Entertainment/Culture - The Quality of Life
 Wheeling residents enjoy such an outstanding. quality of life
that it could be classified as a "best kept secret." But
it's hard to keep under wraps the fact that Wheeling has much to
offer in the beauty of its setting among the lushly wooded Appalachian
foothills, settled on the eastern bank of the beautiful Ohio River.
And who could resist spreading the word about all the fine things in which Wheeling takes pride: its safe streets, nationally-recognized schools, state-of-the-art medical care, low cost of living unparalleled city parks, limitless entertainment and cultural activities, attractive business incentives, a skilled, motivated employee pool, easy access to major metropolitan areas, a bounty of shopping choices, a history of legends and legacies and a shining future in the stars.
Safety
Wheeling continues to enjoy its reputation as one of America's safest cities, according to national crime statistics. A well-trained, professional police department, neighborhood watch programs and cooperative efforts among area law enforcement agencies all contribute to this asset. Wheeling also enjoys the services of a skilled, well-equipped fire department that provides rescue and ambulance service, in addition to firefighting duties.
Fun
When it comes to fun, Wheeling goes out to play in its own backyard! Oglebay, a 1,640-acre resort, is the pride of the city's park system with championship golf, tennis, swimming, fishing, hiking, zoo and science center,  gardens, lodge, cottages, picnic shelters and sites, in addition to a year-round schedule of entertainment and special events. Wheeling Park beckons with a swimming pool and waterslide, nine-hole  golf course, tennis, amphitheater, paddleboat pond, miniature golf, playground, outdoor aviary, teen recreational center and ballroom, seasonal ice rink, picnic shelters and sites.
Within a few minutes' drive are a number of private and public golf courses, tennis courts, country clubs, lake and river boating, fishing, and a complete roster of sports leagues for all ages. In season, skiing day trips are possible. Many residents also enjoy the acclaimed Wheeling Heritage Trail, a paved network of former railbeds running along the Ohio River and branching through neighborhoods and scenic areas.
Culture
Wheeling residents also partake of the finer things of life close to home--at hometown prices. The oldest Arts Council in the United States, Oglebay Institute, founded in 1930, brings live theater and music, dance and visual arts into everyday life of Wheeling. Art galleries and studios are tucked away in picturesque neighborhoods, and several museums offer a look at Wheeling's fascinating history. Local high schools and colleges welcome the public to their theater and musical productions. National touring companies make Wheeling a regular stop, and the city takes pride in being the smallest American city with a metropolitan-class symphony orchestra.
Entertainment
 When it comes to entertainment, Wheeling keeps its date book full. There's sports excitement, or a romantic evening of dancing and fine dining. Country music fans from abroad to next door fill the Capitol Music Hall each Saturday night for live broadcast performances of WWVA Radio's Jamboree USA. Each July, country music fans stream to the nearby hills by the thousands for Jamboree In The Hills, a four-day, all-star outdoor concert.
 From September through March, it's a hockey night in Wheeling at the WesBanco Arena with the city's own Wheeling Nailers, an affiliate of the Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins and a member of the East Coast Hockey League. The WesBanco Arena also hosts the Ohio Valley Greyhounds Indoor Football Team - 2002 and 2003 Champions of the National Indoor Football League, as well as top entertainers, trade shows, conferences and special events.
There's also the excitement of year round greyhound racing at Wheeling Island Race Track & Gaming Center across the main channel of the Ohio River on Wheeling Island. Football reigns supreme in the fall and fans fill Wheeling Island Stadium for high school football contests each weekend. In the summer, the Ohio River rumbles in the wake of several hydroplane regattas.
Professional sports fans need drive only an hour for the excitement of Pittsburgh Steelers football, Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey. College gridiron action is just as easily accessible.
If dinner and a movie sound like a relaxing evening, the Wheeling area offers a wide variety of restaurants with views ranging from rolling hills to the scenic river, and menus serving classical American fare, or ethnic choices including flavorful Italian, Chinese or Pacific Rim/Continental-inspired creations. Wheeling also pays tribute to its tradition of fine German breweries with its own microbrewery and restaurant at the Wheeling Artisan Center, a spectacular three-story adaptive reuse of an historic commercial downtown building. Artisan and craft displays featuring West Virginians' works, a collectible museum and special event hall attract locals and visitors alike.
There are a number of movie theaters at hand, from the multi-plex variety to the Oglebay Institute Towngate Theater's "Second Run Cinema," films that were shown locally only briefly, or not at all.
Various nightspots also offer live bands for listening and dancing.
Special Events
Despite a full slate of year-round activities, Wheeling also likes to plan the big events each year-with invitations to all to come share the fun! America's largest winter lights show is the Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights and Wheeling's City of Lights. More than one million people-especially out-of-town visitors-enjoy the miles of glittering holiday light displays, as well as special dances, socials and concerts. A highlight of the season is the Fantasy in Lights Parade, a spectacular nighttime holiday parade that features lighted floats, marching bands and scores of colorfully-costumed area youngsters.
