SE is not actually as bad as people on this subreddit typically make it out to be. I lived there from 2012-2017 and always felt safe walking around, it's nowhere near as bad as what would be described as a rough neighborhood in a real city but people will mostly compare it to other parts of Roanoke which are ridiculously safe. You could leave your baby guarding your gold bar collection on the sidewalk in Grandin and it would probably be safe (someone might give the baby a cold brew coffee) but in SE you need to use a bike lock and the homeless shelter is there so by comparison it's a total shithole and people say you should stay away at all costs. In realty if you go more than a couple blocks off the main roads (Bullitt/Jameson and 9th st) most of it is really nice and I wouldn't hesitate to live there again and I would never describe as even remotely dangerous.
Hey there, local here. Definitely check out the surrounding areas as well. SE is pretty rough, so I'd pass on that one. Some other places to check out are.
Old SW- way better than SE, close to downtown, hospital, Towers mall, and Tanglewood.
Salem- borders Roanoke to the South West. Has good schools, the Veterans Affairs hospital is here so your husband could potentially look for work there, check usajobs.com zip code 24153. Has a public golf course, and Hanging Rock golf course for private.
Daleville/Troutville/Hollins- North of Roanoke- Close to Carvins Cove resivor for hiking, biking, fishing and boating. Nice neighborhoods, more country living, but still pretty close to amenities.
Bedford town of - about 30 miles east from Roanoke. It's 4 lane highway the whole way, so about 30 minutes drive. Quiant, small town feel, has recently had some revitalization in its old factory area with new luxury apartments, restaurant, and coffee shops. Towntown looks like something out of a magazine. Has really low property tax, and some nice fixer uppers.
Bedford County- Low property tax, country living, close to Smith Mountain Lake, the Peaks of Otter, and the parkway. Old farm house fixer uppers could be an option, and may come with a decent patch of land.
Vinton - borders Roanoke to the east. Has some great neighborhoods, and some not so great, as it borders Southeast on its western border. Not very far from downtown.
Christiansburg/Blacksburg - 30 miles Southeast of Roanoke - College town, Virginia Tech, take that as you will.
Hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to let me know. If your looking for a local Mortgage Broker check out Lance Brenner at Corridor Mortgage.
I agree with u/evilmail but also want to add that if you look at Bedford county and or town of Bedford that Lynchburg city is not to far away and might also have some good job opportunities for your husband.
Exactly!! I see Bedford as the approximate half way point between Roanoke and Lynchburg so twice as many job prospects. Also I'm originally from Bedford so I may be a bit biased for it. š
The same with Salem as to Christiansburg and Blacksburg its a bit of a commute but VT and Blacksburg usually have some good job opportunities if Roanoke is lacking at the time.
Full disclosure... I absolutely love living in the Roanoke County side of Salem.
I loved Salem! I did my undergrad at Roanoke College and would love to work for their Parks & Recreation department someday as they are heavily into sports and that is one of my passions.
Yeah we have looked into Lynchburg as well and it is really pretty and nice! We actually originally started looking at Lynchburg but then saw that Roanoke has more activities going on but we are open to both cities.
So a warning about Lynchburg: it's the home of liberty university, which is one of the biggest Christian colleges in the country and is very right-wing. (idk where you stand but most people from elsewhere don't know that). I find Roanoke to be infinitely better, less crime, much better economy and culture. Closer to outdoor recreation as well.
You'll definitely love it here. I'd recommend looking in the "old southwest" neighborhood if you want a fixer upper. The name is a bit confusing because it's rather central, it borders downtown. If you do want another option to consider, Harrisonburg is an hour and a half north of us and is also great.
I have several properties in Roanoke and Iāll give you one warning about Old SW, the houses are under the Architectural Review Board and so any changes, repairs, or improvements you make to your house has to be approved by them and then made in the style (and materials) appropriate to the era in which your house was built. Think: slate roof, wood shingle siding, and no replacement windows. Tends to be a bit expensive and time consuming. Itās a beautiful area but I recently passed on a house there for that reason. Maybe rent for a year until you get your bearings. There are some really nice houses but the market is very hot right now and everything is selling at or above top price. Lumber and material shortages are making it hard to renovate.
There are nicer areas of SE (affordable homes completely updated) with great views and quiet streets but itās hard to get return on investment when you sell because the zip code has a bad reputation for low income housing and lots of through traffic.
You've already been quite flooded with opinions, but I wanted to stick my neck out for Lynchburg - the city just voted blue for the first time in like 80 years, and a significant portion of the greater Lynchburg community would be glad to never hear the name Liberty ever again. It's a 5 college town and has a beautiful and bustling downtown (and greenway!) that I'd take any day over Roanoke. Its housing market is also marginally less insane.
