Incredible New Home Communities that Make Morgantown One of the Best Places to Live in WV

Welcome to Morgantown, WV: a college town that’s home to the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountaineers (and proud of it)!

Found in the northern part of West Virginia and along the Monongahela River, Morgantown shines as a beacon of the arts, culture, innovation, dining, and the great outdoors.

But to be able to navigate all the fun and adventure of this electric city, you need a guide—a local guide!

With decades of award-winning experience in building homes in over 100 active communities, DRB Homes deeply knows and connects with every region in which we build. Because, of course, the best thing that locals do in Morgantown is live here!

Just 10 minutes from WVU, Meadow Ponds Townhomes offers open concept townhomes surrounded by scenic views. Living here means you’ll be close to the shops, restaurants, and entertainment of University Town Center, and just a short drive from all the fun of Downtown Morgantown.

In Bridgeport’s premier master-planned community of Charles Pointe, you can find two DRB Homes neighborhoods: Stonebridge Townhomes at Charles Pointe and the single family homes of Worthington Village at Charles Pointe. Charles Pointe truly offers a live, work, play lifestyle: combining commercial, residential, and recreational opportunities. This amenity-rich community offers a recreation complex, restaurants, trails, and parks within walking distance.

The top-selling new-home community in Fairmont is our collection of single family homes at Eastview Manor. This established community is located in between WV’s rolling hills, and puts Bridgeport and Morgantown with a short drive of home. At Eastview Manor, you’re never far from restaurants, shopping, and outdoor adventures.

With those prime locations in mind, we wanted to help with a local’s guide to this fantastic area. Here are our Top 9 Things to Do in Morgantown, WV:

1. Visit the WVU Core Arboretum

Since 1948, the WVU Core Arboretum has been preserving native trees and other plants on its 91 acres. Open every day and free to all visitors, the WVU Core Arboretum is a must visit. Here, you can enjoy three miles of trails, over 150 species of trees and shrubs, multiple lawns, an old growth forest (with some of the largest trees being over 200 years old), a woodland amphitheater, and an information kiosk.

Come to the Arboretum to see the experience of the seasons with many events to celebrate the plants that prefer each one. Spot all the many animals and birds that call this paradise home. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome, which makes this a place the whole family can enjoy. And, the WVU Core Arboretum is crossed by the Caperton Rail-Trail (see below for more info), which connects it to many other places in Morgantown.

Store the address of the Arboretum in your maps and visit often for a very special slice of this fantastic region. And, if you’re so inclined, you can even volunteer here and help keep the Arboretum beautiful for guests and visiting clubs. It’s one of the best ways to give back and get more out of WV’s natural splendor.

2. Enjoy Water Activities at Cheat Lake

George Washington surveyed this area in 1784, and thought it was a great place for rivers and canals. Many years later, after an iron industry boomed and subsided, a hydroelectric dam was built on the Cheat River in 1926. And it formed… Lake Lynn. At least, that’s what it was called until 1976, when it was finally officially renamed Cheat Lake.

Cheat Lake has 26 miles of shoreline and a large population of fish (over 46 species!) just waiting to be caught. There’s also a beach, park with playground and picnic area, no-wake swimming zone, and multiple marinas for boat access. And if you don’t have your own boat, you can even rent them! Cheat Lake is one of the best places in Morgantown to celebrate the joys of the great outdoors.

The most impressive thing about Cheat Lake is how environmental restoration and preservation—led by the Friends of the Cheat and local governments—have repaired this wonderful place after massive mine blowouts in the mid-90s. Since then, a lot of hard work has brought Cheat Lake and River back to the wonderful condition it is today. Join Friends of Cheat and you can help too!

3. Discover the Rail-Trails

Once the train was invented, railroads became important and popular arteries throughout the country. As technology advanced, however, many rail lines became obsolete. Rather than let those paths go into disuse, Rail-Trails were developed. Transforming those train tracks of old, Rail-Trails are excellent ways to get in gentle exercise and to travel around Morgantown.

We want to highlight three Rail-Trails perfect for hiking, biking, and nature watching. First, the Mon River Rail-Trail. Following the Monongahela River and running to the WV/PA state line, the Mon River Rail-Trail offers paved and crushed stone sections and is a beautiful vision of WV as it offers many scenic views.

The Mon River Rail-Trail also connects to the Caperton Rail-Trail, another one of our favorites. It spans all of Morgantown, passing through parks, WVU Core Arboretum, and Star City. And with 5 miles of paved trail, Caperton is perfect for walking and biking.

Take the Caperton Rail-Trail to Hazel Ruby McQuain Riverfront Park, and you can hop on the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail. This 19-mile trail is paved when in Morgantown and then gets more rugged as it heads south and up (gaining about 1,000 feet at a 2% grade) out of the Monongahela River valley. Deckers Creek Rail-Trail is a great adventure to see more of the area’s countryside.

