West Virginia Travel Guide 2009 - (Page 53) Come to Play, Decide to Stay < wild & wonderful By Tiffany St. Martin Come HOME to WEST VIRGINIA O ut of the nearly 11 million visitors who explore West Virginia every year, a growing group decide it isn’t enough just to vacation here. More and more young professionals, families, empty nesters and retirees come to play, then decide to stay. And they aren’t the only ones. Native West Virginians who move away often find themselves drawn back to the special place they call home. Maybe it’s the relaxing change of pace and friendly people. Maybe it’s the lower cost of living and safe, peaceful environment. Maybe it’s the fact that the state is a growing economic force where businesses thrive. performing arts venue that has been around since 1928. For anyone who thinks West Virginia has no place in pop culture, several movies have been set or filmed here, including “We Are Marshall” and “The Mothman Prophecies.” The state isn’t all play, either. As a top producer of coal in the country, West Virginia creates so much power that it exports its extra. Farmers make a good living here, but more and more business owners – lured by lower taxes and a top-quality workforce – are making their livelihoods here in everything from making glass and mixing up salsa to leading multi-million-dollar hospitals, banks, law firms and technology centers. People like Jeff James, who grew up in Glenville and attended West Virginia University before taking jobs with IBM in Pittsburgh and Redmond, WA. But when the company let James move anywhere in the United States, he chose to come home. Today he chairs Create West Virginia, a group of business leaders combining the collective minds from old businesses and new to grow the state’s economy. With all it has to offer, it’s no wonder transplants are choosing to “go West” – or, east – to West Virginia. From top: Overlook at Blackwater Falls State Park , shopping in Shepherdstown , downtown Charleston . g b f Or it could just be the state’s wild and wonderful charms. West Virginia’s natural beauty – it isn’t called the mountain state for nothin’ – makes it an ideal recreation destination with more than 50 state and national parks and forests and plentiful waters for fishing, rafting and more. And big attractions like the New River Gorge Bridge, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and The Greenbrier share the mountains with charming small towns and plenty of culture and history. Charleston’s West Virginia Cultural Center is home to the radio show “Mountain Stage” and hosts music and dance performances, the West Virginia Symphony plays at the stunning Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, and Huntington’s Keith-Albee Theatre is a For more information about West Virginia’s quality of life, business climate and new and expanding companies, visit www.wvopenforbusiness.com/hometowv. www.WVTOURISM.com 53 http://www.wvopenforbusiness.com/hometowv http://www.WVTOURISM.com
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