It appears that a large number of this community have lived in Blacksburg post-graduation, so I come to you begging for information and recommendations. My wife and I are relocating to Blacksburg after living in Lawrence, Kansas for the past 11 years. I've not spent more than a few hours at a time in Blacksburg since I graduated in 2003, and though my wife is from Christiansburg and we visit her family at least twice a year, we don't really get out much during that time. So, with that said, can you all provide some advice on living in town?
I have a 4.5 year old daughter that loves ballet and soccer. I have two dogs - one big, one small. I'll be working from home, so I'll need to get out of the house on evenings and weekends. We're renting a house for the first year, but will likely buy a house sometime next year.
Are there old man pick-up games/leagues in soccer or basketball around town? Not a big softball fan.
Any recommendations on pediatricians, vets, chiropractors, family doctors, doggie daycare?
Any recommendations on kids' activities, dance studios, soccer leagues, swim lessons? We've got her signed up for preschool at St. John Neumann Academy.
What neighborhood(s) should we start house hunting in?
What family activities are there for 30-somethings with young kids? I'll likely be buying season tickets to both football and basketball, but what does one do in Blacksburg in the Spring and Summer?
Thanks in advance for any input.
Comments
First things first - can I crash at your house a few nights a year in the fall?
Of course! All TKPers are welcome. I'm sure my wife won't mind a bit.
Your house at first home game.
I'm sure the landlords won't mind that either.
My coworker takes her 2 year old daughter to swim lessons, I'll try and remember to ask her tomorrow where they go
Welcome back to the center of the universe VT Jayhawk!
I'll answer as much as I can.
Pickup basketball can be hit or miss. There is a group that plays in War on Tuesday's and Thursday's at 6:30am. I've played with some of the guys in that group and they are all fun to play with. There is usually open gym at the blacksburg rec center with pickup games going on in the evening. It is hit or miss depending on the group you are playing with. Most of the time I just go at 9pm when its clearing out and shoot. I find an empty gym to be therapeutic these days.
Companion animal clinic is highly recommended as a Vet. I don't have a pet but my business partner and his wife have a doxen they take there regularly and sing their praise.
I use South Main Chiropractic clinic. Dr. Belluzzo and Dr. Keats are great.
For family medicine I use Dr. Lucian Robinson at Carilion Family Medicine in bburg. There are about 8 family doctors at that clinic and I've seen several when Dr. Robinson was unavailable.
I know the owner of Little Leapers dance studio. Heather Leaper, VT alum. There are tons of youth soccer leagues but I don't have kids so I don't know much other than I see a game going on at every field on the weekends.
Neighborhood depends on your budget. The closer you get to the university the more expensive. You can buy a lot more house for your money in Christiansburg but the schools (while still good) aren't as good as Blacksburg. Fiddler's Green is a nice newer neighborhood in blacksburg but you are looking at +400k.
Look up Next 3 Days Blacksburg for activities going on in the NRV.
Looking forward to your arrival!!
+1 for Companion, Dr. Belluzzo, and Little Leapers. Also +1 for Lucian.
Blacksburg Parks and Rec youth sports aren't bad at all. Softball and basketball are our experience and they've been positive. I steer clear of all things soccer when possible, so hopefully others here can assist on that one.
Summer is spent on the golf course or the river fishing and floating. Can't overstate how amazing outdoor experiences in the NRV can be all year bit especially in the summer and early fall.
Blacksburg definitely more expensive but I find it to be a worthwhile investment when compared to the environment and experience living elsewhere in the county.
Welcome home, OP.
Great info, thanks. I should have added a caveat that I'm absolutely terrible at basketball - I'm 5'9", can't jump, can't shoot, and can only kinda dribble. Passing and running, I can do. Not sure if that rules me out of those pickup games or not.
Sorry, couldn't resist! Actually sounds like you play as well as me.....
As for things to do in the spring and fall, there are a lot of other VT sports happening during the week and most are free.
There are two youth soccer clubs in Blacksburg and Christiansburg, and both have a recreational and travel program. If you want your daughter to play competitively in the future, I suggest playing with New River United (in Blacksburg). Their program is simply better than Christiansburg Soccer Club; coaches are better trained, higher competition etc. If you just want recreational soccer, then either club is a great choice, with CSC being cheaper than NRU.
