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Hello West Virginians! Considering Beckley for retirement. Pros (IMO) four seasons, small townish, YMCA, close to Amtrak, reasonable cost of housing.
Cons? Possible lack of medical facilities? Not near enough to any large city? Other?
Would love to hear some local opinions. Thanks!
Beckley does have some crime, especially related to the opioid epidemic, but you'll find that all over WV.
Beckley has two general service hospitals and a VA hospital. It is the healthcare center for the southern part of the state, but for a lot of more complicated things, you'll have to go to Charleston or points beyond.
Beckley is also the commercial hub for the southern portion of the state, so there are a good amount of shopping options for a community of its size. You're also close to outdoor amenities including the New River Gorge, several state parks, Winterplace Ski Resort, and the Summit National Boy Scout Reserve.
I think the isolation from larger cities is a bit of a drawback. Its an hour to Charleston, which isn't really a big city. The nearest major urban area is the Triad area of NC (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, & High Point), which is 2.5 hours away. Richmond VA is 4 hours away, and Charlotte is 3 hours.
What are you looking to do in retirement? They would help giving a better pro/con list
Thanks for the quick response! What am I looking for: peace and quiet! Currently in the Seattle area and it has gotten just unbearable here with the traffic, cost of living, crowding, etc, etc. Want someplace smallish, but not totally out in the wilderness. Glad to see there is a Y there, as I love swimming and would like to have time to exercise in retirement...that, plus looks like there are some beautiful trails and hiking, etc. I am in good health, but need some sort of healthcare facilities, as I get older, so good to know those exist! I see there is also a minor league baseball team there, which could be fun! Seriously, this area pretty much is checking all my boxes. As for the opioid epidemic, it can't be any worse than Seattle's!
Beckley should be able to give you peace and quiet, especially in some of the outlying areas.
Also, WVU Tech is moving to the city with the target of eventually having 4-5,000 students on campus, which should provide a shot in the arm to downtown bringing in new businesses.
hmm. Looked at crime stats and now having doubts! Any recommendations for a low crime, nice, affordable area to retire in wv?????
Depends on exactly what you're looking for. Given what you mentioned in your first post, maybe Lewisburg? Or Huntington/Charleston suburbs like Hurricane or Teays Valley?
hmm. Looked at crime stats and now having doubts! Any recommendations for a low crime, nice, affordable area to retire in wv?????
Check out Fayetteville, which is about 25 mins north of Beckley. It puts you in the same area with the same opportunities. It also has a very active downtown area with a lot of shops and restaurants.
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