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I'm moving to Morgantown from the St. Louis, MO area this coming week. I'll be living on Valley View Avenue behind the football stadium and attending grad school at the WVU health sciences center. I've got a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can answer. Of course, any other advice you might have for me is welcome!
First, car/driving: I've lived in St. Louis all of my life and can drive in pretty substantial snow, but Morgantown's hills concern me. I'm only about a mile from the HSC and will probably just walk most of the time, but how bad is driving during Morgantown winters? I drive a Honda Accord with all-season tires and I just bought some tire chains for it. Will that be good enough to get around or should I consider investing in dedicated snow tires or a different vehicle with 4/AWD and more ground clearance?
Second, housing: Do you know if the Valley View Woods/Stonewood apartments are generally pretty quiet? I'm nearly 30, attending a challenging program, and didn't party even in my undergrad days. I'm on a temp lease...would it be wise to start looking around now for a different place to move in a couple of months or is it generally pretty calm in this area?
Third, things to do: My academic program will be pretty intense and I won't have a lot of time to get out, but we do have some pretty substantial breaks the first year. What are some things in the area you'd recommend seeing?
I've only been to Morgantown once, and that was for my grad school program interview. I'd appreciate any other advice you guys can think of for a Morgantown newcomer. I'm definitely looking forward to the move, it seems like a great place to spend a couple of years!
As, you said you can always walk, and Morgantown does have the best public transport in WV.
You dont need to get a new car, but you want to consider snowtires. How good are you at driving in the snow?
During Football games your apartment is going to get loud. Generally during the year you should be fine.
For things to do depends on what you like. Morgantown has the best nightlife, music scene, art scene, and theater in WV. It still wont compete with a big city, but for a small city like WV it is very good. Morgantown also has good restaurants and good outdoor activities. Snowboarding/skiing in the winter, biking and whitewater rafting in the summer. For entertainment in WV and fun you cant really do much better than Morgantown.
If you want big city go to Pittsburgh, which is close by. Morgantown is also not too far from Philly, Baltimore, DC, NYC, Cleveland, Columbus, and other cities in the vicinity.
Morgantown is also full of peoples in there 30s so you wont be too old for it.
Hey, thanks for the reply. I'd call myself competent when it comes to driving in the snow. My general idea is to drive slowly and avoid any sudden movements. I made it around fine last year in six inches of snow with all-seasons. Actually, it was mostly 4x4s I saw in ditches, due to careless drivers I'm guessing. I was mainly asking because I think Morgantown gets more snow and I think the hilliest part of St. Louis qualifies as flat in Morgantown.
I don't mind noise during football season. I can study at the library or use earplugs. I'm mainly just wanting to make sure I'm not going to be subjected to all-night parties every night.
Thanks again for your reply. I'll be moving to Pittsburgh later in my program. I'll be sure to check out what Morgantown has to offer before then.
Hey, thanks for the reply. I'd call myself competent when it comes to driving in the snow. My general idea is to drive slowly and avoid any sudden movements. I made it around fine last year in six inches of snow with all-seasons. Actually, it was mostly 4x4s I saw in ditches, due to careless drivers I'm guessing. I was mainly asking because I think Morgantown gets more snow and I think the hilliest part of St. Louis qualifies as flat in Morgantown.
I don't mind noise during football season. I can study at the library or use earplugs. I'm mainly just wanting to make sure I'm not going to be subjected to all-night parties every night.
Thanks again for your reply. I'll be moving to Pittsburgh later in my program. I'll be sure to check out what Morgantown has to offer before then.
Have a happy & safe new year!
Well driving slow is fine when you are on flat ground. When going up an icy hill you dont want to drive slow. Are you familiar with driving down steep icy hills? You might want to read online on how to drive in different situations in the snow.
I think you will be fine with your apartment. I cant say for sure, but that area is not known for excessive parties, except during games.
Will do. I am not at all familiar with driving down icy hills (of the steepness that Morgantown has, anyway). I'll do some reading and I have chains for all four tires, so hopefully that'll be enough to stay out of trouble.
The thing in driving on snow, especially in hilly terrain like we have here, is to remember it is just as important to be able to stop as it as to go. Four wheel drive, for example, will not improve stopping ability. Many people lose sight of that.
As havoc pointed out, there are a myriad of activities around here since this is the home of the State's premier University. During times when school is in session, there is generally a concert, performance, or athletic event every night, and often several things from which to choose. We also have nearby skiing in winter, hiking/biking on 100 miles of trails, whitewater rafting in warmer weather, and an outstanding forest of thousands of acres right out the back door. We also have beautiful Cheat Lake if you are a water enthusiast.
We have museums and galleries in the area, but are just over an hour south of Pittsburgh and their world class offerings. We also have frequent symphonic performances by the WVU Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Wheeling Symphony here, and WVU has an athletic department that is Top 20 ranked nationally.
The concerts sponsored by The College or Creative Arts at The University are often either free or very low cost. The Pittburgh Symphony plays three scheduled concerts here each year that are subsidized by an endowment created for that purpose, and their production is world class. If you subscribe to all three there is a reduced cost but I can't remember exactly how much. I believe it is in the $35 range per concert, but I believe students get a special discount from that. The annual Wheeling Symphony concert at Ruby Park is free to the public.
After you get to Morgantown and get settled in, you can plan some day-trips (or weekend trips). Most of the places on my list are day-trips, but some are better saved for a weekend (overnight stay).
And of course there's more than just what I've listed.
Now, about driving in snow. I personally don't care for chains, it's a pain to put them on and off, and they're always off when you need them on. Plus I worry about chains on the front coming loose and tangling in the driveline.
Good snow tires on all 4 corners is my preference. 4WD/AWD isn't necessary in the city/suburbs, but if I had to buy something, I'd probably go that route.
CT mentioned stopping. Another issue is momentum. Try to avoid any situation where you need to stop going uphill. I'll alter my route to avoid having to stop facing uphill. If unavoidable, consider a "rolling stop" where you slow, but don't stop, thus maintaining your momentum.
You will be fine where you are living in proximity to HSC and driving in a Honda Accord. I drove a Honda Accord for years in Morgantown winters and I was a home health nurse at the time, so I drove everywhere and I hate driving in snow, but did just fine. Slow and steady is all you have to remember, just don't be stupid, and yes, keep momentum up hills. Most of the winter won't be too bad, and when the storms hit, you will know about it in advance and can just walk to class and avoid traveling that day or so. I lived on Willowdale when I was in school and going to Health Sciences and WVUH for clinicals, and it was pretty quiet and easy to get to classes. Willowdale is actually kept in pretty good shape in the winter due to the hospital being right there. Welcome to Morgantown!
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Getting around Morgantown in winter
