Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really don't want this to become the usual thread, but I can't not comment on this. Tell me one part of downtown Charleston that is rundown? There is a difference between 1980s architecture that is kept up, and rundown.
Here is downtown for your own eyes, (note that streetview is atleast 3 years outdated)
Please move around on the maps provided, because these are better than ordinary pictures that are 2D
1) Morgantown is a vibrant city, but has its blighted areas (namely, student housing). Not much of a downtown, especially compared to Huntington, Charleston, etc, but the economic success has been well-documented.
2) Charleston is a wonderful city with so much potential and is now finally seeing signs of life again. It's been on relatively hard times for decades now, but people and companies are slowly coming back. Demand for Class A office space is up, and new construction is on its way. Some parts aren't ideal to say the least, but as far as the downtown core goes (i.e. not the West Side or East End), it's at least decent. Sure, there are some bland architecture (such as why on earth does the south side of the AT&T building not have windows?), but there's also some inspired designs as well. I think Charleston (and the Valley as a whole) are ready to boom (I use that term loosely) again and we'll start to see a rejuvenated city in the not too distant future.
1) Morgantown is a vibrant city, but has its blighted areas (namely, student housing). Not much of a downtown, especially compared to Huntington, Charleston, etc, but the economic success has been well-documented.
2) Charleston is a wonderful city with so much potential and is now finally seeing signs of life again. It's been on relatively hard times for decades now, but people and companies are slowly coming back. Demand for Class A office space is up, and new construction is on its way. Some parts aren't ideal to say the least, but as far as the downtown core goes (i.e. not the West Side or East End), it's at least decent. Sure, there are some bland architecture (such as why on earth does the south side of the AT&T building not have windows?), but there's also some inspired designs as well. I think Charleston (and the Valley as a whole) are ready to boom (I use that term loosely) again and we'll start to see a rejuvenated city in the not too distant future.
Charleston's downtown looks bigger than it is. It is not vibrant and generally feels empty, even during working hours. During non-working hours it is a ghost town.
Yes I know Morgantown is an hour and 15 minutes from Pittsburgh. I did after all spend 4 years there. I was merely trying to gage what you were defining as 'close.' Let's revise to 1 hr and 15 minutes and we still get Pittsburgh as being the only close metro area to Morgantown.
I am from Charleston and I have never said that it is turning around recently. Places like Charleston and Pittsburgh that have traditionally lost large amounts of population tend to lose fewer (or even slightly gain) residents during a bad economy. After all, people tend to not move for brighter horizons when the national economy is struggling. Look at population trends for both Charleston and Pittsburgh during the early 1990s if you don't believe me. Both areas gained small amounts of population only to resume a decline once the national economy picked up again.
Regarding Pittsburgh making a turnaround...it has improved but still has a long ways to go. There are always going to be various publications that rank places based on a variety of questionable survey responses and key indicators. After all, Randy McNally voted Pittsburgh America's 'most livable city' in 1985, when it was losing more population than any area in the country. The jury is still out on whether or not it will transpire into actual long term growth.
You keep saying Charleston looks more rundown than Morgantown but I have lived in both places (which you haven't) and can argue this for as long as you want. Both cities have nice areas and both have rundown portions. For every bad neighborhood you can name in Charleston, I can easily name one in Morgantown.
Regarding the student housing looking rundown: You have factored in the student populatuion for numerous other contributions to Morgantown such as increased population, culture and nightlife...might as well count where they live as well.
I won't argue with anything you said here. I think that is a reasoned analysis but I would add that our rundown areas have a bit of a different character than those in Charleston. I'm not saying they aren't as run down, but ours tend to be safer after dark. A smaller proportion of our population is living on the fringes. We don't have the negative aspects of ethnic neighborhoods. You could, I suppose, say we don't have the positive aspects of them either and be correct but my preference is for a more integrated feel.
As I will always stand behind what I believe, and will always respect others for what they believe, I do owe you and the students at WVU an apology. It is easy to forget that all people have freewill, and the ones that do right often get catagorized with those who don't just because they are in the same setting (like a college or group).
So for what it is worth, because I would hate for anybody to be offended by something I said.
I am truly sorry that I offended you, and would hope that you could somehow forgive me because I misspoke.
I will say though that one sound bite, doesn't quite represent the whole statement. I do think it is unfair to take one line, and make it into something that I wasn't intending on. I was just saying that WVU is a place where students often fall into tempation, and are more likely to become binge drinkers, drug addicts, or practice inmoral sex behavior because it is considered "cool" there. I could have gone to WVU, but I am the kind of person that takes advantage of quality close to home, and having teachers that know me personally. again sorry that you feel offended, but I was in no way talking about you or your qualities and qualifications.
I wouldnt say Downtown Morgantown looks rundown, not like Charleston. The student housing can look rundown. No argument there, but it is not like anyone is trying to make student slum housing look nice. If you go to an area of Morgantown where locals live you will find it is not so rundown looking. Hell, the new student housing coming up is generic looking but not rundown.
Our immediate downtown area is pretty gentrified but, outside that, it's not very pretty. Obviously Sunnyside is Morgantown's infamous blighted district, but there are plenty of other areas in town that are sort of run down looking. Westover, Granville, Sabraton, parts of Star City, parts of Woodburn (I believe that's the neighborhood name?), etc. do have their bright spots, but are pretty dumpy overall. Have you ever been to Canyon? It looks like a third world country! Aside from South Park/First Ward, the nicest areas of town are the parts that were most recently constructed: Evansdale, Suncrest, West Run/North Hills, Cheat Lake, etc. We forget that those other places exist because, between the entire north side, Cheat Lake, and the more polished areas downtown (High St., South Park, Wharf District), is everything we need and we only have to venture into the slummier parts of town on rare occasion (like when we get a craving for KFC!! lol). Charleston is pretty run down in places, but you can't say Morgantown (or any town in WV, really) doesn't have places like that too.
I think the whole city looks rundown, especially the parts where people live. At least the areas along the interstate. It is nothing personal Chris.
You can't judge a city from the highway, of course anything that is right off the interstate (housing wise) is going to be slummy and run down because it is a bad place to live.
Thanks, and it is certainly respectful of you to forgive. I will definatly not type anything that low-life again, because it doesn't taste well in my mouth.
Now let us both work together to create a better image for this state, or cities and towns, and the universities that represent us.
You can't judge a city from the highway, of course anything that is right off the interstate (housing wise) is going to be slummy and run down because it is a bad place to live.
What parts of Charleston have you been to?
Downtown, along the interstates, along the river, and a few other parts with friends, but I dont know the names.
Downtown, along the interstates, along the river, and a few other parts with friends, but I dont know the names.
Well It would be a hard arguement for you to say places like Kanawha City, South Hills, Kanawha Blvd, Capitol St, Edgewood, Southridge, or the East End Historic District rundown.
There are parts of town that are rundown thought, I won't argue that. Some parts of the west side are almost like Detriot, North Charleston is a pretty run down place, and the warehose distict is also pretty slummy.
But you can't label the whole city rundown, when neighborhoods like the East End, Kanawha City, and South Hills host multi-million dollar homes, and areas like the Village District feature beautiful colonial style buildings and loft style apartments.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
