The Best Place In West Virginia

[Jet Black]

Except for the lefty gifts, Morgantown is as close to any of those things that the old Wild & Wonderful is likely to get.

WVU is definitely a damaged brand. It wasn't that prestigeous to start with. I almost got into a fistfight a while back with a kid who claimed he was a WVU grad, who had a 2-year paper from PArkersburg Community College. But Walmart has killed it, WVU is primarily now a brand purchased by uneducated football stalwarts.

Anyhoo, this thread turned out quite a bit differently than I expected.

[Hoosier Daddy]

If you're looking for a really nice city with all the amenities and a high quality of life, go with Morgantown.

Ah....so it finally got the long-awaited Nordstrom, NFL team, outdoor shopping/dining/entertainment complex, branch of the Mayo clinic, international hub airport, and world-class institution of higher learning that doesn't comp degrees to lefty political buddies and their kids, huh??

Heh......

If that was a slam against me, I don't get it.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Anyhoo, this thread turned out quite a bit differently than I expected.

Just curious. What did you expect?

[Jet Black]

More focus.

[genlock]

Wheeling Tunnel.
Reasons:
You can't see Wheeling from in there.
Going east, going west, no matter. It will soon be all over.
Out of Wheeling and into another state.
Even Pennsylvania or Ohio looks good from Wheeling.

[Greg Goodfellow]

Dolly Sods. My wife and daughters aren't exactly the outdoor type, but I'd go back in a heartbeat.

BTW, Jay, even with your reference to us in our neck of the woods being half-Yankee, I'd still vote for you.

Of course, this thread will soon disintegrate into "The Worst Place In West Virginia." It seems Wheeling has already been taken.

[Big Media]

Snowshoe Mountain in July or August. When it is 95 and muggy in the valley, it is clear and 70 at the summit. Ride the lift down to the lake and find a hammock.

[AmpedNow]

I love the whole state, even the warts (and the half-yankee West Virginians north of Ripley)...


...I still think our state motto should be "Fuck Virginia."


This is my argument.

It is indicative of our state's history and origin.

It denotes our overall attitude toward the old dominion.

(I've tried to keep from threadjacking, but just can't help myself here...)


This appears to be a contradiction, unless I'm missing something...

How can a state that was born from succession from the confederacy be so "anti-Yankee"?

West Virginians generally hate Virginia, yet have almost everything in common with it culturally, with the exception of Northern VA. They hate Northerners even more.

So, why not stay with VA in the first place?

As someone who has lived in both states, I can say they both have positives and negatives. WV has lots of mountains, but VA has mountains and a beach. Sooo... this is a tough one for me.



I'm totally with you on the dumbass "outsiders" who don't know WV exists, though. I've done my share of correcting, too. I guess U.S. geography is epic fail everywhere now...


My biggest gripe with WV is not being anywhere near a major city, unless you reside in the panhandles.

Ah....so it finally got the long-awaited Nordstrom, NFL team, outdoor shopping/dining/entertainment complex, branch of the Mayo clinic, international hub airport, and world-class institution of higher learning that doesn't comp degrees to lefty political buddies and their kids, huh??

Exactly.

All right. I've digressed enough.

[Bob Campbell]

Part of the problem could be with people who can't spell "secession".

Whoever said Snowshoe in the summer is right on. There's nothing like mountain biking down from the top. Scenery and wildlife are incredible to see. Beaver dams, streams you can actually drink out of ( I'm not dead yet). Riding into Cass and seeing the sights there. Awesome.

[Hoosier Daddy]

My biggest gripe with WV is not being anywhere near a major city, unless you reside in the panhandles.

So when does living near a "major city" qualify as a benefit? As far as I'm concerned, you can keep the traffic gridlocks, the crime, the urban sprawl, and the congestion of people on top of people. The rural beauty of West Virginia is one of its strongest selling points. Don't ruin everything by wanting a Pittsburgh or a Detroit or an Atlanta right in the middle of Almost Heaven.

Ah....so it finally got the long-awaited Nordstrom, NFL team, outdoor shopping/dining/entertainment complex, branch of the Mayo clinic, international hub airport, and world-class institution of higher learning that doesn't comp degrees to lefty political buddies and their kids, huh??

