St Albans/Cross Lanes - Saint Albans, WV

St. Albans emerged as a populated area when the railroad first ran through it in the 1800s. Population in the area grew in the 1900s when a number of mills popped up and expanded again in the 1940s when a naval plant opened in south Charleston. Today, the area serves primarily as a city-suburb to the greater Charleston area.

At the Alban Arts and Conference Center, visitors can view local art in the center’s art gallery and see a play in the theater. The City of St. Albans has turned the original C&O Railroad train depot, circa 1906, into a museum where visitors can explore the history of the area through old photos and artifacts. Every May, locals can enjoy The Founders Day festival, which includes live music, a parade, food and craft vendors.

For dining and nightlife, residents can enjoy a few local and chain establishments scattered throughout St. Albans or make the short drive into Charleston for a multitude of choices. The best local dining options include Shuckers and Angela’s on the River. At Shuckers, locals enjoy the fried fish sandwich, a large piece of fresh, fried cod topped with lettuce and tartar sauce, served with really good fries. But locals say the real highlight at Shucker’s has to be the steak. Served only on Wednesday nights, Shuckers’ New York strip consists of a 12-ounce portion of steak, cooked perfectly to your desired temperature, and served simply with a baked potato.

Nearby at Angela’s on the River, everything tastes homemade, and it’s Mimi’s sea scallops that locals recommend. Described as large, tender and scrumptious, these tasty scallops come with two sides. Locals say you can't be disappointed by the sweet potato fries and the sugar snap peas.

In the mood for some Indian food instead? Make your way into Charleston to a favorite Indian spot Little India, where the coconut soup and lamb vindaloo draw in the locals. The refreshing coconut soup consists of coconut milk, milk and coconut cream. The soup makes a nice opening act to the main event, the spicy lamb vindaloo, which the menu specifically states “cannot be made mild.” The chef prepares the vindaloo with tender, cubed lamb and potatoes tossed with special Goan spices and served with basmati rice.

Locals looking for nightlife inside St. Albans can head over to the El Dorado Club for pool and late night drinks or the Four Brothers Coffee & Tea House for live music on Friday and Saturday evenings. For a larger music venue and live music five nights a week, locals make their way to The Boulevard Tavern in downtown Charleston. The tavern’s music schedule includes rock, soul, country and open mic night on Thursdays. The tavern also serves a full menu and has a big screen TV for watching games.

Residents travel by car or bus to get around town, as few dedicated bike lanes exist in the area. Drivers appreciate free parking lots found around town, and those who favor the bus can catch a ride on the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KVRTA) bus system. Bikers and walkers take to the city’s walking paths, which can be found adjacent to City Park and inside Walk Memorial Park. Uber does not serve the area, but C&H Taxi does, and, it’s best to call ahead for a ride. For interstate travel, I-64 lies less than 5.5 miles away from the neighborhood.

The City of St. Albans operates a city pool and a number of parks throughout the area, including Ordinance Park, which houses a playground, basketball court and tennis courts, and Walk Memorial Park, which has walking trails. The city also runs the popular St. Albans Roadside Park, which sits on the banks of the Kanawha River and includes a boat ramp, picnic shelter, green space and a playground.

The Roadside Park hosts Riverfest, an annual music festival held the last weekend of June on the banks of the Kanawha River. The parks remain free of charge and open year-round; the pool opens in the summertime. Dogs can join you at the parks, but make sure they come leashed to comply with the city’s leash law.

The cost of living in St. Albans sits at 5 percent less than the cost of living in Charleston, with all indexes being the same except the housing index. You can expect to pay about $716 for a one-bedroom and about 5 percent more than the national average for gas. You can save money by traveling on the KVRTA bus system, which runs throughout the Charleston area, including in St. Albans. The cost for a one-way ticket stands at $1.50.

Locals who love to shop head over to big chain stores, such as Target, Kohl's and Lowe's, located on the east side of the neighborhood. For local specialty stores, shoppers need to make their way into Charleston, where everyone seems to love Taylor Books and Stray Dog Antiques. Taylor Books, Charleston's only independent bookstore, stands as everything you could ever want in a local book shop. The bookstore includes a cafe that serves craft beer and wine, a small art gallery displaying local art, a nice selection of books and magazines, live music on the weekends, and art classes. Locals particularly appreciate the "staff picks" selection of books and the unique magazines sold at the store.

Over at Stray Dog Antiques, locals say walking through the shop feels like walking back in time. The antique shop sells furniture, china, art, books, clothes and jewelry from the past. The store maintains an active Facebook page, and locals say the owner's posts often draw them in to peruse the items posted.

For fresh local produce, Gritt's Farm sets up a roadside produce stand in St. Albans from July through September. In downtown Charleston, the Capitol Market opens year-round and sells local meat, produce and other products. For traditional grocery shopping, IGA sits at the heart of St. Albans.