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.
If you didn’t grow up in Huntington and you’re thinking about moving to this area, you should seriously reconsider. You’ll find that people, while polite, are not overly friendly. Pre-existing social circles are extremely difficult to break into – you won’t be rejected, but you won’t be included either. So, if you want to fit in, you better have family or friends that are already here. Living here is like being caught in a time warp where nothing ever changes. You just re-live the same day over and over again. If you’re looking for excitement, this isn’t the place. There are pockets of wealth and prosperity, but the overall economy is mostly stagnant or in decline. The city is virtually broke with little hope in sight. Future unfunded city liabilities (including pensions and health care costs) are so large that little money can be spared from revenues to improve current conditions. City buildings and streets are dirty and run-down. Even the best neighborhood streets are filled with potholes. You’ll need a SUV to get around. Crime, while low, is on the rise. Winters are gray, so you’ll want to be able to travel somewhere else to see some sunshine. Education is a bright spot with state-of-the-art high school facilities and with Marshall University nearby. Quality private schools are also available. Unfortunately, the educated don’t tend to stick around. Huntington has a very pervasive status-quo herd mentality that drives smart people away and prevents any real progress for the area. Long-term residents are hypersensitive about their city and not open to change. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys making things happen, you’ll be frustrated beyond belief should you decide to move here. Huntington is a nice place to visit – but keep in mind that visiting here and living here are two very different things. If you're currently living in a prosperous and vibrant area, moving here may be a difficult adjustment for you.
--------------------------------------------------
Is anyone move from other States, now live in WV?
Well some people dont have a choice if all they can afford is $30k to $50k for a small house over there when houses elsewhere can be over $200k, way too much!
Living here and being a native, I guess I personally can't comment on the social circles. I have several friends that have moved in from other areas and I've never heard them complain of not being accepted. My wife is from Morgantown and she has never complained of this either. She has actually made more close friends here than she had living in Morgantown and they aren't people that I had previously known. As far as the lack of progress, this can be a little frustrating because a lot of the older people in the area don't want things to change and they don't want to have to contribute anything for improvement. This seems to be changing though as the younger generation sees the mistakes of previous generations and works to change this attitude. The city has had some budget problems but these too seem to be getting better as the city sees some revitalization and more people are traveling downtown. A lot of the budget problems stem from the fact that cities in WV cannot make any legislative changes without approval from Charleston. This is supposedly being reconsidered though. Hope this helps.
Tim
I want to thank Madv for an indepth response to this area of WV. We are looking at this particular state to retire in because it's kind of central to other family members living outside WV. Actually Ripley seems to be a pleasant small town and if you have any feedback on that area, we'd welcome the response. We don't want to make a wrong decision in one of the biggest decisions of our lives. Thank you so much!!
I want to thank Madv for an indepth response to this area of WV. We are looking at this particular state to retire in because it's kind of central to other family members living outside WV. Actually Ripley seems to be a pleasant small town and if you have any feedback on that area, we'd welcome the response. We don't want to make a wrong decision in one of the biggest decisions of our lives. Thank you so much!!
We're interested in climate and small town living. Anything you can provide for information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
We moved here from KY when my husband retired. It was central to family. We felt welcomed early on. There are social circles, though. It is true. There is also a goofy thing here where the Ripley people don't like the Ravenswood people and the county people seem like they are torn between. That's strange. But it's a nice place to live. Housing reasonable and our property taxes are reasonable. Winter travel is sometimes questionable, but being retired, it doesn't really apply. The healthcare system is not nearly as good as KY. In fact, we still doctor there most times when we visit our daughter.
I am not sure of this is true or not....but since my family name is on several businesses, and I have cousins there, and everyone knows my grandmother, I don't think I will have a problem when I move....we'll see...I could be wrong...
Everyone I talk to hardly has anything nice to say about WV....that is sad....
I want to thank Madv for an indepth response to this area of WV. We are looking at this particular state to retire in because it's kind of central to other family members living outside WV. Actually Ripley seems to be a pleasant small town and if you have any feedback on that area, we'd welcome the response. We don't want to make a wrong decision in one of the biggest decisions of our lives. Thank you so much!!
Ripley is a nice town with several big festivals. There are lots of very friendly folks around here. We moved to the area several years ago and the neighbors couldn't wait to greet us. They brought us home-baked bread and everyone gave us their telephone numbers. I've made some very good friends since we moved here and never felt unwelcomed. I also know that there is always someone keeping an eye out on our home whenever we travel. We live in a new housing developement just outside of town.
Just moved to Parkersburg area of West Virginia from Maine. I recently retired from the military and I can tell you that even in a decent size city as Parkersburg is, health care is not that great. The people seem friendly enough and the cost of living is almost half of what it was in Maine. Only been through the areas you asked about, but thought I would let you know how it was a little further north.
Good luck!
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.
Social Circles