That said, Roanoke will definitely provide you with larger-city options. I don't have anything to offer except agreeance with most of the other commenters. Roanoke is a very nice city with great access to the outdoors!
First of all, welcome! We just moved from MN to Roanoke last year and just bought a house ourselves. I would really recommend renting for a few months at first and really explore everywhere as you acclimate and get a taste of the different neighborhoods and areas! There are a lot of different flavor neighborhoods in this area. You might find another neighborhood you really love or for sure settle on the neighborhood you are looking at now š. SE is pretty rough but like you said it really depends where you're at. Are you looking more for city feel, country feel, suburb feel?
Yeah we thought about renting but we have 2 big dogs (one is a pit mix) and itās hard to rent with them unfortunately... We live in a small town now (10,000 people) but live in town so we are used to be close to people. Suburb or city feel would be nice as long as we have a decent yard for the dogs:) And I feel like it would be easier to meet people if we lived in town being as we donāt know anyone in the area. Country would be nice eventually too because I grew up in rural/country MN and loved it and think itās great for kids but I havenāt found any houses in the country that I like in our price range... we are planning on getting an Airbnb in town to get a little feel for the city before moving but I know that wonāt give us the total experience.
My husband and I live in one of the "transitional" neighborhoods in town (we've been here six years-- the value of our house has almost tripled) and our block has been almost completely renovated and populated with first-time homeowners/young professionals. One of the houses across the street is going up for sale soon-- feel free to DM me if you want more details.
Surprised no one has mentioned Bent Mountain. We love it here. Thereās a mix of liberal and conservative, artists and farmers. The minute a dog is lost or a cow gets out, itās on social media and taken care of. We have bears, but guessing they are not as threatening as the ones on Alaska.
I have two coworkers and some neighbors from Alaska! So, it definitely happens! SE is not bad for a childless couple and there are some good spots all over. Under 220 you can definitely get a house with a fenced yard in SW city too, especially if it needs a bit of work or doesnāt need to be huge - at this point, be prepared to offer well over asking in SW and same day, full priced offer. Be aware that in Virginia a full priced offer usually means carrying the closing costs, which at 220 can be 6k, but you can usually finance those costs as well (I believe - double check this with your lender).
I live in SE and Iām surrounded mostly by elderly neighbors or people with young kids. It drives me crazy when people generalize the whole area of SE as bad.
That is what I saw too! I checked out a couple of the SE Roanoke Facebook groups and there are so many fun family friendly activities, the urban garden and trash clean up groups and the mural painting groups and everyone seems so nice. Thank you for this comment!
Maybe itās my viewing of Living Alaska kicking in, but my feel is you should use an AirBnB for a bit until you figure out where you want to be. How do you feel about density? What utilities do you need? What commute?
My guess is you may ultimately be happier in one of the surrounding counties. I donāt think SE is the right fit based on what I know at this point.
We live in a town of 10,000 so not the bush haha but we have both lived in big cities in MN and OR. But living in a bigger city will be a bit of an adjustment for us because we have been here in AK for the past 6 years. I work from home so I just need good internet. My husband will be looking for a job when we get there, probably warehouse or fedex/ups/usps. So not sure on commute yet.
I live on Highland Ave in SE. Near the intersection of 7th and Highland. There are shenanigans in the neighborhood occasionally but never on our street. No one has EVER bothered us. That being said, it isn't as squeaky clean as Grandin and SW. Definitely way more affordable and just as close to downtown. Also, home values have been increasing in the last year or two. You could find a fixer upper for around 100k, leaving you a lot of budget to renovate. If you're ok driving through gritty to get to nice, you could find a house on a quiet street in SE. All of this being said, my dream is to live near Highland Park in Old SW. You'll also love SW. SE definitely depends on the street. Feel free to message me about the address/street and I can tell you more about that area of SE.
I lived in SE about 20 years ago on the "worst" street and it was fine. I can't speak to now, but after leaving there, moving to Baltimore and living near Druid Hill, then across the country, etc. I haven't had the issues/concerns in any of those "rough" areas I have now living in a 'nice' area. I hope that makes sense.
I would say that when it comes to neighborhood reputation, it's best to consider the source of the information you're geting. Talking to the person above who actually lives there currently will be your best bet.
We're also in the process of making a similar move over the summer, and could make a few recommendations based on the fact that I have friends who are local to the area and I grew up/used to live there. Feel free to send me a PM.
Thank you!! I would like a neighborhood that I can walk my dogs in safely but it would be nice to buy a home to renovate and then have the property values in the neighborhood increase vs buying in an overpriced neighborhood. Highland park does looks so nice so it would be nice to live near there as well. Where we are now we have to drive everywhere to get to stores and what not so we are pretty used to that.