I play on a team that plays in an adult league run by NRU. The league is a wide mix as far as skill and age range is concerned. Most players are college students to low 30 somethings, but there are plenty of 40 and even 50 y/o players kicking tail out there. It's a great league to play some futbol and have a good time! We're always looking for new players, so if you'd be interested in playing for us you're more than welcome!
Just beware the Russian mob team...
They've actually been better behaved as of late. Still a royal pain in the hindparts, but better than in years past.
I had fun playing in the NRUSA back in college and just after. My team was terrible but we had a lot of fun playing together. My favorite teammate was a middle aged German guy that once got intentionally hit...uh...below the belt during a free kick. He screamed in his awesome accent "what is this? Rugby?" before my wife's structures professor (also on my team) decked the guy and immediately headed off the field. His only comment for the red card was "I'm only trying to keep my guy from getting hit in the goonies!" Ahh...fun times.
Thanks for the info - I had looked up both clubs online. Wasn't sure which would be better. I'm moving from a location that has an MLS-affiliated youth system (Sporting KC), so hopefully New River United measures up.
It may not be as good as the youth system at SKC, but it's a pretty competitive/competent club. There's also a club in Roanoke (Roanoke Star) that is a fairly prominent east coast team. I had friends play in several national and even one international showcase.
Sadly this area is more devoted to the fake football than the real football...
And if you're looking at USSF academy programs for the future Greensboro has two: NC Fusion and Triangle Football Club.
I agree. If you are looking for a high level of soccer, you probably need to go to Roanoke to play with the Roanoke Star. I played against them for years. They didn't always field fantastic teams, but they always had a few solid players and their coaches were well trained and knowledgeable.
I think they still play in the prominent Virginia league for youth soccer that includes the top non academy clubs all over the state. It used to be the VCCL until academy clubs and nonacademy clubs had some sort of disagreement. The new league included a lot more NOVA clubs with the original VCCL and was able to separate into regional divisions with crossover games and showcases for older teams.
You don't have to go to Roanoke Star for high level soccer. I grew up playing for New River and everything worked out just fine. This fall, there will be eight guys from my club team playing collegiate soccer at schools such as Mary Washington, Johns Hopkins, VT, Roanoke College, Lynchburg College, and Washington and Lee. I also had a Division 1 coach, coaching my club team every year since 7th grade. The coaching at NRU is second to none in the area and the club has a great community feel. Definitely stay in Blacksburg and play for NRU.
What does one do in Blacksburg in the spring and summer.... outdoors paradise!
The New River is a world class smallmouth and musky fishery.
Hiking, mountain biking, jeep and dirt bike trails, climbing.
Two new breweries the past few years.
Yeah, I plan on spending much more time outdoors. I guess my question was more "what does one do in Blacksburg in the spring and summer with a four year-old?" She's good for about 15 minutes for fishing, and hiking would turn into carrying real quick.
Welcome back to Blacksburg! I'll answer the questions where I have some knowledge.
Blacksburg is definitely the place to be in the New River Valley for soccer. Have a strong rec league and the high school programs (girls & boys) routinely compete and win the state championships. Both are currently in the state tournament now. Here's the link for New River United that someone else mentioned (http://www.newriverunited.com/).
As far as swim lessons go, your two most likely choices are the Blacksburg Aquatic Center which is an indoor pool (http://www.blacksburg.gov/departments/departments-l-z/parks-and-recreati...) and the new belle of the ball the Christiansburg Aquatic Center where the Hokies swim & diving team actually compete. Christiansburg has an indoor Olympic size pool, kid water slides, toddler play area and heated therapy pool and nice cardio room. And, if you just want to try it out, you're first visit is supposed to be free and the last hour during the week is only $1.00 per person. (http://www.cacpool.com/)
I've never played in the pick-up games however here's a recent Roanoke Time article discussing the regular games in War Memorial Hall for some non-students and features some of the regulars. (http://www.roanoke.com/nrv/community/van-noy-nba/article_4207e878-0fd2-5...)
