Rocky Mount/Martinsville area (Roanoke, Franklin: day care, big house, living)

[FC2CLT]

when my parents were checking out property there about 5 or so years ago they stayed with our 100 lb lab/Shepard at the franklin motel on 220. not sure how swanky of a place you are looking for but they stayed there every weekend they went looking.

i asked my dad (who is a vegetarian) about the restaurants and he is not aware of any but they dont eat out unless they are on the road. im sure that most places would substitute for anything you want.

[clem16]

Thanks for the info. It doesn't have to be swanky, just clean, and if the Franklin motel is still there we'll check it out. Sean, the B&B was gorgeous, but does not accept pets so we'll have to save that recommendation for a romantic getaway sometime. As far as the vegetarian meals, we always manage when we travel, but was just hoping there might be a local restaurant or two that had some specialty veggie dishes.

[FC2CLT]

oh, also my mom added that the rooms at the franklin motel have a microwave and fridge and that the krogers grocery store had a nice selection of vegetarian food (i guess in the frozen section).

[Sick Girl]

There is a Comfort Inn right off 220 Business in Rocky Mount that's on the up and up. **provided its still there**

If you're really considering retiring in that area, you should check out some areas like Moneta and Hardy which are closer to the lake and equally as close to Roanoke. It might be slightly more pricy, but it would be much more comfortable and with the rate that the SML area is growing, you're likely to find much more (and fun) things to busy yourself with than in Rocky Mount.

Personally, I find Rocky Mount obnoxious.

[seanpecor]

I like Rocky Mount just fine and don't find it obnoxious at all. Even with all the growth, Moneta and Hardy are at least 10 years from offering the conveniences that Rocky Mount does today. And in 10 years, Rocky Mount will still be the county seat of the fastest growing county in the Roanoke metro, so there will have been much added to what Rocky Mount has to offer. Already there is much development in the Rocky Mount area underway and as with most of Rocky Mount's commercial offerings, new businesses are "answering questions" that full-time residents are "asking". With the lake area, the emphasis remains on higher margin and seasonal wares, or higher end boutiques in general, which while nice do not cater to many full-time residents. Still, the lake area is a very good choice for people who enjoy lake living. Don't care much for lake living? Why compete for housing with those who do?

The drive from Moneta is 40 minutes of twisty secondary state roads, so it's much less convenient to Roanoke than is Rocky Mount, which enjoys an easy 4 lane highway commute. Some areas of Hardy are more convenient to Roanoke, true, but until you get to the south end of Hardy, you're reliant on Roanoke for restaurants, shopping and what-not.

The pricing of homes in Hardy and Moneta, 10 minutes or more from the lake, can actually be lower than in the Rocky Mount area. Particularly north of Rocky Mount in the Boones Mill area. This is in part because there are actually, on the whole, much nicer views to be had in the Boones Mill area for those who love mountains, and hills and dales, and it is convenient to Roanoke (20-25 minutes to downtown), and you're just 15 minutes to Rocky Mount. By contrast, Hardy and Moneta are very gentle to rolling, just enough to reduce long distance views, but not enough to give you much of a view of anything but treelines and a neighbor or two. Some people take comfort in that sort of view, but I don't. I like to see mountains or "aspiring" mountains We have that over here in Boones Mill, without having to struggle with the hardships and isolation of living IN the mountains.

Also, when looking at property in Hardy or Moneta, make sure you're not too close for comfort to the N/S rails. I understand there is a rail line that follows the Roanoke River and then cuts east toward Moneta? There is such a rail in the Boones Mill area as well, but it (more or less) hugs Route 220 and Route 40 so it's already in a commercial corridor where you'd expect less peace and quiet.

Sean

[T_Que]

La Quinta Inns are pet friendly

[clem16]

We'll be up that way in a couple weeks. Thank you all for your input. We plan to check out alot of the sw area, but Rocky Mount just sounds like Warrenton was years ago so we will most likely spend more time there. Thanks again and will let you know our impressions.

[clem16]

We got back last night from our short excursion to sw VA. Surprisingly, we spent most of our time in the Martinsville area. It's a depressed city, yes, and difficult to get around. They certainly never heard of the grid system when they laid out those streets! But, I gotta tell ya, we have never, ever met friendlier people in all our travels. Everyone we met went out of their way to explain things, answer questions, give us a history lesson on this or that, or just want to generally help. I don't think we could live in the city, as I fear I'd head to the grocery story and need a GPS to find my way back to the house, but maybe one of the outlying towns like Fielddale or Bassett. LOL, we got stuck in the middle of the Heritage parade in Bassett. Wow, Bassett is a very sad, dead place, but the locals still have pride in their town and they were great and very upbeat. And there are some very nice places if you head up around Philpott Lake or Fairystone Park with views of mountains in the distance......not bad at all.

We haven't made a decision on a particular area. We plan to make several more forays up there and check out other areas, like Rocky Mount which we had planned to do this trip. But both my husband and myself feel we'd be very comfortable and happy retiring somewhere in Henry or Franklin County.

[seanpecor]

I find Bassett, Martinsville and Henry County in general to be extremely depressing. The population of Henry County and Martinsville are dropping due to job losses and a general poor quality of life. Virtually everything is in turmoil. The people in that area are - of course - very friendly. But that's not unique to Henry County.

Rocky Mount and Franklin County, by contrast, are thriving on a small scale. You don't get the feeling that the town is dead, and you don't observe an obscene amount of growth either. It's healthy and growing sensibly. As a result, many of the resources that are vitally important for a retired couple are present in Franklin County and not at risk of disappearing due to a population implosion.

You may visit the Rocky Mount and Franklin County area and still find that Henry County is a better fit for you. I doubt it. Most would find that the Rocky Mount area has alot more to offer. Of course, the drawback is the impact this has on real estate prices. Henry County will almost certainly have real estate that is much, much cheaper. The temptation will be strong but make sure you read up on the state of health care in Henry County. I've heard it is an unmitigated disaster.

Sean

[steve1077]

Why in the world would someone think that a highly Caucasian population is negative.....diversity can well mean Irish, English, Scottish, German, Italian, French, Scandinavian. Does a community have to have Africans to be diverse......