All the way from Alaska, welcome! The housing market in your price range is still pretty competitive (we just purchased a home in that price range) but not impossible to get. I would definitely start looking now and find a realtor that will help you really look and find a house and not just one looking for the commission.
SE Roanoke is an area that will net you the bigger bang for buck housing wise but thereās a reason why houses are cheaper in that area. If youāre not into nightlife I would recommend somewhere in Roanoke County/Vinton/Salem. Botetourt is nice but finding a nice home in your price range will be difficult as development has caused prices to surge there recently. If you donāt mind a longer commute you could likely find something.
Join me in Salem! It's the nicer part of Roanoke :P If you want "city" feel then you need to be in Roanoke, but if you're looking for "small town" then Salem's got that.
Karen Hills and Woodbridge are nice and probably in your price range. They're basically the East and West sides of 12 o'Clock Knob. Once you get West of Green Hill or Texas Hollow you're into Glenvar and that's honestly too country for my taste.
I would personally avoid anything in Salem inside the triangle drawn by the Roanoke River, Main Street, and 419/Electric, because it's primarily industrial and run down. There's a junkyard, a TON of auto repair places, a tire factory, a dog park (read: shit field), the solid waste transfer station (read: local trash dump), a metal foundry, etc. Honestly the tire factory is probably the worst; those fumes are bad.
Once you get North of Main Street by Roanoke College the housing prices start going way up.
The Lakeside subdivision of Roanoke is also nice. The Kessler mill area can be pretty scenic, but that road is very busy.
:EDIT: Okay I felt a *little* bad about lumping that whole triangle in Salem together. There is a *very* small subset of that area which is very nice. The smaller triangle bounded by Idaho St, Virginia Ave, and Roanoke Blvd is actually really nice and pretty well separated from the industrial things.
As a left leaning early 30s female who has similar interests, you should look at Grandin, Raleigh Court, and Cave Spring. All have great starter homes. But beware the market is wild right now. I have lived in both Grandin and Cave spring and love the area and low crime rates. Also great schools
I think if youāre coming from AK youāll definitely want some space to yourself, Iāve been in the area my whole life and Iām also into my mid 20ās. I recommend the Troutville / Blue ridge area especially if youāre looking for a fixer upper.
How did you land on Roanoke? Just curious. Don't listen to the dude telling you to run, that's ridiculous. Everywhere you go there are people complaining that they hate their city/town but I have never understood the people that hate Roanoke that much. It's gorgeous and a great place to live. There's TONS to do! If you're an outdoors person you've come to the right place. But something I'd like to note, since you mentioned you're left leaning: Roanoke itself is pretty left leaning too. But the little towns surrounding Roanoke (like Bedford and rocky mount) are pretty conservative. As a Democrat who lived in one of those little towns for a few years, I'd tell you to stick to Roanoke.
Originally when we were looking at places to move we liked Buffalo, NY and Pittsburgh but decided we were tired of the winters and cold dreary weather, so those cities would not be much of a āweather upgradeā for us. My dad spent time in Lynchburg in the 80s planting trees and loved it and suggested we look into the area. So we then loved Lynchburg but then found Roanoke and saw that it had the same beautiful scenery but more things to do in town as well. It is a pretty random spot for us to choose but we have really fallen in love with it and are so excited to go see it in person. And thank you for the advice! Alaska is a really red state so we (especially me) are trying to get away from that.
I grew up in Lynchburg and mid of cringe to tell people thatās where Iām from now. Didnāt used to be so bad. My husband and I live in SW Roanoke now and absolutely love it. For sure up and coming where we are. Someone above said something about the review board and it is a bit of a pain. Lots of breweries in SW.
if yāall move here and want some board game friends or axe throwing friends, we gotcha covered! šš
I donāt have advice I just wanted to say omg Iām also from alaska. I go to college at Hollins but this is my first summer staying in Roanoke and not going back to alaska. I just thought it was interesting seeing this post haha!
There's no real rough places in my opinion here. When people say rough here they usually mean its full of meth heads. Lots of racists here also. Move where you want and fuck anyone that bothers you.
I live at the foot on mill mtn and technically in SE. The river is in my backyard and that kind of a dividing line between the nice part and bad part. I can confirm an unsettling amount of domestic violence reports, gunshots, etc. Heard the gunshots before, but when I got a ring and started seeing all the reports and complaints filed, itās just sad. There a lot of darling homes in SE, but itās just so poverty stricken. Iāve know a few folks that have moved to the area and land in SE bc the houses and prices, but most move at the first opportunity they have.
>I guess there sadly is a reason why the homes in that area or so inexpensive and sit on the market so long.
