Since Sunday the temperatures have been quite cool around Roanoke. No, not sub-zero, but it has been sub-freezing which is cool enough.

On cold mornings like we’ve experienced recently, I always have that sinking feeling of having to wake and leave my warm bed. It’s not easy. When I hear the cold engine of my car briefly struggle to turn over, I quietly respond by saying, “Mr. Car, I don’t want to be getting out in this cold anymore than you, but let’s make the best of it.”

Anyways, despite the cold weather it has been rather sunny, so I took a few more pictures downtown earlier in the week.

View of downtown Roanoke looking from the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial Bridge.

Railroad Tracks in Downtown Roanoke, mountains in the distance.

State of Virginia Marker along the Railwalk in Downtown Roanoke.

At least twice a week I enjoy getting out and doing some bicycling around town.

During warmer months I’ll meet some friends and head down to one of Roanoke’s greenways. Each visit to one of the greenways is usually an adventure in itself (as I’ve written about here when exploring them).

But, when it’s colder outside and daylight is limited I just take out the bike and ride around my own Virginia Heights neighborhood. As it often turns out, Sunday afternoon is one of the days of the week when I go for a ride.

(It helps to keep me active. I tried using a stationary bike but there was something that seemed subconsciously unproductive about peddling and peddling and getting nowhere.)

As I’ve ridden around the neighborhood I’ve noticed that Sunday is a popular day for doing laundry, myself included by the way.

And I came to this realization while riding around not because I look for clothes hanging and drying on the line. It’s way too cold for that now anyways.

I realized it because the smell of laundry detergent fills the air along various stretches of the neighborhood. So much so that when I pass by certain areas I even remember the scent! I don’t know the brands, but it sure is better than smelling and breathing just plain old air.

Maybe I’m crazy, but it’s the little and simple things like this that I seem to notice much more often now as I get older.

Have a great Monday!

Just a single picture update today. I took this while walking across the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge in downtown Roanoke yesterday. Temperatures are much cooler than last week, but the clouds were fairly sparse.

I look forward to the warmer months when I can venture out some more and post pictures of the downtown area.

Wachovia Tower in downtown Roanoke (2-17-09)

A few weeks ago I received a comment from a reader who lives up North and is considering moving to Roanoke. They asked me to write about Roanoke and what I think about living here. What are some of the pluses and minuses of Roanoke? What to expect and what not to expect? And, overall talk a little about the quality of life here.

With the next few posts I’ll do my best to answer these questions from my perspective, and generally so that they can apply to all ages. These posts hardly aim to cover everything about Roanoke, and I encourage you to leave comments below and add your own perspective. 

When I think about Roanoke there are a couple aspects that come to mind which I believe are a large part of the ambiance of the city. I say and know this because when I have on occasion traveled elsewhere, these are the aspects I noticed the most as missing from daily life.

Mountains

The mountains provide a background to just about everywhere I travel around town. They are always off in the distance, sitting quietly while providing scenery and a sense of protection.

As the season changes, so does the mountain’s foliage. I’m partial to the green that begins to appear in the Spring. Of course the pure white from after a moderate snowfall is quite a sight also.

Beautiful Mill Mountain as Seen from the Elm Avenue Intersection with Route 220/I-581 (5-18-08)

When I travel to other places I often feel like something is missing. At first I can’t put my finger on it, but then I realize: I have grown accustomed to the mountains. To me, a city seems much more vulnerable without them.

The mountains have become a part of my life as a Roanoke citizen, and I tend to prefer it that way.

Trains

I’m not sure if there is a spot in Roanoke that can escape from the sound of a train whistle. From my house in the City I occasionally hear the sound, as well as the gentle roaring of a train passing by along the tracks.

The railroad system in Roanoke as seen from a bridge on 10 Street SW

The railroad is very much a part of Roanoke. And if you are a Roanoke resident it will be difficult to avoid crossing a set of tracks from time to time.

One aspect that I forgot to mention in a previous post about the weather here in Roanoke is: Generally speaking it’s great, but it sure can be wacky!

Within just a week or so we have seen near 0 temperatures and bitter cold, and today the forecast has projected the temperatures to reach the upper 60s and maybe even 70.

Then, in a couple more days we are supposed to be back down to normal February temperatures of around the 30s and 40s.

I’m not complaining about the mild temps lately, or about the ups and downs that my thermostat has undergone due to the changes. This seems to be common for the area. I think it was around Christmas 2007 or early January last year when we reached the 60s for multiple days.

It doesn’t seem to work the other way around, though. I don’t recall a frost warning ever being issued for a day in July or August in Roanoke.

Having said that, it’s looking like we may get through the 2008-09 Winter without any real measurable amounts of snow or icy precipitation. There hasn’t been much to fall at my house in the City so far, probably not even an inch total for the whole season.

Of course, I’m reminded of a time in the 1990s when in March I believe it was that we received about 2 feet of snow. I missed school for at least a week if I remember correctly.

So, winter weather is far from out of the equation. In the meantime, enjoy the springtime temperatures!

