Retiring in Williamsburg questions (Norfolk, Richmond: for sale, apartments, to rent)

[T Elizabeth]

I’m from liberal Massachusetts and I can get the same sq ft house there for $150,000 less and 1/4 taxes. I’m looking at this and I current live 40 miles west of Boston and the cost of housing is killing my retirement. Progressives like me might just have to invade.

[NY Flo]

Originally Posted by T Elizabeth

I’m from liberal Massachusetts and I can get the same sq ft house there for $150,000 less and 1/4 taxes. I’m looking at this and I current live 40 miles west of Boston and the cost of housing is killing my retirement. Progressives like me might just have to invade.

Thanks for reactivating this thread. We too may be looking at retirement in Williamsburg in the next year or so. Will follow your posts. I am progressive (DH not). Will be curious what vibe you get if you go down and search some of the communities. You will be leaving an area with an abundance of good hospitals and much choice of doctors. Not so much choice in Williamsburg. Good luck.

[Mr Williamsburg]

NY Flo. Have lived here since 2004. I never had an issue finding a good doctor. We have two hospitals here, Riverside and Sentara both highly rated. I havent checked but per capita I would think we are about average in the doctor department if not on the high side. If you need complex surgery you might have to go to Richmond or Newport News. Only 30-45 minutes away

[MelanieBen]

Chicago resident here. I think the pandemic has made my husband and myself (he's 64, I'm 57) reevaluate what we want in the years ahead. We love Chicago, we've been here for 25 years now (suburbs first, then city for the last 6 years). If we could pick up our townhouse unit and plop it somewhere where it's warmer, where we can have a yard and a garden again, where there are lots of walking and biking trails, along with culture and diversity, we would do so. Mainly, I miss having a yard and a garden, and the climate here in Chicago - while getting warmer due to climate change - still is problematic for us. I'd love a longer growing season. And more walking/biking trails, combined with warmer temperatures, is important, too. So we've been doing a lot of searching (online, of course), and one spot that popped up as a possibility is Williamsburg. I've been there before in the middle of July, so I know how muggy it can be! I stayed at the Marriott at Ford's Colony and I have to say, I was charmed by that development. And I'm a huge history nerd. So it's high on our list and we're considering a road trip this fall to do more research. I know that I'm going to lose a lot no matter where we move; we love our restaurants here in Chicago, the museums, the theater. I'm aware Williamsburg is much smaller than any place we're looking at, but it's close enough to larger areas that we're good with that. (A 2-hour or less drive to a cultured city is a must for us.) But what we don't know - and what I haven't been able to determine from other threads - is how diverse the area is. We love the diversity we experience here in Chicago. I really don't want to move to an area where I'll only ever see people who look and think like me. I know no area is perfect and some priorities rise to the top while others fall away. But we love Chicago for many reasons, chief among them the diversity and the liberal vibe. We're afraid to venture out of our bubble, to tell the truth - although I think we will, because of all the other things we would like to experience. Any insight as to these concerns would be helpful and appreciated!

[YorktownGal]

Originally Posted by MelanieBen

Chicago resident here. I think the pandemic has made my husband and myself (he's 64, I'm 57) reevaluate what we want in the years ahead. We love Chicago, we've been here for 25 years now (suburbs first, then city for the last 6 years). If we could pick up our townhouse unit and plop it somewhere where it's warmer, where we can have a yard and a garden again, where there are lots of walking and biking trails, along with culture and diversity, we would do so. Mainly, I miss having a yard and a garden, and the climate here in Chicago - while getting warmer due to climate change - still is problematic for us. I'd love a longer growing season. And more walking/biking trails, combined with warmer temperatures, is important, too. So we've been doing a lot of searching (online, of course), and one spot that popped up as a possibility is Williamsburg. I've been there before in the middle of July, so I know how muggy it can be! I stayed at the Marriott at Ford's Colony and I have to say, I was charmed by that development. And I'm a huge history nerd. So it's high on our list and we're considering a road trip this fall to do more research. I know that I'm going to lose a lot no matter where we move; we love our restaurants here in Chicago, the museums, the theater. I'm aware Williamsburg is much smaller than any place we're looking at, but it's close enough to larger areas that we're good with that. (A 2-hour or less drive to a cultured city is a must for us.) But what we don't know - and what I haven't been able to determine from other threads - is how diverse the area is. We love the diversity we experience here in Chicago. I really don't want to move to an area where I'll only ever see people who look and think like me. I know no area is perfect and some priorities rise to the top while others fall away. But we love Chicago for many reasons, chief among them the diversity and the liberal vibe. We're afraid to venture out of our bubble, to tell the truth - although I think we will, because of all the other things we would like to experience. Any insight as to these concerns would be helpful and appreciated!

A friend lives in Williamsburg. I spent three weeks this spring helping her move in. I get the impression, it is more conservative and more religious than Chicago. I also think it's far less diverse than Chicago. I don't know what cultural city is only two hours away from Williamsburg except Richmond.

Why not Washington DC? It's liberal and diverse. It has culture and many federal museums.

[MelanieBen]

Williamsburg is 2 hours from DC, right?

I neglected to mention that financial downsizing is a priority for us, so Washington is out of the question. We're looking for either a single family home or a townhouse in the $350k-$500k range that has a nice yard and garden and is built after 1990, and is fairly updated. Our current home has been renovated and it's tough to leave that behind. So we're looking for an area where we don't have to settle for too much less in a house, but where we pay a lot less for it. And I can't stress how much we really want to have a beautiful yard with some privacy again; we're currently in a 6 unit building with neighbors on top, and only a back deck that is right next to everybody else's back decks, with an alley for a view.

[YorktownGal]

Originally Posted by MelanieBen

Williamsburg is 2 hours from DC, right?

I neglected to mention that financial downsizing is a priority for us, so Washington is out of the question. We're looking for either a single family home or a townhouse in the $350k-$500k range that has a nice yard and garden and is built after 1990, and is fairly updated. Our current home has been renovated and it's tough to leave that behind. So we're looking for an area where we don't have to settle for too much less in a house, but where we pay a lot less for it. And I can't stress how much we really want to have a beautiful yard with some privacy again; we're currently in a 6 unit building with neighbors on top, and only a back deck that is right next to everybody else's back decks, with an alley for a view.

Google said its either 2 1/2 hours or 3 hours and 8 minutes depending on your route without traffic. DC is famous for its bumper to bumper traffic. Coming from NYC, even I think DC's Beltway traffic is unreal. My son lives in DC and I take Amtrak down rather than deal with it.

Williamsburg to Washington is 3 hours on Amtrak. The same train stops at Baltimore Airport which is a nice benefit.

Richmond would be more liberal. Shenandoah Valley is lovely too.

[loveautumn]

You might want to look into Fredericksburg, VA. Has a lot of what you’re looking for.

[MelanieBen]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

You might want to look into Fredericksburg, VA. Has a lot of what you’re looking for.

Is it more diverse than Williamsburg? Thanks!

[loveautumn]

Yes, it is.