As far as pediatricians go, we have a 16 month old and we go to New River Pediatrics at their Blacksburg location. They have a number of doctors and you can pick a primary pediatrician or all of them or just a few. We really like every doctor we've dealt with. (http://www.nrvpediatrics.com)
As far as neighborhoods go the only thing I would consider with a child is how close you are to students and then it's all about price range and what you can afford and want to pay. I don't think there's a bad neighborhood unless of course you get a house near party central and you and your wife aren't look to recreate the movie Neighbors.
There's a ton to do in the area including lots of outdoor recreation and in the summer time it's festival season galore with lots of towns, communities and organizations putting on weekly/monthly events. In Blacksburg, you definitely want to hit up the Summer Arts Festival which is co-sponsored by the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts and the Town of Blacksburg. They have weekly outdoor concerts on Friday nights, free classic movies and some theatre and art productions. (http://www.performingarts.vt.edu/summer-arts-festival). I would also recommend exploring the other nearby communities such as Floyd County, Giles, Pulaski, Radford & of course Christiansburg. Each has something unique to offer.
Also, I'm a bit biased in the activity regard as I run the local website NextThreeDays.com that promotes fun events in Blacksburg in the New River Valley. Check out our Featured Events section for all the big local events happening each day in the community. There's almost always something happening. (http://nextthreedays.com/featuredevents.cfm)
I have a cousin who lives in Lawrence and I told him a bit about Blacksburg a couple of years ago and he said Blacksburg sounds like Lawrence about 5-10 years before it took off and exploded. Not sure we're going to experience the same explosive growth rate however with President Sands wanting to increase enrollment, the area is going to keep on growing.
Again welcome to you and your family!
Thanks! Great info. Both the Blacksburg and Christiansburg Aquatic Centers are indoor, right? Is there a public outdoor pool in the area? Or a not-ridiculously-expensive club pool?
Frog pond is still in Christiansburg, outdoor, and I believe free. It is also located next to a decent playground for kids.
Yeah, both the Blacksburg and Christiansburg Aquatic Centers are indoor pools. There's not a lot of options for outdoor pools without a private membership. The Frog Pond is the only outdoor public pool left that I can think of as hokiealum6144 mentioned. It's run by the Montgomery County Rec Department.
It's definitely designed for little kids and only those 1 and under are free. Cost is $2-$5 depending on age.
Frog Pond Link: http://www.montgomerycountyva.gov/goswim
All this and I'll throw in there Blue Ridge Church in Christiansburg......check it out.
Blue Ridge Church is really great.
Congrats on the upgrade from my second favorite college town to my favorite college town. Have one last burger at the Burger Stand on Mass. for me!
I will miss the Burger Stand dearly, as well as Sylas and Maddy's ice cream. I've not been able to find a local ice cream shop in Blacksburg via Google, and with Mike's closed, I have no idea where to get a great hamburger.
Gardner's in Christiansburg for ice cream and Buffalo & More in Riner for a buffalo burger/burrito/stew/etc.
Oh man, forgot about Sylas and Maddy's...yeah that's good Ice Cream.
I will throw in that you can get a better deal on a house in Christiansburg than Blacksburg. The Christiansburg Rec Center is also >> Blacksburg Rec Center. There are four basketball courts, 1/8th mile track, weights room, and a elliptical, bike, and treadmill room. As previously mentioned, the Christiansburg Aquatic Center is the new Tech pool.
As for the kids, most of my friends just use the Blacksburg schools instead of Christiansburg.
Christiansburg is also where the in-laws live, and where my wife grew up. We're looking for a bit of space, even if it's just the next town over. Rentals were also much cheaper in C-burg, but I was instructed to find something in B-burg.
Ah.... "Happy Wife. Happy Life".
"If momma's not happy, nobody's happy."
Well, for cheaper houses, you pretty much have to move away from the center of town. Used to be relatively inexpensive back in airport acres (near the fire station), but I'm not sure if that's still the case. Any closer to main street on airport road and the prices shoot up as Draper rd area is pretty much the best place to live in town (relatively quiet, but close to downtown/campus). There's that road that connects from price's fork to the hospital (merrimac? merryweather?) where they built some nice houses that are relatively cheap for the size and land you get, but you pay in inconvenience. If you go out Harding, you can sometimes find some less expensive housing in a great secluded place to live, same for Mt. Tabor Rd. or Ellet Rd.
