Charleston, West Virginia

Life in Charleston, West Virginia, explained by people who’ve lived in Charleston:

*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Charleston)

Charleston Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about living in Charleston?

Was the regatta, sunrise and downtown… but that was before Dannyboy Jones. (William, in town about three years out side of downtown? Most my life.)
It’s my home town. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Good people. (Marty, 35 years in two segments)
Nothing. (Rose, 53 years)
The wild areas close by, the New River, Cranberry Glades, Kanawha State Forest, etc. (Eric, 65 years)

What’s your least favorite thing about living in Charleston?

Danny Jones. (William)
The mismanagement of resources that lead to less opportunities, crime and drug trafficking issues. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Hurried drivers. (Marty, 35 years)
The litter. (Eric, 65 years)

What are fun things to do in Charleston?

Walk the river and the capitol used to be with the Arc Moore building. (William)
The Escape room, the Clay Center and movies. Going to Coonskin pool in the summer. Live on the Levee. There’s not enough entertainment. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Culture Center, Vandalia, Festivall and Live on the Levee. Good dining. Outdoor beauty and activities. (Marty, 35 years)
Boating on the rivers. (Eric, 65 years)

What’s Charleston known for?

Trouble now days. (William)
It used to be known for the Regatta, but they took that away. (Kristen, 30+ years)
The Capital, the friendly people, the river(s). (Marty, 35 years)
Hillbillies. (Rose, 53 years)
Chemicals, the capital city, the rivers. (Eric, 65 years)

What’s the crime like in Charleston? (hot spot areas, etc.)

At what level…?? street thugs always been there… but the city goverment’s just as bad. (William)
Terrible in the impoverished areas. The heroin epidemic is ruining the city. Always lock your cars, because people are always checking to see if you left it unlocked to steal anything they can pawn. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Causes people to avoid areas such as the West Side… (Marty, 35 years)
Bad. (Rose, 53 years)
The West Side has had a lot of shootings, but I live there and never experience any or have never been fearful anywhere. (Eric, 65 years)

Any advice for people moving to Charleston?

Don’t. (William)
Live there if you can be part of the solution not part of its problems. Send your children to our great public schools and be an involved parent. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Participate in our culture and events. (Marty, 35 years)
Don’t move to Charleston. (Rose, 53 years)
Look at downtown housing. (Eric, 65 years)

Share an experience you’ve had in Charleston (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).

Mine is not pleasant.. the unsolved murder of Hallie Mae Marshall. (William)
The Regatta days were the funnest and most memorable. Live On the Levee is nice when they have good bands. I loved sledding down our steep hills and roads. Hiking, cooking out in Kanawha State Forest is always very nice. The Civic Center used to get the biggest music acts and that was fun. It’s sad how things have regressed in Charleston. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Baseball at the old Watt Powell Park, minor league baseball. (Eric, 65 years)

How do you think Charleston will change over the next 10 years?

Under it’s present admin it will falter and decay like Detroit. (William)
Loss of more good people due to lack of jobs and opportunities. (Kristen, 30+ years)
Be a ghost town. (Rose, 53 years)
It think it will soon cease to be the largest city in W.Va. (Eric, 65 years)

Any other interesting facts about Charleston?

If you go by the governors office and clap your hands, the sound resonates loudly. (William)
Go on a hunt for Mortar Man with family and friends in downtown. Charleston has a beautiful river and boulevard to walk along beside it. Magic Island has a cool history and the West Side used to have Luna Park, an amusement park in the 1940s. (Kristen, 30+ years)
It was an early settlement on the frontier. (Eric, 65 years)