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☆ Luxury Apartments Open in Salem

☆ Luxury Apartments Open in Salem

Kids climb fire engines, Valleydale opens, Walker Foundry wins $1 M boost.

August 04, 2025

Good morning, Roanoke! It’s August 4, and the thermometer’s finally easing off—so swap the AC for some fresh Blue Ridge air while you can. 😎

In today’s Around the Noke:

Touch-A-Truck at Greenhill Park
New apartment complex in Salem
Big plans for the old Walker Foundry

Let’s get into it!

The Digest

🏢 Valleydale’s Ribbon-Cutting

Eight years of sketches and city-hall debates finally paid off: Valleydale Apartments opened on Ohio Avenue in Salem. Developer Ed Walker and Mayor Renee Turk clipped the ribbon on 95 luxe units—the first $25 million slice of what will become a three-building, $75 million community complete with rooftop lounge, infinity pool, and gym. Rents run $1,700–$2,800, and fewer than 20 homes are still up for grabs. Check out the floor plans.

🏗️ State Grant Breathes New Life into Walker Foundry

Roanoke just pocketed a $1 million Industrial Revitalization Fund award to flip the long-vacant Walker Foundry in Norwich into a mixed-use playground: fresh-food spots, a wellness studio, offices, and nearly 275 affordable apartments hugging the Roanoke River Greenway. Developer Greg Kaknes aims to swap crumbling concrete for riverside green space where families can bike, kayak, and picnic.

• Historic buildings—some nearly 100 years old—will be lovingly rehabbed

• The city’s Economic Development Authority will steer the project

Adopt Pets

Meet Rema, a three-year-old pittie mix with a winning overbite. She trekked here from Tennessee and lives for post-walk couch snuggles. 🐾

House of the Week

601 Camilla Ave SE, Roanoke, VA 24014: Tucked beneath the Mill Mountain Star, this storybook stone cottage is built from three kinds of Virginia rock—every wall is a geology lesson. Sip coffee on the porch while the city glitters below, then stroll downtown or hop straight onto the Mill Mountain trails. Part fairy-tale hideout, part urban basecamp.

Local Businesses

🌴Tropicana Bar & Grill splashes onto Williamson Road with beachy bites & Latin beats.

Opened on July 17th, this family-run spot at 5301 Williamson Road dishes shrimp tacos, ceviche, and pineapple cocktails while live DJs keep the dance floor hopping until 2 a.m

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

• Aug 8 – PLAY-Palooza splashes Washington Park with bounce houses, lawn games, and DJ Dink from noon–7 p.m. 🎉 [Info]

• Aug 9 – Touch-A-Truck 2025 lets kids clamber over fire engines, garbage trucks, race cars, and more at Green Hill Park. Quiet hour 9–10 a.m.; full throttle 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 🚒

• Aug 9 – Lost 80’s Live rewinds Berglund Theatre with A Flock of Seagulls, The Vapors, and friends. Break out the neon. 🎸 [Tickets]

• Aug 10 – Music on the Mountain brings sunset tunes, crafts, and food trucks to Mill Mountain. Pack a blanket for skyline vibes. 🌄 [Info]

LIVE MUSIC

Monday – August 4
Big Lick Brewing | Irish Music Session | 6:30 p.m.

Sunday – August 10
Big Lick Brewing | Mama Said String Band | 4:00 p.m.

Weather

Monday
83º🌡️ 63º | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 E 6 mph (5 knots)

Tuesday
78º🌡️ 63º | 🌦️ | 30% | 💨 E 7 mph (6 knots)

Wednesday
77º🌡️ 64º | ⛈️ | 50% | 💨 E 7 mph (6 knots)

Thursday
79º🌡️ 64º | ⛈️ | 50% | 💨 E 7 mph (6 knots)

Friday
81º🌡️ 65º | 🌦️ | 40% | 💨 E 6 mph (5 knots)

Saturday
83º🌡️ 68º | 🌦️ | 30% | 💨 E 6 mph (5 knots)

Sunday
87º🌡️ 68º | 🌤️ | 40% | 💨 E 6 mph (5 knots)

💧🌡️ Smith Mountain Lake water temp = 77 °F

See y’all around the Noke! 👋