Charleston - West Virginia - 4K Downtown Drive 

Born and raised in Charleston and downtown died when the Town Center Mall was built. Then the mall died when off of corridor G South Ridge and Dudley Plaza were built. It’s still home and I wouldn’t live anywhere else. Glad you visited Mike. Safe travels! 🙏🏻

This brings back a lot of good memories. I was a paramedic with Kanawha County Ambulance from 1978 to 1989. Moved to Florida in 89. I knew these streets like the back of my hand.

Never been to West Virginia. What a well-kept city. It's so clean, no graffiti that I could see. The state capitol is gorgeous - from a distance, anyway! Thanks from New England, for letting me tag along!

The last time I was in Charleston we visited a coffee shop called Taylor Books, which is on Capital Street.

Nice view of Downtown Charleston WV

Thanks for showing a positive side of WV and Charleston. The State has so much to offer, if we could only get the correct people in Office, to help it get to a better economic position . Love WV and My City of Charleston, but will be moving as soon as retirement happens, my children had to move out of state to survive, and We want to be closer to them and grandchildren......😕

I moved away in 2012...really appreciated being able to see some familiar places as you drove around the streets.

Great video, Mike. I'm a recent grad and interested in relocating to Charleston. Coming from Toledo, I'm used to the small city vibes. This video definitely gives me more insight into the city.

Honestly want to move here and it's crazy seeing that everyone is leaving. Beautiful state for sure.

Thank you for the tour and the trip down memory lane! I was raised in Cross Lanes, just a few miles northwest of Charleston. Lived there all my life until I moved away in 1990. Haven't been back there in over 20 years. Again, thanks.

To all nesayers.I was just visiting Charleston WV last week and let me tell you,It is the nicest city I have ever seen.I spent eight days there and never saw a cop.The people are so nice.

Some of the cleanest streets I've ever seen. Not a piece of trash anywhere.

Just imagine if we didn't have Danny Jones or the current mayor, what we could have. It's a dead city now. So sad, my city is now a town. The capital of the state is now just a town. #304 North Charleston 4 life

The place looks clean.Unusual for a city.Also a very quiet looking town. Did not see any homeless people.WV is a very pretty state.I need to take a vacation there this spring.

Love the drive.

For a city with a small population it's downtown is built like a big city

I grew up in the Kanawha Valley town of Nitro from when I was 2 years old in 1950 to when I left in 1973 to work in Georgia. Traveled to Charleston many times during my years there. In fact I visited there this past November, 2023 for a couple of days. Miss the area.

I born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia for a while I was born at Charleston Area Medical Center Memorial Hospital(CAMC Memorial Hospital) in Kanawha City a Charleston, WV suburb I lived there until I was 5yo then I moved to Atlanta, Georgia stayed there until I was 6yo then after I turned 6yo I moved to Mississippi(McComb and Magnolia) I also lived in Tylertown, Mississippi for a few years when to Kindergarten, Elementary School Middle School, Junior High School and High School in Mississippi I still consider Charleston, WV as my hometown.

I use to stop in nitro WV as a truck driver at Pilot and pass through Charleston before heading to Hurricane WV back in 2009.

It's depressing to see what has happened to my hometown. The place is almost a ghost town now

Ty so much for the video. I lived there for 9 years even my daughter was born there. Boy i miss it there.oved to Oklahoma to take care of my mom. I would come back any day.

There are so many beautiful buildings. I wander how many are empty..this town looks like it holds 500,000 people

Great Video as always. Charleston, West Virginia's Population is declining and that might be why it is built like a big city, but it's not big in population

Missed the earlier blocks of Virginia St. E, but at least you can see all the bumps and cracks in 4k lol. It's home

The streets leading up to the capitol were lined with fine Victorian homes.

Washington St E has quite a few restaurants, and gas stations on it and can see the capital at the end at the stop light.

Very nice. Thanks for the tour.

