charleston?? (Huntington, Beckley, Bluefield: sales, renting, crime rates)

[citygrl707]

i heard that southern charleston is a good place to find a job. Can you tell me what area are nice to live in. Wich one to avoid. I have two kids and i want a nice place. thank you

After reading on charleton i think i will pass, i am going to look into the athens , hinton area. thank you

[wv4life]

I hate to say this but the Athens/Hinton area wouldn't be my choice of area...Charleston is much better....and don't pay attention to the crime rates or whatever bc its not that bad....athens and hinton are so far out and lack the ammenities of living in the Charleston area....trust me lived here my whole life although both great towns...be prepared for a good 1 and half drive OR MORE to good shopping and a CITY worth spending time in with things to do!

[atlantagreg30127]

Another alternative is Huntington. They've done a lot in recent years to redo their downtown area and it's about the same size as Charleston. Only a bit over 40 miles east of Charleston, you'd still have Chas as a place to go for the day, and a couple of hours west you'd have Lexington KY.

[Big_Al]

If you looking for a job in S.Charleston you could look for a house in S.Charleston, St.Albans, Dunbar, Charleston.

[millersangel]

Originally Posted by wv4life

I hate to say this but the Athens/Hinton area wouldn't be my choice of area...Charleston is much better....and don't pay attention to the crime rates or whatever bc its not that bad....athens and hinton are so far out and lack the ammenities of living in the Charleston area....trust me lived here my whole life although both great towns...be prepared for a good 1 and half drive OR MORE to good shopping and a CITY worth spending time in with things to do!

I live in Athens and I beg to differ. I am 10 minutes from Princeton, about 20 from Mercer Mall and 30 from Bluefield.

There are plenty of places to shop and lots of things to do. Just check the Bluefield Daily Telegraph online.

Plus there are five state parks close by including Pipestem Resort so lots of outdoor activities like camping, golf, horseback riding, swimming, skiing and hiking.

Moving to Hinton would put you within driving distance of Beckley which is a fairly large city.

There is a lot to be said for small town living. For example, I work long hours and needed someone to mow my lawn for a reasonable price. I just went to the Post Office where I have a box for free because I don't get mail delivery and after talking to two people had four names to call.

When my dog was taken off, I put up a poster on the PO bulletin board and within one day had several phone calls which led me to where my dog was dropped off.

I don't know what other amenities you need. There are two hospitals, a university in Athens and in Bluefield and lots of places to shop.

Job opportunities may be limited but they're there if you look for them. Renting or buying a home is very reasonable. The never ending WV taxes are cheaper than in large cities.

And being so close to VA is a plus too. I just bought gas at 20 cents a gallon cheaper than WV. You can also shop there to avoid the sales tax.