We rented in McBryde village (right across price's fork road from campus) for 5 years and had a sweet deal because our landlord paid off his mortgage back in the 80s and hadn't changed the rent since then. A house in our neighborhood went in auction for $140K (5 bed, 3 bath split level), but every other house we saw for sale in that neighborhood went for $200K or more. If we moved back to Blacksburg, we'd look off of Mt Tabor Rd (happy hollow or woodbine). Far enough out for prices to be low (sometimes), but still very convenient to drive into town.
Of course you can always keep an eye out (or have your realtor do it for you). Sometimes houses go for surprisingly cheap down where you'd assume they'd be super pricey. I saw some great deals off of Palmer (a few streets off of south main, downhill from the municipal golf course) and I would have sworn the location alone would have shot those prices up. You just never know.
I'll echo everyone else here: blacksburg rec center is the poor man's Christiansburg rec center, but at least you don't have to live in Christiansburg. I'd play pickup basketball at the bburg one and played adult league rec soccer through NRUSA. If you're flexible enough and don't mind playing with 100% 18-22 year olds, I'd just recommend pick up soccer on the drill field. The reffing is probably just as good as when you have to pay $95/season through NRUSA.
Speaking of realtors, when you're ready to start looking - talk to Jeremy Hart at Nest Realty.
Absolutely this. Dude is rocking the NRV something fierce. He's one of if not the best in the business for this region.
I concur. I'm working with one of his associates at Nest and she has been nothing short of spectacular. We close next week!
Hey Jeremy, good to see you on TKP!! /s
My wife and I own a House Call Veterinary practice in Blacksburg.
Cedar Run Veterinary Services
Our kids have participated in NRUSA, Little Leapers & NRV LAX. All have been good experiences.
I wish I had more time for pickup soccer (maybe soon as the kids are a little older).
Anyone that has looked at jobs in Blacksburg any advice what to look at/show a spouse who isn't as crazy about Tech as I am. Wife found out a hospital system is recruiting in Blacksburg for her position. I want her to apply and get an in person interview.
Blacksburg has great public schools and I've heard good things about dayspring and st Mary's if you prefer the Christian/catholic private school route.
Gorgeous outdoor activities (hiking, specifically). Lots of larger town infrastructure because of the student/graduate/faculty population but still a small town feel.
If you do choose to live outside Blacksburg, the cost of living is quite low, giles and christiansburg in particular. Unfortunately, Blacksburg is artificially inflated because every house is a potential rental to students. That said, if you find yourself on a position to buy a rental property, it can be a great source of income.
Let me know if there are any more specific questions you want answered. We just moved from Blacksburg after being back for 6 years and miss it like crazy.
Where should I look to find 6 bedrooms in a newish house not among students?
So I'm not sure what's available now, but up north main around the mt tabor/ bishop area tends to be non student and there are some newer neighborhoods (Petra pass, for one). There has been recent development on merrimac road that is less student friendly. The area between Cambria and pepper's ferry in chrisitiansburg is more single family homes and not terribly attractive for students because of the drive.
Your best bet is to do a Zillow search for your criteria. High concentrations of students to avoid are between the stadium and the town library, anywhere within a couple blocks of Main Street from maple ridge down to Ellet road. Also, Harding ave and prices fork are pretty student dense. There are always exceptions of course. Like draper road tends to be too pricey for students and it's practically downtown.
Maybe this one?
Says page not found.
Maybe this? iPhone fail.
Well, it was recently voted the best place in America to raise a family. Not sure where you are in life regarding family, but as someone currently raising a family in Blacksburg, I don't think I could ever find a better place.
Is this a joke? I thought it was common knowledge that HF's wife recently cranked out daughter number four and our man is juggling kid activities left and right.
Nope. Not a joke. I must have missed all those posts that created this common knowledge. My apologies to Mr. and Mrs. HF.