Best/Worst Neighborhoods? (Roanoke, Cave Spring, Salem: low income, rental, felon)

[dieselducy]

I am in the process of buying a house on N. Blair Street. is this a safe/ good neighborhood. it does not look too bad. alot better than where I am now.

[j1n]

Originally Posted by dieselducy

I am in the process of buying a house on N. Blair Street. is this a safe/ good neighborhood. it does not look too bad. alot better than where I am now.

I don't think anywhere in Vinton is "bad". Like the rest of the greater Roanoke area, it depends on what you are personally comfortable (or unomfortable) with.

[PaperTrail]

To my knowledge, Blair Street is not a bad area. I think that area fits the typical Vinton mold of good, hardworking, respectable blue-collar folk -- the kind you should be happy to have as neighbors.

Plus, you're close to downtown and the town's festivals -- a nice little perk.

[irenew]

We are planning on relocating to the Roanoke area in May of next year, My husband works as a Realestate Professional in Central Texas. We have been looking at some of the fixer uppers in the downtown area, but we have an 8year old son and were not sure about the schools. Hurt elementary was one school district we looked at? We are coming up in December to check out the area we really hope there is snow. I would really like any input neither of us has ever traveled this area before.

[roanokers]

We live in North Lakes, and love it. It is a very clean, friendly, and diverse neighborhood with county schools.

[big hack]

Originally Posted by Ryleigh

That, my dear, is still Roanoke -- not Vinton. Common misconception.

I have lived in Vinton for 2 1/2 years now. Vinton is a pretty good place to live. I live close to the Bedford county line but still only about a mile from the city limits. Not as much hustle and bustle as in the city. We looked at a lot of places in the Roanoke area before we moved and chose Vinton. It was a good choice.

[dieselducy]

I actually live near the intersection of Nblair ruddel and berkley, it is a strange intersection but ruddel seems like a safe neighborhood? is ruddel a safe neighborhood??

[stacy8860]

Originally Posted by irenew

We are planning on relocating to the Roanoke area in May of next year, My husband works as a Realestate Professional in Central Texas. We have been looking at some of the fixer uppers in the downtown area, but we have an 8year old son and were not sure about the schools. Hurt elementary was one school district we looked at? We are coming up in December to check out the area we really hope there is snow. I would really like any input neither of us has ever traveled this area before.

Personally, I would stay away from Roanoke City schools. According to the Great Schools ratings, Hurt Park Elementary is extremely low rated, a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best. And the Hurt Park area is not known to be a very nice area. I also remember hearing lately about quite a few city schools being on probation for the last few years and being at risk for losing their accreditation.

Downtown is hard to gauge, it changes from block to block on whether or not it's a nice area to live, but I wouldn't want to raise children there. I'd much prefer Roanoke County. The Cave Spring area is a bit more pricey, but the schools are great! They mostly rate 8 and 9 and Hidden Valley Middle is a 10!

Oh, and it's highly unlikely you'll see snow in December. We don't get much snow here. Much different than what I'm used to from Boston!

[seanpecor]

There are some great city schools. A few are struggling because of the socioeconomic challenges that the bulk of the children face. They're not struggling because of sub-par teaching. A well grounded family that remains involved in their children's education will do very well in city schools. Some of the absolute best teachers in the entire valley are teaching in city schools. Furthermore, you're more likely to enjoy living in walk-able neighborhoods in the city. There are plenty of walk-able tree-lined neighborhoods in Roanoke City while there are far fewer such neighborhoods in the county. Both Roanoke County and Roanoke City have their pros and cons. I think it's very important to spend time in the area and then decide which lifestyle is best for your family.

If you're in the upper income brackets and are shopping for a higher-end home then picking the city is so much easier. Nearly all of the upscale neighborhoods in the county require you to get into your car and drive to get to all of your day to day errands. County neighborhoods are sprawling subdivisions with nary a sidewalk and you're typically 2+ miles from restaurants, etc. By contrast, Old SW City, Grandin Village, and South Roanoke (et al) all offer neighborhoods that are absolutely gorgeous and walkable to restaurants, conveniences, and so on.

Sean

[stacy8860]

I'm not doubting that there are excellent teachers in Roanoke City, but do your research. Most city schools are horribly rated compared to the rest of the state.