Is Morgantown For Me? (Fairmont, Clarksburg: apartments, rentals, condo)
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We are a couple in our mid-40's, thinking of relocating to Morgantown (it's on our short list).
Geographically it works for us and it seems, at least based on what I've read, climate-wise too. Mildish winters without too much snow? (We are from near Canada, so some snow and cold is nothing to us, but we'd like a bit less of it.)
I do have some questions though. We are a quiet, keep to ourselves sort of couple, not really that social but not unfriendly. We don't drink and we're not really into the antics of the college set- are there places in M-town that are removed from the whole college/drinking scene? Ideally away from that sort of thing but close to public transportation/shopping. Public transportation is a must for me.
We are interested in renting, not buying, but we do have a 147 year old dog- she's pretty small. We are unwilling to part with her. Are we likely to find apartments that are dog friendly? I'm hoping to pay less than $800 a month for something that is really clean/nice.
We would like to live in a place that is vegetarian friendly, with access to either a Whole Foods or similar store. Indian/Japanese/Thai food restaurants would be a plus.
Finally, my husband travels a fair bit and I would be alone a lot. Is Morgantown a safe place for a woman by herself to see the sights, take in shows, etc?
Thanks for any information/suggestions you can provide.
I would look closer to the Pittsburgh airport...north of it, actually..
Wexford came to mind. McCandless or Franklin.
You are out of town but everything is close.
We are a couple in our mid-40's, thinking of relocating to Morgantown (it's on our short list).
Geographically it works for us and it seems, at least based on what I've read, climate-wise too. Mildish winters without too much snow? (We are from near Canada, so some snow and cold is nothing to us, but we'd like a bit less of it.)
I do have some questions though. We are a quiet, keep to ourselves sort of couple, not really that social but not unfriendly. We don't drink and we're not really into the antics of the college set- are there places in M-town that are removed from the whole college/drinking scene? Ideally away from that sort of thing but close to public transportation/shopping. Public transportation is a must for me.
We are interested in renting, not buying, but we do have a 147 year old dog- she's pretty small. We are unwilling to part with her. Are we likely to find apartments that are dog friendly? I'm hoping to pay less than $800 a month for something that is really clean/nice.
We would like to live in a place that is vegetarian friendly, with access to either a Whole Foods or similar store. Indian/Japanese/Thai food restaurants would be a plus.
Finally, my husband travels a fair bit and I would be alone a lot. Is Morgantown a safe place for a woman by herself to see the sights, take in shows, etc?
Thanks for any information/suggestions you can provide.
You aren't providing much in the way of specifics in terms of what you want to rent. Do you have your own furniture, for example? This town is home to a large national university (not commuter oriented), so rentals go pretty fast, but you should be able to find something in the 800 range if you aren't looking for a large unit. I would look in the South Park area if being close to but not in downtown is important to you. The downtown area itself is pretty lively evenings with the college students. The best thing to do it take a trip down here and look around in person, but the Sunday Dominion Post (available online) or any reputable realtor should be able to point you in the right direction. South Park is also the location of the New Day Bakery which has delicious and wholesome baked goods baked fresh on premises.
There is also a good Indian restaurant in the downtown area as well as many other eating venues. We don't have a "Whole Foods" store here yet (much to my wife's chagrin) but there is a small natural foods coop in operation downtown and the new Kroger food market at Suncrest has an excellent natural foods section.
There is an amazing array of activities here for residents and visitors alike. We have broadway plays and concerts many times throughout the year, and since a lot of them are heavily subsidized by either The University or endowments prices to attend are usually quite reasonable. Sometimes they are free.
If you are into fitness, there are 100 miles of hiking/biking trails in our area ranging from nearly 10 miles of paved trails to forest trails, and a wonderful lakeside trail at Cheat Lake. Morgantown is a very safe community.
We have a rather eclectic and well education population here, with people from all over America and many from foreign countries as well. Odds are you will love it here. Welcome to Morgantown.