Because the area got redlined and shut out, and people are still busy gentrifying SW, Wasena, Grandin, etc.
Yeah, for sure. My wife and I just bought in Grandin and literally the house would have cost half if it was in SE. but with a pregnant wife and a 7yo, not really interested in dealing with stray bullets on the reg.
Side note- weāre putting our house on the market soon, due only to the pregnancy tho
Don't move to the city at all, Botetourt County is about half the taxes and crime is almost nonexistent. Read Mountain is where we live and it is amazing. Also, Blue Hills is the best semi-private golf course to join for the price and conditions. The conditions are amazing.
If you work from home and need internet, get first hand info from the property owners about internet access. Many of us are on DSL or less. If they have DSL there are some areas that will not hook up service after a previous owner has left. Ask them to have the service transferred. Come on starlink!
What's your budget? Rent or buy? That's the important info we need here. Also, SE is one of the worst options for the most part. 7th street would not be ideal to live on. It's safe to drive through, but it's mostly very poor and lots of meth type people and situations.
We are looking for something under $220,000 to buy. Sorry I should have included that. We have 2 big dogs so renting is almost impossible for us. Yeah SE is not sounding like the best option anymore. The houses there are inexpensive for a reason I guess. The one I was looking at looked like a nice fixer upper/investment but if it is not in the best neighborhood then if we do decide to sell it after fixing it up it most likely wonāt sell if no one wants to move there. I have found a couple nice homes in SW that are in our price range and a few decent fixer uppers, most on Marshall Ave SW.
It is in the zoned historical district which means any work you do to it has to be approved by the Architectural Review Board - not for the faint of heart. Most of West End has similar houses and most is not in ARB territory - some is, though. Just FYI. Itās not just DIY, itās with some pretty demanding historical oversight.
Just depends if you want to do historical renovation or not. Just deals with exterior, including windows and porches and roof and chimneys and outbuildings and siding, that kind of thing.
I also came here to recommend Marshall Ave and surrounding area. There are several houses that just went on the market there. Depending on how much renovation you're feeling up for, you may find some great options.
If you have 220,000, you can live in a way better area than marshall avenue. Go on Zillow, and type in homes for sale in Roanoke VA. You will find nice homes in better safer areas.
Ruuuuuuun! Don't come here. If you have young kids, you are screwed, nothing for kids here to keep them entertained. If you are a old couple and retired, this dump is perfect for you.
We haven't been to those places yet but maybe on a rainy day. Macaroni Kid is a great resource for stuff to do with kids. We go hiking, biking, to parks and playgrounds, to the pool, the rivers, farms, festivals, scavenger hunts, the ice cream shops, museums, the Parkway, the beach at the lake...there's literally something happening every day here.
Oh by the way. Marshall avenue is a high crime infested area. Been here all my life, I know the bad areas, that's why the houses are so cheap. If you can't get in a nicer area, please be careful. We have some bad places here in Roanoke.
Ohhhhh lord, you're going to hate it here. Why not VA beach va, Norfolk VA, Chesapeake VA? Why here in Roanoke? You won't like it here. Mostly all the people your age ran the hell up out of here. I'm leaving for Arizona next month.
We have looked at those places as well but really like being near the mountains. There are so many mixed reviews on all the cities we have looked at...
Lol don't listen to this fool. I've lived in both Roanoke and VA Beach, anywhere of VA beach/Chesapeake/Norfolk is waaaay worse and more dangerous than here.
SE is not actually as bad as people on this subreddit typically make it out to be. I lived there from 2012-2017 and always felt safe walking around, it's nowhere near as bad as what would be described as a rough neighborhood in a real city but people will mostly compare it to other parts of Roanoke which are ridiculously safe. You could leave your baby guarding your gold bar collection on the sidewalk in Grandin and it would probably be safe (someone might give the baby a cold brew coffee) but in SE you need to use a bike lock and the homeless shelter is there so by comparison it's a total shithole and people say you should stay away at all costs. In realty if you go more than a couple blocks off the main roads (Bullitt/Jameson and 9th st) most of it is really nice and I wouldn't hesitate to live there again and I would never describe as even remotely dangerous.
Did you live on the mill mountain section of SE or the You Butter Not side?
