| Author | |
Karen T
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 16 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 927
|
| Posted: Feb 22 2006 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
We are looking to move to Va next year. We have lived in Newport News in the past but would like to be closer to my MIL who is in western Maryland (near Frederick), so northwestern or western VA is where we're looking. Dh is finishing his business degree this year and will be job-hunting, so that of course affects it, but we'd like to have some ideas of good places to look. We'd like to have a small farm if possible so are not looking at large cities.
After living in SC, upstate NY, Va, SC again, and Atlanta (where i grew up), we are hoping this will be our final move. Ideally, we'll have room for MIL to move in with us eventually, but at the moment she is quite independent and wouldn't dream of it!
I'd love to hear about good areas (not near Washington - we can't afford it!). We will be visiting MIL in May and plan to drive back through VA to check out some places. thanks
Karen T
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Elizabeth
Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5595
|
| Posted: Feb 22 2006 at 4:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Karen,
Several of us, including Molly Smith,Irene, Mary Chris and I, live in Loudoun County which is Northwestern VA, about an hour from Frederick (less for Molly because she's further northwest than we are). There are definitely small farms up Molly's way.
__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Karen T
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 16 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 927
|
| Posted: Feb 23 2006 at 10:21pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks, Elizabeth (and Molly for the IM - lots of great info).
Anyone else here in Va, even if it's a little farther from Frederick, MD? (we're currently 12+ hours away from her, so 1-3 hours would still be a huge improvement)
Karen
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Jen L.
Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 18 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2148
|
| Posted: Feb 23 2006 at 10:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My neice loves the Charlottesville area. She and her husband have convinced 3 families to move there from as far away as Colorado. Our own Melissa Wiley can tell you all about it, I'm sure.
I looked it up on Mapquest and from the cities of Charlottesville to Frederick, it is 131 miles and 2 hrs and 43 minutes.
__________________
Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Magnificat
Forum Rookie
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 96
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2006 at 7:21am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi!
We live in Newport News and love it! We travel frequently to Northern VA-my parents live in Manassas-Just outside of DC.
We also have friends who live in Lovettsville which is just on the border of VA/MD. Lots of farm and land. It's also close to Leesburg, VA
I hope this helps!
Charlotte
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2006 at 8:18am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Front Royal, VA, is a nice place to raise a family. Christendom College is there, too. It's a bit far from big-city businesses, but certainly worth a look.
I love Charlottesville, too...
I live an hour from Harrisonburg, VA. It's nice enough, quite affordable with a large Mennonite community and a growing Hispanic population. There is some tension due to this population increase but, as yet, very little gang activity or anything like that. There are lots of college students (James Madison University). The outlying farm towns are lovely. Harrisonburg's right on I-81, about 2 hours by car from Dulles Airport/Loudon County, VA. Harrisonburg has only one Catholic church, but the pastor gives great homilies! It seems to be a very active parish, with lots of community outreach.
What fun, to actually pick where to live instead of having someone send you someplace!
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Jen L.
Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 18 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2148
|
| Posted: March 06 2006 at 12:30pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I happened upon an article today. Progressive Farmer magazine has an article on the best places to live. The top ten includes a county in Virginia (north east, not north west) and you can also see the Top 20 by region.
They even have a short questionnaire that "picks" the best location for you!
__________________
Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: March 06 2006 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Karen,
I would selfishly say go for Prince William County/Manassas area, but that is being built up a bit. Jennifer's link listed Fauquier county as a good place to be. It is a neighboring county and prices are pretty good there, and it's really easy to hook up to Frederick from there. Also Culpeper county has some nice farming properties which is nearby.
We travel to Altoona, PA and take various ways through Leesburg/Purcellville area and also 70 through Frederick. I love Loudoun county, and that would probably be your best bet. homesdatabase.com is the most up-to-date realtor database that you can search and find properties for sale.
I'd recommend staying in the Diocese of Arlington...not everything is perfect, but there are some good parishes and priests in our area. Lots of good homeschooling communities. Manassas has a nice group with All Saints Church.
If your dh doesn't have to commute into the DC area for his job, then the world is your oyster.  I'd be happy to answer any other questions.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MicheleQ
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2193
|
| Posted: March 06 2006 at 12:59pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Karen T wrote:
| We are looking to move to Va next year. We have lived in Newport News in the past but would like to be closer to my MIL who is in western Maryland (near Frederick), so northwestern or western VA is where we're looking. Karen T |
|
|
Karen,
Have you considered the Gettysburg/Southern York County Pa area? Real Estate is quite good there and it's mostly farms (i.e. lots of work for a vet). Gettysburg is less than an hour from Frederick. Oh and you would be in the Harrisburg diocese. . .with me! We have a VERY orthodox Bishop.
God bless!
__________________
Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
~Rachel~
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 677
|
| Posted: March 06 2006 at 5:12pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We're in central Virginia area... just North of Richmond.
There are a number of rural areas here, which are a lot cheaper than the Northern virginia area  .
It's nice... the Churches are rather liberal though 
__________________
~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maureen
Forum Rookie
Joined: Feb 15 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 83
|
| Posted: March 07 2006 at 12:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. There is a lot of farmland in the area, plus there is a very orthodox parish in Staunton, VA.
__________________
Maureen, mom to 8 treasures
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
saintanneshs
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 15 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 591
|
| Posted: March 07 2006 at 4:10pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We live in between Richmond and D.C, about 30 minutes from I-95 and I wouldn't recommend anything that fits into that region because my county (and those bordering us) are bursting at the seams. Few farms, at least 16 Elementary schools at last count and 5 or 6 high schools in our area...just to give you an idea of the growth factor. And, the growth isn't being handled well here. We are farming, but only because we're on the outskirts and we're 3rd generation farmers. No way would I pick to live here if not for the fact that farms generally aren't mobile  ...I think I'd head west or northwest too. Good luck and happy farm-hunting!
~Rachel~, it sounds like we're neighbors!
__________________
Kristine
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary G
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5790
|
| Posted: March 07 2006 at 5:35pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My parents lived in the Aquia/Quantico/Fredricksburg area -- there's an awesome Catholic parish in Fredericksburg with some great homeschoolers -- my SIL and brother lived down there for a while too.
I went to grad school at William and Mary and that area -- Williamsburg down to VA Beach -- is real pretty. I alsmost got a job in Roanoke and we go on a Father's Day Pilgrimage every year to the Allegheny Highlands (just west of Roanoke)!
My favorite area has to be Winchester! We used to go up for the the Apple Festival every year and had such a great time!
Virginia is a pretty good place to live if you can get around the "can't do anything here, G. Washington lived/slept/ate/coughed here" syndrome!
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
saintanneshs
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 15 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 591
|
| Posted: March 07 2006 at 5:46pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Mary G. wrote:
| My parents lived in the Aquia/Quantico/Fredricksburg area -- there's an awesome Catholic parish in Fredericksburg with some great homeschoolers -- my SIL and brother lived down there for a while too. |
|
|
Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention this...Mary's right! Our group is huge and wonderful, growing between 3 parishes. There's so much support here for everything from our own home school athletics and other extra-curricular interests to you name it. Shame on me for not mentioning this in my post.  Kinda' makes the growth thing seem not so bad, huh?
__________________
Kristine
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
~Rachel~
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 677
|
| Posted: March 08 2006 at 9:29am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Kristine... we're in Hanover county Does that help?
__________________
~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Virginia
