Blacksburg is one of the most beautiful spots in Virginia, which is saying something because the state has some stunning landscapes. It’s nestled between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains, which means you’re surrounded by camping, hiking, and leisurely strolling options. The Appalachian Trail is just 40 miles away but there are other less famous but just as fabulous outdoor adventures available including [**Cascades National Rec Trail**](https://www.virginia.org/listing/cascades-national-recreation-trail/6927/) with a 66-foot waterfall, [Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve](https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/bottom-creek-gorge/), also with a series of waterfalls, New River for those craving water play, and most convenient, [Huckleberry Trail](https://www.blacksburg.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/88/78), the main greenway throughout Blacksburg, so you don’t even have to leave town to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful countryside.  

Oh, and the aforementioned Carol Lee Donuts, which was recently named one of the [Top 100 Donut Shops of 2023](https://www.yelp.com/article/yelps-top-100-us-donut-shops-2023). 

A lot of the social energy of Blacksburg comes from the student population. In the summer, when the kiddos are back home, some locals complain the town is too quiet. A counterpoint to this is the view from those who are pretty damn thrilled when the Hokies hit the road and leave the restaurants/bars and trails to the grownups. We’ll leave that topic aside for a minute and just note that Virginia Tech is a big part of the population for nine months of the year and when they empty things get very quiet. 

The Great Outdoors (although Carol Lee Donuts is also pretty awesome)

LookyLOO Review of Blacksburg?

As with many college towns, a lot of the area events and activities happen on campus. One of the great things about being a local is that you can attend all the sports, concerts, and performing arts events that VTech hosts, many of which are held at the renowned [Moss Arts Center](https://artscenter.vt.edu/). Locals can also visit the [Hahn Horticulture Garden](https://hahngarden.vt.edu/ ), a beautiful botanical garden on campus, ideal for those in the mood for nature but not game for hitting the trails. You also get the amazing hiking and outdoor adventures described above in the Appalachian Mountains, or Cascades National Trail, or the many many other spots in the surrounding mountains. 

Downtown Blacksburg has some fun restaurants including, [Cellar](https://the-cellar.com/), a casual Greek spot with tons of local and national microbrews, Benny Marzano’s, a New York-style pizza spot, and [The Black Hen & Bar Blue](https://www.theblackhenrestaurant.com/), a farm-to-table restaurant that features Southern-inspired dishes. Perhaps most notable for off-campus entertainment is [Lyric Theatre](https://www.thelyric.com/), a historic downtown venue that hosts live music, theater, and film screenings and serves as a cultural hub for the city. 

To see what locals get up to for fun in Blacksburg check out the [calendar of events](https://www.blacksburg.gov/community/community-engagement/calendar). 

We highly recommend visiting Blacksburg and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for living among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


Casual Fun

Lifestyle

Blacksburg is part of the [Montgomery County Public School District](https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/), which has an excellent reputation and receives an [A- on niche.com](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/montgomery-county-public-schools-va/) with even higher scores for the quality of the teachers. There are several A and A+ schools including [Blacksburg High School](https://www.niche.com/k12/blacksburg-high-school-blacksburg-va/?map) and [Harding Avenue](https://www.niche.com/k12/harding-avenue-elementary-school-blacksburg-va/?map) and [Gilbert Linkus](https://www.niche.com/k12/gilbert-linkous-elementary-school-blacksburg-va/?map) Elementary Schools so there are good choices for those craving strong public education. 

Getting A's

Schools 

College Towns are all the rage for graduates looking to extend their youth, young families looking for fun cities with excellent schools, and empty nesters/retirees who want culturally interesting cities with great walkability. That means housing prices in these little havens have spiked in recent years. Blacksburg has a median listing price of $547k and a median sale price of $442k. That’s not cheap by any stretch but it beats many other college towns by a couple hundred thousand. 


Good Prices for a College Town

Why Should You Move Here Now?

**Pmurph33**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Some pointers from a Hokie from the early 2010's:

get a fishing license, you may enjoy it! SWVA is a great place to learn to love the outdoors.

Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail are ten miles away. if you have transportation, its the easiest access to wilderness i've ever had.

Pay attention to virginia DWR fishing/hunting regulations and seasons via their GoOutdoors app, no need to carry around a physical card anymore - they made it much easier to engage in the outdoors. This will also help you avoid hiking in areas or zones during active seasons for safety and bonus points for hunting etiquette

Try clay shooting with the clay team. It's insanely addicting/satisfying to progress.

Plan a group trip to Snowshoe with Snowboard club or Ski.

Get into cycling with a cheap second hand beater from craigslist or Play it Again sports in Christiansburg and ride the Huckleberry Trail

For more reviews of what living in Blacksburg is like from locals, check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/blacksburg/reviews).


