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Hi everyone. Recently drove through on I-77. Really liked what I saw, especially Beckley. Having looked up Beckley's stats my wife and I are thinking of finding a place eventually as it fits our budget. Was wondering if there are other towns as complete with amenities and low enough costs as Beckley appears to have that we should investigate? Like what I read about Huntington but appears to not be as mountainous there, which we really like. Don't know if I've ever seen a town of Beckley's size with the restaurant offerings it has. Thanks for any advice.
If you want mountains, the largest towns would be Beckley, Lewisburg, Summersville, Fayetteville, and Elkins.
I'm from Huntington. It's obviously a lot bigger city than Beckley but it would give you a lot more options on things to do. However, as you said, it's lacking in mountains and outdoorsy activities. Charleston would keep you closer to the mountains with still fairly cheap living expenses. Morgantown would have the most outdoor options of the three and is fairly mountainous for the area. But it's also fairly expensive for WV.
Thanks for the tips. It will probably come down to Beckley or Huntington. I can live anywhere but my wife does like having amenities a bigger town has. I just have to keep her away from Morgantown until we buy a house.
Is there a town where the mountains are more inspiring than in other places?
Elkins or Lewisburg. And a lot of smaller towns like Moorefield, Green Bank, Marlinton, Webster Springs, Thomas, Davis, etc. Anything in or around the Mon National Forest are where the largest mountains are. As you get toward the eastern continental divide, the mountains are larger. The "mountains" near Beckley really aren't mountains.
I've lived in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. And in Seattle. About the only area in the Eastern U.S. I've seen with mountain scenery comparable to some areas out West is western North Carolina. But haven't been everywhere. The West is too expensive and we want to be nearer to family in Florida. Thanks for the info, we'll check it out.
Tucker County is beautiful and is very mountainous as mentioned. It is one of my favorite parts of the state. Here are some photos below. It's a bit remote but Elkins is nearby. Preston County is rural and has some nice mountain views too. It's about an hour from Morgantown and would offer a lower cost of living.
I really like the mountains in the southern part of the state too. Mercer County is near the Va border and it's beautiful there. https://visitmercercounty.com/play/
Huntington is less mountainous than other areas listed but there are some nice views in the general area, especially along the river. Plus, we have a few direct flights to Florida which may make visiting family a little easier for you. If you like being outdoors in general, one thing I like most about Huntington is how it is centrally located to the outdoor activities not only in WV but also KY and OH. You have several places in KY that are just a short drive away like Red River Gorge, Cumberland Falls (has the only moonbow in the western hemisphere) and Breaks Interstate Park just to name a few. Then in Ohio, Hocking Hills is just a short drive away and it has some wonderful trails and features. These places have lots of easy to hike trails and cabins available to rent too. Not to mention, Forbes recently named Huntington as the Best Place to Retire in WV as well.
Here are a few links to the things mentioned above. Let me know if you have any other questions about the Huntington area and I'll be more than happy to answer them.
Randolph,Pendleton,Tucker and Pocahontas counties are the ones with the highest mountains in West Virginia. Elkins is the only town of any size in any of these and it's population is only a little over 7,000 with about 14 to 16,000 in the immediate area. Davis and Thomas are older towns in Tucker county and small but there is a few unique restaurants and stores there and you can't beat Canaan Valley and Blackwater Falls for scenery. If your wife like amenities this area probably isn't for you to live. Clarksburg is only 50 minutes away and Morgantown is only a little over one and a half hours. Elkins has a few stores and some decent restaurants but nothing like what Beckley or Huntington have. You are close in Elkins to many state parks and and within a hour of three ski resorts.The mountains here aren't as big as North Carolina with our highest peak being Spruce Knob at 4863 and North Carolina's highest peak Mt Mitchell is 6683.West Virginia is the highest average elevation east of the Mississippi at 1684 feet. I lived in Colorado also and a big difference but it's still beautiful in the mountain counties here. The valley's are much narrower here than in Colorado but you can see three states at the top of Spruce Knob. Definitely take a day trip here and check it out and if you have any questions I live in Elkins. Beckley is probably your best bet for amenities and mountains. Huntington has no mountains but does have a couple nice parks although if I was going to live there it would be in one of the suburbs like Barboursville or Pea Ridge. Summersville, Lewisburg,Oak Hill and Fayetteville are all close to Beckley but none are even as big as Elkins. All of these towns do have some amenities.I love Lewisburg and Elkins the best but most of West Virginia is a great place to live. Morgantown and Huntington are my favorite cities but I would live on the outskirts if I lived in either. You also can't go wrong with visiting Shepherdstown in the eastern panhandle although it is flat in that area.good luck in finding your home.
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