|  | | | The Star City of the South | |
Let me tell you about Roanoke and the great
Valley. We started as Big Lick as large salt deposits were a major economic
industry in the late 1700's. There is an interesting story that the Norfolk
& Western Railroad was seeking a location for a southwestern Virginia
depot. It was generally felt that Salem, as the county seat, would be awarded
the project.
As it turned out, Big Lick businessmen
traveled to Lynchburg and convinced the railroad that Big Lick was a better
choice. Big Lick was the winner but the name had to be changed given its lack
of marketability. Roanoke, an Indian name, was chosen.
Tremendous population growth occurred during
the late 1800's and early 1900's as the railroad expanded. Along with the
railroad growth, other industries and commercial ventures, mostly linked to the
railroad, also came to the Valley. You can still see the large railroad shop in
downtown Roanoke and many of the large office buildings (now the Roanoke Higher
Education Center). The former passenger depot is being renovated as the planned
Roanoke Convention & Visitors Center.
Even today, although other industries have
exceeded the railroad presence, you still see many long trains with coal,
autos, and other industrial materials (passenger service was discontinued many
years ago but is being re-evaluated with service to Washington, DC and
Richmond). To watch a slow moving train is a great reminder of the
past.
One of the nice features of the city is that
most of the homes built for the railroad expansion in the early 1900's are
still standing. Many have been renovated in Olde Southwest city as well as in
other parts of the city.
Along with the surrounding mountains with
the spectacular views, we also have the Roanoke River which flows from Salem
through Roanoke, by Vinton and on down to Smith Mountain Lake. A major project
is underway to build a greenway for walkers, joggers, and cyclists that will
follow the river from Salem through Roanoke to Vinton. The river is stocked
frequently with trout for the local fly fishermen and others, plus many parts
of the river offer exciting canoe ventures. It is a growing gem in
Roanoke.
We have some other interesting highlights.
Roanoke is known as the "Star City of the South". On Mill Mountain, overlooking
the city, local merchants erected the large star over 50 years ago to entice
holiday shoppers. It remains to this day, and offers a great view of the
Valley. When visiting, drive up and see it.
Within the USA, only one metro area has
received accreditation for all three public service departments - Fire/EMS,
Police, and Sheriff. Roanoke has this distinction of meeting the hundreds of
standards set by the accrediting agencies. Who benefits? - our people as we are
ensured that the personnel serving us are well trained.
What are some other
accolades?
-
May 2000 - most "sustainable" quality of
life of all Metro areas in SE USA (20th best in the nation)
-
#3 of top 20 Best Small Metro
areas
-
#84 of the top 354 Best Metro
areas
-
3rd best small southern
city
-
Top 10 best places to raise a
family
-
Top 20 places to live in
USA
-
5 times All-American city
award
-
A 5-star community for expanding and
locating companies
-
One of top 100 spots for business
development
-
2nd best location in the USA to
retire
-
Roanoke College - top 10 southern
regional liberal Arts colleges
-
Hollins University - #1 quality of life;
#6 students happy with financial aid; #7 professors get high Marks
-
Top e-government city of 75-125,000
people
-
#7 healthiest place in
USA
-
36th out of 354 in health
care
-
One of the 10 least stressful areas of
USA
-
11th in USA in real per capital
income
-
#1 in Virginia in real per capital
income
We invite to you enjoy these
accolades.
Roanoke is ideally located. We are 168 miles
from Richmond with all intrastate highways. We are 107 miles from Greensboro,
655 miles from Chicago, 233 miles from Washington, 450 miles from Atlanta, and
469 miles from New York City. The Roanoke airport has service daily to all of
these.
For the Valley, Roanoke City is the center.
Salem, also an independent city as is Roanoke, is located just to the west.
Vinton (has own town government but is part of the county) is just to the
east.
South of Roanoke on US 220 are Boones Mill
and Rocky Mount in Franklin County. You can get to the west side of Smith
Mountain Lake via Rocky Mount on Highway 40 or from Roanoke on Hardy Road or
Highway 116. (the county line for Franklin and Bedford Counties is down the
middle of Smith Mountain Lake). Bedford County extends east from Roanoke and
Vinton towards Bedford. Lynchburg is a little further east. If you travel north
on 220 from Roanoke, you arrive in Fincastle, the country seat of Botetourt
County (where Lewis and Clark started their expedition many years ago).
Our populations (2000
census) and tax rates are:
| Roanoke MSA |
235,932 |
|
| Roanoke City |
94, 911 |
$1.21 per $100 |
| Salem |
24,747 |
$1.18 per $100 |
| Roanoke County |
|
$1.12 per $100 |
| (incl Vinton) |
85,778 |
$1.17 per $100 |
| Botetourt County |
30,496 |
$ .70 per $100 |
| |
|
|
| Virginia State Sales Tax:
|
3.5% |
|
| Local Sales Tax: |
1% |
|
| Restaurant Food Tax
|
4% |
|
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Buying Land and New Construction >Beware of Fat Clay
When building a home, you should have the soil on the construction site tested for plasticity to determine how it will change under different moisture conditions. This is important because some soil is so "plastic" that (if the condition is not corrected) it can actually break concrete floors, crack the walls and destroy the foundation of your home.
Highly plastic soil is sometimes referred to as "fat clay" that swells excessively and loses stability when it becomes wet. Fine-grained soils that contain a high percentage of clay are greatly affected by water, turning to mud when it rains and undergoing large volume changes-sometimes up to 40 or 50 percent, as the soil dries. Not only do clays swell and lose stability when they become wet, but they also retard the drainage of water. If plastic soil is found on your building site, the ground must be over-excavated and replaced with clean gravel. Homebuilders often choose not to include a basement, or to protect the basement walls from excess moisture by surrounding them with a layer of gravel. A fine-grained clay-filled soil with a high plasticity index may require considerable treatment, especially if used in a moist location.
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| Q |
What U.S. state is home to the world's richest woman?
|
| A |
Alice Walton, daughter of WalMart's founder and heiress to $16.5 billion, lives on a ranch in the state of Texas. |
 See More Real Estate Trivia > |
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