Exactly. All right. I've digressed enough.

The original question was the best place IN WEST VIRGINIA. I realize that Morgantown isn't Baltimore, Phoenix, or Los Angeles, but out of all West Virginia cities, I think its the nicest. Charleston would probably rate as #2, even with its urban blight problems. If you're a big city person (who looks down their nose at "lesser" places) then say so. You probably don't belong anywhere near West Virginia, though.

I'm just sayin'

[Rock]

Even though I'm a Beckley boy, I gotta throw my two cents out for Lewisburg. I've been here working on 6 years now, and I've fallen in love with Greenbrier County. Downtown Lewisburg is just a beautiful little town, with tons of tourist traps, and decent people. You can walk downtown at 3am, and never fear of being accosted; the town itself gives the feel of small-town America at it's finest. On the flip-side, go 5 miles in any direction from downtown, and you're in the 'real' Greenbrier County, complete with small unincorporated towns, and great people. It's a nice dichotomy.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Even though I'm a Beckley boy, I gotta throw my two cents out for Lewisburg. I've been here working on 6 years now, and I've fallen in love with Greenbrier County. Downtown Lewisburg is just a beautiful little town, with tons of tourist traps, and decent people. You can walk downtown at 3am, and never fear of being accosted; the town itself gives the feel of small-town America at it's finest. On the flip-side, go 5 miles in any direction from downtown, and you're in the 'real' Greenbrier County, complete with small unincorporated towns, and great people. It's a nice dichotomy.

I also fell in love with Lewisburg. Clean. Eclectic. Beautiful small town charm. What about White Sulphur Springs, though? I had an "oh, wow" experience seeing The Greenbriar for the first time but was (overall) disappointed with the whole city. It was like Welch with a nice hotel and golf course.

[Jet Black]

My experience with Lewisburg is one drive-through past the Greenbrier, plus staying overnight in a junior high gym with the rest of the marching band, to play the State Fair the next day. If I ever pass through Lewisburg again Rock, what two or three places should I check out? Is nice country down there.

[Rock]

I highly recommend the General Lewis Inn, right on rte 60 downtown. Also, downtown Lewisburg itself is a great place just to walk and see all the antique shops and art galleries. The Confederate cemetery is an eerie, almost sacred place to see, again close to downtown. Lost World Caverns is a big tourist gig...gee, at the risk of sounding like a marketing schmegma, try greenbrierwv.com

Route 60 during Fall foliage season is wonderful!!!

As for White Sulphur...it's trying. They've lost a ton of population and businesses, but the Main Street organization is trying hard to get the town back to it's former luster...it's just a tough row to hoe, much like Ronceverte. Many of those towns, including the coal camps in the southern coalfields, will never be the be-all, self-contained communities they once were...so, they're trying to find their new place in the scheme of things.

[AmpedNow]

Part of the problem could be with people who can't spell "secession".

Oooh. Brain fart. Time to go back to fourth grade.

So when does living near a "major city" qualify as a benefit? As far as I'm concerned, you can keep the traffic gridlocks, the crime, the urban sprawl, and the congestion of people on top of people. The rural beauty of West Virginia is one of its strongest selling points. Don't ruin everything by wanting a Pittsburgh or a Detroit or an Atlanta right in the middle of Almost Heaven.

I never said I wanted a metropolis right in the middle of WV, although I wouldn't be against it, either.

It would just be nice to have more options nearby.

If you're a big city person (who looks down their nose at "lesser" places) then say so. You probably don't belong anywhere near West Virginia, though.

I don't look down my nose at any place. They are what they are.

As for me not "belonging" here, I've lived here long enough to have an opinion.

But, you're probably right.

[Dave Loudin]

Coopers Rock State Park - just off I-68.

[Lester]

The Bickle's Knob firetower, just about sunset.

[fearpeddler]

watoga state park is nice in the fall.... i rent a cabin there every now and then

[Hoosier Daddy]

Best place to live in the Huntington metro: Ceredo

[Big Media]

Best place to live in the Huntington metro: Ceredo

Lesage is also nice.