Calling All California Transplants (Norfolk, Richmond: how much, house, school district)

[fostoria]

Looking for any information from California transplants (specifically S. CA) who have made the move to S/W Virginia (Bedford/Franklin counties). Looking for any positive/negative impressions, info on weather, humidity, bugs and any transitional advise.

As former Californians, you can appreciate ones desire to leave.

Thanks

[kesi_rowntree]

I'm originally from Long Beach, but my nuclear family relocated to Northern Virginia, not too far from D.C. My aunt's family, on the other hand moved to Roanoke, and I can tell you that for the most part they're not too happy. My uncle didn't do any research on the area before moving them there and they are paying for it. Both of my little cousins have severe allergy and ashtma problems and the plant life down there added to the intense humidity makes it very hard to breathe (much harder than in the smog!)

I think the only upside is the comparitively better school systems, although my cousins have had some issues with being picked on and out-casted as they are two of the only black children in their schools

[seanpecor]

Northern Virginia is more humid than the Roanoke Valley. There is also more flora and fauna in Roanoke on account of the Valley having a lower population density relative to NoVA. As a result, more green stuff per square mile.

I'm from Vermont where it gets mighty cold and never gets mighty hot. I love it in Franklin County. The solution to being comfortable in Virginia and southward is simple. Keep your a/c set at 75-78F during the summer and your heat set to 68F in the winter. The body adapts. You'll save money and help heal the planet also. If you keep your house at 68F with 20% relative humidity then yes, when you walk outside in Virginia on a sunny July day, the 88F temperature and 65% humidity will be jarring. It jarred me until I adjusted our climate control. On the plus side you feel like you live in a garden oasis from March through October.

http://www.pecorfamily.com/Blog_202006_2D06_2D27_20Cahas_20Flowers_thumb.jpg (broken link)

I'd be interested in finding out what school your relatives attend given the fact that Roanoke is so diverse. Being only two of the black children in the entire school really sounds fishy. Heck my kids go to North Cross, a private school, and there the minority student population is 14%, many of those being black children.

Sean

[roanoker 4]

As a resident of Roanoke, I can tell you the weather is not a big selling point for our area. SoCal has the best weather by far of anyplace in the U.S. I loved living there mainly for the weather and the many things one can do outside. Because we are in the mountains, the humidity is usually not too awful like it is in eastern VA and DC(where people leave the City in the unbearable summer heat). I have been bitten by mosquitoes mostly in my back yard and some other small bugs that come out when the humidity is very high. So far, smog is not a problem here but with the increasing population that will soon be an issue. Its not a place for allergy sufferers.
Coming from California, you will have to adjust to the east coast climate. We get some snowfall in the winters, the leaves are beautiful in the fall, tons of flowering trees in the Spring and generally hot, humid summers. Overall, we have a mild climate. The advantages of living here far outweigh the weather, in my opinion. I have relatives who live in SoCal who love it here and talk of moving but somehow they can't leave the beautiful weather in SoCal. Visit first and see the place and then decide.

[fostoria]

"Stay in California"


Southern hospitality at its best. I would stay in California if not for....

High taxes to help support the governments inability to quell the influx of illegals. Which total over 2 million in LA county alone.

Traffic is the worst in the nation.

Smog is the worst in the nation.

Gas prices are the highest in the nation.

Property is the among the most expensive in the nation.

With many baby boomers retiring and moving elsewhere, the population continues to grow with the flood of illegals. We are losing english speaking, skilled tax payers and replacing them with non-english speaking, unskilled, no money, non-taxpayers.

The local WalMart has a Banco Popular branch, which is a Mexican Bank. The Costco sells Mexican sodas, the freeway advertising bill boards are in spanish.

Our local school district has decided to offer a GED program to the parents of illegals. I thought this was a good idea until I found out the program is offered in spanish.

As I search the country for a place to retire, I will bring with me, talent, respect, consideration of others and enough money to support my family.

And when I visit your area the summer, it looks like I'll need to bring bug spray.

[seanpecor]

Originally Posted by fostoria

"Stay in California"
Southern hospitality at its best.

Beware the trolls on the forums. They crawl out of their cave once in a while to offer gems like this.

I'm a Yankee and I've been warmly welcomed in the Roanoke Valley. My neighbors are all old timers with families that have been here for generations. We are friendly with all of them. It's the little things. My wife and girls bring freshly baked cookies to neighbors on holidays; we smile and wave to folks on our country roads. People move here to the Roanoke Valley to connect with a new community, not to avoid social contact. This isn't a place far removed from civilization where people move to for seclusion so you'll not feel isolated from your neighbors. It's a friendly and inviting atmosophere.