Good video shot of the state capitol

I lived there 2009 to 2012 after I made parole from doc in West Virginia. I liked it. Worked at the Subway down town then at Clearon Corp in South Charleston.

It's interesting that they had blocked Washington Street East between Brooks and Morris streets as you were filming during the time they had a massive water main break for a week!

I drove those streets for 20 yrs before moving back to Fla 6 months ago . Charleston should be much more of the big city it wants to be but the money just isn’t there. At least not for the small guy. The population just isn’t big enough . WV is country so half the ppl with money to spend really don’t even go into town or live near to begin with.

Great video West Virginia Mike enjoyed the video man hey what are you doing for Thanksgiving going to visit family

Born here at St. Francis Hospital in 1952. Home. I have moved around some but still feel Charleston is home.

I miss WV so much - lived in Dunbar for years, but had to move due to economic issues

Most don't have vehicle garages they just park near the footpaths for ages. Good thing indeed since it is a four seasons state like many states. Less rain in a year. Vehicles last longer. Now that is a good video respect.

West Virginia is my favorite state, live near Morgantown but over state line in Pa, Charleston looks clean, but doesnt seem to have any vibrancy for a state capital sadly

Take me home country road blue ridge mountains West Virginia USA. So clean neat and tidy respect. Where are the populations though looks empty again. Must be still early morning.

Wow I know these roads my family is in Charleston WVA...

I live in charleston wv lol I'm 5 to 10 min from downtown charleston lol I hate the one way streets here lol

I appreciate you doing this video very well done

Best place to live late 70s early 80s

Thanks for the ride along

I got to see copper rock while there

It’s interesting how West Virginia has more than double the population of Wyoming, and yet West Virginia’s most populated city, Charleston, is still less populated than Wyoming’s most populated city, Cheyenne.

One day I spent a year in Charleston. Never again.

I visited once and wish I would have got to see more of the beautiful land of the place I missed out on living life and getting to explore for fun

West Virginia's state capitol building is BEAUTIFUL.

last time I was in Charleston was today, ...............oh wait I live here

You taking I 64 out of the city? Heading west? Haha 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤠

This brings back a lot of good memories Oh no not like childhood memories no playing fallout 76 memories

Beautiful town. So clean. No litter, graffiti, zombies. I want to live in West Virginia. Please get me out of Silicon Valley. I've lived in California all my god fearing life. I want out now! Red alert.

Is there a reason you didnt go down the main street in Charleston? A video without Capitol street is an unfinished video. Or did I miss it?

HAVEN'T BEEN HOME IN 30 YEARS WHERE IS ALL THE PEOPLE I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK TO LIVE THERE

The town I live in is very small, so to me Charleston is a large city.

Also when you had Washington st...that should read Washington St W. like you did when you where on Washington St E

My home &still a beautiful city

Great video Mike. Charleston, WV is such a beautiful city with great people. They have a lot to offer for a city it's size. Unfortunately, poor leadership has left the city in a bad spot economically and caused a large decrease in population and increased drug use. Once all the high paying coal and chemical jobs left, they were never able to replace those jobs. Some, because of leadership, and the rest because of the residents. When they tried to attract larger businesses for growth, the people would shoot it down because they didn't want the traffic increased, or worried about noise. Then those same people would complain there were no jobs. You can't have it both ways. They seem to be focusing on tourism now. However, they need to do more to attract higher paying jobs to the area. In order to make things better, they need to stop the decrease in population. The population in the state is much older and the younger generations are leaving. They can do this by merging Charleston with the surrounding areas. They need to consolidate South Charleston, Dupont, Cross Lanes, Kanawha City, Dunbar and other smaller towns in the area into one larger city. By doing this, you give Charleston a bump in population to over 130,000 people which will get the city much needed Federal funds and attract more businesses. This will also make the area services run better and more inline with better communication without duplication in services. Next, they need to focus on improving the school system, transportation and infrastructure. The transit system in Charleston and the surrounding areas are poor. They need to streamline this service and have more buses, longer hours and longer routes. Make sure the internet speeds in the area are high and partner with cell providers to improve 5G coverage. Next, focus on ways to keep the younger population in the area. This can be done with tax breaks, rental and housing down payment assistance. Partner with local colleges to have programs in place for college graduates to stay. Maybe even some payments towards their student loans. Next, is to attack the drug pandemic head on. Get people off the streets and into drug rehab programs and job assistance. Since their focus is on tourism, they need to improve the waterfront area and have it similar to Baltimore, MD. They could add an aquarium, shopping, boat tours, rentals and restaurants over looking the water. To keep the area safe, they would need to higher more police officers to patrol that area. This would keep people in the area longer, give the residents more to do and attract people driving the interstates to stop and spend some money in Charleston when they originally didn't plan to stop there. This is my opinion, and I'm sure there are people with better suggestions than I.

