Melinda Fulmer at MSN Real Estate posted an article today that proves definitively, once and for all and without a shadow of a doubt that the New River Valley is a great place to live and work. Haven’t we been saying this for a long time??? The list includes recommendations by Bert Sperling of Sperling’s Best Places, and shows areas of the country where cost of living and unemployment is low and job growth continues to climb at a steady pace. Specific to Blacksburg, Sperling describes the area as "small-town feel and college amenities with a beautiful setting in the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains. A pleasant climate and proximity to nearby Roanoke, with its excellent arts, commerce and health care, are perks. The wooded area lacks some big-city hustle and amenities, and is isolated from air service. But it has a low cost of living, with a median home price of only $197800 and great outdoor recreation opportunities to boot."
Isolated from air service?? I thought that was a good thing – when was the last time you were sitting on your deck, enjoying one of our beautiful and vibrant sunsets, when the peace and tranquility was interrupted by a commercial airliner flying over your head? Been a long time, I bet, since "air service" isn’t here! But Roanoke’s airport is less than 45 minutes away, GBO (Greensboro) is 2 hours and CHA (Charlotte) is 3 hours away, so air travel is not an inconvenience.
Nevertheless, proof positive the NRV is where it’s at. Oh, and just so we give everyone else their pub, the rest of the list includes:
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Florida (uh, wasn’t Pensacola decimated by hurricanes recently?)
- Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Logan, Utah
- Auburn-Opelika, Alabama
- Iowa City, Iowa
- Dubuque, Iowa
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Fargo, North Dakota
I’ll still take the New River Valley any day …