Do NOT move to Front Royal, VA!
-
1/16/2019
If you are thinking of moving to Front Royal, VA, think again!!! I lived in Front Royal for a little over three years for my retirement. I got to know people who determine the direction of the town and others who have lived in the town all their lives. It is a town of few comforts. There are few doctors unless you drive 50 miles to the east to Fairfax. While the views from and of the hills (not really mountains that far north on the Blue Ridge range) may be appealing, only the very wealthy can afford to live up there. There is no natural gas, and your electricity is provided by Rappahanock Electric Coop. But it took me a while to figure that you are billed for your electricity BY THE TOWN, and you are gouged somehow in that transfer of money to REC. The charges are outrageous for homeowners. Front Royal, from what I have determined, has no near or far-sighted vision of itself. People there know it. There are 17 "derelict" building in the small town itself, and the state-imposed speed limit of 25 mph for almost the entire town needs to be revisited. The "town" itself is a bunch of old buildings, most of which have to be torn down and replaced. It is not "quaint" at all. When I spoke with people in the town about their thoughts about change, to a person people would refer to a nebulous "they" (rich land owners and farmers near the town, people who own most of the Front Royal businesses from Winchester to the north - that's a fact!) not wanting change. It cost me a lot to pick up and leave, but it was my only alternative. I sensed the town was on the verge of financial collapse without immediate federal or state aid to make needed repairs to the town infrastructure NOW. Another important indicator: 60% of the working class leave town to go to work. That's a fact. If you're thing of commuting to the east, think Warrenton or Winchester or somewhere a bit more to the east with some amenities. There are no real jobs in Front Royal, regardless of what you may see here. While not wanting to be uncharitable (I loved the people there), the town is a catastrophe waiting to happen. The clock is ticking, and I always had that sense in Front Royal. Glad to be gone. I do this as a real service to those poor fols who made be considering the biggest mistake of the lives - moving to Front Royal. God Bless!
John | Minneapolis, MN