Relocation question - advice or input, please

[Flaxbee]

OK, we have a small business and we'd like to leave the area we are in - pretty, but fundie- filled and my husband really prefers Virginia to NCarolina. So off to Virginia we go.

Now, there are some really depressed (but very beautiful) areas of southwestern VA that are trying to attract businesses, offering assistance (we'll know the extent of the assistance in a week or so). These areas have much lower costs of living, but they're also about 1.5 hours from any city of any size (Winston Salem, NC is the closest).

Or, we can head toward northern Virginia, but the cost of living goes way up, the cost of business rentals, etc., all goes way up. But - then you're near everything, with a lot more diversity, variety, etc.

I have lived in or near cities all my life, until the last 4 years. I don't mind being in a small town so long as I can get to a bigger town within an hour and a half or so. If our business is thriving (we don't need walk-in customers so we can be based anywhere) then being a bit remote is OK with me. But I also miss being around the hubbub of city life.

So, I guess I'm just wondering - if you had a choice, would you try to make a go of it in a smaller town for a while, rent a home, not necessarily set down permanent roots, and see what happened? Or would you think a bigger town / small city would be a better bet?

[LostinVA]

1. Charlottesville -- college town, +70% blue voters, restaurants, music, great town

I lived there for a decade. PM any questions.

Or, Asheville or Boone/Blowing Rock/N=Banner Elk area of NC.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. I second this, Charlottesville is pretty awesome

Even if it's in the South.

:hide:

[LostinVA]

3. VIRGINIA IS THE MID ATLANTIC!!!!!

[rateyes]

4. Roanoke/Salem isn't "small" but, having lived in Southwest Virginia...

I can tell you it's also "full of fundies." Why don't you try the Tidwater area of Virginia...like Middlesex County or Northhampton. From Those areas you are an hour to an hour and half from Richmond, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Washington DC, etc....yet, rural.

I've lived both places. Oh, and Southwest Virginia isn't far from the Tri-cities area of Tennessee....Kingsport, Bristol, Johnson City all very close, and together probably 300 to 400 thousand people.

On edit: The cost of living isn't very high in those tidewater areas, unless you decide to buy waterfront property.

[leftyclimber]

5. If you're trying to get away from pretty but fundie-filled

southwestern Virginia is not for you. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

I'm an extremely itinerant person by nature, so I'd rent in a variety of places, move regularly, and take as many risks as I can. It sounds like you may be a bit more "settled" than I am -- four years anywhere seems like an eternity to me, and I'm going nuts after living in the same place for a little over three years at this point!

There are a fair number of DUers in the areas you're considering moving to. Hopefully they can weigh in about the benefits and drawbacks of living in those locations. But if you're trying to get away from the culture you're in right now, you'd be moving right back into it in SW Virginia.

[Flaxbee]

6. Any thoughts on Abingdon, Virginia?

We're either going to go small - southwestern VA, or larger toward DC like Winchester, but not really in-between (like C'ville, though a good friend of mine has an alternative therapy practice in C'ville).

Abingdon has a liberal arts college, and a pretty strong theater community, from what I can tell...

[mwooldri]

7. IIRC your part of NC is definitely pretty but fundie-filled.

I wouldn't have thought that SW VA is that much different from W NC culturally speaking.

Got to think about the $$'s these days too I'm afraid. If it makes more $ sense living in SW VA and Winston-Salem is big enough a city for you then go for it...

If it's literally about the politics of the area then get on towards DC... yep.

Another middle way is look towards moving more urban: Piedmont Triad area of NC isn't that much more expensive than western NC and the Triangle may be a bit more cosmopolitan. You get the bigger city life and the more liberal politics. Cost of living isn't that bad here and because the move would be in-state would be easier administrative-wise (no new drivers licenses, no need to re-register vehicles, tax time... etc)

Maybe camp out on the NC/VA border?

Mark.

[Flaxbee]

8. husband prefers Virginia, and for other reasons, Va would be

easier -- but the VA/NC border is where we're looking.

Abingdon looks interesting, too, though. A more developed small town than the first place we looked at(plus it has a liberal arts college). The nearest big airport to Abingdon is Knoxville, though, which doesn't have the kind of international flights that Charlotte NC has - and the first small SW Va town we looked at is closer to Charlotte.