[prototype]

http://www.kiplinger.com/money/bestcities/vote.php

[LUconn]

I don't want to lie.

[Liberty4Life]

Seriously.

[Sly Fox]

I didn't lie but my choice sits 18th. Hmmmm ... do you think the Kiplinger folks are thrilled with this vote?

[Rocketfan]

I don't want to lie.

+1

[prototype]

Come on guys - if you don't like Lynchburg - it means 1 of 2 things. 1,You haven't lived anywhere else. -or- 2, You are into Nightlife that isn't good for your future well-being.

[Green Monkey]

Come on guys - if you don't like Lynchburg - it means 1 of 2 things. 1,You haven't lived anywhere else. -or- 2, You are into Nightlife that isn't good for your future well-being.

or 3. you're from Roanoke which is a lot better and in 2nd place

[prototype]

Come on guys - if you don't like Lynchburg - it means 1 of 2 things. 1,You haven't lived anywhere else. -or- 2, You are into Nightlife that isn't good for your future well-being.

or 3. you're from Roanoke which is a lot better and in 2nd place

A lot better if you want crime and old rundown buildings;)

[flamesbball84]

Come on guys - if you don't like Lynchburg - it means 1 of 2 things. 1,You haven't lived anywhere else. -or- 2, You are into Nightlife that isn't good for your future well-being.

or 3. you're from Roanoke which is a lot better and in 2nd place

Agree, Roanoke is much better than Lynchburg

[prototype]

OK - Let's get this thing going... I hear this all the time and don't understand why Roanoke is better, so someone please explain what is better. Here is what I think...

1) Roanoke has a better downtown than Lynchburg. I'll give you that.
2) I hear shopping? Are there really that many better places to shop? Their mall isn't much better than ours.
3) They have so many rundown areas in Roanoke - we don't have that here.
4) We have a Public Ice Rink - they don't.
5) We have so many more historical sites.
6) We have so many more trail systems than Roanoke.
7) Violent Crimes are 10% Higher in Roanoke.
8) Property Crimes are 10% Higher in Roanoke.
9) Roanoke has a designated Gay area.
10) What does Roanoke have that Lynchburg doesn't? Not much...
11) We have better businesses than they do, with less closures.

[LUconn]

Agreed. Roanoke is a dump. It's only advantage is a larger metropolitan area. I don't even know if it's considered a metropolitan area. Just the fact that there are other decent sized cities near by is nice is what I mean.

[flamesbball84]

roanoke has a zoo. end of story.

[LUconn]

Wow. A zoo with about as many animals as our local pet store. I guess Natural Bridge, VA must top both cities.

[rogers3]

I'm with proto... and being from DC, no one can say I haven't experienced a "real city."

[ToTheLeft]

Punta Gorda, FL is the obvious choice in that poll.

Go Tarpons.

[flamesbball84]

Wow. A zoo with about as many animals as our local pet store. I guess Natural Bridge, VA must top both cities.

It's got more animals than Lynchburg's zoo. Oh wait that's right Lynchburg doesn't have one.

[Green Monkey]

OK - Let's get this thing going... I hear this all the time and don't understand why Roanoke is better, so someone please explain what is better. Here is what I think...

1) Roanoke has a better downtown than Lynchburg. I'll give you that.
2) I hear shopping? Are there really that many better places to shop? Their mall isn't much better than ours.
3) They have so many rundown areas in Roanoke - we don't have that here.
4) We have a Public Ice Rink - they don't.
5) We have so many more historical sites.
6) We have so many more trail systems than Roanoke.
7) Violent Crimes are 10% Higher in Roanoke.
8) Property Crimes are 10% Higher in Roanoke.
9) Roanoke has a designated Gay area.
10) What does Roanoke have that Lynchburg doesn't? Not much...
11) We have better businesses than they do, with less closures.

1) Agreed.
2) Maybe you're thinking of Tanglewood Mall which really isn't much better. One floor of Valley View Mall (that's right; it actually has more than one floor) is bigger than the entire Lynchburg mall. Tanglewood Mall isn't even really that bad either since it at least has some unique types of stores that aren't really around anywhere else near here.
3) I might have to give you this one, but I have seen plenty of shady places in Lynchburg.
4) Sometimes the Civic Center is open to the public to ice skate, but that's about it. Of course, we at least have a Civic Center and get some decent bands and acts unlike Lynchburg.
5) I don't know enough about this one to comment.
6) Might be true, but have you actually looked up all the trails in Roanoke. Ours aren't too bad.
7 & 8) True, that's one of the things I like about Lynchburg. But the percentages might be a little distorted to make a direct comparison since there are so many college students in Lynchburg. Is there some way to tell what it would be if you just factored in the actual residents?
9) This is the reason we don't have a Cracker Barrel which is almost enough to put me in favor of Lynchburg.
10) a civic center, a non-convoluted roadway system, a zoo as mentioned before, some other stuff I'll think of later :)
11) Examples...
11)

[LUconn]

do homosexuals not like cracker barrels?