Thanks for the replies! We do have our own furniture though I suspect some will have to go in storage, as we're going from a large house to an apartment. I am hoping for two bedrooms, either an apartment or condo. Doesn't have to be fancy just clean and safe.
We certainly do plan to visit, I'm sure more than once, before we make the big move, but it's nice to be able to chat with some folks and get all sorts of opinions.
I'll check out the towns you've mentioned and the links that have been posted.
He is in the trucking industry- he has a great deal of flexibility in where he lives. I don't recall which town he told me he would be based out of, but I know it's not Morgantown.
In any case, this move is really for me, so I can be closer to my family.
Allow me to hit again on a few points made before (my wife and I are vegetarian, sometimes vegan, and we find Morgantown an easy place to keep to our diet -- perhaps more easily than in some larger cities).
For groceries, several large stores can provide a full array of organic veggies/foods if that's your thing. More importantly, the Mountain People's Co-op provides a great selection of bulk grains and cooking resources that can't be found elsewhere in town (unless perhaps one of the ethnic stores, Kassar's, provides such).
Restaurant-wise, though there are no strictly no vegetarian shops, many locally owned restaurants offer real meatless choices. When in town check out Black Bear (on Pleasant St). Other great places to eat include Blue Moose, Golden Finch, Madeleine's, Maxwells, Zen-Clay. As for ethnic cuisine, you'll find your usual setup: a few Indian places, all of moderate quality, Chaang Thai (on High St), Mediterranean Market, Ali Baba's (at the airport), Ogawa, Peking Duck, etc...
For the lifestyle, most shows in town are held at WVU's Creative Arts Center, you can search for the schedule for the year and see if the entertainment is to your liking. Additionally, many local productions are held downtown at the Metropolitan Theater.
I moved here several years ago, from Buffalo NY. My guess is that you will also find Morgantown climate to be quite "tropical". Even if it snows, the heat melts it away in a day or two, typically. Good luck, I hope you will enjoy Morgantown as much as I do.
What about the public transportation?
I too am interested in those same qualities for a community; vegatarian friendly, dog friendly, art friendly, affordable (but with kids in tow) and very important to us as well - public transportation OR reasonable cab fairs.
Anyone take the bus?
Does it feel safe, does it come frequently?
Is there light rail or an alternative to a bus system?
Can you take a taxi to most anywhere in town for 20 or less you think?
Is the area walker friendly (pedestrian cut throughs, time to cross at intersections, not all big box stores)?
Anyone know of any blind services in the area?
thanks, I hope someone has some info. We're making our first trip to Morgantown first week of March. If it fits, we'll definitely be job hunting/focusing there soon.
We have very good public transport here... Inexpensive and comprehensive throughout the area with excellent connections to Pittsburgh, Fairmont, Clarksburg, Uniontown, Waynesburg, and most recently Washington, DC. $20 or less will get you anywhere in town in a cab. Our pedestrian crossings are not out of the ordinary. The town is vegetarian friendly (most super markets have lots to offer there and the Mountain Peoples Coop has lots of natural foods stuff too.
We also have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and our healthcare system is hiring hundreds right now. Welcome to Morgantown!
The bus is the only viable mode of public transportation. Not sure what the taxi costs, but I would never pay the prices they ask, and they are of especially low quality in Morgantown. The MountainLine (busride.org) offers fairly good coverage of the area, all buses are new and clean, drivers are very friendly.
For walking, you can get around on foot or bicycle if willing. There are sidewalks most anywhere you could live in Morgantown. Some of the outer communities may not be fully connected for pedestrian access to the downtown, though. The rail trail runs through downtown and Sabraton areas and can be used to access several other parts of the region. Please note that my friends have indicated that bicycling the streets of Morgantown can be a dangerous affair given that drivers do not seem to care that their several-ton vehicle is intimidating from the perspective of someone on a bike.
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