Southside (Virginia)

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Southside refers to a region that includes nine counties that lie east of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.^[1] These counties include Patrick, Henry, Bedford, Franklin, Pittsylvania , Halifax, Charlotte, Mecklenburg, and Campbell Counties.^[1]

1 Climate
2 Industries
3 Media
4 Higher Education
5 Cities associated with Southside
6 References

[edit] Climate

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Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007)

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Southside's climate is unique from much of Virginia's. Summers are typically hot, with highs generally in the upper 80's to low 90's; quite often 5-7 degrees hotter than in Richmond. Winters are generally mild, and nighttime lows often drop below freezing; frequently 5-7 degrees cooler than Richmond or Norfolk. Much of this has to do with the lack of the temperature moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean.

Snow and frozen precipitation usually falls every year in Southside (usually less than a foot), with the western and northern fringes of the area getting several inches more snow than the rest.

[edit] Industries

This section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007)

Southside, along with much of the Mid-Atlantic area, is well known for its tobacco crop. The nutrient-rich soil, along with frequent spring rains, provided ideal growing conditions for tobacco as well as soybeans and some cold-hardy cotton plants.

Beginning in the 1940s various textile mills opened up in the Southside area, most notable the enormous Dan River Mills in Danville. The textile industry found it an ideal place due to inexpensive labor (costs of living in much of Southside is low), while the Southside workforce found textile work to be much more lucrative than the low incomes that frequently come with farming. Along with tobacco manufacturing, the Southside region was becoming a prosperous area. The Bassett Furniture company is in the town of Bassett. The Army bases Fort Lee and Fort Pickett employ many people, although fewer than during World War II. Some residents commute to the Philip Morris factory in south Richmond.

Beginning in the 1970s, however, many of the textile mills closed up and outsourced work to countries such as Mexico, China, and India, where the labor costs were significantly lower. Furthermore, the waning demand for tobacco products hurt Southside somewhat.

The 1990s brought some new manufacturing jobs to the area, often for industrial-grade metals and ceramics. Numerous prisons were established in the area, bringing high-paying jobs with them.

[edit] Media

This section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007)

Television stations are receivable from all parts of Southside, with the eastern parts receiving Richmond TV stations and the western parts receiving Roanoke/Lynchburg TV stations. In addition, some viewers on the northern or southern edges of the region receive Charlottesville and Raleigh TV stations, respectively.

While most people receive large-market radio stations from the same places as their TV stations, Southside has a large variety of local radio. Country stations tend to dominate Southside radio, though local classic rock, adult contemporary, Top 40, and public radio formats exist.

All of Southside can receive Virginia's largest newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In addition, all the towns listed below (and others) have local newspapers, and they are generally weekly publications. The Prizery is a new fine arts cultural center located in a former tobacco warehouse in South Boston.