Reviews of Blacksburg from Locals

Downtown is as active as it gets in Blacksburg. Everything is walking distance, including Virginia Tech, so you can’t beat it for fun and convenience. You also get the [**Historic District**](https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/blacksburg-historic-district) known as “Old Sixteen Squares” which includes some of the most beautiful homes in the city. The median list price is $657k but actual sale price is just $365k so the value is excellent. One other huge plus to Downtown is how close it is to [**Gilbert Linkous**](https://www.niche.com/k12/gilbert-linkous-elementary-school-blacksburg-va/?map) and [**Harding Avenue**](https://www.niche.com/k12/harding-avenue-elementary-school-blacksburg-va/?map) Elementary schools. Two of the best elementary schools in the area. There’s nothing like a walk or short bike ride to school for making you feel a part of a community. 


Young Professionals, Families, DINKS, Students

Downtown

Hethwood is the first master planned community in the area, developed in 1971 on 316 wooded acres. Families love the neighborhood in part due to the incredible amenities including: swimming pools in each of the subdivisions, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts and plenty of community space for cookouts and kiddo play areas. Families can rent or purchase homes throughout the neighborhood and the average sale price for homes in 2022 was $332k so it’s ideal for young families, both for pricing and community culture. One big plus to Hethwood is its close proximity to [**Blacksburg High School**](https://bhs.mcps.org/), which gets an A+ score on [**niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/blacksburg-high-school-blacksburg-va/?map). 


Families

Hethwood


If you’re looking for a more rural experience, check out Prices Fork. West of downtown (and sometimes defined as including Hethwood), the homes have great big lots and tons of room for kiddos to play outdoors. The outdoor experience also comes from Prices Fork being home to [**Heritage Park**](https://www.blacksburg.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/54/80). This is 169 acres of walking and biking trails, meadows, streams, and just stunning chances to escape and enjoy the great outdoors. It also has community spaces with picnic tables, and pergolas for gathering family and friends for celebrations and weekend play. The bigger homes in Prices Fork command a higher price tag with median listing price at $569k but an average sale price of ~$300k


Prices Fork

Mount Tabor is another historic district in Blacksburg that is a bit more family-centric than Downtown. It has a cool mix of historic homes and newer condo/apartment developments. That means the population of the neighborhood trends younger and older families and couples looking to live outside the racket of Downtown. One of the developments in Mount Tabor that is popular is [**Mount Tabor Meadows**](https://mount-tabor-meadows.org/), a small community of energy-efficient homes, all built to meet Energy Star and EarthCraft House certifications. Average listing price for homes in Mount Tabor is $369k so you can find affordable options here. The neighborhood is also just north of [**Gilbert Linkous**](https://www.niche.com/k12/gilbert-linkous-elementary-school-blacksburg-va/?map) and [**Harding Avenue**](https://www.niche.com/k12/harding-avenue-elementary-school-blacksburg-va/?map) Elementary Schools -- two of the best in the city and for many in the neighborhood, a walk from home. 


Families/DINKs

Mount Tabor 

Blacksburg

**KermittehFrog**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

ISE 2015 Alumni
Sounds like it's a chance for you to experience something different! Isn't that why you signed up for the Master's in the first place? I came from a suburb/city area and now live in a country/suburb area. Wayyy better now that I'm used to it. Now my take is visit the city, live in the country. Try going in with a positive mindset and meet people. Could be fun.

**Pmurph33**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Some pointers from a Hokie from the early 2010's:

get a fishing license, you may enjoy it! SWVA is a great place to learn to love the outdoors.

Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail are ten miles away. if you have transportation, its the easiest access to wilderness i've ever had.

Pay attention to virginia DWR fishing/hunting regulations and seasons via their GoOutdoors app, no need to carry around a physical card anymore - they made it much easier to engage in the outdoors. This will also help you avoid hiking in areas or zones during active seasons for safety and bonus points for hunting etiquette

Try clay shooting with the clay team. It's insanely addicting/satisfying to progress.

Plan a group trip to Snowshoe with Snowboard club or Ski.

Get into cycling with a cheap second hand beater from craigslist or Play it Again sports in Christiansburg and ride the Huckleberry Trail

**Just-Equipment5004**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

While bburg is more “rural” location-wise, during the school year it feels more like a city because of the sheer amount of people that live here. I’ve lived all over, and honestly bburg is a great combo of city/rural. I’m not the biggest hiking person, but I do enjoy my daily walks around campus/ on the huckleberry trail for some sun and fresh air. I’d recommend joining Facebook groups of things going on in the area to get a feel for what all Blacksburg has to offer! Since you’ll only be here a year, just do some basic research and join some fb groups, etc, and you should be fine!

Blacksburg, Virginia

Huckleberry Crossing

Looklyloo Score: 87

Reviews

What's it like to live in Blacksburg?