Cave Spring - Roanoke, VA

A suburb of Roanoke, Cave Spring derives its name from a small cave spring located just off Brambleton Avenue. Banked by shopping centers and offices, the little cave is barely noticeable just off the roadway, and most residents drive by it on a regular basis without realizing the area's significance. Cave Spring itself doesn't host much of an art or museum scene, though nearby Roanoke houses the Taubman Museum of Art, a large music scene and science, history and transportation museums. Area festivals include an enormous annual music festival in nearby Floyd, the Strawberry Festival in Roanoke, a county fair in Salem and numerous church fairs across the area.

Minimal nightlife occurs in the heart of Cave Spring, though residents can enjoy local music at restaurants and coffee houses. Brambleton Deli hosts live music on weekend evenings, and just north of Cave Spring, The Coffee Pot serves up simple meals and entertainment from local musicians. For more abundant entertainment options, residents travel about 10 miles into Roanoke, where downtown bars and clubs include ample dance floors and drink choices. The area just outside of Cave Spring also includes family entertainment options such as the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Showtimers Community Theatre.

Residents find dining options easier than entertainment options in Cave Spring, which supports a variety of local eateries. Any day but Sunday, you can chow down on a large burger or pulled pork sandwich from Burger in the Square, which serves waffle fries on the side and commits to using local, fresh ground beef. Just down the road, diners can choose between an Irish pub or a high-end Asian cafe. Annie Moore's Tavern serves tap and bottle beer and some of the best fish and chips in southwest Virginia. The pub also hosts live music most Friday nights.

In the same shopping center, Cafe Asia 2, a second location for this fancy eatery, serves a variety of Asian-inspired cuisine. Order sashimi or sushi by the piece, enjoy a traditional Chinese restaurant entree such as General Tso's chicken, or sip on hot Vietnamese soup. Don't leave Cafe Asia without giving the shumai appetizer a try; the rice-paper-wrapped shrimp delicacy delights taste buds whether or not you avail yourself of several dipping sauce options.

Most people accessing Cave Spring do so by automobile, though the Valley Metro System does service most of Route 419, which runs through the center of the suburb. Taxis and van services can be ordered via telephone, but hailing a cab in the area is unlikely. Uber ride-sharing services create additional transportation in Cave Spring, and almost every commercial or retail district in the suburb offers free parking. Some of the more popular grocery stores and shopping centers may feature crowded parking lots, but the wait for a space is rarely more than a few minutes.

The Roanoke Valley as a whole encourages outdoor activities, including walking, jogging and biking. Several major roads in Cave Spring feature bike lanes or are otherwise accessible to bikers, and all the neighborhoods in the area are walkable with minimal safety concerns. The Cave Spring High cross country team often takes advantage of such conditions, and drivers see the group jogging along roads across the area.

From Cave Spring, multiple highways are accessed within a few minutes. Taking Electric Road toward Salem, drivers reach the Interstate 81 junction within 15 minutes; driving the other direction, residents reach the interstate via 220 North in even less time on average. Driving south on highway 221 from Cave Spring, residents find themselves on a scenic road that winds over mountains and into the heart of the town of Floyd.

Any of Cave Spring's elementary schools feature playground and park areas open to the public, and both Fishburn Park and Garst Mill Park feature greenways for biking, walking and jogging. Most parks also include fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball. Ball fields see use throughout spring, summer and fall months as Cave Spring hosts several active recreational youth sports leagues. All parks in the area are free and dog-friendly, though residents are encouraged to pick up after pets. Residents willing to travel a few miles up the mountain can hike the Bottom Creek Gorge, taking in the majestic view of Virginia's second-tallest waterfall. Other hiking parks include the Poor Mountain Reserve and Buck Mountain Overlook.

Cave Spring features higher housing costs than nearby Roanoke, and the average monthly cost for a one-bedroom residence runs about $739. Higher housing costs may be offset by lower costs for utilities and food for some residents, though overall costs depend on where individuals choose to shop. In general, living costs for most Cave Spring residents are like to be more than city averages since Cave Spring's population features a high number of middle- and upper-class families. Residents can expect to pay around $4 for a glass of draft beer at area eateries, and gas prices usually run around 10 percent lower than the national average.

Cave Spring includes plenty of shopping options, and avid shoppers can travel into nearby Salem or Roanoke for additional malls and stores. The Tanglewood area just outside of Cave Spring delivers a number of chain stores, including Barnes and Noble, Staples and Belk. Across from Tanglewood Mall, Audiotronics, a small, high-end home and car audio shop, serves hi-fi customers by offering boutique service and quality speakers, components and televisions. On Brambleton, Kelley's Music sells a wide range of guitars and music accessories, and employees give guitar lessons to strummers of all ages. Down the road, Nature's Emporium provides an enormous range of pet supplies and food as well as a unique selection of gifts and keepsakes. Nature's Emporium also features a salon and grooming service for your furry friends.

Most residents in Cave Spring stock up on groceries at chain stores, including Kroger, Food Lion and Fresh Market. Ambika Indian Grocery sits in a tiny space in a strip mall on Brambleton where you can find Indian spices and box mixes for authentic home-cooked ethnic food. J & L Oriental Food Mart, also located on Brambleton, lets residents avail themselves of Asian rice and other specialty foods. Cave Spring features several produce stands, but the nearest farmers markets are in downtown Salem or Roanoke cities.