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I've lived in Atlanta for over a decade. My wife and I are seriously considering moving to a smaller place, most likely in western North Carolina or Virginia. We like the mountainous regions because of the climate and the beauty of the terrain. We have a young child but we were "late parents" so we're comfortable with people in the 35-45 range, mostly. We've lived in several places around the country and generally seen it and done it all; we're not really into the hype of big cities anymore...tired of traffic and materialism and b.s. We are not snobby types who gush all over the so-called five-star restaurants and latest "cultural attraction" -- but we are educated, fairly open-minded people so we don't want to go to the other extreme and live in a backwards place, either.
Anyway, I was contacted recently about a job in Staunton. (Fortunately, I'm in a profession where I have pretty decent job options, even in a relatively small city that probably doesn't have too many jobs). My wife thinks that I'm being silly for even thinking about Staunton -- she thinks it's one of those places where you risk raising your kids and then never seeing them again because they'll want to get out as fast as they can and not return -- I'm not so cynical. I'm tempted to at least visit and do a little research.
Basically, we like the idea of a small city -- but we don't want to be in an area inhabited primarily by closed-minded people. We're not left-wing nutjobs -- don't get me wrong -- but I was scared by some other posts about Staunton that implied it is dominated by evangelicals and ultra-conservative old people. I'm also concerned that it's one of those places where if you aren't born and raised there, you will never be part of the community. (A long time ago, when I was in the military, we lived in a small town in the midwest -- about the same size as Staunton as a matter of fact -- and while people were superficially friendly, we could never be truly accepted and never had much luck making friends with locals).
On the other hand, Staunton looks like a town with some potential for a cool little downtown area, if there's any significant influx of newcomers. I also like the idea that it's close to Charlottesville and only a couple of hours drive to DC. And it is in the middle of a beautiful area.
So...am I nuts? What is it like to live there? Is there ANYTHING "hip" about Staunton? A coffee shop or two where some educated people hang out and discuss politics? (Or would that be more like a diner with a bunch of 70-year-olds talking about the weather?) Is Staunton a place that is developing and slowly become more "artsy" or progressive -- like a few of the small towns in Western North Carolina in the Asheville sphere of influence -- or is it more or less a "dead" town that won't ever change very much? I'm really just looking for some honest perspectives.
I wouldn't say it is dead. Last summer me, my wife, and 2nd grade son took Amtrak from Manassas Va to Staunton for the weekend. We were able to fill the afternoon, the whole next day, and another morning by walking the town. We enjoyed glass blowing, a few different (good) restaurants, a movie, President Wilson's birthplace, and shops. We stayed at the Stonewall Jackson. There is a Shakespeare theater that we didn't get to, but would like to go back to try some of the other restaurants we missed. I don't know what it would be like to live there, but it was nice for the weekend and it definitely wasn't dead.
From what you are saying, I think Charlottesville or even Harrisonburg might be a better option for you.
I have to say that Staunton is not really a happening place for young people. They have Mary Baldwin College for women. But its not quite anything to do really. Its a nice college town and very laid back though.
And most people pronounce it wrong. Its called STANT-ON
Harrisonburg, just 25 minutes North- actually offers more in the way of things to do. It has a bit more night life and since JMU is a state school, it has a lot more to offer . More live music there too.
Charlottesville is also fairly close to Staunton. So its not like there aren't nearby cities for fun.
Here are some pics of Staunton. It really is a lovely town:
From what you are saying, I think Charlottesville or even Harrisonburg might be a better option for you.
I have to say that Staunton is not really a happening place for young people. They have Mary Baldwin College for women. But its not quite anything to do really. Its a nice college town and very laid back though.
And most people pronounce it wrong. Its called STANT-ON
Harrisonburg, just 25 minutes North- actually offers more in the way of things to do. It has a bit more night life and since JMU is a state school, it has a lot more to offer . More live music there too.
Charlottesville is also fairly close to Staunton. So its not like there aren't nearby cities for fun.
Here are some pics of Staunton. It really is a lovely town:
Thanks for the link to photos. It definitely appears to be a small town. I get the feeling I would need to take a visit to have a better feel for the place.
I have lived in Staunton for over ten years having moved from Pittsburgh. What I really like about it is that it is a safe place to raise a family with many non-material things to do such as hiking and going to Gypsy Hill Park. It has a surprising number of unique cultural opportunities for a town of its size (25k) including the American Shakespeare Center (ASC - Home) and the Frontier Culture Museum (FCMV Home). Although it does lean conservative I think it is becoming more progressive probably on account of the number of people that have moved there over the past decade. I have found that most people do move away from the area after high school or college but many of them return when they start having a family. While the area is certainly not a melting pot of diversity it does seem to be increasing gradually. I do wish there were more - or any - good ethnic restaurants (other than your typical Mexican and Chinese restaurants) but there is always Harrisonburg or Charlottesville if you want Thai, Indian, or something else. Also, DC is about 2.5 hours away.
