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I've been through Morgantown many times. it is a college town, a very small city. Other than the university, there is not a whole lot going on. There are some things to do - breweries, some parks and trails, a few museums - but other than that, not much. If you're into the outdoors there are a bunch of state parks not too far - Cooper's Rock east on I-68 - plenty of hunting and fishing, too. Scenery wise, WV is beautiful - four seasons, hills, mountains, etc.
Pittsburgh is the closest major city, about an hour to the north.
WV is one of the poorest states in the entire US. I feel Morgantown is below the national average.
Winters are probably not as bad as what you experienced in Michigan.
I've been through Morgantown many times. it is a college town, a very small city. Other than the university, there is not a whole lot going on. There are some things to do - breweries, some parks and trails, a few museums - but other than that, not much. If you're into the outdoors there are a bunch of state parks not too far - Cooper's Rock east on I-68 - plenty of hunting and fishing, too. Scenery wise, WV is beautiful - four seasons, hills, mountains, etc.
Pittsburgh is the closest major city, about an hour to the north.
WV is one of the poorest states in the entire US. I feel Morgantown is below the national average.
Winters are probably not as bad as what you experienced in Michigan.
Honest question, what would be “a lot going on” to you? Because I see your list and think “wow, that’s plenty of stuff. Sounds awesome.” I get curious when people visit places we see as active and growing (with data to back it up) and come out with that response. I’m genuinely interested in learning what’s “missing” from your perspective.
I've been through Morgantown many times. it is a college town, a very small city. Other than the university, there is not a whole lot going on. There are some things to do - breweries, some parks and trails, a few museums - but other than that, not much. If you're into the outdoors there are a bunch of state parks not too far - Cooper's Rock east on I-68 - plenty of hunting and fishing, too. Scenery wise, WV is beautiful - four seasons, hills, mountains, etc.
Pittsburgh is the closest major city, about an hour to the north.
WV is one of the poorest states in the entire US. I feel Morgantown is below the national average.
Winters are probably not as bad as what you experienced in Michigan.
There's undeniably a lot of private sector job growth and residential construction ongoing in Monongalia County. While Morgantown/Monongalia County has a lower median household/per capita income than areas like Charleston, Martinsburg, and Wheeling - the county's median family income is above the national average while also having median home values at $240,517 compared to the national median of $467,700.
While I do agree that Morgantown lacks in "Things to do" in comparison to other cities in the state, such as Charleston and Wheeling, and Morgantown's political leaders are probably more incompetent than those in both of those cities, Morgantown is within 30 minutes of Clarksburg's mall, 1 hour to Pittsburgh, 1 hour to Wheeling, 2.5 hours to Charleston, 3 hours to Columbus, and 3.5 hours to DC/Baltimore, making it perfect for day trips and weekend getaways.
Clarksburg has the main commercial airport for this region, and offers a surprising number of nonstop flights to destinations between Orlanda and Chicago. Pittsburgh's airport is also like ~ 45 minutes away if you're heading to an early morning flight, although Pittsburgh's airport is depressing.
I've been through Morgantown many times. it is a college town, a very small city. Other than the university, there is not a whole lot going on. There are some things to do - breweries, some parks and trails, a few museums - but other than that, not much. If you're into the outdoors there are a bunch of state parks not too far - Cooper's Rock east on I-68 - plenty of hunting and fishing, too. Scenery wise, WV is beautiful - four seasons, hills, mountains, etc.
Pittsburgh is the closest major city, about an hour to the north.
WV is one of the poorest states in the entire US. I feel Morgantown is below the national average.
Winters are probably not as bad as what you experienced in Michigan.
I'm glad the Winters in Morgantown are a bit than the Winters in Michigan. I'm aware that Morgantown is very seasonal with actual Winters that come with a decent amount of snow.
It seems like Morgantown is the type of city I'm looking for. I've lived in several major, populated, expensive, touristy cities (including the one I'm in right now), and I'm ready to move on from the typical major/urban city lifestyle.
Plus, I aspire to attend graduate school at WVU, and the smaller size of Morgantown likely means less distractions. I like hanging out at coffee shops (I see there are a number of those in Morgantown) and libraries. I also enjoy hanging out in a few parks here and there. I don't need that many amenities.
Colt .45 mentioned the restaurant and shopping scene in Morgantown, which works for me since I'm not a big foodie (I like to eat the food that taste good to me ... even if it's from a chain restaurant or a "hole in the wall" place) and I'm not a big shopper. After doing some research, Morgantown offers enough stores for me to shop at.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mmccul
Honest question, what would be “a lot going on” to you? Because I see your list and think “wow, that’s plenty of stuff. Sounds awesome.” I get curious when people visit places we see as active and growing (with data to back it up) and come out with that response. I’m genuinely interested in learning what’s “missing” from your perspective.
I guess it's a matter of perspective. The people who prefer major/urban cities are probably not going to be happy with the amenities that are offered in smaller or mid-sized cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Archer705
There's undeniably a lot of private sector job growth and residential construction ongoing in Monongalia County. While Morgantown/Monongalia County has a lower median household/per capita income than areas like Charleston, Martinsburg, and Wheeling - the county's median family income is above the national average while also having median home values at $240,517 compared to the national median of $467,700.
While I do agree that Morgantown lacks in "Things to do" in comparison to other cities in the state, such as Charleston and Wheeling, and Morgantown's political leaders are probably more incompetent than those in both of those cities, Morgantown is within 30 minutes of Clarksburg's mall, 1 hour to Pittsburgh, 1 hour to Wheeling, 2.5 hours to Charleston, 3 hours to Columbus, and 3.5 hours to DC/Baltimore, making it perfect for day trips and weekend getaways.
