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Lived and restored 2 homes there early 2000s. It was great to be part of an improvement. The best thing the city did, eas wn ordinance stating if you buy a multi-dwelling property and make it a single, it can never be changed....

I resided in a Mill Mountain star-lighted bedroom atop a recently refurbished carriage house adjacent to the much larger home for a few years. Many Wonderful memories of Old Southwest were had by me. Much credit to a dear friend for making a difference in bringing this area back to its glory.

I moved here when I was 12 in 2001, and I must say after 22 years, I wish my parents had moved us somewhere else.

Love this 90s home video tech

The old homes are beautiful, the neighborhood is scary. Roanoke has got some of the strangest, unfriendly people, and I'm from NYC! Salem is like night and day from Roanoke. The people are really wonderful. I live in Vinton and I love it, but beware...it's the EASIEST place to get a ticket..(actually, I like that: it keeps the area safer) and it's double taxed...Roanoke County and town of Vinton. The town really takes care of things, but you're going to pay for it. The codes in the town of Vinton are very restrictive. If you think you can do minor things with your property, you may be shocked to learn you can't..old southwest is worse though....you have to put up a certain type of fence to adhere to the ambiance of the area...(it will cost you big bucks). I would choose a nice area of Salem (Salem has it's rougher areas as any town will) If I were to do it all over again, I'd choose Salem, but Vinton is nice...do your homework though. BTW>> Roanoke Virginia has the highest crime rate per capita...(for a city it's size) Look it up for yourself, it's sadly true.

Disgusting.

In the mid 1980's, this was actually a bad neighborhood, full of huge homes, some of which were still lived in, but run down all the same. I remember a friend I had while growing up poor in Roanoke, who was kind of like the inspiration for The Simpsons' Nelson Muntz. He lived in one of the large, run down houses there. It was the first time I saw someone put a can of food directly on the stove, cook it, and eat out of it with the lid still attached in anything other than a pop culture depiction of hobos. I drove through the area a few days ago, and it looked in much better shape now, but like many in which hipsters looking for great old houses they can fix up have settled, it still appears to be a mix of the new money and the old crime. It becomes like the neighborhoods in a larger city, where money or poverty is a block-to-block thing. And it tends to attract less neighborly sorts. Urban dwellers, especially if not from places like Roanoke originally, tend to be guarded in their demeanor towards others based on their practical experience living in larger cities, where being friendly to strangers often attracts beggars, scammers, weirdos, etc. They bring it with them to smaller places like Roanoke. The higher than usual crime rate is low to them, like the loud and cramped neighborhood I am in here in Pittsburgh seems quiet and spacious to the neighbors next door who moved here from NYC. I will have ample opportunity to look at the area in greater detail soon, and am curious to see how accurate my assessment based on a few passes along Franklin Road was. Maybe it's improved much more since some of the original comments I see posted here. My sense was that it's probably about the same.

That's where the prostitutes work the back streets....

Where are these hookers located im hearing about? Asking for a friend

I grew up in old Southwest. In the 600 Block Of Allison Ave. And My Grandparents in the 400 block of Allison Ave. It use to be a great place to live. And grow up in. Went back not to to long ago. The park looks very Trashed. It looked like it had a dog park. And the whole neighbor hood just looked awful.

1:56 Ghost?

Yeah, a ton of snobs for no good reason. That always stunned me. Just a weird area.

Totally agree. The realtors for that area over reach. There's still a lot of crime, registered sex offenders ,prostitution, and more. Home buyers should definitely do their homework. Charming area to a degree, but wouldn't recommend for the long hall. It's a strange neighborhood. Not a lot of friendly people there either. Lived there for years. Glad to have moved on.

Roanoke VA is a nice place to live and Old SW has some very historic and beautiful homes. I am not being mean when I say this but I think its fair to honestly inform prospective home buyers the area is not as prestigious as those living there make it sound. One street will be a NICE street but hookers may be on the next. Old SW is predominantly male partners, which is O.K. if that doesn't bother you. The neighborhood has improved a lot but still needs work.

Roanoke VA is a nice place to live although....

Moving in soon!

Old SW is not far from my apt....it's beautiful! You.ve got to see the Star on Mill Mountain if ever you.re in the 'Noke!

love it!