & Big Tyler Road, kind of behind what at the time was the Pizza Hut. I can't think of the name of them. You still have all of that tedious I-64 drive, though. I hated Cross Lanes. Lived there 2 years. South Charleston, Kanawha City, almost anything would be more convenient.
Stratford apartments are (imo) like cheap prefab units and they are "just a place to live." I don't think they have any amenities for tenants, do they? A friend had a studio apartment there for a while. Not impressed.
Since you are a student, you could try the income-based places. I do know that, in Greenbriar county, there were landlords who kept their "low income" apartments full of nice students from the osteopathic medical school.
There are apartments on the West side and East End that you probably could stand to live in. Parts of West Side are okay. Other streets are not. Call Ams Properties Inc, (304) 346-1455
Basically trying to decide on Roxalana HIlls vs The Oaks in Dunbar now.
Anyone know anything about The Oaks???? The website looks nice and there is a pool and they have natural gas heating which I reckon is cheaper than electric. But less info on the other amenities. There is a 1 bedroom opening in July in Roxalana Hills ideally i would move in August and would prefer not to pay double rent while I still have my place here in Baltimore County.
Is $725 a month reasonable? How much typically are electric, gas, and water bills in CHarleston? I have never lived in a place without all-inclusive utilities and I do keep my place at 72 degrees in the winter. And I hear Charleston winters can be colder than Baltimore winters so the power bill is a concern. I set my thermostat at 75 for the summer I have always preferred warn weather and summertime. My apartment company here in Baltimore claims in their newsletter that we save up to $225 a month by having all-inclusive utilities but I guess they might be assuming a whole family in a 3 bedroom idk.
On another thread there is talk of a "user fee" for people who enter Charleston to work? I wonder if that counts for students too. I know I will at least TRY to get the commuter parking tax deduction that Congress passed to get back the money I pay to UC for parking when I do my taxes.
Shady Pines is in that section of Big Tyler that I said to avoid b/c too hard to get in and get out. Stay on Washington St or Cross Lanes Drive or avoid Cross Lanes totally. There were some "garden apartments" on Goff Mtn Road, on the left as you head from I-64 toward the light at Washington St & Big Tyler Road, kind of behind what at the time was the Pizza Hut. I can't think of the name of them. You still have all of that tedious I-64 drive, though. I hated Cross Lanes. Lived there 2 years. South Charleston, Kanawha City, almost anything would be more convenient.
Stratford apartments are (imo) like cheap prefab units and they are "just a place to live." I don't think they have any amenities for tenants, do they? A friend had a studio apartment there for a while. Not impressed.
Since you are a student, you could try the income-based places. I do know that, in Greenbriar county, there were landlords who kept their "low income" apartments full of nice students from the osteopathic medical school.
There are apartments on the West side and East End that you probably could stand to live in. Parts of West Side are okay. Other streets are not. Call Ams Properties Inc, (304) 346-1455
(I am in NW PA now, not WV, by the way.)
The Village Apartments are only 2 miles from the UC campus. It probably takes 10 minutes to drive, even at rush hour.
[sarcasm] Nah! Dunbar, Spring Hill, or Cross Lanes would be better. [/sarcasm]
Almost Heaven WV girl, thats the one I tried to bring up using the 'map it' link on their site.
I thought it was out Chesnut, past little creek park. Didn't know there was any way out of RLV. Shows my map reading skills huh?
Sorry Tom Lennox, I guess I shoulda kept shet up.
Village Apartments used to be ran by a nice gentleman named Bob Chilton, place was clean, no druggies, etc, the only downside was, and let me emphasize was, parking.
One thing great about Charleston was their bus service... you really didn't need a car.
Haven't saw any mention of Macwayne apts... have they gone downhill?
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