Moving to either Roanoke or Lynchburg

[spinner68]

I've lived in Lynchburg for 10 years and hate it. There is little to no nightlife. Most of the population here is very religious and extremely judgmental. When my out of state friends ask me what it's like living here, I say it's like being trapped in the original Footloose movie.

If you have a choice, run - don't walk, and move to Roanoke. Roanoke is a much more open minded community, with more nightlife (I'm assuming that you might be looking for nightlife since you are a young single guy) and much better choices for eating out. There is also a great farmers market and nice museums.

[sregorat3]

Originally Posted by countryswan

You should never presume anything..

12 years of recent lynchburg living allows me a valid opinion.
It just doesn't have the je ne sai qua. Its a cookie cutter town.

Final answer.

Hmmm... read my comment more carefully. I said nothing about you not having been to or lived in Lynchburg. I also said that the only opinion that really counts is that of the OP. Je ne sai qua... :

[Amg09]

It depends on your preferences. Roanoke is bigger with more of a downtown scene and nightlife. Roanoke has more shopping centers and city amenities but I think living in Lynchburg would be more convenient for you, just because it's closer. I live in Lynchburg and I don't think some people realize the positives in some cities. Despite what many people think, Liberty or any single organization does not run the whole city. Liberty definitely shows a strong presence in Lynchburg, but it isn't all there is here. In addition to Liberty, you also have Randolph and Lynchburg College. Lynchburg College offers MBA programs and more students are enrolling every year for their programs. There is an educated population living in the city and you should find your place.

There has been a lot of growth in housing over the past few years, with great communities in the surrounding counties (Bedford, Campbell, Amherst). There are several parks; four of the best I know are Miller Park, Riverfront Park, Riverside Park and Peaks View. They all have walking paths and are well patrolled and maintained. There are also bike/walking trails like the Blackwater Creek trail and the James River Heritage trail, which is formerly a railroad bed. The trail leaves the Blackwater Creek Trail (across Percival's Island), crosses the James River and goes into Amherst County. The blacktop trail extends about another 1-2 miles along the James River for hikers and bikers. Another plus: Lynchburg is centrally located.. equal distances from Roanoke, Danville, Charlottesville, with easy access to the large cities like DC and Richmond. You're about 2 and a half hours from DC and roughly 2 hours from Richmond. Also only 25-30 minutes from the Peaks of Otter and the Blue Ridge Parkway, which are must see's in the fall. Again... everyone has different opinions on cities. Some people will like them and some people won't. I love Roanoke and I love Lynchburg, I think both cities are great. It isn't for everybody, but the best way to find out which one is best for you is to go for yourself and see which one reflects your interests more. Good luck!

[springgrl]

Visit both areas. And don’t stress about it too much: unless you’re buying, I’m sure you can always relocate.

I think Amy has a typo and the forum doesn’t allow you to change your post after so long: We’re actually ~3.5 hours from Washington DC, but the train makes it an easy commute (I work up there a few times a month and have never gotten back to Lynchburg from Alexandria in less than 3).

I don't know about Liberty's MBA program, but they do offer a LOT of financial aid and many online courses, which may make it a win from that front. Yes, it is a school founded by Jerry Falwell, Sr., but it continues to grow and I think more and more people choose it for post grad because of cost (in my field, at least, it's more about the letters after your name than where they came from).

I will say that Je ne sais quoi is the perfect sentiment for inexplicable thing that attracted me to downtown Lynchburg. It is NOT cookie cutter. 1800s Architecture and detail abounds, and many buildings were just encapsulated in the interest of modernizing, with those details being exposed by the companies now working to rehab them. The artist in me was immediately attracted to the abandoned-ghost-world feel here when I toured in 2009 (and real estate downtown was still relatively inexpensive). So it was more about the energy in the space than people. Six years later it's grown and is not the same place (although on Summer Sunday afternoons downtown streets are still empty and quiet), but overall that's good. Some of my favorite spots are gone (I’ll forever miss the Bull Branch Bar and Starlight Brunch and some of the older shops), but there are far more restaurants to choose from (with at least three more opening in the next year) and a few more boutiques (that are now open on Sunday). Back in the late 80s/early 90s my sister was working to rehab some of the "public space" in downtown Roanoke, and when I moved here, it felt a lot like that did back then. It's now a small community blending transplanted YPs and retirees, so there isn't as much of the "you're an outsider" bias I have felt in some places outside of downtown. When you go into a downtown bar on a weeknight you probably know someone in there.

I'm not saying Lynchburg is ideal, either: it obviously suffers from growing pains, misdirection, bad communication and preconceptions. But I wanted to make it clear that everyone's experience is different. If I hadn't been tied to the area for personal reasons I probably would have moved to SLC Utah... When I'm not working, I do like that we're close to hiking, biking and kayaking. But Roanoke is, too.

[lanceamiillion]

Thanks for all the feedback! It seems like Roanoke has more to offer in terms of nightlife (which appeals to me). While Lynchburg has a slightly better location and a commuter train plus better options for higher education.

[johnnybgood1999]

I live in Lynchburg and it's a nice place to live. That said, I've been out in Roanoke and their downtown has a pretty happening night life in downtown. This is especially true given the size of the city. On the flip side, it is absurdly easy to get a date in Lynchburg. TONS of nice looking women from the colleges and not as many guys vs girls.

[dbcook1]

I am a young professional in Lynchburg and visit Roanoke on occasion. I have lived in downtown Lynchburg for just over three years now and have witnessed a lot of positive changes and revitalization. It still has a ways to go, but Lynchburg definitely has more potential than Roanoke just based on the built environment and location on the river and will probably be larger and more thriving than Roanoke in about 15 years. However, it definitely still has some catching up to do to get to Roanoke's current nightlife vibe.

In the past three years about 300 new loft apartments have been created in downtown Lynchburg and nearly all are full which has doubled the downtown residential population. Several new bars and restaurants are starting to pop up too. There are organizations such as Young Professionals of Central Virginia which do awesome networking events every month for the young professionals in the area. I am not sure about rental rates in Roanoke, but Lynchburg is quite cheap compared to other cities ($650 for a studio loft in downtown and even less further out).

I would say go with Roanoke for the short-term (currently better nightlife and more young professionals in their late 20s and 30s) and Lynchburg for the long-term (more growth and potential). Both cities area great, but Lynchburg is growing faster overall and has more potential (though downtown Roanoke is growing a little faster than downtown Lynchburg right now). I am not very religious and moved here for a job and have met lots of amazing people in Lynchburg who definitely don't fit the Lynchburg/LU stereotype. There are two other colleges here that predate LU by 70+ years and are more established institutions, especially in the Rivermont/downtown areas. Good luck to you!

[Gardner222]

Roanoke, VA Downtown District | The Official Website of Downtown Roanoke, Inc
For those who haven't visited downtown in the last few years. Enjoy!

[DIYMama]

I think Roanoke is a much more accessible city with more things to do. Lynchburg may be centrally located, but it is not on a main highway. To me, it feels more like a college town, whereas Roanoke has a bit more going for it.

Also, if you are interested in getting your MBA, then you should look at Virginia Tech. They have a professional MBA program that meets in Roanoke and Richmond. Virginia Tech's name brand is far superior to both Radford and Liberty in the commonwealth.

[badger74]

I-81 might be a freeway but it's the worst road to actually drive on outside I 95 in Va. Constant heavy truck traffic,. daily jams and many accidents. US 29 is a piece of cake as is US 460

Interstate 81