A few weeks ago I received a comment from a reader who lives up North and is considering moving to Roanoke. They asked me to write about Roanoke and what I think about living here. What are some of the pluses and minuses of Roanoke? What to expect and what not to expect? And, overall talk a little about the quality of life here.

With the next few posts I’ll do my best to answer these questions from my perspective, and generally so that they can apply to all ages. These posts hardly aim to cover everything about Roanoke, and I encourage you to leave comments below and add your own perspective. 

I work and probably earn somewhere in the neighborhood of the median or average income for a US household. Ocassionally, I pick up another 1-2 part-time jobs when I want (not including this blog).

I’m not rich and I don’t live my life in such a way to encourage people to falsely believe I’m rich. I dislike debt and live within my means. I say this not to brag or anything of that sort, but to say that, relatively speaking, money seems to go a pretty far distance in Roanoke. Especially for those that are conscious of their budget, save appropriately, and don’t live outside of their salary range.

The beauty of it is that Roanoke is fairly laid back to the point where one doesn’t have to live extravagantly just to fit in with the rest of society.

Now, there is poor and homeless in Roanoke. In fact, there seems to be more homeless downtown recently than I have ever seen before. I mean maybe a half-dozen instead of 1 or 2 that I used to see. There is probably more than that but it doesn’t seem like Chicago or DC where on nearly every corner there was a homeless person.

But as for me, I can make all of my payments and still eat out infrequently or go to the mall every few weeks and splurge on some new clothes. At the end of the day I’m not struggling to pay bills, and I have plenty to save for retirement (or to pay for child expenses if/when that occurs). Money seems to go farther is my point.

In short, I live OK on an income that would probably be considered the low end of the spectrum if I did the same work in a bigger city. So, in Roanoke, I realize I make less, but it’s just a cheaper place to live overall I think so it evens out.

In closing, I can only speak for myself. I went to college, learned a desirable skill, work hard, and live on a modest income. Roanoke helps to provide me this life and hopefully will continue to do so for years to come.

I see Roanoke helping to provide the same or better life for others, and see no reason why it can’t to do the same for anyone else willing to take advantage of the relatively low cost of living here.

A few weeks ago I received a comment from a reader who lives up North and is considering moving to Roanoke. They asked me to write about Roanoke and what I think about living here. What are some of the pluses and minuses of Roanoke? What to expect and what not to expect? And, overall talk a little about the quality of life here.

With the next few posts I’ll do my best to answer these questions from my perspective, and generally so that they can apply to all ages. These posts hardly aim to cover everything about Roanoke, and I encourage you to leave comments below and add your own perspective.

With this post I’m going to write a little about the weather in Roanoke.

Weather

Overall, the temperatures in Roanoke are rather mild and pleasant for each season respectively. Aside from a few days out of the year, we usually don’t freeze too much, or suffer from the heat too much either.

This is not to say Roanokers are immune from some a few unbearably hot August afternoons, nor some icy filled mornings in late January or February. But, by and large things are rather calm around here in the weather department.

If you have children they will be happy to know that when we get any (and I mean any, even a bit over a dusting) of snow on the roads then schools promptly close for the day.

Hardly measurable snow Roanoke received back in November, which quickly melted by mid morning.

After the cold months, and for several weeks starting in late Winter and through early Spring, I shut off the thermostat and open the windows for some natural (and much cheaper) temperature regulation.

During the warm months it’s a daily scene to view the green mountains in the distance as you drive around town.

Mill Mountain (home of the Mill Mountain Star) as seen from the Jefferson Street Bridge.

In upcoming posts, more on the basics of living in Roanoke including crime and cost of living.

A few weeks ago I received a comment from a reader who lives up North and is considering moving to Roanoke, I believe as a place to retire. They asked me to write about Roanoke and what I think about living here. What are some of the pluses and minuses of Roanoke? What to expect and what not to expect? And, overall talk a little about the quality of life here.

With the next few posts I’ll do my best to answer these questions from my perspective, and generally so that they can apply to all ages. These posts hardly aim to cover everything about Roanoke, and I encourage you to leave comments below and add your own perspective.

Before I can even begin talking about Roanoke I feel inclined to give a brief background on how I came to call it home. And why I still live and work within minutes from the hospital where I was born.

My dad was born and raised in Roanoke. My mom moved here from the mid-west when she was young as a result of my grandfather being transferred while working for Norfolk-Southern.

Both of my parents (now divorced) still live in or in the vicinity of Roanoke. Well, my mom actually still lives in the same house where I grew up.

And those of my grandparents still alive also live in Roanoke, with several other relatives scattered throughout Virginia from here to Richmond.

I was born at Lewis-Gale Hospital and grew up in Roanoke County.

I went to college at Virginia Western and Radford University and then came back to Roanoke looking for work and my place in the world. Sometime later I purchased my first home in Roanoke City, found a rewarding career, and never had a chance or consideration to look back.

I suppose I could be called a “young professional” that Roanoke is looking to attract, or keep. And I plan on hanging around here for the long-term.

I don’t think it’s entirely accurate to say that we choose the city where we live.

Sometimes the city chooses us.

Next up, Living in Roanoke - The Basics.