A short and informal dissertation about why this blog tends to focus on the bright sides of Roanoke.

As readership of this blog has increased modestly over the past several months I have become more and more conscientious about what I post. I don’t mean that I censor myself or place restrictions on what topics to post about. But, I mean that I genuinely try to provide thoughts, pictures, and overall hopefully enjoyable insight into a few of the many aspects that make Roanoke unique.

Long-time and new readers alike can proabably pretty easily observe that as a whole Noke News tends to focus on positive aspects of Roanoke. I suppose this came about naturally. I live here, as do many of you, and it makes sense to me that I should write more about the pluses, and not so much about the minuses. If I wrote too much about the minuses this site would actually seem to me to be a series of reasons to move away.

And that’s certainly not how I feel and it’s not the message I want to convey.

Now, I know Roanoke does have its share of crime, hot-button issues, crooked politicians (or just plain irresponsible ones), poverty, and other unpleasantries.
 
Those negatives exist without question, but in large part I’ve choosen not to put them in the limelight or give them publicity on this site.

Why?

Well, it’s not because I don’t have a personal opinion on a particular matter.  The answer is simply because I sometimes find that Roanoke is victim to a bit too much negativity already. And I believe there are many other unique and favorable aspects about this great city that are more deserving of the limelight.

From a greenway down by the river, to a quaint park with paths made out of pebbles and small boulders for sitting, to a meaningful memorial at the top of the mountain, there really is a lot of neat stuff around Roanoke.  Even now in looking back at the over 120 articles posted here I’ve only scratched the surface in mentioning just a handful of them.

But, to me all of this stuff deserves a place at the front of the line (or on the front page) every now and then. And I’m here to put it there.

In other words, I think being positive about Roanoke can be contagious and I hope to pass it on.

Wow, the 100th post! 

Every so often I like to take a moment and talk about Noke News and a little on how this all came about. (And, as it turned out, my birthday was during this week. So, I kinda took the week off from my active photo and note taking duties for the site.)

Thank You

First on the list is a thanks to you for reading. Some of you have lived in Roanoke your entire life, others moved here some years ago. And still others lived here once before and even though now living miles away are still interested in some of the happenings in and around the City.

No matter your reason for visiting, this site is basically my little corner of the web where I can write about something we all share in common, a fondness for the Roanoke area.

And, through the site and with most every post, it’s my intention to provide reasons (informal testimonials if you will) of instances where Roanoke is evolving or unique and ultimately explain why I choose to continue living here. Roanoke is not perfect, but certainly is a one-of-a-kind kinda place and that’s all I hope to show.

What am I forgetting?

What else would you like to read about in the Roanoke area? And what would you like to see pictures of? Contact me directly or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to take some photos and write up a post about a topic you recommend.

I’ve been operating this blog since January 2008 (and updating a bit more consistently since March) but I’m not sure how long you may have been a reader.

So, I wanted to take a minute and revisit some of the more popular posts thus far (determined by page views) and I also threw in a couple of my personal favorites.  All in no particular order.

I hope you enjoy.

Exploring Roanoke - Views of the Wachovia Tower
Take a journey and see downtown Roanoke’s tallest building from the ground looking up, all the way to the mountain looking down.

Thelma’s Chicken-n-Waffles, Uniquely Delicious Combination
This is actually one of the top 3 visited posts on Noke News.

Exploring Roanoke - An Introduction to the Greenways
Have  you heard about or noticed signs for Greenways in our area? Read this post to learn a little bit about the basics of these roadways which are built for non-motorized traffic only.

The Open Windows Time of the Year
A tribute to the wonderfully seasonal temperature we as Roanokers experience, especially during Spring.

Exploring Roanoke - The Railwalk
Take a stroll along a neat exhibit downtown which sheds some light on Roanoke’s railroad heritage.

Views of Roanoke - Late Spring ‘08 Nature Edition
A few beautiful photos in and around Roanoke taken during this past Spring.

