West, By God, Virginia (West Virginia)

The most beautiful state in the union is well represented. I'm near Wheeling. Where is everyone else?

 

Huntington.

I am... Marshall!

 

My wife and I have been living in Kenova, WV for the past five years.

I'm actually a transplanted New Englander, though, originally coming from the metro Boston (Cambridge) area. The good old People's Republic of Cambridge was a tolerant, multi-cultural, uber tolerant and diverse community. West Virginia is .... ah.... let's me polite... less so.

The transition to West Virginia was major culture shock (and still continues to be). The statues of the Yin-Yang and the Buddha we put in our front yard have successfully scared away the Fundamentalist doorbell ringers (the "pardon me, but are you saved?" types) and announced that there are now Taoists in the neighborhood.

The lack (compared to Boston) of many good ethnic restaurants (although there is one great Indian restaurant in Huntington!) is depressing but luckily we cook everything from Thai and Italian to Mexican and Indian cuisine.

We love the weather, the beautiful natural scenery and the cost of living in West Virginia (being accustomed to everything costing triple back in New England) but our "liberal" ways are definitely a clash with the more conservative republicans we find ourself surrounded by. The fact that we're not Southerners is definitely as curious to others as our politics or style of dress (since there has historically been a large influx OUT of WV ... with far fewer folks migrating into the state).

Luckily, not everyone here is a some sort of cliche xenophobe but there are enough to make us sometimes feel like we're hi-tech hippie immigrants in a land dominated by fans of George Bush, Gospel music and confederate flags.

It's been an interesting experience living here in West Virginia and we have no intentions of moving for the forseeable future. Perhaps a couple of free thinking Taoists can show by example that diversity and tolerance and a global eco-friendly perspective is a valid alternative to a traditional mono-culture?

 

I'm living in Dayton, OH, right now, but I was born in Huntington and lived there from ages 12 to 18. Being only three hours away, I still visit for the weekend quite often and spend holidays there.

Taran & Sharay, if you don't mind hanging out with a Witch, I don't mind your Buddha!

 

Huntington here blessings.

 

i work in ashland, ky by huntington and got to huntington often.

 

Heh, not being from around here I wonder what Taran & Sharay thought of that so-called "Pink Bridge Incident"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_bridge

I live just over the other side of Fifth Street Hill from the park and man, that was that much ado about nothing. When one of those rich people came out and kicked the paint into the creek, well that just said it all.

 

Let's just say, We were waiting for someone to redecorate it in something less controversial for the area ... say painted in the Confederate flag and decorated with nooses and crosses??

(My wife did think the color looked liked pepto pink, but she wondered what all of the folks who saw the Marshall movie .. filmed in Huntington.. would have thought if they knew that the REAL news in the area was intolerance not rallying around football).

 

West Virginia is beautiful....you just have to go to the right spots to find the beauty! I live here, in Mason County....

 

High on a hill in our lil log cabin you will find us on our wv farm.
Peace to all of you... Farmout

 

Grew up in Huntington, now living in the wilds of Lincoln County, thank goodness! Just like schuler6 stated, you have to go to the right places.
If you think the conservative rednecks are bad there, come on out to Lincoln Co and we'll show you it is here too. We get lots of stares and profiling out here but continue to enjoy our lifestyle in the woods. There are like minded folks here in WV, just got to find them. Took us awhile to find them but now we are part of "the neighborhood" as it's called by our friends.

 

Glad to see things aren't horrible in WV. We're moving to a collective near Spencer next Spring.

 

Didnt know so many of us were close to each other! Nice.

 

I was reared in Ceredo/Kenova but now live in Proctorville,work at the VA on SpringValley,shocked as well to see so many,,good luck to ya all,Rick

 

born and raised in Parkersburg, WV

 

OK it's settled, we're moving to Arnoldsburg in the Spring, building a strawbale house and partying on!

 

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I lived in Beckley from age 4 till 21. Just moved to Huntington a little less than a month ago.

 

My son and I hiked at Dolly Sods in July. This is one of the first things we saw.



Can anyone say "Almost Heaven?"

 

homebrewess - My mom was born in Huntington, and I worked in Lincoln and Boone Counties for a few years. The people that I knew were all wonderful folks.