Northern Neck

[YankeeJoe]

I'm getting ready to retire in October of 2008. We are interested in moving to the Northern Neck. We have friends that live in Warsaw and they say that Richmond County Schools are very good. We have a daughter who will be in College, a son that will be in 10th grade and a daughter who will be in 3rd grade. Can anyone tell us about the school systems?Jobs? Anything about the Northern Neck. I still want to continue to work after being retired from 25 years of NJ Law Enforcement. We would like to move to Richmond County, but also like Lancaster County, (Kilmarnock)

[DC's Finest]

I have fond memories of Warsaw. My grandmother is from Hainesville. I used to stay there in the summer as a child. That area is a great place. You are a short drive from Tappahannock and Kilmarnock. Westmoreland State Park is also a nice place to visit.

[nnkkayak]

kayaking is great

check out Northern Neck Kayak's website for more info, they offer guided trips

[Cupcake38]

Originally Posted by Atmusicman

I am also about to relocate to the Northern Neck. My wife and I found a nice manufactured home on a permanent foundation on an acre of land for about $150k in Hague (East of Montross). We have 2 small children (6 and 4). My only concern is the school system in Westmoreland County. Does anybody have personal experiences?

I have three children, one of whom graduated from Washington and Lee High school two years ago...i have to say overall the schools are not all that great. If you have special needs, forget it...they are not geared or equipped to well to handle students with special needs. There is also not alot of accountability in the schools..most people there "pass the buck". As far as crime? There is not alot of it, which is always a plus...there are also no jobs! (County Wide)
Back to the school issue....it seems that fairness and the right to a "free and public education" is forgotten alot in Westmoreland County Schools.
Good Luck...my goal is to move from here within the next year so that my younger children don't have to suffer from the lack of programs any longer.

[statecollege]

I frequent farmers' markets in Fairfax County, and it seems many of the growers are from Westmoreland County on the Northern Neck. So I assume agriculture is a prevalent part of the scenery.

[dlumpen]

Quite a few years ago, I heard a number of stories about the Northern Neck. Workmates talked about locals being kind of crazy and shooting at/in inappropriate times and areas. It was almost legendary in scale. I thought that they were building it up too much. Then I camped out at Westmoreland State Park. There was crazy partying, and I had to call the rangers a couple of times. The next time I went, I stayed in a cabin, and it was much better. But when my wife and I went out on the beach, some folks just invaded our space. There was not one else out there, but they threw a frisbee that almost hit us a couple of times while we were enjoying lunch. I finally had to ask them to stop, and a young girl was one of the most aggressive, hateful people, along with the rest of her horrible family. We still went back a few times. The cliffs are scenic, and you can experience where RE Lee and George Washington started their lives.

I like country folk. When I go to West Virginia, they are your regular, helpful type. But there is something really, really weird about the lower middle class people in the Northern Neck. There's a history there that a reader may know about. High crime? I believe it. Maybe you can watch the common folk from the window of your car from your development to the store or whatever, but there is a real bad mojo to many of the folks at that place.

[civitas]

I am sorry that you you had an unpleasant experience at Westmoreland State Park. It's not our experience. I have owned property on the Northern Neck for more than 30 years, but finally made a permanent move here in 1997. We lived in Alexandria VA where there was a high crime rate. Our experience here is we rarely lock our home, or cars, and never feel threatened. The local newspapers have a weekly report of arrests and crimes, which are very minor compared to other areas. Locals help each other on a daily basis and go out of their way to be polite. When we do have problems: rudeness or crime, it's usually from outsiders who think there are no rules for civility in the country. Guns? Yes, the locals have them, but again it's the outsiders who think the "country" is a wide-open place to shoot. Most of our locals belong to hunt clubs, that have outstanding safety records. The club that hunts our farm works closely with state game conservationists and has an outstanding youth safety program. If coul drive through the Northern Neck on a weekend during deer season (now) you will see lots of locals with shot guns, orange blaze, and pick-ups with dog boxes. A few years ago a gang from the Baltimore area thought local
banks would be easy pickings. After knocking off a bank, the Sheriff got on the hunter's
two-way radio network. Hunters tracked the robbers, and with off-duty deputies (who were hunters) made the arrests. Give the Northern Neck another try. We have our problems: high unemployment, struggling schools (but getting better), lack of shopping, minimal social services.