the Rite aid is now going to be a dollar tree, hasn't opened just yet but pretty soon

FS Modulater 6024 16:14 22:26

question is do local like to other move in or this is perfect situation - city state with no people ?

Frame 20:30, at the red light the man walking appears to has manifested out of thin air. GHOST.!!!

at the end you were even closer to my place

Great video God bless you 😇

Live very close to where that video starts

Oh wow… They still using those old parking meters?

No vacancy outsiders not welcome

Grew up there. Did I miss something, or did you literally not drive down Capitol Street which is literally the main street downtown where a lot of the businesses are? 🤔

I love living in los angeles but it's time too move on, charleston here i come.

Did you see the beautiful art work on the wall to the right on lee street 😍💞

The city seems very clean, living in Philly, there is trash everywhere, and homeless and drugs .. is it normally that clean, homeless problem?

Jennifer garner hometown am i right?

Charleston, is plagued by the opioid pandemic, too many young people on some kind of drug, they can't work because they can't pass drug tests, beautiful state terrible social life.👉😔👈

It isn’t a ghost town. Yet.

I JUST WANT TO LET Y’ALL KNOW THAT JESUS CHRIST LOVES Y’ALL AND HE’S COMING SOON

Didn't go thru South Hills nor north Charleston which is a good thing on the latter nothing in NC just a dead zone. We have the most beautiful Capitol building in the good ol US of A!

❤🇺🇸❤

what is the plan to bring people to wv? to bring jobs ? how much land cost? 5 acr land + manufacturing home on it? in Oregon local happy when people move out of Oregon.. rent price will decline etc. Portland has more strip club per Capita and many girls move to Portland. other move out. home in Portland start from $ 600. k. if pay under ,$20 per hour you are homeless or live in car van etc

Former resident here. This video makes me sad. The capital city is now a ghost town. WV is dying.

where are people on the streets ?

Where are all of the people? This world, America is stranger by the day. Invest in america American people Made in America 🇺🇸 🙌

You misspelled "Clendenin!"

By the looks of things, I like Charleston better than Charlotte.

NOBODY WANTS TO MOVE HERE THE STREETS ARE NOTHING BUT HOMELESS AND NEEDLES ARE EVERYWHERE..IM FROM WV AND I'LL NEVER GO BACK!!!

Thats one of the greediest states in the nation .

👍👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦

Charleston is dead has been for a long time. This place is such a joke it's embarrassing. Downtown Charleston is AWESOME, if your gay, a drug addict or drug dealer. That's it. Between the fentanyl the heroin and the meth this town was over a long time ago. Every time you think it can't get any worse it's drops another 10 notches. When Walmart is shutting down stores all over the state and threatening to shut down the remainder of their stores the shit is bad. Charleston is just another Logan.

This had to be like ass crack of dawn bc usually theres homeless people on corners (some in better shape then me mind you ) that could get jobs but chose to hold a sign all day and get free money but yeah Charleston aint to bad stay to yourself and you should be good but dont forget charleston is where alot of detroit boys come to so mind your business and youll be good

Depressing town!!!