The Best of Roanoke 2012
From doggie daycare to retirement homes, from biggest brain to biggest clown, from worst moment of 2011 to best new idea for 2012, our readers have picked the best – and a few not-so-bests – of the valley. Our thanks to those readers for more than 30,000 individual votes cast in 153 categories, resulting in the following 465 Platinum, Gold and Silver awards.
- Pop Out People
- On the Web / TV & Radio
- Live & Learn
- What Happened What’s Happenin’
- Where to Go, What to Do
- Wheels
- Shop Til You Drop
- Home, Sweet Home
- Best in Services
Live & Learn
Best Public School
- PLATINUM: Patrick Henry High
- GOLD: Cave Spring High
- SILVER: Salem High
Best Private School
- PLATINUM: North Cross
- GOLD: Faith Christian School
- SILVER: Roanoke Catholic
Best College/University Within a One-Hour Drive
- PLATINUM: Roanoke College
- GOLD: Hollins University
- SILVER: Virginia Tech
Best Library Branch
- PLATINUM: South County (New Branch)
- GOLD: Downtown Roanoke
- SILVER: Hollins
Class You’d Like to See Added at VWCC
- PLATINUM: Scuba Diving
- GOLD: Skydiving
- SILVER (tie): Golf; ipod, ipad & mac computer classes
Museum You Could Spend Days Exploring
- PLATINUM: Taubman Museum of Art
- GOLD: Virginia Museum of Transportation
- SILVER: O. Winston Link Museum
Best Place to Meditate on it All
- PLATINUM: Blue Ridge Parkway
- GOLD: Mill Mountain Star
- SILVER: McAfee Knob
Most Worthy Group to Donate To / Volunteer For
- PLATINUM: RVSPCA
- GOLD: Rescue Mission
- SILVER: Habitat for Humanity
