Roanoke v. Lynchburg

[Fenway65]

Hello mar_1838. My husband and I have been job-searching in this area as well. We also have similar reasons for leaving the northeast, weather and taxes. We also want to find a place with enough music, arts and nightlife to enjoy our life. We visited Richmond, C'ville, Lynchburg and Roanoke last fall when my husband went for an interview. After our visit though, we are still not convinced enough to pull the trigger.
We flew into Richmond. This city had a lot to offer, a nice art museum, shopping and many diverse restaurants and bistros. They even had a minor-league baseball team, the Flying Squirrels. This is also the only city that had real suburbs surrounding the city. The west end offered high-end stores and a decent mall. We heard that crime downtown may be an issue. However the airport in Richmond is the best in the area. Parking is easy and it offers many flights and destinations. We also took the Amtrak from here to Alexandria and DC, very easy for a day or weekend trip.

Charlottesville was about an hour west by car. Strangely, there was no Amtrak between Richmond and there. This town was smaller but pleasant. It looked to have a fair amount of shopping and restaurant choices. They also have a small pedestrian street with shops, food and bars. We went there one night, had a great meal, and went to a concert. C'ville also puts you at the foot of the mountains, close to Skyline drive. I must say that the foliage was OK, but dull and muted compared to Mass or Vermont.

We then went south to Lynchburg, about 1-1/2 hours and a nice scenic drive. But you quickly notice that there is virtually nothing between the two cities. I think there was a couple gas stops and a McDonalds, but that's it. We stayed in Lynchburg for 2 nights. They have a small house that Jefferson built and decent views of adjacent hills. But I must say this was our least favorite city, even though we both had job prospects there. We asked our hotel desk clerk for a good place to have a drink and meet local people. It was Friday night and she recommended the bar at Olive Garden. We went to the mall to see a movie. The place was deserted. And the Sears store there was having a going out of business sale. Saturday night we went "downtown", but it too was a ghost town. There was one nice looking restaurant open (Shoemakers), but we were turned away due to a wedding, must be small inside? They do have an Amtrak station that can bring you to DC in 3-4 hours. But this town felt very isolated to us.

Finally we went to Roanoke. It was not booming either, but at least had a pulse. The downtown was also tiny, but they had a couple ethnic restaurants, a bakery and cute shops. You can see it all in an hour though. They do NOT have passenger trains there at all, but it is closer to I-81. They did have a small but nice art museum. They also have an old railroad hotel which had a bar and live music. We met some nice local people there. On Friday night they had a music festival. The local eateries each had music, blues, salsa etc. It was fun. Although this town seemed more promising, it really leaves you feeling very remote. My husband and I often travel, throughout the US and to Europe. So viable airports and rail are a must.

I wish you luck in your search for Utopia. Although we still may consider these VA towns, we have expanded our search to other states and are staying put for now. Reply or message if you have any questions about our visit. One of our friends told us to look at Asheville NC, supposedly somewhat artsy.

[cam4vt]

Originally Posted by Fenway65

Hello mar_1838. My husband and I have been job-searching in this area as well. We also have similar reasons for leaving the northeast, weather and taxes. We also want to find a place with enough music, arts and nightlife to enjoy our life. We visited Richmond, C'ville, Lynchburg and Roanoke last fall when my husband went for an interview. After our visit though, we are still not convinced enough to pull the trigger.
We flew into Richmond. This city had a lot to offer, a nice art museum, shopping and many diverse restaurants and bistros. They even had a minor-league baseball team, the Flying Squirrels. This is also the only city that had real suburbs surrounding the city. The west end offered high-end stores and a decent mall. We heard that crime downtown may be an issue. However the airport in Richmond is the best in the area. Parking is easy and it offers many flights and destinations. We also took the Amtrak from here to Alexandria and DC, very easy for a day or weekend trip.

Charlottesville was about an hour west by car. Strangely, there was no Amtrak between Richmond and there. This town was smaller but pleasant. It looked to have a fair amount of shopping and restaurant choices. They also have a small pedestrian street with shops, food and bars. We went there one night, had a great meal, and went to a concert. C'ville also puts you at the foot of the mountains, close to Skyline drive. I must say that the foliage was OK, but dull and muted compared to Mass or Vermont.

We then went south to Lynchburg, about 1-1/2 hours and a nice scenic drive. But you quickly notice that there is virtually nothing between the two cities. I think there was a couple gas stops and a McDonalds, but that's it. We stayed in Lynchburg for 2 nights. They have a small house that Jefferson built and decent views of adjacent hills. But I must say this was our least favorite city, even though we both had job prospects there. We asked our hotel desk clerk for a good place to have a drink and meet local people. It was Friday night and she recommended the bar at Olive Garden. We went to the mall to see a movie. The place was deserted. And the Sears store there was having a going out of business sale. Saturday night we went "downtown", but it too was a ghost town. There was one nice looking restaurant open (Shoemakers), but we were turned away due to a wedding, must be small inside? They do have an Amtrak station that can bring you to DC in 3-4 hours. But this town felt very isolated to us.

Finally we went to Roanoke. It was not booming either, but at least had a pulse. The downtown was also tiny, but they had a couple ethnic restaurants, a bakery and cute shops. You can see it all in an hour though. They do NOT have passenger trains there at all, but it is closer to I-81. They did have a small but nice art museum. They also have an old railroad hotel which had a bar and live music. We met some nice local people there. On Friday night they had a music festival. The local eateries each had music, blues, salsa etc. It was fun. Although this town seemed more promising, it really leaves you feeling very remote. My husband and I often travel, throughout the US and to Europe. So viable airports and rail are a must.

I wish you luck in your search for Utopia. Although we still may consider these VA towns, we have expanded our search to other states and are staying put for now. Reply or message if you have any questions about our visit. One of our friends told us to look at Asheville NC, supposedly somewhat artsy.

Passenger rail has been confirmed and work has started in Roanoke. The airport although small has some nice direct flights to major airports, but its not what I feel we need around here. Roanoke has been "off the map" for some time now, but is finally growing again. Not to mention we are getting state "support" that other parts of the state have enjoyed for years. There is a push for the arts and outdoors along with tech and medical jobs... Where the city is headed is still to be seen, but the future is bright.

[Fenway65]

Great to hear the positive forecast cam4vt. We enjoyed our short stay in Roanoke. The local people seemed very friendly, especially the shop owners and merchants at the outdoor market. We are still unsure where we will settle, but we will certainly keep Roanoke on our list of possibles.

[roanoker 4]

Roanokes' support for the Arts has been remarkable!
Norfolk gets money from the state as does Richmond for their museums. As a smaller city we have deep pockets in supporting
the infrastructure which encourages economic development. Since the art museum was built, the number of spin off businesses has increased at an amazing rate. A new Hotel is going up and there are more projects planned. The impression one gets of a City as a first time visitor is of its downtown. Richmond is seen as a sprawled out suburban area with great shopping but really not unlike other cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh with the same chain restaurants and stores. Charlottesville
doesn't have a "downtown" but a cute pedestrian Mall catering to the upscale college crowd. Lynchburg has a promising downtown if it only had some local "movers and shakers" like Ed Walker who could build a major tourist draw such as an
Aquarium downtown, streetcars, etc . Richmond and Lynchburg have not torn down their downtowns and I think in the future that will pay big rewards.The new train to Roanoke, plus the scenic excursions announced by Norfolk Southern should bring in more tourists. Btw, has everyone forgot about Norfolk? Norfolk Southern has really spent money on improving downtown Norfolk.