 The summer season officially begins in Wheeling with the Ogden Newspapers Distance Race, a challenging 20 kilometer (12.4 mile) road race that draws international, national and local champions. Thousands of visitors, as well as local residents, line the hilly course through city neighborhoods to cheer their favorites.
Wheeling is home to many ethnic groups, but everyone is Italian for one weekend in late July during the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival. Ethnic foods of many nationalities, free entertainment on several outdoor stages, craft booths, games and children's rides bring thousands to the downtown.
When fall's colors begin to daub the hillsides of Oglebay, it's time for Oglebayfest, a full October weekend of free entertainment that's a community "thank you" from the Wheeling Park Commission. During the warmer months, Oglebay's Waddington Gardens blossom in a riot of colors among paved walkways that invite a leisurely stroll. Fort Henry Days in early September reenact the last battle of the American Revolution when a small band of settlers successfully defended Fort Henry on the banks of the river.
Wheeling residents also actively support the myriad of smaller neighborhood, community and church bazaars and festivals throughout the year.
Schools & Colleges
 The fine educational opportunities available in the Wheeling area assure that students are well-prepared to take on the challenges of the workplace. From pre-school to post-graduate work, area residents are served by six colleges, nationally-recognized public schools, outstanding parochial and private schools.
Students attending the Ohio County public schools will leave skilled in computer literacy and programming, and, for the most part, with scores above the national and state averages on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills.
Wheeling's private schools provide excellent curricula backed by a very low student-to-teacher ratio. Wheeling Country Day School serves children from pre-school through fifth grade. The Linsly School is a co-educational preparatory school for fifth grade through high school. Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy is a Catholic preparatory school for girls from grades 7 through 12 and a coed elementary program grades 1-6. It also offers a Montessori School for boys and girls from preschool through kindergarten.
The Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston operates a fully-accredited school system with state-certified teachers and a very high percentage of graduates who go on to higher education.
Area residents may further their education at the state-funded colleges of West Liberty State College, West Virginia Northern Community College, West Virginia University Graduate Center, Ohio University-Eastern, and Belmont Technical College. Three distinguish private schools are Wheeling Jesuit University, Bethany College and Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Medical Care
 High quality medical care is close to home in Wheeling, offering the peace of mind that having top facilities at hand provides. Seven hospitals, a major clinic, the second largest community mental health center in the state and an inpatient mental health hospital, along more than 250 physicians, all place Wheeling at the center of medical services in the Upper Ohio Valley at costs approximately 25 percent below the national average. Services such as open-heart surgery, high energy linear accelerator cancer treatment, MRI and CAT scanning, ABBI breast cancer diagnostic facilities, total joint implant surgery and laser cataract and eye surgery make state-of-the-art medical care a factor in the high quality of life in Wheeling.
Most national health services have local offices in Wheeling or the immediate area, and Easter Seals operates a comprehensive rehabilitation center for hundreds of children with disabilities.
The Future
 The past and the future are coming together in Wheeling to create exciting possibilities. The National Technology Transfer Center and NASA's Classroom of the Future, both sited at Wheeling Jesuit University, along with the Millennium Centre, a high-technology industrial park, are bringing cutting-edge developments to reality for everything from educational software to space flight.
Wheeling's fascinating history, dating to the nation's frontier, is being rediscovered for all to understand and appreciate. Beautifully restored Victorian neighborhoods are finding new life as visitor attractions and desirable places to live, while Wheeling's riverfront history is being developed through a National Heritage park project.
Entities such as the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Wheeling, Ohio County Board of Commissioners, the Ohio Valley Industrial and Business Development Council, Ohio Valley Construction Employers Council, the Wheeling Heritage Corporation, the Victorian Wheeling Society, the Friends of Wheeling, the Wheeling Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and others have exciting visions for the city's future.
Through both coordinated and independent efforts, these groups have realized an economic and community revitalization. Entrepreneurs are being nurtured and encouraged, tourism is being developed as a viable industry while more is on the way.
The Heart of a City
 Many visitors to Wheeling -- particularly those from major metropolitan areas -- are surprised by the genuine warmth and welcome they experience, from passersby on the street who nod a friendly "Hello," to the personable wait staff they encounter at dinner. No one had to teach these attributes; they are what have made Wheeling "The Friendly City."
The people of Wheeling are proud of their colorful history but are equally enthusiastic about the future before them. They genuinely enjoy their city, with its beautiful riverfront setting, dramatic hills, low cost of living, low crime rate, excellent schools and health care, convenient proximity to major cities, enriching cultural and entertainment opportunities, progressive business environment and solid leadership development. This affection is at the Core of Wheeling's existence, and what makes it the right place to call home.
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