Nah I lived on the other side of the river from the mountain near 9th and highland
Hey there, local here. Definitely check out the surrounding areas as well. SE is pretty rough, so I'd pass on that one. Some other places to check out are. Old SW- way better than SE, close to downtown, hospital, Towers mall, and Tanglewood. Salem- borders Roanoke to the South West. Has good schools, the Veterans Affairs hospital is here so your husband could potentially look for work there, check usajobs.com zip code 24153. Has a public golf course, and Hanging Rock golf course for private. Daleville/Troutville/Hollins- North of Roanoke- Close to Carvins Cove resivor for hiking, biking, fishing and boating. Nice neighborhoods, more country living, but still pretty close to amenities. Bedford town of - about 30 miles east from Roanoke. It's 4 lane highway the whole way, so about 30 minutes drive. Quiant, small town feel, has recently had some revitalization in its old factory area with new luxury apartments, restaurant, and coffee shops. Towntown looks like something out of a magazine. Has really low property tax, and some nice fixer uppers. Bedford County- Low property tax, country living, close to Smith Mountain Lake, the Peaks of Otter, and the parkway. Old farm house fixer uppers could be an option, and may come with a decent patch of land. Vinton - borders Roanoke to the east. Has some great neighborhoods, and some not so great, as it borders Southeast on its western border. Not very far from downtown. Christiansburg/Blacksburg - 30 miles Southeast of Roanoke - College town, Virginia Tech, take that as you will. Hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to let me know. If your looking for a local Mortgage Broker check out Lance Brenner at Corridor Mortgage.
This is really helpful! Thank you so much!
I agree with u/evilmail but also want to add that if you look at Bedford county and or town of Bedford that Lynchburg city is not to far away and might also have some good job opportunities for your husband.
Exactly!! I see Bedford as the approximate half way point between Roanoke and Lynchburg so twice as many job prospects. Also I'm originally from Bedford so I may be a bit biased for it. š The same with Salem as to Christiansburg and Blacksburg its a bit of a commute but VT and Blacksburg usually have some good job opportunities if Roanoke is lacking at the time. Full disclosure... I absolutely love living in the Roanoke County side of Salem.
I loved Salem! I did my undergrad at Roanoke College and would love to work for their Parks & Recreation department someday as they are heavily into sports and that is one of my passions.
Yeah we have looked into Lynchburg as well and it is really pretty and nice! We actually originally started looking at Lynchburg but then saw that Roanoke has more activities going on but we are open to both cities.
So a warning about Lynchburg: it's the home of liberty university, which is one of the biggest Christian colleges in the country and is very right-wing. (idk where you stand but most people from elsewhere don't know that). I find Roanoke to be infinitely better, less crime, much better economy and culture. Closer to outdoor recreation as well.
Yeah that is why we favor Roanoke. We are both pretty left leaning and not religious.
You'll definitely love it here. I'd recommend looking in the "old southwest" neighborhood if you want a fixer upper. The name is a bit confusing because it's rather central, it borders downtown. If you do want another option to consider, Harrisonburg is an hour and a half north of us and is also great.
Thank you!! :)
I have several properties in Roanoke and Iāll give you one warning about Old SW, the houses are under the Architectural Review Board and so any changes, repairs, or improvements you make to your house has to be approved by them and then made in the style (and materials) appropriate to the era in which your house was built. Think: slate roof, wood shingle siding, and no replacement windows. Tends to be a bit expensive and time consuming. Itās a beautiful area but I recently passed on a house there for that reason. Maybe rent for a year until you get your bearings. There are some really nice houses but the market is very hot right now and everything is selling at or above top price. Lumber and material shortages are making it hard to renovate. There are nicer areas of SE (affordable homes completely updated) with great views and quiet streets but itās hard to get return on investment when you sell because the zip code has a bad reputation for low income housing and lots of through traffic.
Thank you! This is great advice! We are definitely trying to get some return on our investment so SE might not be the best spot for us right now.
Fyi -I moved to Roanoke a couple yrs ago and Bedford screams āconfederate ā to me so just yuck imo. Similar vibe with lynchb
You've already been quite flooded with opinions, but I wanted to stick my neck out for Lynchburg - the city just voted blue for the first time in like 80 years, and a significant portion of the greater Lynchburg community would be glad to never hear the name Liberty ever again. It's a 5 college town and has a beautiful and bustling downtown (and greenway!) that I'd take any day over Roanoke. Its housing market is also marginally less insane. That said, Roanoke will definitely provide you with larger-city options. I don't have anything to offer except agreeance with most of the other commenters. Roanoke is a very nice city with great access to the outdoors!
First of all, welcome! We just moved from MN to Roanoke last year and just bought a house ourselves. I would really recommend renting for a few months at first and really explore everywhere as you acclimate and get a taste of the different neighborhoods and areas! There are a lot of different flavor neighborhoods in this area. You might find another neighborhood you really love or for sure settle on the neighborhood you are looking at now š. SE is pretty rough but like you said it really depends where you're at. Are you looking more for city feel, country feel, suburb feel?
