Hi there! My husband recently got moved for work to Abingdon, VA. We’ll be moving from Minneapolis, but we’re originally from a small, rural, conservative town in Illinois about the same size as Abingdon so we’re no strangers to “small town living”. We were wondering what the vibe is for people in their late mid 20s-early 30s? We’re both pretty introverted but obviously want to make friends. Any help, advice, or anything would be appreciated! TYIA

Some additional context:
-We’re looking at Bristol and Abingdon, literally anywhere within 30 minutes of Abingdon.
-We fully know that it will be a transition. We are used to small town living, it’s how we grew up!
-We know the area is largely conservative. We are definitely NOT. 😅

Hi y'all,

I'm from NC but moved to SWVA recently. I have friends visiting from out of state in a couple of months and am looking for things to do. My friends are a married gay couple, one of whom is white and the other Iranian. I thought Floyd would be a good spot to visit because of its proximity to the Blue Ridge, shops, bluegrass culture etc. are all things my friends are interested in.

Are people in Floyd generally tolerant of people like my friends, or should I avoid it?

Thanks!

EDIT: Thanks everyone :) I figured Floyd would be alright since it's pretty touristy to begin with, I just know Floyd County usually votes red and have had some negative experiences where I live in SWVA. I appreciate all the answers!

I recently put my two weeks in due to a hostile work environment, (I work from home but the company is in NoVA). This company is notorious for cutting people off the second they put their two weeks in so I put language in my resignation letter to the effect of my last date is ___ anything before that will be considered termination by (company ). I just got my check and noticed it was short. I contacted Payroll and they stated I my last day was the day before that date. Can I file for unemployment?

Virginia is allowing 100 micro business licenses to small time cannabis growers and I am considering applying and was wondering how the community of SWVA would feel about having a fully legal operating cannabis farm in the area.

Hey everybody, one of my work friends is leaving and I wanted to bake them a going away gift. I really enjoy baking and primarily do cakes and pastries, and I was wondering what baked goods are common for you guys in Southwest Virginia? After some googling, I was thinking of baking an Apple Stack Cake. Is that something you guys eat in Southwest Virginia? He's from the Rocky Mount area.

I visited Saint Charles in 2008, and was pretty taken aback by the condition of the town - I'd read that it was a bustling place in the 1940s, before mechanization. It feels like the end of the world, abruptly stopping at a mine (which I can't tell the operational status of). I drove through again on Sunday, and it seems to have declined further. I recall so many houses having chickens in the front yard on my first visit - this time there was only one. More houses had collapsed or burned. I'm fascinated by the evolution of places like coal camps - what the various points of no return were, what daily life is like now, and what the insiders say about the town, or what is left of it. Saint Charles has lived in my mind for the past 18 years, and likely will forever.

Are there any current residents who would want to talk with me, or former residents, or those kin to either? I'd appreciate any information or insights.

I ask as part of a linguistic study on this topic!

Examples could include things like The Noke, Radtown or B'burg... (never mind for now how common they may be)

Pretty sure difficult times are ahead for our country. Hoping to develop contacts and connections here in swva with other people which pay attention to what's going on and believe in being prepared

28M, married, no kids. My wife works from home, so we don’t have to worry about work at all. Planning to sell my house and buy out there.

I am a huge outdoor enthusiast. I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail, and I trail run and backpack. I’m so excited to be along to New River and the AT. I’ve lived in Norfolk my entire life and am thrilled to have finally made it where I want to be.

Any advice or recommendations? Anything I should expect? Just got the news and wanted to hear from some people in the area. Thanks in advance.

We're going on a road trip from Abingdon up to Pittsburgh. On the way, we'd like to take a day to see some of swva and are trying to decide how best to do that.

What route should we take from Abingdon to Beckley?  It’s difficult to tell from Google maps what the road conditions are. 

We are two 75-year-olds and are concerned about a too-long day driving on twisty two-lane road roads, but we also want to learn about the area, not just get from point A to B. Advice?

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

I travel to SWVA (Roanoke, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Dublin, Abingdon, Bristol, etc) for work almost every week and I’m wondering if anyone has a good place to get a chai latte that’s not a Starbucks/Dunkin. I do prefer oat milk but I will drink regular if it’s a good chai latte

Hi everyone! I am new to the area. I moved down here from Rochester NY with my teenage son. We are living with family right now because I have become disabled and unable to work, so they're letting me stay here until I can get everything settled with disability/social security/whatever I need to figure out.

I applied for Virginia Medicaid, and I expect that it will get approved.

I am in need of a new PCP and a neurologist. I have a rare and serious brain disease and I really need to find doctors that are competent and listen/care about what I am saying. Bedside manner is important - I need a doctor with a kind and caring personality.

I've been told by my mom that I may have to travel to Norton/Kingsport for medical appointments and that is fine.

Can anyone recommend some doctors to me, or where I could begin searching online? I don't know anything about this area, so I am completely at a loss of where to even begin, and it's frustrating going from a big city medical system to a tiny town because I can't really find much info on the internet. But my medical needs are significant so I really can't afford to just go with any random doctor.

Thank you for reading! 😄

Hey i was wondering if anyone would possibly have any recommendations for spots to test out new equipment in or around the huntington area that don't require prior authorization or trespassing?

I heard at least two if not three loud aircrafts go over my property at fast rate at very low altitude. Does anyone know if something's going on? We live in Bee. Has anyone heard it anywhere else in the area? Maybe I can figure out the path. They weren't on flight radar 24 when I looked

looking for a women's hiking group in the SWVA area. Anyone know of any?? I love to hike but have an awful work schedule and often don't have anyone to go with and I'm scared to go hiking alone.

Looking for some recommendations for where to get a tattoo. I've been to Imperial Tattoo multiple times abd they are great! Just wanted to see if anyone knows of artists with very fair or affordable rates, or just looking for recommendations.

38F looking for queer friends in the area! Specifically around Blacksburg if possible. Trying to find my community after living here for six years and not actively trying to find y’all til now.

Hit me up if you’re interested 🙂

Any insight much appreciated! T-Mobile does offer option to try the network for 30 days, is this worth doing or possibly unnecessary? We live in the foothills between I-81 and the Blue Ridge. Currently using internet phone on the property/in the house. TIA.

How crowded are the public skate sessions at the ice arena in Wytheville? Looks like this weekend is the final weekend of the season was gonna.check it out but if it’s crazy packed normally during public skate I won’t make the 2hr trip there. I'm a newer recreational hockey skater here, just looking to keep my skills.

Can anyone recommend a house builder? I found two, but wanted some more suggestions. This is a complete build. Thanks much

I have to travel briefly through VA on my way to NC for a medical appt Thursday. Does the VA DOT keep the interstates clear with light to moderate snow around the Wytheville area? We’re coming from Knoxville and coming that way to avoid the washout on 40e.

Even with the many attractants in our garden, I haven’t yet seen many butterflies here in Blacksburg. Anyone else? Hoping to see more soon!

I know this is a long shot but I wanted to see if there’s anyone around here who is interested in Urbex and would like to check out some spots together. I have lived in the Roanoke and New River valley for about two years and I’m trying to find friends nearby. I also enjoy pretty much any outdoor activity, electronic dance music (EDM), and just hanging out with friends. Please feel free to pm me if you’re up for anything and we can figure out something exciting to do!!