Relocation to Blacksburg, VA
 

My husband has a great job opportunity at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA and we are trying to research the area before making a decision. We have a visit scheduled at the end of this month, but would like to try and gather as much information (even people's opinions) as possible.

I am 30 and my husband is 32 - no kids. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

Also, I am looking for jobs - is it possible to live in Blacksburg and work in Roanoke or vice versa? Any idea on how long that commute would be?

I have only been to that area once, so all I can tell you is that friends of ours, also 30-something without kids, moved from Blacksburg itself to nearby Christiansburg--they said they preferred its ambience and that the houses in their price range were nicer there. For what it's worth! Best of luck to you.

Hi Amy,

I lived in B’burg for over 10 years when I was your age! Obviously, only you can decide if you’ll be happy there or not. A lot depends on where you live now and what is of interest to you. I’ll try to list positives and not-so-positives as much as I remember (not necessarily in order of importance). First, positives:

The southwest area of Virginia is beautiful and would appeal to anyone interested in outdoor activities. Also, the community is safe and peaceful.

Nice four-season climate, no humidity in the summer and winters are not too bad unless you live in Florida or someplace similar.

VA Tech is a good university and the community benefits from it. B’burg is very much a “college town” and has a much more diverse population compared to the surrounding areas.

Depending on where you live now, cost of living is OK. Housing has gone up quite a lot since I lived there. It is relative but you may find cost of car insurance and similar things lower too.

Not so positive:

Lack of “big city” forms of entertainment such as theatre, museums, concerts, fancy restaurants and so on. This was the number one complaint of all time.

Depending on your background, you may not find employment suitable for you with appropriate pay. That is one of the reasons some couples live or commute to/from Roanoke, which is about 45 miles away.

You have to fly in and out of Roanoke which in my times was not the best gateway or cost-effective.

Again, depending on what you expect, I wouldn't list B'burg as a hip place.

I hope I could help you a little. I admit that I very much liked living in B'burg but I know plenty of people who disliked it. I hope you find a job there and don't have to commute. This is just my personal opinion that commuting detracts from the "charms" of living in a small town. Also, I'd not have liked living in Christainsburg. Around my time, there was no ambience to speak of. I'm sure you'll get a chance to see both and choose for yourself. If you haven't checked VA Tech's website, take a look (www.vt.edu) to get more information. Blacksburg is/was one of the earliest "wired" communites. Good luck.

I grew up in Roanoke - it has a very good public school system. Although the airlines aren't great (mostly US Airways), there are amazing restaurants, great shopping, Mill Mountain Theatre which does a great job with its productions, great attractions and just a wonderful place to live. I wish I could move back. Not to mention the fact that Va TEch is known as a VERY good school. Good luck!

I grew up in Roanoke too (hi radiofanatic). There are four seasons there, but I heartily disagree with esm (above) about the lack of humidity! IMHO, it's very humid in the summer. Aside from that, it's a beautiful region, with a lot of outdoor activities to enjoy.

Where are you relocating from, and what kind of job are you looking for? Roanoke is known as a modern medical center for the whole region, so if your field is at all health related, you may be in luck. It used to be a railroad center, but the N&W headquarters relocated to Norfolk, taking a lot of jobs with it.

I am currently living in Blacksburg and agree with esm's pros and cons. I came from a large urban area and really love it here because of the friendliness of the people, beauty of the area, cost of living and lack of congestion. Blacksburg is rapidly growing and in the few years I've been here I've seen new restaurants, shops, coffee shops etc springing up. Still, it is a rural area and Blacksburg has less of these then most college towns with a university of this size. I have known people who were not happy about this and moved elsewhere.

The drive to Roanoke from Blacksburg is about 50 minutes. Christiansburg is approximately half way between the two. Christiansburg is primarily for familes and is less expensive than Blacksburg. Blacksburg, of course, has a lot of students, its share of familes and young single professionals.

Charlotte, NC is about 3 hours drive, Winston-Salem is 2.5 and Washington, DC is 4.5.

Some PR:
In August 2001, Outdoor Magazine rated Blacksburg as one of 10 of the U.S. "Dream Towns". Blacksburg was selected not just for its abundance of outdoor activities but also for its character, quality of life, low cost of living and high-tech jobs. In 2000, Newsweek magazine ranked Blacksburg High School among the top 100 public high schools in the nation for percentage of students who take advanced placement courses toward college credit.