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Hi there Huntington folks!
My family and I will be moving there soon, within the next couple of months. My husband will be attending Marshall School of Medicine.
We have 1 child, 2 dogs, and a cat and we figure home ownership is our best bet rather than renting. So I've been looking through realtor dot com and what local listings I can find. I'm wondering if you can answer some questions.
It seems to me that there are tons of homes for sale there though some may be in greater disrepair and/or in rougher neighborhoods. Is there really a lot of housing for sale considering the size of the area? Is that due to economics, University turn-over, or other factors? Are there neighborhoods to definitely avoid if we want basic peace and quiet, safety, and at least a little privacy? Is a friend's estimation to me that "Rotary Park area is a NO" correct?
Is Hal Greer going to continue to be improved upon or expanded? I've done some research in the local paper, etc but a couple places we are looking at are just on the East side of Hal Greer, south of Washington, North of 64 and I wouldn't want to be "eminent-domained" out of a place during our time there if we were immediately adjacent to that thoroughfare.
Thank you for any and all info or tips you can provide! - "Leela"
My fiancee is starting med school down there in August as well, so we've been going through the same process. We decided to rent over on the other side of Ritter Park on 11th Ave, and we've found that area to be pretty nice. There do seem to be a number of houses for sale, which shouldn't be surprising as the city has lost about 35,000 people over the last four decades or so. The population has stabilized and is actually starting to grow, but there's obviously an abundance of room for growth.
Other people can probably attest to the area more than I can(as I've spent the last 5 or 6 years in Morgantown), but I think the area you're looking at is pretty well ok, and you won't be in any danger of being EDed over there. That's mostly happening to the north of CHH and will mostly effect the publicly-owned housing there.
The area that you are looking at could be okay. A more specific location would help us to tell you more. Hal Greer will be experiencing some growth. The public housing will be gone in a few years and will be replaced but some more desirable commercial development. There has been a lot of talk of a grocery store being added to the area (something that the area currently lacks).
Beverley Hills has some nice areas. Certainly worth looking into.
Pea Ridge and Barboursville are very popular with new residents. It is a very typical suburban landscape, with more than enough amenities close by.
Guyandotte is just not the best area. I suggest avoiding that area if possible.
The area around Washington Blvd is just great. Homes are generally more expensive but you should check that area out because you never know what you may find.
The Highlawn neighborhood is really one of the best neighborhoods in the city. Fact: This neighborhood has the entire gamut of housing options (This is not good or bad, but just fact). You would have all of the amenities that you could possibly want located in close proximity (with the exception of the mall) including downtown (shopping and entertainment) and Marshall (entertainment and classes). This neighborhood has apartments, condos, middle class housing, houses that some may consider mansions, and the there are properties left to be desired. Lots of students live there as well as families. I spent 8 years of my life there with my family growing up so I am very biased but I also know this neighborhood well.
The West End is an area that is and has been in some despair as of recently. It used to be a thriving beautiful neighborhood and is still the largest neighborhood in the city. Though I would overall suggest staying away from it, there are some good options there if you look well enough.
The Southside Hills and the area around Ritter Park is where a lot of people who want to live in the city want to go and rightfully so. Some of the best housing, if not the best, in the city is located there. It is a beautiful area even during the winter but housing is also more expensive.
Harveytown is basically continuation of the Southside Hills and Ritter Park. It offers many of the same housing options and it is still a very nice area. The housing cost there is probably a little more reasonable.
Westmoreland is a little further away and doesn't have the best housing, but the Spring Valley area is located in the hills just south of the neighborhood. You will possibly find better options there. This area may seem far from the med school BUT the first year med school students take classes at the VA medical center which is located in between there and the West End.
Lastly, there are some houses located on Ohio River Rd just past Guyandotte that are very nice. A little far from the med school though.
I think the medschool first year location may have changed. I went over the yearly class locations with someone from admissions and first year is mostly spent at the Byrd Biotech Center which is by the main Marshall campus, at least that's how I understood it. I think it's a newer construct. Does that sound right to you both?
