A friendly little town
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6/9/2006
West Point, despite Sperling's ignorant summary, is NOT named after the military academy. The town, which occupies a POINT joining three rivers, was once part of a plantation once owned by Captain John WEST in the 17th century. This small town is a little more "country" than nearby Richmond and Williamsburg. One is much more likely to see diesel trucks about town than Toyota Priuses. That being said, it is very easy to move in and become part of the community, even if you're a native New Englander like myself. Everyone smiles and waves. The downsides are that traffic is awful during summer afternoons as Richmonders scurry through town headed for the shore, and the paper mill can take some getting used to. An upside is that the 80 year-old draw bridges on either side of town are being replaced as we speak with four-lane span bridges that will eleviate much of the traffic. The big draw of this town is the schools. They are the best in the state and top 100 in the country. People from surrounding communities pay tuition to send their kids to West Point public schools. Crime is non-existent, housing is still inexpensive (until the road improvements are finished), and it is an easy commute to either Williamsburg or Richmond. Like action? Go somewhere else. Want Mayberry? Come here.
Chris | West Point, VA