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.
Well, I am putting in for a job in Charleston. It is a great job though I'm not sure what my chances are. I have high hopes though, and I am qualified.
At any rate, I have heard some things that concern me regarding chemical plants and cancer rates in Charleston. I realize often these things are blown out of proportion, but my wife is somewhat disturbed by this.
I'm wondering if anyone could recommend any towns outside of Charleston that might be a little more rural and "clean" ecologically speaking. I would be able to commute up to 30 minutes or so to and from work in Charleston, and we hope to be able to purchase a home out in the country or in a smaller town anyway.
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions for smaller neighboring towns--perhaps even up into Roane County if it's not too far? We would like to live in the boonies a bit, have a home and a little land in the country where we can have a veggie garden and such.
I wouldn't want to have to travel too far for work in Charleston, but perhaps someone here could point me in the direction of an area that would suit our needs. I was thinking somewhere North of Charleston, but it really doesn't matter.
Incidentally, I now live in Roanoke, VA. and while I like it here a great deal, I welcome the idea of moving to your state. I have two daughters in elementary school, so crime and schools are something we would want to consider.
I grew up in Charleston and to be perfectly honest that cancer rate thing is more than likely the result of some ridiculous study that nobody puts much thought into. If the area was somehow more unsafe than other places in the state I doubt 300,000 people would still be living in the valley. And P.S. ahead of time sorry this post is so long lol.
There may be PARTS of far southern Roane County that are 30 minutes from Charleston but I would only recommend that area if you absolutley love country living because it is in the middle of nowhere! I know some people like that but living in Roanoke you are probably used to not having to drive 20 minutes or more to the grocery store etc. I also feel like coming from Roanoke, Roane County or even parts of far northern Kanawha County would be somewhat of a shock.
There is a suburban community north of Charleston called Pinch (yes the towns name is Pinch) that is located about ten minutes off of I-79 Exit 5 (Big Chimney) it has a mixture of suburban developments and rural settings and for commuting purposes it is easily within 15-20 minutes of Charleston during the height of rush hour. If you wanted to be close to Charleston this is an OK option but let me just warn you past middle school, the high school options are DISMAL, you either have Herbert Hoover which is filled with the most racist biggoted people one will ever find (I had the pleasure of going to middle school with some of these people) or Capital High School which although diverse by WV standards is poorly run. I'm mentioning this because if you choose to move, I know some real estate agents will push you in this direction. The area may look quaint on the outside but believe me, I spent about five years of my childhood in the Pinch area and although my family loved our particular neighborhood, you just had to drive about five minutes down the road towards Elkview and you were surrounded by some people that could've easily starred in Deliverance (i'm not joking). We moved back into Charleston before I went to high school needless to say...
For a family wanting a little more rural lifestyle I would recommend Putnam County which is located in between the 2 largest cities in the state Charleston and Huntington (20 miles in either direction). The Teays Valley area is VERY suburban and has grown considerably in the past twenty years but once you go about 5-10 minutes away from the interstate you will find a more rural setting. I have family in Roanoke and would probably compare it somewhat to the Cave Spring area. Putnam County Schools are known for having some of the highest test scores in the state and there are lots of young families there.
As far as the commute from Teays Valley, I will caution the traffic during rush hour does get rather heavy going into Kanawha County in the morning and then outbound during the evening as most people who live in Putnam County work in Charleston. I would say the commute is probably closer to 40 minutes barring any major accidents. However unlike the DC area where I currently live and where the rush hour never ends, you could leave a little earlier and not deal with nearly as much traffic.
I think this area is easily your best bet as far as your family is concerned, despite the area being rather suburban you could still easily find housing developments with homes on several acres of land, taxes are also much lower in Putnam County as are housing costs because the land is considerably flatter than anywhere in Kanawha County. Good luck with your move and if you have any other questions just ask!
Last edited by NOVAmtneer82; 01-21-2008 at 11:02 AM..
Thanks so much for taking the itme to type out that thoughtful, informative post.
Just FYI, the information regarding the pollution and cancer rates came from the EPA website. My wife looked up the info, then compared Charleston with similar-sized cities and also where we currently live.
Still, this doesn't put me off. I have heard both the horror stories about W.VA (poverty and ignorance and clannish ways) as well as the positives (incredible natural beauty, friendly people, rich Appalachian culture, etc.) and I can tell you-- there is NO place that is perfect.
I came to Roanoke from Oklahoma just March of 2007. Heck, I'm just overjoyed to have a landscape to look at that isn't dead grass and red clay and flat as far as the eye can see! I don't think I could ever be a flatlander again after being out here in the mountains.
I've lived all over the US, but I couldn't wait for Oklahoma to see the back side of me as I walked away from it.
I appreciate the info about Putnam County, and will look into it.
Again, I may be putting the cart before the horse. First I have to be given an interview, then be offered the job, then assess the salary/cost of living compared to Roanoke, then talk to the family. My wife's on board though. If we are fortunate enough to be given the opportunity with the right pay, I think it would be the right move.
jfronz,
Just FYI, the information regarding the pollution and cancer rates came from the EPA website. My wife looked up the info, then compared Charleston with similar-sized cities and also where we currently live.
I came to Roanoke from Oklahoma just March of 2007. Heck, I'm just overjoyed to have a landscape to look at that isn't dead grass and red clay and flat as far as the eye can see! I don't think I could ever be a flatlander again after being out here in the mountains.
I've lived all over the US, but I couldn't wait for Oklahoma to see the back side of me as I walked away from it.
I hope to hear from some others as well.
I'm about to move to charleston area. When I researched it, the major superfund site in the area is Nitro along the kanawha river, reported back in the 80's, which has actively been mitigated since that time. Dioxins were the problem, affecting fishermen mostly, but if you see which way the water flows relative to Charleston, it travels a northwesterly path from charleston, past nitro, toward poor ole ohio.
Dupont and exxon are also in the area, but I saw no reports of major releases at all. Not sure I'd want to swim in Kanawha, however, it sure is pretty when I went scouting down there last winter. The friendliness you see online from west va is the same as in person, no pretenses whatsoever. Real salt of the earth down home folks. Charleston folks had more of a business demeanor, but thats a form of respect for someones space where I come from. Some don't take it that way, they prefer twangy, sloppy, lick-your-face puppy greetings. Go figure!
Another statistic your wife might be happy to hear is that due to WV's topography, tornados are nearly impossible throughout most of the state. The 100 yr flood plains have been mapped & dealt with comprehensively by FEMA and the local government. The banks know where the hot spots are, so they won't loan you money for uninsurable property. It's a built in protection for you.
As for Oklahoma, I vaguely recall an interstate in texas that had a highway that spanned 3 light years of straight line I had to drive through. I think I napped at one point, I could be wrong, or maybe I was abducted by aliens during my boredom. lol
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.
EPA and dark desert highways
lol
