Relocating to Charleston area

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Hi, I am an experienced ICU/CCU and ER nurse though my experience is in small rural hospital .I am looking at relocating to the Charleston area. I also teach part time in local community college nursing program

I would like some ideas as to where would be a good fit for me.

My husband died a year ago,I still have a 14Y/O daughter and we are both ready for a big adventure. We are coming from Washington State. I am traveling to Charleston in mid February and would love to make some fellow nurse friends. Open to any suggestions on other fields of nursing too. I do have a foundation in LTC,charge nurse and administrative in LTC as well.

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Most people find the area between Charleston,WV and Huntington, WV a nice place to live. CAMC is the big dog in Charleston but there are 2 other facilities as well. Huntington has 2 facilities, besides a VA facility. Look at both areas, but I think you would like living around Hurricane, WV. Not the city but has all you need and between both of the larger towns. Huntington has drug problem, but as long as you do not live there, it should be no problem. Good luck.

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I always have to ask how in the heck did you find Charleston, WV from across the country? I live in the Teays Valley area which includes Hurricane and it is a great place to live.

Here is a dilemma. Most people I talk to enjoy the Huntington hospitals more than the Charleston ones but Huntington (and I do not mean any disrespect) is not a good place to live. Drugs, violence, etc. It is really out of place for West Virginia.

Charleston has the most opportunities. Generally there are colleges looking for instructors and there are the CAMC hospitals, St Francis and Thomas Memorial. you also have the option at insurance jobs, workers comp, other administrative type jobs in the Charleston area. Even in Hurricane there is a rural hospital that is owned by CAMC.

So many people live in Hurricane and they have the option--drive 25 minutes to Charleston or drive 20 minutes to Huntington. Housing in the town of Charleston is typically more expensive, with small yards and it is difficult to find a flat piece of land in Charleston. Smaller outlying areas may be better. Dunbar is within 5 minutes of Charleston but near the chemical plant. Cross lanes is not much further but they have a horrible traffic problem. Poca and St Albans are very nice small Communities that are about 10 min away and finally you have Teays Valley, then Hurricane is beyond that.

I would definitely look at housing more West of Charleston instead of East. That way you are closer to Huntington if you ever decide you want to work there. You may also look at the Sissonville and Elkview areas, they are a bit north of Charleston--approx 5-10 min away.

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I am actually very interested in the hospital in Hurricane itself. Very similar in size to where I work now. Do you know anything about it?

I am a small town girl,so would most likely want to live in smaller town,but have social and cultural things to do in Charleston.

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It is now called CAMC Teays Valley, it was purchased by CAMC (Charleston Area Medical Center) about a year or so ago. Before that it was Putnam General. Relatively small hospital, I cannot remember how many beds but not many. Because it was owned by HCA before, it does have a somewhat rough reputation but not horrible. They are working hard on improving the image right now.

We have a poster on here that works there but I havent seen her post in a long time.

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why West Virginia? Well long story but met someone from there. Not sure that will go anywhere,but like what I have seen and heard of the area. I want to relocate to more Eastern states. WV has the rural I am use to but also the urban things I want also. I want my daughter to be able to travel to NYC,DC,Philly and such over the course of the next few years and just seems like a good place to be. Like lots of the outdoor activities,and music festivals too.

I will be 46 on Friday and am ready for an adventure!

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why West Virginia? Well long story but met someone from there. Not sure that will go anywhere,but like what I have seen and heard of the area. I want to relocate to more Eastern states. WV has the rural I am use to but also the urban things I want also. I want my daughter to be able to travel to NYC,DC,Philly and such over the course of the next few years and just seems like a good place to be. Like lots of the outdoor activities,and music festivals too.

I will be 46 on Friday and am ready for an adventure!

Be careful!

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why West Virginia? Well long story but met someone from there. Not sure that will go anywhere,but like what I have seen and heard of the area. I want to relocate to more Eastern states. WV has the rural I am use to but also the urban things I want also. I want my daughter to be able to travel to NYC,DC,Philly and such over the course of the next few years and just seems like a good place to be. Like lots of the outdoor activities,and music festivals too.

I will be 46 on Friday and am ready for an adventure!

We love going to the Appalachian String Band Festival in Aug.:

http://www.wvculture.org/stringband/stringschedule.html

this site shows some old pics but gives the flavor (adult summer camp!!)

http://freighthopperfan.homestead.com/clifftop_98.html

Our teenaged daughter loved it, too. Lots of kids of all ages and a healthy, wholesome attitude among the adults. Any drinking is kept low-key because it is verboten in the park. But the music (acoustic) does go on until dawn every night in the camping areas.

One of the many advantages of being in W.Va.!!

(BTW, our 2 kids moved to Oregon after they finished school--we love it there, too.):up:

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Most people find the area between Charleston,WV and Huntington, WV a nice place to live. CAMC is the big dog in Charleston but there are 2 other facilities as well. Huntington has 2 facilities, besides a VA facility. Look at both areas, but I think you would like living around Hurricane, WV. Not the city but has all you need and between both of the larger towns. Huntington has drug problem, but as long as you do not live there, it should be no problem. Good luck.

Like Charleston doesn't have a drug problem??? The Hurricane area is nice and you are right between Huntington and Charleston. 25miles either direction.

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Yes, Charleston does have a drug problem. The difference is, I think, there is so much more in the news about drug dealers coming to Huntington because of the University there. Right now I think it is just easier to live in the smaller towns and drive to work there, even with the cost of gas. A lot of people are worried about the unsolved murder of that college student, and the body of the older woman found in the alley. No place is perfect but if I was coming into a new area, I would look at the smaller towns first.

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I dont think Charleston has anywhere near the drug problem Huntington does. In 2007 the number of people dying from heroin in Huntington was I think triple the previous 5 years combined.

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My grandson just graduated from Marshall in December. He was glad to get out of Huntington. He siad he saw too much there. This is a big boy, able to handle himself. He is looking in northern WV, Ohio, and MD for jobs.

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