4. Experience the Arts at the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center

WVU offers more than just an amazing Arboretum, of course. When you’re seeking the performing arts, you must visit the WVA Canady Creative Arts Center. The Canady CAC (as it’s more commonly called) hosts National Tours of Broadway shows, music performances, live recordings of the Mountain Stage radio show, and more.

But it’s not just visiting artists you’ll enjoy seeing. The WVU School of Theatre & Dance is also in the Canady CAC, and perform dance concerts, operas, and musical theatre shows throughout the year. Become closer to the Morgantown community and support the next generation of performing artists all in one place!

5. Take a Tour of the Morgantown History Museum

It started as conversations in 1995, then opened in a small space in 2000, and finally arrived at its permanent home in 2006. We’re talking, of course, about the history of the Morgantown History Museum. Now, this treasure trove of things past houses exhibits (both permanent and temporary), a historical research library, a Don Knotts collection (he was born and raised in Morgantown!), and other tidbits of the history of this area.

Open every day except Monday and Tuesday, and always free to enter, the Morgantown History Museum is always a grand place to visit. Its ongoing mission is adding more relics from the region’s past to better teach the present. Just as the Canady CAC helps you connect to Morgantown’s community, so the Morgantown History Museum builds bridges to those who came before.

Plus, the museum works with other organizations for both in-house and off-site exhibits. Past collaborators include: Friends of Decker’s Creek, Old Hemlock Foundation, Historical Railroad Model Club, West Virginia University Public History Department, Daughters of the American Revolution, and West Virginia State Native American Museum.

6. Find Fine Dining at the Wharf District

Listed on the National Register of History Places, the Morgantown Wharf District is an area of buildings that were once used in an industrial capacity—most of them constructed between 1885 and 1948. Bordered by the Monongahela River (with the Caperton Rail-Trail in between), the Wharf district is a fantastic place to visit for delicious meals and beautiful scenery.

One of our favorite places to dine is Table 9. Specializing in New American cuisine where every plate is also a work of art, this fancy culinary adventure changes menus daily. Reservations are recommended, as this popular restaurant fills fast.

You should also make a point of having dinner at Flour & Feed. This warm and comfortable restaurant serves American favorites complemented by beer, wine, and cocktails. The restaurant is also a wonderful space to rent for intimate weddings and other events.

And our third pick is Olivero’s Ristorante on the Wharf. Here, steaks, pasta, fresh fish, and seafood await your palate, as do wine, beer, and drink specialties. Come taste the family in every dish and see why three generations are working together to bring you one of the best dining experiences on the Wharf.

7. Attend a Game at Mountaineer Field or the WVU Coliseum

Whether you attend a football game at Mountaineer Field in Milan Puskar Stadium or a basketball game at the WVU Coliseum, WVU sporting events are a big part of Morgantown. These locations are where the fans descend, teams are cheered, and victories are celebrated.

As two first-class athletic facilities, Mountaineer Field and the WVU Coliseum have everything needed to makes fans happy. And both undergo routine renovations to ensure that fact. Just a few years ago, for example, the MVU Coliseum got wider concourses, new concession areas, more restrooms, and a bigger scoreboard. Join the crowds and cheer on your local collegiate sports teams at these amazing venues.

8. Explore Coopers Rock State Forest

Travel about 13 miles from Morgantown, and you’ll find yourself in the natural wonderland of Coopers Rock State Forest. This park has everything, including historical sites, picnic pavilions, a river for rafting, a lake for fishing, cliffs for climbing and bouldering, terrain perfect for cross-country skiing, 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, and some of the most picturesque canyon overlooks you’ll find in the state.

Coopers Rock also has two campgrounds, so you can stay for longer adventures. One is for RVs with electrical hookups, bathhouse with showers, and WiFi! The other is a primitive campground without power or showers. Either way, you’ll be surrounded by the magnificence of this protected forest and able to head out on your next Cooper Rock adventure even faster!

9. Visit the Morgantown Farmers Market

Diverse. Fresh. Local. Those are three words that best describe the Morgantown Farmers Market. From the first week of May to the first week of November (and select winter weekends indoors), this farmers market unites the area’s best vendors selling their produce, meats, eggs, breads, and handmade goods.

Supporting the Morgantown Farmers Market not only gets you some of the best ingredients, but it also supports local farmers and artisans since all products are grown or made within 50 miles. Find fresh-from-the-chicken eggs, raw and unfiltered honey, farm-raised beef, some of the best donuts you could imagine, and more all at the Morgantown Farmers Market!

Come Home to Morgantown, WV, with DRB Homes

So, come for a visit, and then stay for a lifetime of adventures. Use our Top 9 Things to Do in Morgantown, WV: A Local's Guide as a starting point, and then let DRB Homes help you find your forever home in wild and wonderful Morgantown, WV.