Another one of those thinking of moving need opinions threads (Roanoke: apartment complexes, rentals)

[Spongedaddy]

My wife and I currently live in Tampa FL. with our two kids: a boy who is 8 and a girl who is 10. The boy has Aspergers but is smart and functional. Due to various reasons including a desire to be back in a country atmosphere, tampa seemingly more economically devastated than a lot of places, wanting to be within a day's drive of family, etc. we are considering a move. We had looked at VA before and have bee focusing our attention on Roanoke. Had a few quesitons:

1) We are probably going to drive down there in about two weeks. We have always lived outside of the main city and would like to know what are some good suburbs/areas for us to visit. We will be renting an apartment. I am currently on disability and my wife does clerical work/has also worked as an advisor for brick and mortar as well as online universities. My son would need a school that at least has a program in place to work with his some of his needs. Where do you suggest we look?

2) How is the job scene in the county? I know things are tough everywhere, but obviously some places have more opportunities than others as well as certain types of jobs being available. Any feeback there?

3) Is the Neo-Nazi situation just a case of one or two loud people getting attention or is it a big issue in the area?

4) Anything else that might be helpful to know when thinking about a transition from Tampa (we have been here 6 years, also lived for a bit in Charlotte and a lot in upstate NY)?

Thanks for any feedback.

[540_804]

Roanoke seems to be fairing better than a lot of places in these times of economic uncertainty but I would still recommend having any employment lined up before making the move. The job market is pretty tight here as well.

For your wife, I have heard that Virginia Western Community College had some administrative/clerical positions open but I can't be sure if they are still open. She may look into VWCC, Roanoke College, Hollins University, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, or National College (all are in the Roanoke/Salem area).
She may also check here for other clerical-type jobs: roanoke admin/office jobs classifieds - craigslist

The "Neo-Nazi" situation (im assuming you're referring to Bill White and his cohorts) is pretty rare. It's not really something you encounter very often or even enough to really be concerned about.

[Spongedaddy]

Thank you.

When we come and visit are there any areas or apartment complexes you suggest we visit?

Also out of curiosity what NFL teams do they show locally considering there are none in VA.?

[540_804]

They typically just show whatever game is on the national channels.
Sunday Night football on NBC.
Monday Night football on ESPN.
I can't think of the channel but there is a station from the DC area that we get that focuses mainly on the Redskins and Ravens. They show most of the games, training camps, practices, press events, etc.

I would say this area is much more into college football, though.

I can't really help you on apartment complexes unless you can narrow it down to a particular part of the city or county and a price range. Unless you just like apartment living for whatever reason, I would also tell you not to limit yourself to apartments. Housing is affordable enough where you can often rent a house for a comparable price.

[OuttaFlorida]

You'll pay nearly the same rent for an apartment as you will for a house in a decent area. It's absurd how inexpensive home sales/ rentals are. You'll be in for some reverse sticker shock coming from Tampa. I'd look around the SW area of Roanoke city (Grandin, Raleigh Court) and county (Cave Springs). There are both homes and apartments.

Don't know much about the schools, everyone on here usually seems to say county is better than city.

Never even heard of any neo-nazi activities in the area so must not be that big a deal.

Job markets are tough everywhere, definitely line something up prior to moving. Some out of towners have a longer time finding employment compared to locals. Look into all the colleges (including V-tech its only about 30 mins away and even Radford at 45 mins) and the Carilion hospital system (opening a brand new Medical School in the fall), Its huge and there are always clerical/admin asst jobs posted.

Lots of V-Tech sports around here due to the proximity of Blackburg.