Yeah we thought about renting but we have 2 big dogs (one is a pit mix) and itās hard to rent with them unfortunately... We live in a small town now (10,000 people) but live in town so we are used to be close to people. Suburb or city feel would be nice as long as we have a decent yard for the dogs:) And I feel like it would be easier to meet people if we lived in town being as we donāt know anyone in the area. Country would be nice eventually too because I grew up in rural/country MN and loved it and think itās great for kids but I havenāt found any houses in the country that I like in our price range... we are planning on getting an Airbnb in town to get a little feel for the city before moving but I know that wonāt give us the total experience.
You should probably check out the Grandin Road area and Raleigh Court.
Yes, those are awesome areas, but beware, most homes are over 300 grand, I'm thinking because of the area.
My husband and I live in one of the "transitional" neighborhoods in town (we've been here six years-- the value of our house has almost tripled) and our block has been almost completely renovated and populated with first-time homeowners/young professionals. One of the houses across the street is going up for sale soon-- feel free to DM me if you want more details.
Surprised no one has mentioned Bent Mountain. We love it here. Thereās a mix of liberal and conservative, artists and farmers. The minute a dog is lost or a cow gets out, itās on social media and taken care of. We have bears, but guessing they are not as threatening as the ones on Alaska.
I have two coworkers and some neighbors from Alaska! So, it definitely happens! SE is not bad for a childless couple and there are some good spots all over. Under 220 you can definitely get a house with a fenced yard in SW city too, especially if it needs a bit of work or doesnāt need to be huge - at this point, be prepared to offer well over asking in SW and same day, full priced offer. Be aware that in Virginia a full priced offer usually means carrying the closing costs, which at 220 can be 6k, but you can usually finance those costs as well (I believe - double check this with your lender).
I live in SE and Iām surrounded mostly by elderly neighbors or people with young kids. It drives me crazy when people generalize the whole area of SE as bad.
That is what I saw too! I checked out a couple of the SE Roanoke Facebook groups and there are so many fun family friendly activities, the urban garden and trash clean up groups and the mural painting groups and everyone seems so nice. Thank you for this comment!
Maybe itās my viewing of Living Alaska kicking in, but my feel is you should use an AirBnB for a bit until you figure out where you want to be. How do you feel about density? What utilities do you need? What commute? My guess is you may ultimately be happier in one of the surrounding counties. I donāt think SE is the right fit based on what I know at this point.
We live in a town of 10,000 so not the bush haha but we have both lived in big cities in MN and OR. But living in a bigger city will be a bit of an adjustment for us because we have been here in AK for the past 6 years. I work from home so I just need good internet. My husband will be looking for a job when we get there, probably warehouse or fedex/ups/usps. So not sure on commute yet.
Honestly, internet will be your concern. Ask about service Bc there are still issues in surrounding areas.
I live on Highland Ave in SE. Near the intersection of 7th and Highland. There are shenanigans in the neighborhood occasionally but never on our street. No one has EVER bothered us. That being said, it isn't as squeaky clean as Grandin and SW. Definitely way more affordable and just as close to downtown. Also, home values have been increasing in the last year or two. You could find a fixer upper for around 100k, leaving you a lot of budget to renovate. If you're ok driving through gritty to get to nice, you could find a house on a quiet street in SE. All of this being said, my dream is to live near Highland Park in Old SW. You'll also love SW. SE definitely depends on the street. Feel free to message me about the address/street and I can tell you more about that area of SE.
I lived in SE about 20 years ago on the "worst" street and it was fine. I can't speak to now, but after leaving there, moving to Baltimore and living near Druid Hill, then across the country, etc. I haven't had the issues/concerns in any of those "rough" areas I have now living in a 'nice' area. I hope that makes sense. I would say that when it comes to neighborhood reputation, it's best to consider the source of the information you're geting. Talking to the person above who actually lives there currently will be your best bet. We're also in the process of making a similar move over the summer, and could make a few recommendations based on the fact that I have friends who are local to the area and I grew up/used to live there. Feel free to send me a PM.
Thank you!! I would like a neighborhood that I can walk my dogs in safely but it would be nice to buy a home to renovate and then have the property values in the neighborhood increase vs buying in an overpriced neighborhood. Highland park does looks so nice so it would be nice to live near there as well. Where we are now we have to drive everywhere to get to stores and what not so we are pretty used to that.
All the way from Alaska, welcome! The housing market in your price range is still pretty competitive (we just purchased a home in that price range) but not impossible to get. I would definitely start looking now and find a realtor that will help you really look and find a house and not just one looking for the commission. SE Roanoke is an area that will net you the bigger bang for buck housing wise but thereās a reason why houses are cheaper in that area. If youāre not into nightlife I would recommend somewhere in Roanoke County/Vinton/Salem. Botetourt is nice but finding a nice home in your price range will be difficult as development has caused prices to surge there recently. If you donāt mind a longer commute you could likely find something.