Clarksburg has the main commercial airport for this region, and offers a surprising number of nonstop flights to destinations between Orlanda and Chicago. Pittsburgh's airport is also like ~ 45 minutes away if you're heading to an early morning flight, although Pittsburgh's airport is depressing.
Interesting.
I imagine Martinsburg really benefits from its relative proximity to the D.C. area. I see that Martinsburg is an hour and a half from D.C. ... AND there's a commuter train that runs between the two cities. I'm sure some of those federal (and non-federal) employees who work in the D.C. area commute from the Martinsburg area (I don't blame them one bit.)
^It sounds like it is the place for you. If you can visit beforehand that would be ideal, but that is up to you. All of us can tell you about it, but it's different once you experience it for yourself.
I imagine Martinsburg really benefits from its relative proximity to the D.C. area. I see that Martinsburg is an hour and a half from D.C. ... AND there's a commuter train that runs between the two cities. I'm sure some of those federal (and non-federal) employees who work in the D.C. area commute from the Martinsburg area (I don't blame them one bit.)
Correct. You already understand the Eastern Panhandle better than many in the state and those under the dome in Charleston
Growth has exploded in the past several years in Berkeley and Jefferson counties for this reason. Luckily, it’s remained constant throughout and post-Covid. A lot of remote and hybrid workers who are looking to get away from the city and have a more affordable lifestyle are coming here now. At one point, Berkeley County alone was adding an average of 80 new residential address per week, according to a county council report.
Back to the thread topic, I agree with others. Based on what you’ve shared you are looking for - you’ll feel right at home in Morgantown.
Thank you sluggermatt15, mmccul, and Archer705 for your responses and insight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sluggermatt15
^It sounds like it is the place for you. If you can visit beforehand that would be ideal, but that is up to you. All of us can tell you about it, but it's different once you experience it for yourself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mmccul
Correct. You already understand the Eastern Panhandle better than many in the state and those under the dome in Charleston
Growth has exploded in the past several years in Berkeley and Jefferson counties for this reason. Luckily, it’s remained constant throughout and post-Covid. A lot of remote and hybrid workers who are looking to get away from the city and have a more affordable lifestyle are coming here now. At one point, Berkeley County alone was adding an average of 80 new residential address per week, according to a county council report.
Back to the thread topic, I agree with others. Based on what you’ve shared you are looking for - you’ll feel right at home in Morgantown.
Visiting Morgantown beforehand would be unrealistic due to the distance (it's basically on the opposite side of the country from my current location.) Based on the responses I recieved in this thread as well as the information I gathered from research, Morgantown seems like a good fit for me. As noted, I really like the graduate program I'm interested in at WVU ... along with guaranteed two-year graduate assistantship for all grad students in the department. I look forward to arriving in Morgantown by this Spring.
There's undeniably a lot of private sector job growth and residential construction ongoing in Monongalia County. While Morgantown/Monongalia County has a lower median household/per capita income than areas like Charleston, Martinsburg, and Wheeling - the county's median family income is above the national average while also having median home values at $240,517 compared to the national median of $467,700.
While I do agree that Morgantown lacks in "Things to do" in comparison to other cities in the state, such as Charleston and Wheeling, and Morgantown's political leaders are probably more incompetent than those in both of those cities, Morgantown is within 30 minutes of Clarksburg's mall, 1 hour to Pittsburgh, 1 hour to Wheeling, 2.5 hours to Charleston, 3 hours to Columbus, and 3.5 hours to DC/Baltimore, making it perfect for day trips and weekend getaways.
Clarksburg has the main commercial airport for this region, and offers a surprising number of nonstop flights to destinations between Orlanda and Chicago. Pittsburgh's airport is also like ~ 45 minutes away if you're heading to an early morning flight, although Pittsburgh's airport is depressing.
My uncle lives near Morgantown, and I have spent a lot of time in northern Michigan visiting friends there.
I have only been there twice, but I was very impressed with the things going on there. There is a large national level university there with a lot of activities centered around that that are available to everyone. They have a lively arts scene, excellent local parks, a beautiful and sizable rail trail, several good restaurants and bars, and a lot of youthful folks living there as one might expect in a city like that. I suspect the income levels people mentioned are not really reflective of the community and are heavily skewed due to the presence of large numbers of college students who work for minimum wage in service industries. My uncle works for the Federal government there, and he mentions several federal agencies that have good paying jobs with local employment. I have also been to Wheeling (passing through) and they seem to have terrific parks there. In West Virginia terms, the location is very close to large metro areas with a whole lot to do.
You'd be hard pressed in West Virginia to find anything that rivals it overall unless you go to the Eastern Panhandle, which is essentially suburban DC/Baltimore. The area seems to be on the rise economically. I am not sure many places in the state can say that unless it is the Eastern Panhandle areas.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that UNT is mostly a commuter school while WVU is the flagship school of the state. WVU is going to have way more energy and vibrancy than UNT around campus. UNT is going to be more laid back and chill as far as the campus scene. Contrast that to the entire area where UNT is going to have way more going on because of what DFW has to offer compared to Morgantown being a bit isolated as a college town.
In some ways at age 40, the UNT scene might be preferable because you have a more mature grand scene in DFW and a little more toned down undergrad thing at UNT compared to WVU.
If I were in my 20s I'd find WVU more appealing. At 40 I'd think UNT might be more to my liking.
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