[MikeWinDC]

Having gone to Virginia Tech I lived in Blacksburg for several years (academic years at least). Blacksburg is a nice town with very nice country surrounding it. Definitely a college town. Definitely do not plan to do much outside your home on Football weekends unless you like standing in line. Definitely make sure you can deal with some snow and cold wind during the winter. On the plus side, the town has a lot of recreational activities available for both kids and adults, as well as several private country clubs. Because of the university, there are a surprising number of cultural activities/city services for such a small town. However, it is not for everyone. Having grown up in DC and NYC it was definitely a change. I have only been to LA on vacation so I can not specifically speak to your concerns, but I think DC NYC and LA are more similar than any of them are to Blacksburg. I think the suggestion of going down there for a little while is probably a good one. If you are more the city type, you can live in Roanoke ~300,000 people and about 40 minutes away. Cost of living in the area is ridiculously low especially compared to any East/West coast metropolis. Let me know if I can be of any more help on specifics.