West Virginia

pete

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
145
Hey folks,
A job opportunity may take my family back across the country to Lewisburg, West Virginia. The problem is, I have zero experience with the state. I hope to make a visit prior to making a decision, but you can only see so much in a short time. I would love to hear the good and the bad, what you love and what you hate.

If it helps for comparisons, I grew up in upstate NY near the Mass border, went to school in western NY, and have lived in coastal SC, RI, and am now in Orange County, CA.

Thanks ahead for any info provided.
 

Shadow14

WKR
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
360
Location
Georgia
It certainly is a gorgeous state! I got family a little further west from there in Beckley and there are outdoor activities year round. Great smallmouth fishing, good deer hunting, good small game hunting, and decent skiing. Downside is the poverty. Its one of the poorest states in the union but the people there are some of the best south of the Mason-Dixon line.
 
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I used to hike and cave there quite a bit and always felt it was a beautiful state. Lots of very steep mountains there.
 
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ANF
Really good whitewater there one of the wildest but most dangerous rivers in the country The Gauley....... Appalachia is a different beauty than the Rockies or Sierras.... it hides these beautiful intricate little worlds beneath the canopy.... each creek drainage or bench is different
 

vdeal

FNG
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
43
It certainly is a gorgeous state! I got family a little further west from there in Beckley and there are outdoor activities year round. Great smallmouth fishing, good deer hunting, good small game hunting, and decent skiing. Downside is the poverty. Its one of the poorest states in the union but the people there are the best north of the Mason-Dixon line.

All of WV except the northern panhandle is south of the Mason Dixon line.

WV has great hiking and backpacking and some world class mountain biking. Decent fishing and hunting and a few good ski resorts. There is plenty of whitewater also. I have lived here my entire life and thoroughly enjoy the outdoor activities available.
 

kipper09

WKR
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Dec 5, 2013
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Location
West Virginia
Lived here my whole life. Pretty good amount of national forest. I would say the trout fishing is and can be pretty good. The poverty level is pretty high. Hunting for whitetail/bear/ eastern game is decent. Lewisburg is where the state fair is held. Beckley being the closest decent sized city. It’s cold in the winters down there. The white water rafting down that way is some of the best in the US. Lots of good things about living here but finding a good paying job can be difficult.


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Hey, we’ve got Johnny Horton’s “North to Alaska”, although I don’t think it ever ranked #1 on any charts.


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Right on. And then there's all those country songs about Texas, lol.

I think WV is a really neat state, but the economy is very challenging there. Get away from the cities and more prosperous areas, and you'll see plenty of abject poverty along the back roads and forgotten villages. I believe I heard WV ranks #1 (most) in terms of obesity, and like most states has an opiate epidemic happening. Sad to see such a fine and beautiful state full of great people who have to struggle. I've been to Lewisburg many times and that's very fine area of the state.
 
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pete

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 29, 2014
Messages
145
Thank you for all the responses, they’ve mostly confirmed what I had already thought. I’m mostly excited about the prospect of allowing my two young boys (2.5 & 6 weeks) to experience the same sort of childhood I had - lots of time in the woods, small town, small school, etc.
 
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Chugiak, Alaska
I’ve spent a little time in WV, mostly the northwestern part, when visiting my in-laws in the Pittsburgh, PA area. I will say this, I’ve probably seen more whitetail deer there than just about anywhere else in the country.


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Joined
Oct 2, 2016
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West Virginia
I've lived here for 35 of my 44 years. What has been said is true. All of it. Only thing left is to make you aware of the drug epidemic. Lots of Meth, opiod, and heroin abuse. That's everywhere but, here is worse. IT is such a beautiful place most everyone recognizes it. Except people that live here. And, it is indeed hard to make a decent living here in most areas. There is a reason the population is aging and the young people are leaving. Meaningful employment is in the natural resource sectors for most residents. As far as people in poverty, not real sure I agree with that since government entitlement bails out those that simply do not want to work. The ball and chain is passed on to tax payers. What people here are talking about seeing is what happens to people when they have no incentive to work.

Lewisburg is a nice town. Little more modern culture then most WV towns, with a hippie twist thrown in. Not far from good outdoor recreation either. But, that goes for the whole state. Hunting here is great. The only people to complain about it is residents that buy the back forty and, want to make everyone else manage the deer herd for their benefit. But if hunting is a reason to move to any area, it's going to be hard to beat the deer, bear, turkey, and small game opportunity's that abound in WV. Good luck and God Bless
 
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pete

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 29, 2014
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145
IF you desire, get a hold of me when you plan to come. I'd be happy to meet with you and show you around a bit.

Thanks for the input Mountaineer, I’ll be sure to reach out if we end up there. If the move happens, I believe it will be in June.
 

conhawa

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 7, 2014
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165
Lewisburg is nice, and they have revitalized their downtown area. Just a short drive north and you have the Monongahela National Forest which includes the Cranberry Wilderness, Cranberry Backcountry, Watoga State Park, Dolly Sods, Otter Creek Wilderness, Highland Scenic Highway, Cass Scenic Railroad, Seneca Rocks...etc... I live in the western part of the state....but always drive to the eastern part of the state to enjoy the mountains and scenery.
 
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Jul 11, 2017
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WV
Lewisburg is nice, and they have revitalized their downtown area. Just a short drive north and you have the Monongahela National Forest which includes the Cranberry Wilderness, Cranberry Backcountry, Watoga State Park, Dolly Sods, Otter Creek Wilderness, Highland Scenic Highway, Cass Scenic Railroad, Seneca Rocks...etc... I live in the western part of the state....but always drive to the eastern part of the state to enjoy the mountains and scenery.

I live in north central WV just below Morgantown and we travel to all those areas you mention pretty often to hike and backpack. Absolutely beautiful country. Good hunting and fishing all over the state. WV is a beautiful place, we certainly have our problems, but there is a lot of good too.


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Maz

FNG
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Mar 10, 2012
Messages
6
I grew up in the northern panhandle and my brother has a place on the Greenbrier River at Fort Springs, literally 15 minutes from downtown Lewisburg. The Greenbrier is one of the most beautiful rivers on the east coast and a fantastic smallmouth bass river. As mentioned above, WV has it's share of issues and poverty, but from my perspective Lewisburg isn't like the rest of state, folks there seem to take pride in their property and it shows. Lots of culture, 4 star restaurants, art galleries and a great vibe downtown, first Friday is a great night out. Absolutely beautiful part of the state, I would retire there in a heartbeat, good luck!
 
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pete

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 29, 2014
Messages
145
I grew up in the northern panhandle and my brother has a place on the Greenbrier River at Fort Springs, literally 15 minutes from downtown Lewisburg. The Greenbrier is one of the most beautiful rivers on the east coast and a fantastic smallmouth bass river. As mentioned above, WV has it's share of issues and poverty, but from my perspective Lewisburg isn't like the rest of state, folks there seem to take pride in their property and it shows. Lots of culture, 4 star restaurants, art galleries and a great vibe downtown, first Friday is a great night out. Absolutely beautiful part of the state, I would retire there in a heartbeat, good luck!

That sounds a lot like what we’re looking for, with the additional benefit of ready access to the outdoors.
 
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