My wife and I have been planning a move that has now been accelerated by the election here in Virginia. We would have to live in Jefferson county not only because of its proximity to work in Virginia, but also because the VA allowance for home loans in Jefferson county is nearly double the rest of the state


Any information on livability is highly welcome

I will have a son entering 12th grade who will just commute to his school in Virginia, but I will need to find a school for my rising 9th grader and 3rd grader.

I know range 340 is out there, but any good gun stores, etc would be nice, as well as hobby shops or comic shops (I am a D&D nerd)


Thanks in advance!

I can't help you WRT WV panhandle stuff, however...

I can tell you this about the US340 Defense range.

It is a nice place, however, I went there with my brother to shoot and we were the only ones there. They literally do charge you by the hour. It is not like most ranges where you pay the hourly fee and if there is no one waiting, you can blast away (NRA Hq Range, Elite Shooting Sports, etc).

We were there well over two hours and paid for each hour.

It has been a while since shooting there and management/ownership may have changed, so perhaps they don't do that anymore.

EDIT: In addition to the hourly fee, you have to pay for $75/yr 'Hourly Individual Membership.'

I feel your pain kevmo. I was stationed at Oceana in the early 80s when the place was democrats and I watched how poorly some decisions were made. It was about the same time my home state of California started becoming a liberal bastion of America haters.

I can't offer you any advice about WV.

However, hate losing a worthy Virginia resident, but I can understand your decisions.

Thanks guys

My wife and I have wanted to move to more land and privacy west of where we live in NoVA for a while now. Now we’re just moving further west

my dad is a native West Virginian who was a career Air Force officer. I was born on Quantico, and lived all over before returning to NOVA for high school when my dad retired out of the pentagon. I joined the military and had no intention of ever making nova my home, but I got hurt and after I out processed out of Walter Reid I went home to where my parents retired (my dad had died by this point). It is also when I started dating one of my best friends from high school whose dad had also retired out of the pentagon and settled in nova

Fast forward and we’ve now been married almost 22 years. We ended up back up in nova to help take care of my mother at the end of her life, and then got stuck when the housing bubble burst. And then life happened. We had another kid, opened a business...my oldest son is a division 1 basketball recruit that got snatched up by a private high school in this area...but we never wanted to stay here

My son graduates in 2021, and our commercial lease ends in 2023, and then we will evaluate if we go further west. Wife’s family still lives in the area, but her dad is like minded, so maybe I can get him to go to


I already wanted to leave NOVA


I just hate feeling like I have to

isn't the pan handle the little strip between ohio and PA?

quote:

Originally posted by bjor13:
isn't the pan handle the little strip between ohio and PA?

One of them, called the Northern Panhandle. The other, the Eastern, is between southwestern MD and northern VA.

I’m just outside Martinsburg in Berkeley County. Good decision having your son commute to school in Va; public schools in WV are lacking, mostly from funding issues. I’ll here are a few good gun stores in the immediate area- Valley Guns II (never been too sure where I is haha) is the best and has its own range on site. I know of a rifle range within 45 minutes and can get the info.

You’ll find that there is a strong conservative contingent in the area with some leftist presence due to the proximity to the Republik of Maryland. As anywhere else, the hyoocrite garbage likes the lower taxes, cost of living as well as housing being cheaper than in that commie state.

WV is one of the most gun friendly states you could ask for- permitless constitutional carry, and a supportive LEO base. You’ll still have same day long gun reciprocity from surrounding states if you have a dealer in Va you like dealing with.

We’d love to welcome another freedom loving addition to the Mountain state!

Thanks guys for all the help!

I was born and lived my whole life here in WV, now residing a little west of where you're interested in moving, (east of Morgantown near the PA line and just a couple exits into WV from MD on I-68). One negative WV has is state income tax which gets to the 6% max pretty quickly, something like $70,000 IIRC. Other than some of the rural schools being a bit behind I can't think of any other real negative to living here.
Sure was nice building my home, and more recently a separate shop area, without needing to get any permission, permits, or any other BS.

Oh.... fun roads for motorcycling here too.