Area around Charlottesville

[internetuser]

LOL. I did not even bother to read other replies, because I am an expert on this topic

My family live in the "areas outside Charlottesville".
Yes it is VERY redneck!.....VERY! This area exemplifies Appalachian culture to the extreme, there is a lack of education, a lack of full time jobs, a lack of teeth, a hunting culture, camouflage, firearms, Walmart weekends, obesity, trailers, many confederate flags and an abundance of extreme religions (Mennonite, Pentecostal Holiness, etc). These "rednecks" will not bother you, it is not unsafe, however it is unglamourous and I would not recommend anyone to make a permanent move to that area of the country or any other Appalachian region/culture for that matter. There is a lack of opportunity and hope in those areas, but that should not effect your college experience or your safety! College kids in Virginia/Appalachian areas have the same experiences as college kids anywhere else. The only way I would see these locals bothering you , would be to convert you to their religion, if you were to visit one of their churches or tent revivals.

Enjoy the beautiful nature while you are there, that is one thing those areas can offer! I now live in California (have lived many places) and have much experience with both areas, I can understand how it may be intimidating to someone who has not grown up in those environments, but it is not dangerous, it can be depressing for many living in those areas! Deliverance is highly sterotypical, "rednecks" are not interested in hunting down minorities or liberals, they are worried about not having work, how to kick their addictions (pills/crank meth/ alcohol/ cigarettes) not having medical/dental insurance and how they will support their children.

There are a lot of great swimming holes, if you go west of Charlottesville, that many JMU students love to visit. JMU would be even closer to many of the areas you have concern about.

[YellowKing]

Originally Posted by internetuser

LOL. I did not even bother to read other replies, because I am an expert on this topic

My family live in the "areas outside Charlottesville".
Yes it is VERY redneck!.....VERY! This area exemplifies Appalachian culture to the extreme, there is a lack of education, a lack of full time jobs, a lack of teeth, a hunting culture, camouflage, firearms, Walmart weekends, obesity, trailers, many confederate flags and an abundance of extreme religions (Mennonite, Pentecostal Holiness, etc). These "rednecks" will not bother you, it is not unsafe, however it is unglamourous and I would not recommend anyone to make a permanent move to that area of the country or any other Appalachian region/culture for that matter. There is a lack of opportunity and hope in those areas, but that should not effect your college experience or your safety! College kids in Virginia/Appalachian areas have the same experiences as college kids anywhere else. The only way I would see these locals bothering you , would be to convert you to their religion, if you were to visit one of their churches or tent revivals.

Enjoy the beautiful nature while you are there, that is one thing those areas can offer! I now live in California (have lived many places) and have much experience with both areas, I can understand how it may be intimidating to someone who has not grown up in those environments, but it is not dangerous, it can be depressing for many living in those areas! Deliverance is highly sterotypical, "rednecks" are not interested in hunting down minorities or liberals, they are worried about not having work, how to kick their addictions (pills/crank meth/ alcohol/ cigarettes) not having medical/dental insurance and how they will support their children.

There are a lot of great swimming holes, if you go west of Charlottesville, that many JMU students love to visit. JMU would be even closer to many of the areas you have concern about.

I feel like you've never actually been to Appalachia. You won't find Appalachia until you go about 50 miles west or south of 81 at Lexington Virginia.

[internetuser]

Yellowking, you very obviously have no idea what your are talking about and you are forgetting Appalachian culture is very much apart of West Virginia, which borders most towns in Rockingham County and Bath County. I could take you on a very long drive through many of these town, which are scattered with trailers in weeds, without running water and people who struggle to have the gas money to make it work on a daily basis.

It really is not worth arguing about with someone who is most obviously not knowledgeable of the western areas in VA, your comment is beyond laughable.