Little Fish in a Big Pond (or a Roanoker Visits Chicago)
If you’ve grown accustomed to the relatively laid back lifestyle that is Roanoke, and then taken a trip to a “big city” I think you may know what I mean.

Exploring Roanoke - The Roanoke River Greenway (Part 1)
One of the more well-known greenways in Roanoke, and for good reason. In a still ongoing series, I explore the entire nearly 6 miles of this one-of-a-kind pathway which runs along the Roanoke River.

A Final Visit to Steve’s Famous Hot Dogs
Just before it closed a few months ago, I stopped in one last time at Steve’s (which had been there for as far back as I could remember) for a hot dog combo.

I recently added the NewVa logo to the sidebar here at Noke News, and I wanted to take a moment and briefly explain the whys and whats behind the addition.

From the NewVa website:

NewVa is the brand and visual identity for the region of western Virginia that encompasses the Alleghany Highlands, the Roanoke Valley, and the New River Valley.

I see it as a way to unite Roanoke and neighboring cities, towns, and counties, and overall help to promote those things we all enjoy or want to see in our adjoining communities.

In addition to the website, there’s also a publication produced and distributed which more or less acts as a welcome guide to much of the Roanoke area.

The magazine touches on many things ranging from the climate we experience, to education, economy, and the culture of Roanoke.

Neat stuff to read, even when being a lifelong resident. Some of the information I already knew and some I forgot I knew (such as wireless internet being available in parts of the downtown area) and was thankful for the reminder.

Even taking into consideration my college days at Radford University, I’ve never lived outside of the NewVa region in my entire life.

While some of my highschool classmates were anxious to leave the area in search of bigger and better things, that bug just never bit me. Today, I live minutes from the hospital where I was born and merely across town from the house where I spent my childhood and teenage years.

And, certainly by choice rather than circumstance, I’d prefer things no other way.

Back in January of this year I launched Noke News in the blogging format it is today. And during those first 2 months I gathered my thoughts and formulated a plan for the site. At that time I really wasn’t sure where all of this would take me.

On March 1, Noke News officially became a consistent aspect of my life, and has continued to grow out of my enjoyment and eagerness to learn more and more about this area in southwest Virginia.

My hope is that we all discover, and continue to re-discover Roanoke and a few of the aspects that make it up. And, it’s not nearly as fun taking this journey alone. Thank you for also coming along and taking part in the experience.

Now, on to some news about the site itself (which I’ll try to keep brief):

First, over the past several weeks I’ve encountered some very friendly neighboring blogs in our area. And I have some ideas and am working on a way to provide links and information on these blogs here, in order to help spread the word about them. More on that in the coming weeks.

Second, I’m going to change the posting schedule a bit. From this point on, scheduled posts will be updated on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week.

Also, I’m going to post at 9AM on each of these days, that way you’ll know when to expect the updates. Until now the exact posting time has been a bit sporadic, but I’ve been adapting well to juggling Noke News with my other 2 jobs. (And of course, in addition to these scheduled posts, it’s not unusual for another 1-2 to be added at various times throughout the week.)

As always, feel free to leave a comment to a post or write me directly for any reason.

See you at the 100th post (and beyond!)

The short answer to why I’m doing this is: I like writing and I like living in Roanoke. I have never lived anywhere else. Well, I did have a short stint living in Radford for college but that really doesn’t count, does it? I was born and raised in Roanoke and I really don’t have an urge to move, nor can I imagine living anywhere else.

Having said that, what really prompted me to get this website going was a recent drive around town while running a few errands. I noticed things that I had seen on previous drives, but would often give nothing more than a passing glance. However, this time it occured to me that this city is growing and changing, and has been growing and changing at a rather steady pace the past few years. Valley View Mall has given a fair amount of parking lot space to restaurants, the Keagy Village project is moving right along, and I know of more than one new housing subdivision under construction as I write this post.

I’m not against progress or change. But, with words and pictures from the perspective of a common citizen, I thought it would be fun to chronicle such changes seen to this city I call home.