Feeling at home in your new community is as important as finding your new home.

The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is very accessible to many different employment centers, commuter services such as the MARC Train (two stops in Jefferson County and one in Berkeley County), Metro trains services, high speed internet, and Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Locally, there are so many great amenities such as Harpers Ferry National Park, Appalachian

Trail, the C&O canal, both the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, hiking trails, charming towns, museums, historic places, and many picturesque local parks that make the Eastern Panhandle a great place to live. These natural resources allow you to take in great views, nature, and provide for a calming experience.

I speak with much experience on this topic, having been myself deeply involved in community, attending many, many public meetings, numerous local events, frequenting may local businesses, and meeting and talking with many people, I have heard may firsthand experiences of how people feel welcomed and a part of community in West Virginia. Even if doing your own thing is your thing, it’s helpful to know there are people who are willing to help.

I have met many people who have moved to West Virginia and have profound gratitude for the feeling of community they have discovered. I have heard several people say they barely knew their neighbors from the community they have come from, but now know their neighbors and even pet sit for one another. It’s not only your neighbors that you get to know, its also the local shop owner. As you see the local business owner on a regular basis, you will get to know them, and they will get to knows you, by name. Simply, it’s a level of intimacy and familiarity that you won’t find in many other places.

Get to know people in your community and you will find that they are willing to help you. There is a sense of community and support. There are also unanticipated opportunities for involvement if you choose to do so. As you get to know people over time, you may find yourself becoming much more involved in the community than you might expect. If you want to get involved in civic or organizations or run for office, that option is open to you. Being in a smaller community, your level of impact is real and meaningful.

You might find yourself thinking of opening a business. While you might be used to the intense competition between businesses, often here, you will find local business owners typically support one another. They know how operating a small business takes a lot of work to be successful and that if everyone works together, it can create upward spiral of success for all. I know many business owners to who remind customers to visit other shops or provide a recommendation to another local business owner if they cannot help the customer. All this is aside from the business friendly climate you will find in West Virginia.