Mosquitos seem to crop up more in urban areas of Roanoke where backyards offer places where stagnant water can gather. So even if you don't have stagnant water in your backyard, some neighbors are bound to. We're originally from Orwell, VT not far from Lake Champlain and the mosquitos up there were absolutely terrible. Not Alaska terrible but still terrible. We had a small mosquito problem the first summer on our farm in Boones Mill but that was solved when I discovered clogged rain gutters and once they were cleaned and kept clean the mosquito problem all but disappeared. The most prolific and bothersome insect are ants; we have a 30 year old home and a few routes for ants to enter the kitchen. I tried a few consumer oriented pst control things the first year that failed miserably. I found a solution with ant bait stations (http://www.epestsupply.com/antpro.htm) that work exactly as advertised. I fill them up mid-Spring and emerging ant colonies around our problem areas simply disappear within two weeks or so. No ants all year, period. Good stuff.

When you visit in the summer be sure to look us up (http://www.oakhillstablesva.com) and visit!

Sean

[Sunset_Va]

Fostoria

My "Southern Hospitality" is wearing thin with people trying to escape other areas problems and not stay and face them where they live currently. I have no doubts you will not be a burden on where ever you chose to live. My experience with a few of the people that have moved to this area, has been they try to instill their former way of life to this area instead of adapting to local ways of living. Not always, most of the people that move to this area bring much personality and friendliness.

As long as transplants don't bring their issues to Va, welcome.

This has been my home for lifelong, I am not prejudiced, and did not mean to offend you. But in the end, realize you are condemning me for speaking my mind whereas, in your post, and the other comments, the "Mexican Transplants" you are detesting so much, you are essentially saying...."Stay In Mexico". I realize the debate, illegal vs legal.

Did not mean to come across here as a harbinger of ill feelings.

[Gypsy-Moth]

I lived in California until my mid-40s. Have been in Northern Virginia for the last 9 years. As far as weather, if you prefer the Southern California climate, you'll have some adjusting to do.

Winters are obviously much colder, but it's not all that bad. I think people who live in Chicago or North Dakota have something to complain about. There's some snow, but not often and it doesn't last long. But winters are much, much drier to the point where no matter how much lotion you slather on, you'll still notice dry skin.

One other issue I've noticed is that there are a lot of overcast days year round. I recently compared sunshine statistics of Virginia and California. From my hazy recollection, California gets about 70% sunshine per year while Virginia gets about 40%. If you or any family members suffer from SAD, you'll need to figure out a strategy.

People talk about humidity here all the time. I think it's just what people do here. It's not all that humid, in my opinion. I lived in Sacramento for eight years, and the humidity levels here in the summer are just about the same as Sacramento, if the statistics on Weather Underground are accurate. People here say it's humid when it's merely hot. I don't often feel sticky, nor do I ever have to make sure I have a kitchen towel in my bag when I leave the house to wipe the sweat off my face and neck like when I lived in the tropics. Now THAT was humid.

[Sunset_Va]

This was in another thread, but illustrates the frustration people that are native to both Virginia and the southern states have with so called "transplants"
"
Oh Portland, anyday! Richmond has more negatives than positives. Besides Portland is such a modern 21st century city unlike Richmond which is still whining about the civil war loss (serves them right) and still carries rotten Jim Crowe baggage. I've lived in RIC for 7 yrs and currently live in Norfolk, and yet prefer RIC to Norfolk in a relative sense. Politics here revolves round Guns, God, Gays, Abortion, Creationism vs Evolution, and more idiotic issues. City ranks very high in crime, non existent public transport, suffers from a narrow-minded social attitude, etc. You do have some pockets of contemporary sophistication, but nothing compared to what's in Portland. Please please please stay in Portland!"

Is that similar to "Stay in California?"

[seanpecor]

Originally Posted by Gypsy-Moth

One other issue I've noticed is that there are a lot of overcast days year round. I recently compared sunshine statistics of Virginia and California. From my hazy recollection, California gets about 70% sunshine per year while Virginia gets about 40%. If you or any family members suffer from SAD, you'll need to figure out a strategy.

Down here in Roanoke, according to the NCDC's mean statistics for the past 30 odd years, there are 102 clear days, 112 partly cloudy days and 151 cloudy days each year. Even the dreariest month (February) in Roanoke you'll enjoy partly cloudy to clear days over half of the time. That's much less sun than you'll see in California, but it's a better balance at least for me, since we enjoy 44" of precipitation and if you garden at all it's just sinful down here. Norfolk has almost the same data. I wonder if it gets overcast more often towards the eastern shores, compared to the Roanoke area?

Sean