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I like Huntington. Being the second largest city in the state, it has a lot to offer, especially when you add in the events that Marshall University brings as well. We have a great parks system and walking around town is very easy due to the layout of the city. We also have pretty mild winters which is a big plus when you do walk to many of the places around town. Huntington is also seeing a lot of new growth and vibrancy lately with more plans in the works to speed those improvements along. It has also been a great place to raise kids as well. If you want any other specifics, feel free to ask and you might look through some of my older posts as well. Hope this helps.
Huntington's best asset is its proximity to Charleston.
Not true. I've lived and/or worked in both cities for the past 15 years. While both cities compliment each other well, they are both self sustaining. They both offer about an equal amount of dining, shopping, entertainment. Marshall offers more in educational opportunity, while Charleston offers more in career options.
Beckley,small enough to get what I want, but not so large that its too much. Which Charleston is a very close second. I'd prefer Beckley personally I know more people there, which leaves me biased in a way.
Huntington gets my vote. To me, it brings together the best part of the small cities in West Virginia. It has educational opportunities, plenty of entertainment (high end Broadway and comedy acts as well as division 1 sports brought by Marshall), a vibrant city atmosphere downtown, and in my opinion the best shopping in the state (Charleston's is arguably better, but that's another discussion).
Charleston and Huntington are on the same level, but in my opinion have different vibes (more so now than ever). They both pretty much have the same amounts of shopping/dining/entertainment but Charleston is more of a business city, while Huntington is more of the college town feel. I prefer Charleston (I am biased), because I think it is a very attractive city and I enjoy the amenities it has. Charleston also feels more urban, but still has that small town friendliness for the most part. Charleston has great schools, and two local colleges that are continuing to grow and add degrees. The city is going through a time of renewal now, and with it people are moving downtown and new apartments are being constructed there. But also the neighborhoods of Charleston are great, and the suburbs offer more than most in WV. Other good things about Charleston include: good hospitals (CAMC, Thomas), good restaurants(check out East End Main Street/downtown), low cost of living, proximity to mountains and recreation, and history/architecture.
I'm part of the Millennial generation, and, by and large, am a stereotypical one. With that in mind, my list would be Huntington, then Charleston as a close second. A distant third would be Beckley, and an even more distant fourth would be Bluefield.
Talking about these four only, Huntington wins in terms of young student/professional population, affordable and accessible entertainment, parks, and community cohesion. Charleston wins in terms of overall cultural offerings (not by too much, though), restaurants, and job market. Beckley wins in terms of proximity to the New River Gorge and all the outdoor amenities as well as a smaller town feel. Bluefield doesn't really hit on anything unless you're into ATV trails (granted, I have little exposure to Bluefield).
For reference, I live in Huntington, spent/spend plenty of time in Charleston, and my mom is from and lives in the Beckley area. No real ties to Bluefield.
I'm part of the Millennial generation, and, by and large, am a stereotypical one. With that in mind, my list would be Huntington, then Charleston as a close second. A distant third would be Beckley, and an even more distant fourth would be Bluefield.
Talking about these four only, Huntington wins in terms of young student/professional population, affordable and accessible entertainment, parks, and community cohesion. Charleston wins in terms of overall cultural offerings (not by too much, though), restaurants, and job market. Beckley wins in terms of proximity to the New River Gorge and all the outdoor amenities as well as a smaller town feel. Bluefield doesn't really hit on anything unless you're into ATV trails (granted, I have little exposure to Bluefield).
For reference, I live in Huntington, spent/spend plenty of time in Charleston, and my mom is from and lives in the Beckley area. No real ties to Bluefield.
I can stand behind this post. Pretty accurate
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