[rueful]

do homosexuals not like cracker barrels?

no they are too tacky

[HenryGale]

I think Roanoke is run down as well, but they do have a Carraba's

[Cider Jim]

I'd rather live in Lynchburg, but Roanoke is a nice place to visit:

1. They have two, 2-story shopping malls.
2. They have a civic center.
3. They have a much larger airport.
4. They have an interstate.

And I'm happy to see Huntington, WV getting some love at #4.

[rogers3]

2) Maybe you're thinking of Tanglewood Mall which really isn't much better. One floor of Valley View Mall (that's right; it actually has more than one floor) is bigger than the entire Lynchburg mall. Tanglewood Mall isn't even really that bad either since it at least has some unique types of stores that aren't really around anywhere else near here.

5) I don't know enough about this one to comment.
6) Might be true, but have you actually looked up all the trails in Roanoke. Ours aren't too bad.

9) This is the reason we don't have a Cracker Barrel which is almost enough to put me in favor of Lynchburg.
10) a civic center, a non-convoluted roadway system, a zoo as mentioned before, some other stuff I

Just a bit of meaningless trivia for Greenie-

-Regarding the malls- check your stats; Valley View is less than 20% larger than River Ridge and it would be impossible for its first floor to be bigger than River Ridge. Side note- I think they are both dated and they both stink, though VV does have a few more nice stores than RR, and nobody would suggest that Tanglewood is better than RR!
-Trails around the Roanoke area are nice, but the trail in Roanoke itself aren't quite up to par with Lynchburg's
-Roanoke was referred to as "Big Lick" until the late 1800's and was not much more than a stop on the rail line during the Civil War; not much history there.
-There has been a Cracker Barrel in the Roanoke Valley (I-81 @ exit 151 ~ 10 minutes from Valley View)for over 15 years.
-The roads around Roanoke are no better or no less confusing than those of Lynchburg; as an example, just follow 460 into Roanoke- oh, no, that would be Challenger Ave- Oh, no- Orange Ave....

I actually like Roanoke and have been doing business there for 23 years, but for all its good, I merely find it to be different than Lynchburg as opposed to being superior.

[flamesfilmguy]

Glad to see both places i've lived in my lifetime are on the list at # 1 and #25 Marietta, GA and Lynchburg!

[Green Monkey]

2) Maybe you're thinking of Tanglewood Mall which really isn't much better. One floor of Valley View Mall (that's right; it actually has more than one floor) is bigger than the entire Lynchburg mall. Tanglewood Mall isn't even really that bad either since it at least has some unique types of stores that aren't really around anywhere else near here.

5) I don't know enough about this one to comment.
6) Might be true, but have you actually looked up all the trails in Roanoke. Ours aren't too bad.

9) This is the reason we don't have a Cracker Barrel which is almost enough to put me in favor of Lynchburg.
10) a civic center, a non-convoluted roadway system, a zoo as mentioned before, some other stuff I

Just a bit of meaningless trivia for Greenie-

-Regarding the malls- check your stats; Valley View is less than 20% larger than River Ridge and it would be impossible for its first floor to be bigger than River Ridge. Side note- I think they are both dated and they both stink, though VV does have a few more nice stores than RR, and nobody would suggest that Tanglewood is better than RR!
-Trails around the Roanoke area are nice, but the trail in Roanoke itself aren't quite up to par with Lynchburg's
-Roanoke was referred to as "Big Lick" until the late 1800's and was not much more than a stop on the rail line during the Civil War; not much history there.
-There has been a Cracker Barrel in the Roanoke Valley (I-81 @ exit 151 ~ 10 minutes from Valley View)for over 15 years.
-The roads around Roanoke are no better or no less confusing than those of Lynchburg; as an example, just follow 460 into Roanoke- oh, no, that would be Challenger Ave- Oh, no- Orange Ave....

I actually like Roanoke and have been doing business there for 23 years, but for all its good, I merely find it to be different than Lynchburg as opposed to being superior.

The Cracker Barrel isn't in Roanoke City or County. It's in Troutville which could be a good 20 minute drive depending on what part of Roanoke you're coming from. Regarding the gay comment, supposedly the higher-ups in at Cracker Barrel won't let them build one actually in Roanoke because of the city's support for gays.

I guess the point about the roads is more a matter of opinion. Lynchburg just seems more confusing to me since it's so easy to miss exits and the same road can be labeled north and south. Even though 460 changes names a lot, it's at least still the same road and can easily be found and accessed within Roanoke. Any major highway that goes on long enough will have sections with different names.

I'm not really a die-hard supporter of Roanoke by any means. It's just nice to have a discussion about it with someone like yourself who knows what they're talking about. And my comment comparing the sizes of the malls was more exaggeration.