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Real estate blog ranks Parkersburg 10th on list

PARKERSBURG – Parkersburg has been named the 10th most exciting place in West Virginia by a California-based real estate blog.

Movoto Real Estate is a real estate company responsible for blogs, city guides and top ten listings. In March, Movotto released a list naming Vienna as the eighth best place to live in West Virginia, with Parkersburg coming in at number 13.

According to Movoto, the 10 most exciting places in West Virginia were, from the top: Morgantown, Martinsburg, Wheeling, Huntington, Fairmont, Moundsville, Charleston, Elkins, Clarksburg and Parkersburg.

The blog’s authors reported gathering information on the 25 largest places in West Virginia, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, and then using business listings and Census data, researched each place in the following criteria: nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.); live music venues per capita; active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.); arts and entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, theaters, etc.); fast food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better); percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better); percentage of young residents ages 18-34 (the higher the better); and population density (the higher the better).

Each city was ranked with a score from one to 25, with the lowest score being the best and then averaged the rankings with the lowest score as the best. Morgantown, at the top, had a score of 4.88 while Parkersburg, at number 10 of 25, had an average score of 11.5, according to Movoto’s study.

Parkersburg received ratings of 8 for nightlife and population density, 9 for music venues, 10 for non-fast food restaurants, 13 for arts and entertainment and fast food, 14 for residents ages 18-34, and 15 for active life options.

“It’s very nice to be given that honor and to be recognized,” Mayor Bob Newell said of the report’s results.

He believes the report offers recognition for ongoing efforts to increase offerings in the community, including more events centered in downtown Parkersburg like the Taste of Parkersburg, the Point Park Music Series, the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon and others.

Newell also cited the presence of active arts and entertainment programs like the Actors Guild of Parkersburg, the Parkersburg Art Center and the Smoot Theatre in downtown Parkersburg as positive factors in the city’s ranking.

He is happy to see Parkersburg recognized for all of the work that goes in to such offerings, he said.

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