Pynball, there are a few homes east of Hal Greer and south of Washington that seem to be okay for us but not as high priced as some in that area. They are listed as "Southeast Hills" not Washington Blvd - is that the same area you call "Washington Blvd area"? Homes in our price range are either smaller or in need of updates/work or what have you. As you go further east toward Roby Road they generally get cheaper but I've been warned off the Roby Road area.
I think the medschool first year location may have changed. I went over the yearly class locations with someone from admissions and first year is mostly spent at the Byrd Biotech Center which is by the main Marshall campus, at least that's how I understood it. I think it's a newer construct. Does that sound right to you both?
Pynball, there are a few homes east of Hal Greer and south of Washington that seem to be okay for us but not as high priced as some in that area. They are listed as "Southeast Hills" not Washington Blvd - is that the same area you call "Washington Blvd area"? Homes in our price range are either smaller or in need of updates/work or what have you. As you go further east toward Roby Road they generally get cheaper but I've been warned off the Roby Road area.
Thanks a bundle. I "Liked" the TJs FB page btw...
If you are talking about the area around Four Pole Creek with the roads: Enslow Blvd, Ritter Blvd, and Wilson Ct, then yes that is a nice area. There is really no reason why you might shy away from there except that the area is a little bit lower in elevation and can be prone to flooding with Four Pole Creek right there. With that said, I can't recall any incidences of flooding in the media, so the area may be well taken care of.
Stay away from Roby Rd unless you are desperate. There are also homes off of and along Norway Ave that are nice though. They will probably be in the range that you describe. (Starting from about Woodmere Memorial Park to the end of the road in West Pea Ridge).
Thanks for the like in the TJ page. We're hoping that TJ might consider moving to Hal Greer.
The area that you seem to be looking at off of Washington Blvd is very nice and is in no danger of being taken over for economic development. That area is referred to as Southeast Hill as the neighborhood divisions go. The area around Ritter Park is referred to as the Southside and the area up around the Museum of Art is Southern Hills. I've included a link to a map of all of the different neighborhoods in Huntington. The northern border will be the Ohio River and the railroad tracks divide West Huntington/Downtown/Highlawn from the other neighborhoods.
With regards to the best place to live being in the med school and with the situation that you presented, I would say either Southeast Hills or the Southside, giving a little more weight to the Southside if you can find a home that suits your needs. Living in the Southside will give you easier aaccess to Ritter Park and the Dog Park and will put the Med School and the Erma Ora Bryd Center within walking distance. You will also have an easy walk to downtown and there is a convenient little neighborhood grocery store over here called Julian's. I live on the Southside and absolutely love it. I work at Cabell Huntington Hospital and walk to work every day and we often walk over to the park to let the kids play or have easy access to the bike paths there as well. Our kids go to Southside Elementary and we have been very pleased with the education there so far.
Southeast Hills is also very nice though and has a lot of nice homes. This area is also close to the areas listed above but you would most likely have to use a car to get to some of the places listed as side walks are not as numerous in Southeast Hills and you would have to cross Hal Greer/Route 10 to get to Ritter Park, the dog park, the Byrd Center and downtown would be a much further walk. If you have questions about any specific property though, I would be more than happy to help in any way that I can.
Hi again,
So I'm in Huntington. We're living in an apartment out by Barboursville/East Pea Ridge but we're not moving in much. I am looking at houses.
tbailey, PLEASE let me know if you see anything new in the Southside area. I really like that area just from driving it and I came back to this thread to see comments. The housing and access reminds me of "Capitol Hill" in Denver a bit, I spent a few years there MANY years ago. It's a bit tricky for us because most of that area is out of our price range but I've noticed that once in a while one pops up that's smaller (we're only three people) and not too high priced.
After living here on the Southside for a couple of months now, I must say that I love it! I saw a couple of listings on Zillow recently in the 115k-130k range if that's close to what you are working with. There were a couple lower than that, but they didn't look like they were in the best shape.
I'll keep an eye out but as noted, the good deals tend to go very quick.
And elewis, glad to hear that you like it here. Hopefully the longer you stay, the more you love it!
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