When told that my job would be to do an article on how Blacksburg was the friendliest town in the New River Valley, I decided the only way to see if this was in fact true was to see it in person.

So, I took to the streets to see once and for all if the people of Blacksburg are actually the friendliest bunch.

Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times

Van Coble proves a positive test case.

I approached my first possible test subjects, one of whom was sporting a Virginia Tech cap.

As I asked for directions, one man walked on by, but the one with the cap was more than willing to point me in the right direction to Burruss Hall.

After receiving the directions, I explained my agenda to him and had a pleasant conversation with the man regarding Virginia Tech and Blacksburg.

The friendly face turned out to be Van Coble, Virginia Tech project manager. This first test alone couldn’t prove anything. Because Coble was friendly and the other man walked on by, Blacksburg’s friendliness had yet to be determined.

After the initial test, I went up to 19 others on the streets of Blacksburg. The majority were very nice, pointing me in the right direction. Despite the initial friendliness, not everyone was very happy to lend a hand.

Two ladies I approached didn’t even break stride to help me and actually started laughing at me.

After getting over the initial humiliation of the chuckling duo, I spoke with two others who gave me great directions, but lost their friendliness when I asked their names.

Alan Kim | The Roanoke Times

Helping a stranger (played by reporter Katey Leiter) with helpful directions, Virginia Tech graduate Sarah Beddoe (right) recently returned to Blacksburg for the smiling faces.

Tech graduate Sarah Beddoe proved to be quite helpful with directions, but also showed how tough it is to leave the area.

After graduation, Beddoe moved away, but recently came back for the smiling faces.

Lizzy Dennis, a senior at Tech, confirmed the rumors of friendliness running through the town.

One day she was lost and telling someone over the phone that she didn’t know where she was, when a stranger came up and asked where she needed to go and gave impeccable directions.

Despite the initial shock of the stranger overhearing her conversation, Dennis realized that he was right, and found her way because of his help.

The test showed me that overall, the town of Blacksburg is filled with helpful and kind people willing to help out a complete stranger.

So if ever you are to break down or get a flat tire, try to be in Blacksburg at the time.