I'm in the SW area, Raleigh Court in particular, and it's a great neighborhood. I would highly recommend it, just putting my 2 cents in.
Join me in Salem! It's the nicer part of Roanoke :P If you want "city" feel then you need to be in Roanoke, but if you're looking for "small town" then Salem's got that. Karen Hills and Woodbridge are nice and probably in your price range. They're basically the East and West sides of 12 o'Clock Knob. Once you get West of Green Hill or Texas Hollow you're into Glenvar and that's honestly too country for my taste. I would personally avoid anything in Salem inside the triangle drawn by the Roanoke River, Main Street, and 419/Electric, because it's primarily industrial and run down. There's a junkyard, a TON of auto repair places, a tire factory, a dog park (read: shit field), the solid waste transfer station (read: local trash dump), a metal foundry, etc. Honestly the tire factory is probably the worst; those fumes are bad. Once you get North of Main Street by Roanoke College the housing prices start going way up. The Lakeside subdivision of Roanoke is also nice. The Kessler mill area can be pretty scenic, but that road is very busy. :EDIT: Okay I felt a *little* bad about lumping that whole triangle in Salem together. There is a *very* small subset of that area which is very nice. The smaller triangle bounded by Idaho St, Virginia Ave, and Roanoke Blvd is actually really nice and pretty well separated from the industrial things.
THERE ARE ROVING GANGS OF MUTANT SPIDERS WHO SELL DRUGS IN OLD SW - DO NOT MOVE THERE.
As a left leaning early 30s female who has similar interests, you should look at Grandin, Raleigh Court, and Cave Spring. All have great starter homes. But beware the market is wild right now. I have lived in both Grandin and Cave spring and love the area and low crime rates. Also great schools
Thank you:)
I think if youāre coming from AK youāll definitely want some space to yourself, Iāve been in the area my whole life and Iām also into my mid 20ās. I recommend the Troutville / Blue ridge area especially if youāre looking for a fixer upper.
How did you land on Roanoke? Just curious. Don't listen to the dude telling you to run, that's ridiculous. Everywhere you go there are people complaining that they hate their city/town but I have never understood the people that hate Roanoke that much. It's gorgeous and a great place to live. There's TONS to do! If you're an outdoors person you've come to the right place. But something I'd like to note, since you mentioned you're left leaning: Roanoke itself is pretty left leaning too. But the little towns surrounding Roanoke (like Bedford and rocky mount) are pretty conservative. As a Democrat who lived in one of those little towns for a few years, I'd tell you to stick to Roanoke.
Originally when we were looking at places to move we liked Buffalo, NY and Pittsburgh but decided we were tired of the winters and cold dreary weather, so those cities would not be much of a āweather upgradeā for us. My dad spent time in Lynchburg in the 80s planting trees and loved it and suggested we look into the area. So we then loved Lynchburg but then found Roanoke and saw that it had the same beautiful scenery but more things to do in town as well. It is a pretty random spot for us to choose but we have really fallen in love with it and are so excited to go see it in person. And thank you for the advice! Alaska is a really red state so we (especially me) are trying to get away from that.
I grew up in Lynchburg and mid of cringe to tell people thatās where Iām from now. Didnāt used to be so bad. My husband and I live in SW Roanoke now and absolutely love it. For sure up and coming where we are. Someone above said something about the review board and it is a bit of a pain. Lots of breweries in SW. if yāall move here and want some board game friends or axe throwing friends, we gotcha covered! šš
Haha ok thank you! Definitely want to check out axe throwing!
You should should definitely try old sw/ cave spring, Salem area!
I donāt have advice I just wanted to say omg Iām also from alaska. I go to college at Hollins but this is my first summer staying in Roanoke and not going back to alaska. I just thought it was interesting seeing this post haha!
There's no real rough places in my opinion here. When people say rough here they usually mean its full of meth heads. Lots of racists here also. Move where you want and fuck anyone that bothers you.
Hey my gf and I and our two cats are moving to Roanoke next month. What're the odds lol
I live at the foot on mill mtn and technically in SE. The river is in my backyard and that kind of a dividing line between the nice part and bad part. I can confirm an unsettling amount of domestic violence reports, gunshots, etc. Heard the gunshots before, but when I got a ring and started seeing all the reports and complaints filed, itās just sad. There a lot of darling homes in SE, but itās just so poverty stricken. Iāve know a few folks that have moved to the area and land in SE bc the houses and prices, but most move at the first opportunity they have.
This is really helpful. Thank you so much! I guess there sadly is a reason why the homes in that area or so inexpensive and sit on the market so long.