The Blue Ridge Mountains of VA are very stereotypical of Appalachian culture and "rednecks". I suggest you get out more and do some mountain driving, before commenting in a public forum

[YellowKing]

Originally Posted by internetuser

Yellowking, you very obviously have no idea what your are talking about and you are forgetting Appalachian culture is very much apart of West Virginia, which borders most towns in Rockingham County and Bath County. I could take you on a very long drive through many of these town, which are scattered with trailers in weeds, without running water and people who struggle to have the gas money to make it work on a daily basis.

It really is not worth arguing about with someone who is most obviously not knowledgeable of the western areas in VA, your comment is beyond laughable.

The Blue Ridge Mountains of VA are very stereotypical of Appalachian culture and "rednecks". I suggest you get out more and do some mountain driving, before commenting in a public forum

As a native of Charlottesville who has also lived in both Southern and northern West Virginia, I am very much familiar "appalachian" culture, and the Shenandoah Valley is certainly not it. To say a place like Greene County or Fluvanna are similar is false as well.

Poor, downtrodden and sometimes trashy? Perhaps, but they are not isolated ethnic enclaves who's families have lived and worked in the mountains for several generations like those of SWVa, WV, Western PA, Eastern Ohio, NE Kentucky and NE Tennessee. These areas were mostly farms (agricultural and cattle) until recently, and just simply don't fit the same profile. Another clear differences is (up until recently), Appalachian communities trended democrat for 100 years and were strong worker's rights and pro-union, both in the Civil War and in terms of Labor Unions (you do know why WV exists, right?).

You'll find maps that show that some of these places may exist on the very edge, but if you had any personal familiarity with the two cultures, you'd find that there are very few similarities.

[skittles2u]

Originally Posted by YellowKing

T

Think of that stretch of 29 as what you would consider "the inland empire" in California.

Since you referenced the "inland empire" of California, which is where I am; how would you compare the summer weather? are you familiar with the "dry heat"? Virginia has been recommended to me to live; I'm just hopeful I'm not trading one hot summer weather issue for another. Is A/C needed in VA? I can't imagine living in the inland empire without it

Thank you

[YellowKing]

Originally Posted by skittles2u

Since you referenced the "inland empire" of California, which is where I am; how would you compare the summer weather? are you familiar with the "dry heat"? Virginia has been recommended to me to live; I'm just hopeful I'm not trading one hot summer weather issue for another. Is A/C needed in VA? I can't imagine living in the inland empire without it

Thank you

I'm less familiar with the inland empire than I am with the dry heat in and around Phoenix. I will tell you that , to me, 100 degrees in Phoenix is preferable to 80 degrees on the East Coast all day long. Even 105 out there wasn't *horrible*. You will find that the humidity on the East Coast is both miserable in the summer (by exacerbating higher temperatures) and in the winter (by chilling you to the bone). If it only reached 80 occasionally, that might not be a big deal, but the average high in the summer in Charlottesville is the high 80s with heat waves approaching 100 with some frequency.

The worst part in the summer is that sweat doesn't evaporate and do its job (cooling you down). I had to remain really vigilant about staying hydrated when I was in the coastal areas of California because you just don't feel hot or the need to drink water.

A/C is absolutely needed and it would be almost criminal if you lived somewhere without it. You basically have to go to New England before you start finding places built without A/C, and even then, they're only really old places that may be coastal.

The population boom in the sun-belt over the last 30 years should be associated with the marketing tag "Brought to you by cheap electricity and Air Conditioning", because there's no way in hell sane people would live through the summers in the south without AC.

[Anita Lebeck]

I am curious to hear this too - I am from Michigan and trying to decide relocating to the Charlottesville or Roanoke area. Is this area "around" Charlottesville you are referring to include Waynesboro? From the newspapers it looks like a nice area to live with mountains and "country" feel to it? Any advice would be helpful?

[NeedsToGrowUp]

Waynesboro is culturally the opposite to Charlottesville - its more in line with the conservative traditional Shenandoah valley. Folks who dont care for C'ville's liberal bent tend to move there. The country feel of W'boro is kind of fading with all of the transplants and there is a lot of development relative to a couple decades ago like much of central Virginia. But its still a nice place to settle down in.