Why should you live in Morgantown? I can only speak from experience as I have lived here my entire life. I am not saying other areas of the state are not beautiful but this town, I can attest to its character.
Morgantown is a great place to grow up and raise a family. We are surrounded by mountains, a river, a lake, wonderful parks and recreation. In addition to our local area, we are within an hour to Pittsburgh and a little over 3 hours to Washington, DC. We have sports including a minor league baseball team, arts and entertainment, and plenty of other activities. West Virginia is known for its mountains. Residents can snow ski, explore our many caves and caverns, go white water rafting, hunt and fish. We have fine dining, good shopping, history and heritage, and great people!
Let us talk sports. We are the home of the Mountaineers! Morgantown is host to WVU baseball, football, basketball, a National Rifle Team, swimming, rowing, track, golf, soccer, volleyball and tennis just to name a few. We have won tournaments and titles and many of our athletes have gone onto play Pro sports.
WVU has produced a mountain of scholars from the University. Forbes ranked Morgantown as one of the Best Small Places for Business and Careers. (2019). We have a level one trauma center at WVU Hospital, a top ranked business and law school and graduate programs that rank within the top 100 in the nation. We are a diverse community with many of our students coming to study from other countries. Some of our Elementary, Middle and High Schools are top ranking in the state and in the nation.
Our arts and entertainment program stretches from local talent in our county schools to college level plays and performances. The Creative Arts Center or CAC as we locals call it, has hosted Broadway productions and many famous singers. We are fortunate to have some amazing talent in our community.
If you are one for adventure, Cheat Lake is a quick getaway for boating and recreation and the Mon River for kayaking and fishing. We have parks for the family to enjoy and a rail trail for biking, walking and running. Within a short drive, you can be rock climbing and exploring at Cooper’s Rock State Forest which features canyon overlooks, historical sites, picnic shelters, 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, cross-country ski terrain, a lake perfect for reeling in trout and a nearby river for rafting.
The beauty of Morgantown is like no other. We have awesome sunrises and sunsets. Our seasons, albeit a little off over the last few years, are full of vibrant colors. We have good people here that are always willing to help others.
So, I as sit here on my front porch and write, I am thankful to watch a beautiful sunrise with a sky full of pinks and blues. I would not want to live anywhere else as Morgantown is home to me.
I hope you have a wonderful week and remember to do good things for yourself and others!
Stephanie Lemley, 2021 MBOR President
