A look at Charleston, WV

Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, is the center of attention for the entire state. The Charleston CBSA, located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., is the West Virginia leader in areas from healthcare, retailing and manufacturing to banking, government and tourism. Charleston is served by three major interstates, Yeager Airport, Conrail and CSX rail lines.

The state has two major universities, West Virginia University, located in Morgantown and Marshall University, located in Huntington. Other schools or colleges of note in the area include the University of Charleston, West Virginia State University, West Virginia Tech, Marshall University Graduate College, WVU Extension and Glenville.

There are many major manufactures and chemical companies in the area including Dow Chemical, DuPont, and Toyota. Retail stores are thriving in our market with many major shopping centers. The Charleston Town Center, located in downtown Charleston, is home to more that 100 retailers. Southridge Center, Dudley Farms Plaza and The Shops at Trace Fork are all shopping centers located in South Charleston. This is a rapidly growing area with retailers such as Wal-Mart, Lowes, Marshall’s, Target, Kohl’s, Pet Smart and Dick’s Sporting Goods to name a few.

Charleston hosts many cultural events and festivals throughout the year including Multifest, a multi-cultural event in late August, Festival, which features high-quality artistic events in late June and Vandalia, held on Memorial Day weekend.

Charleston also is home to Mountain Stage, a production of National Public Radio where local and national music groups perform year round. The International Film Festival, West Virginia Symphony and minor league baseball team, the West Virginia Power.