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Why Blacksburg?

A Professor's Perspective: A Great Place to Call ‘Home’

By Mike Madigan, Assistant Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, College of Engineering

   

Professor Mike Madigan and family Mike Madigan and his family enjoy relaxing and playing softball in Blacksburg’s Caboose Park. On Mike’s lap is Jared; with the bat is Jack; on Sharon’s lap is Gracie; and with the catcher’s mitt is Mike’s niece, Emily Assunto, visiting from Texas. (2006)

When it comes to quality of life, living in Blacksburg is tough to beat.  Dubbed “College Town, USA” by a local sports announcer, this rural, close-knit community offers the camaraderie and spirit of a small college town — but with much more. 

The climate is a perfect balance between the hot summers of the south and frigid winters of the north.  Spring and fall are long and offer refreshing daytime temperatures in the low 70s, winter provides just enough snow to play in without freezing, and summer is just warm enough to make you look forward to fall and the turning of the leaves. 

Numerous outdoor activities provide the perfect escape from the day-to-day, and most are only minutes from town.  Our family regularly enjoys fishing and canoeing the New River, and hiking and biking miles and miles of mountain trails, including the nearby Appalachian Trail.  During winter, snow skiing is close enough for a quick day-trip get-away. 

The cornucopia of sporting events at Virginia Tech can satisfy the appetite of even the most avid sports enthusiast.  Well-known for their loyal fans, the Hokies compete in one of the most prestigious and competitive athletic conferences in the country (the Atlantic Coast Conference) and frequently vie for national championships in sports across the board. 

All that being said, perhaps the most appealing aspect of Blacksburg is the people, who offer the open warmth and friendliness common to the South.  In Blacksburg, you feel the comfort that comes from knowing that you are surrounded by genuinely nice people.  The way we feel about Blacksburg can be summarized by words from the great singer/songwriter John Denver: “Comin’ home to a place he’d never been before.” 

So take it from a native Texan and his family — Blacksburg is a great place to call home.

   

Professor Mike Madigan and family at Caboose Park Professor Mike Madigan and family at Caboose Park.