I've lived here for a while now. Staunton itself has become tough to identify easily. It has some of everything in regards to people. Staunton is mostly conservative, though the surrounding Augusta County is very conservative. I'd say Staunton is a nice, small town. If you attend church, you'll find some friends here (Staunton has a HUGE number of churches for such a small town). Most people here always go to church. Downtown Staunton (which is quite small) has a variety of people --- white collar, blue collar, white, black, young, old, rich and poor, etc. Now, that being said, Augusta County is a different story... it is about 99.9999% white redneck. Nearly everyone wears camoflage from head-to-toe during hunting season (and often all year) in Augusta county - if you catch my drift. Good jobs here are very rare...and this area does certainly have a "brain-drain". If your children attend college, and have serious career ambitions (other than in agriculture) they'll most likely need to relocate to Richmond, NOVA, DC, Baltimore, Charlotte, or any other mid to major market in the mid-atlantic. You see VERY FEW young professionals here. The good jobs are just not in the Shenandoah Valley. Quality of life here is great, there is no traffic, people are generally friendly, and crime is very low --- BUT, if you're not retired, don't work in agriculture, aren't an "old money" local family, and want to have a good career than Staunton is most likely not for you. I've learned this the hard way, and will most likely be leaving soon.
From reading your original post- I'd strongly recommend Charlottesville, Roanoke, or Asheville. C-ville is more college town like. Asheville is bigger, though possibly more "hippy" than C-ville. Roanoke is likely a bit bigger than Asheville, is cheaper too... and has many more options than Staunton (though definitely less career options than the BIG cities). Roanoke's a pretty cool mid-size town though.
I grew up in Staunton and I am now 21 and living in Austin, TX.
I have always said that Staunton is a good place to grow up and a good place to retire, but you don't "live" there -- which is why I wanted to get out to a bigger city before I got "stuck" in Staunton. It's a pretty good place to be a kid and grow up, though, and to raise a family -- but I think it's likely that your little one will want to get out of the town when the time comes.
If you want a slow-paced town that shuts down early on weekdays, and if you want a quaint and predictable storybook Shenandoah childhood for your kid, Stuaunton is the place.
BUT, there isn't much to DO at all. Charlottesville is much better, and just a 35-minute drive away. Check out C-ville and drive to Staunton for a weekend. Once you've visited the three or four highlights of Staunton, return to Charlottesville where there is much more to do.
The Shenandoah Valley is gorgeous, and I do miss it since I've moved to TX. Staunton is a pretty town, but a town to visit on the weekend. You'll get bored there, I promise. Charlottesville is a much nicer place, and much less conservative.
My husband and I and our two kids moved to staunton from charlottesville a little over a year ago because housing prices were so much lower. I love living here. I am not conservative evangelical, although I am religious and found my group of friends through my congregation. My husband and I lived in charlottesville for about five years, but I grew up in Texas, Houston and Austin, and while I desperately miss Austin, I wouldn't trade raising my kids here for anything. I'm not bored here either- even without the kids. I love the downtown, there are a couple of those cool coffee shops you were asking about. And while I would really love a single thai restaurant, there are some decent dining options downtown, and charlottesville- like everyone has already mentioned is not far away. In fact my husband commutes there for work. I love Charlottesville- But i actually disagree that there is more to do there than in Staunton. That may be true for a college student- but definitely not for a family. And augusta county is not quite as redneck as it has been made out to be. It's rural. It's like rural america anywhere. except maybe a little bit more beautiful. We are a young artsy family and really couldn't be happier anywhere else.
My girlfriend and I are looking at moving east in about a year and a half, and Staunton is on our ever-growing "possible cities" list.
We own our own home-based business, so career/job opportunities aren't an issue. Reliable, fast Internet access is, though. Our phones are completely VoIP, and 99% of our business is conducted via phone or the web, so a rock-solid, reasonably priced Internet provider is a must.
She's got two kids, both boys, who are currently 13 and 15. They'll be 15 and 17 when we move, if we're able to stick to our current time line.
I'm not religious at all, and she lightly practices a non-Christian religion. Neither of us are church-goers.
Our political leanings are best classified as Libertarian. We both think that the federal government is out of control, and should be scaled back. On social issues, we don't care what people do, as long as they're not hurting anyone else or soaking up tax dollars to do it.
We don't really want to live in an ultra-liberal city - we'd considered Asheville, until I discovered that it's kind of like a "Berkeley East". We also don't want to be in an ultra-conservative area, as my girlfriend's religion could be an issue and while we're not very socially active, we don't want to be ostracized in the community, either.
We don't hunt, although I'm an avid gun rights supporter. We don't have a problem with hunters or hunting; it's just not something we choose to do.
We're both tired of "big city" problems and population density, but we appreciate some of the conveniences that living in/near a decent sized city provides. Ideally, we'd like to find a more rural location (i.e. where you're neighbor's house is more than 20 feet away from your own), but with some of the urban conveniences that city living provides (grocery stores open late, etc).
We'll be looking at renting a house, with a possible purchase ~5 years or so down the road if everything works out.
So, with all that said, how well do those of you "in the know" think that Staunton would fit us? We're pretty flexible on most of those things, but the one thing that is an absolute must is having a good Internet provider - without it, we have no business, and no income...
Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions/information!
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