Eric Brady | The Roanoke Times
Roanoke City
A common nickname for Roanoke is the Star City, named after the famous neon star erected on Mill Mountain in 1949.
Art Museum: See a photo gallery of the new Art Museum under construction
Interactive timeline: Dates in Roanoke's 125-year history
Roanoke City
When the Norfolk & Western and Shenandoah Valley railways chose the swampy outpost of Big Lick as the crossing point for their tracks in 1882, a city blossomed like magic. Roanoke was that "Magic City," and has grown to become the major business and cultural center of Southwest Virginia.
Roanoke, a name that derived from a similar-sounding American Indian word that means "shell money," is home to more than 91,000 people. The railroad and health industries are the major employers, and the city's arts and culture scene is highlighted by concerts, plays, opera and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
The historic downtown city market, with its vendors, boutiques and restauants, is Virginia's oldest continuous farmers market. Roanoke is known for the Mill Mountain Star, its famous neon landmark, which sits atop the 900-foot mountain that offers panoramic views of the Roanoke Valley. Nowadays, Roanoke is better known as the Star City of the South.
Calendar
- Black Rooster Gallery
- Marion Rotary Christmas Kaleidoscope Parade
- Black Rooster Gallery
- Black Rooster Gallery