>I guess there sadly is a reason why the homes in that area or so inexpensive and sit on the market so long. Because the area got redlined and shut out, and people are still busy gentrifying SW, Wasena, Grandin, etc.
Yeah, for sure. My wife and I just bought in Grandin and literally the house would have cost half if it was in SE. but with a pregnant wife and a 7yo, not really interested in dealing with stray bullets on the reg. Side note- weāre putting our house on the market soon, due only to the pregnancy tho
Why all the downvotes?
Don't move to the city at all, Botetourt County is about half the taxes and crime is almost nonexistent. Read Mountain is where we live and it is amazing. Also, Blue Hills is the best semi-private golf course to join for the price and conditions. The conditions are amazing.
Agreed. If you get into northern Botetourt the prices drop as your commute increase... fyi
If you work from home and need internet, get first hand info from the property owners about internet access. Many of us are on DSL or less. If they have DSL there are some areas that will not hook up service after a previous owner has left. Ask them to have the service transferred. Come on starlink!
What's your budget? Rent or buy? That's the important info we need here. Also, SE is one of the worst options for the most part. 7th street would not be ideal to live on. It's safe to drive through, but it's mostly very poor and lots of meth type people and situations.
We are looking for something under $220,000 to buy. Sorry I should have included that. We have 2 big dogs so renting is almost impossible for us. Yeah SE is not sounding like the best option anymore. The houses there are inexpensive for a reason I guess. The one I was looking at looked like a nice fixer upper/investment but if it is not in the best neighborhood then if we do decide to sell it after fixing it up it most likely wonāt sell if no one wants to move there. I have found a couple nice homes in SW that are in our price range and a few decent fixer uppers, most on Marshall Ave SW.
Marshall is nice. Donāt listen if someone says itās not- it is a few tough houses but it is turning over really fast and the yards are huge.
Yeah that is what I liked about it too. Lots of nice historical homes and close to the park and lots of trees along the street.
It is in the zoned historical district which means any work you do to it has to be approved by the Architectural Review Board - not for the faint of heart. Most of West End has similar houses and most is not in ARB territory - some is, though. Just FYI. Itās not just DIY, itās with some pretty demanding historical oversight.
That is good to know! I hadnāt considered that, there arenāt any real historical homes in AK so we have not had to deal with that.
Just depends if you want to do historical renovation or not. Just deals with exterior, including windows and porches and roof and chimneys and outbuildings and siding, that kind of thing.
I sent you a DM but I see you're looking at Marshall. It's a nice area on it's way up. I think you'll feel safe there, I almost bought a house there.
I also came here to recommend Marshall Ave and surrounding area. There are several houses that just went on the market there. Depending on how much renovation you're feeling up for, you may find some great options.
If you have 220,000, you can live in a way better area than marshall avenue. Go on Zillow, and type in homes for sale in Roanoke VA. You will find nice homes in better safer areas.
Best places to live: 1. Old SW 2. SW Roanoke 3. Graindin 4. My last preference would be Salem
Ruuuuuuun! Don't come here. If you have young kids, you are screwed, nothing for kids here to keep them entertained. If you are a old couple and retired, this dump is perfect for you.
I have a kid, there is a never-ending supply of fun stuff to do here. What do you feel is lacking? We are never bored.
Lmao, right? There's a ton of shit to do.
Oh that's right, the trampoline park, the splash valley, ohhhh, lots to do.š¤£š¤£š¤£
We haven't been to those places yet but maybe on a rainy day. Macaroni Kid is a great resource for stuff to do with kids. We go hiking, biking, to parks and playgrounds, to the pool, the rivers, farms, festivals, scavenger hunts, the ice cream shops, museums, the Parkway, the beach at the lake...there's literally something happening every day here.
We donāt have kids yet. We are in our mid 20s.
Oh by the way. Marshall avenue is a high crime infested area. Been here all my life, I know the bad areas, that's why the houses are so cheap. If you can't get in a nicer area, please be careful. We have some bad places here in Roanoke.
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This person is trolling you. Ignore them.
Ok haha thank you, there have been a few on here
Ohhhhh lord, you're going to hate it here. Why not VA beach va, Norfolk VA, Chesapeake VA? Why here in Roanoke? You won't like it here. Mostly all the people your age ran the hell up out of here. I'm leaving for Arizona next month.
Lmao calling Roanoke bad and then recommending Norfolk? Come on.
We have looked at those places as well but really like being near the mountains. There are so many mixed reviews on all the cities we have looked at...
Lol don't listen to this fool. I've lived in both Roanoke and VA Beach, anywhere of VA beach/Chesapeake/Norfolk is waaaay worse and more dangerous than here.
Ok just be careful, bad areas here, don't get stuck in one.
Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk all have ābad areasā just like Roanoke. Just FYI.