Raleigh has better big cities (RDU), while Virginia has s[inks] cities but some of the best small towns in the country (Charlottesville, Williamsburg, Roanoke)
Huh? Arlington/Alexandria/Inner Fairfax easily beat the Triangle and Charlotte combined, and Richmond is pretty cool as well. Hampton Roads is...not the best...but it can still stand up against the Triad or whatever. You're also right on the towns, although Asheville IMO beats Charlottesville.
Can you really claim Arlington/Fairfax as a "big city" when its relevancy is only as soulless overgrowth to an out-of-state city (D.C.)? I will admit to liking Alexandria, but its relatively small (pop. 140k) and feels swamped by its setting. Richmond is my favorite big city in Virginia, but it's playing second fiddle to Raleigh-Durham in terms of size/wealth/universities/diversity/amenities.
Also, how dare anybody anywhere at anytime say anything less than religiously reverent about Charlottesville, Virginia. The only better place in the country is (maybe) Athens, GA
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