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I used to live in Summers County years ago and I'm currently looking into coming back to WV for good.
If the job I want pans out I want to be in or around Beckley. Preferably around... I do not like city living. Can't dig it anymore, not at all. But my information on the area, much less the state of WV, is about 16 years out of date. You could say I've been traveling.
That's why I need some information from you fine folks. Really, I just want to know what's what out there these days. What's going on? What crime concerns are there? Any development going on? Any resources for someone locating there?
I just want to get back. For someone like me WV is home.
I've lived in Beckley for just under a year now after living in the eastern panhandle of WV, then PA for several years. As a single male in my early 20's (not sure how old you are) here's my list of pros and cons of Beckley:
Pros:
-- Great sense of community and pride. This is a common theme across southern West Virginia, as I'm sure you noticed in Summers County. As a result, almost every weekend in spring/summer you can find festivals, parades, etc. within a 30 minute drive.
-- Lots of live music. Several bars in Beckley, Fayetteville and Lewisburg that offer weekly live music. Additionally, Fayette County seems to host music festivals regularly. For example, I went to "Brewgrass" a couple of weeks ago: Bluegrass music and 40+ WV craft beers.
-- In Beckley, you'll never run out of food! Due to its location at the junctions of I-77/I-64/US Route 19...there is an abnormally high number of restaurants (chain and local) for a town our size.
-- Very, very friendly people. Southern hospitality is alive and I think always will be across southern West Virginia. Most here would literally give you the shirt off of their back.
-- TONS of outdoor recreation. Hiking, biking, water sports, ATVs...again, you probably already know this from your time in Summers County.
Cons:
-- As a single male in his 20's, it does get very discouraging how few young people there are here. Even bars that seem to cater to the younger crowd seem to have a very limited demographic to work with. An hour up the turnpike to Charleston...completely different story in my view. I was there over the weekend and the bars were full of people my age.
-- Just like all of West Virginia...drugs, drugs, drugs. It's sad when you can look out of your office window downtown and watch drug transactions go down. But again, this is all of West Virginia. It's just the reality and in a way, I've come to accept it. Like other crime, as long as you're not "in" on it, you won't ever have a problem. Beckley Police and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department are both EXCELLENT...and are routinely making major busts. As far as violent crime, Beckley stays relatively quiet. I've been here a year and there has only been one shooting that I can recall of...and it was drug related. The rest has been domestic-related stuff, but that's typical anywhere.
-- As far as new development, not much is happening. Again, Beckley's location along the junction of two major interstates and a US route allow for new restaurants/fast food/hotels to pop up left and right...but that's about it. Very little progress in the medical, industrial, manufacturing and white collar sectors.
-- I haven't personally experienced it (knock on wood), but healthcare is not the best from what I understand. Beckley has two hospitals, and I've heard questionable stories from both. Again, I haven't personally experienced it so I can't confirm...but a lot of people go to CAMC for procedures. A lot of people here hope WVU Medicine will take over the area one day.
I hope this helps and I'd love to help you with anything else you need! Feel free to ask if you have any additional questions!
I've lived in Beckley for just under a year now after living in the eastern panhandle of WV, then PA for several years. As a single male in my early 20's (not sure how old you are) here's my list of pros and cons of Beckley:
Hey thanks mmccul!
Yeah, we're around a decade off from each other. It sounds like everything is about like I thought it would be, which is good. I figure as long as the job I want works out I'll be able to get a nice home and a truck and then just chill. Nothing about drugs or shootings really phases me anymore, I just secure my own property and keep myself clear of it all. I'm glad to hear things don't seem to have gotten any worse. Better would be better, but stable works I reckon. I've had years to prioritize what really matters to me, and if things work out I'll be happier than a pig in a poke living there!
Yeah, we're around a decade off from each other. It sounds like everything is about like I thought it would be, which is good. I figure as long as the job I want works out I'll be able to get a nice home and a truck and then just chill. Nothing about drugs or shootings really phases me anymore, I just secure my own property and keep myself clear of it all. I'm glad to hear things don't seem to have gotten any worse. Better would be better, but stable works I reckon. I've had years to prioritize what really matters to me, and if things work out I'll be happier than a pig in a poke living there!
But thanks again!
No problem! Feel free to contact me if any other questions pop up. Good luck!
I look at Beckley as a place with a ton of potential. It has a look and feel to me of Virginia and rightfully so I guess since it was once part of it and not that far away from it now. It’s not all hilly and you don’t feel like your in a ditch like living in Charleston. I am considering it as a place I would move to once all the kids are out of school if we stay in WV. It has decent shopping and restaurants. Housing costs are not bad and proximity to VA and NC is good too. Plenty of outdoor options and WVU Tech should bring in some more developments to the area as well.
However, schools seem to be an issue and healthcare to a lesser degree as well.
I still like it for the size and the potential but I’m not sure just like most of the rest of the state that they have any idea or concept of how to grow or plan anything at all for the future.
If you're in Beckley then watch out for Raggedy Anne B.
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