Which Richmond Suburb Fits?? (Chester, Wyndham: rentals, new home, neighborhoods)

[erinjen10]

Hello,
We are relocating from Atlanta to Richmond.we are in an urgent situation, as we need to move before school starts in a couple weeks. Are there any suburbs that meet the following criteria.

1) great schools
2) family friendly (young families with parks, etc)
3) very safe
4) not too out in the country. We like to have easy access to things to do, shopping, etc.
5) looking to spend around $550k or pay rent around $2700

Thank you so much for your help,

[Charlesaf3]

lots.

try short pump

[sls76]

Absolutely. Short Pump (zips are 23059 and 23233 but the zips get confusing as some of 23059 is actually in another county w/ a different, inferior school assignment) best fits what you're looking for but Midlothian is a possibility too. Shopping is better/more convenient in Short Pump IMO, but you get a bit more bang for the buck in Midlothian. Both areas have some of the best schools in the state, but the elementaries are stronger than the middle and high schools IMO. My list of (large pool neighborhoods which is a place to start) is Wyndham, Twin Hickory, Grey Oaks and Fox Hall. I would recommend using greatschools.org or schooldigger.com for school research. The Virginia Dept. of Education also has the new sol results up. Definitely consider renting since your move is so close and it's hard to get to know an area that quickly, but the rental market is very hit or miss.

[ellieb128]

The Robious Road corridor in Midlothian would fit your needs (23113 zip). Great schools and lots of nice neighborhoods. Easy access to 288 puts you in the far west end in minutes, easy access to the city and there is lots of nearby shopping. We looked in Short Pump and Midlothian - liked both but we got a lot more house and land here and it is a little less congested.

[sls76]

West End(Wyndham Sub)Deep Run HS, 5BR 3.5 baths Brick Transitional (http://richmond.craigslist.org/apa/2515856884.html - broken link)

This is an example of a nice rental property well within your budget. School assignments are excellent. Craigslist is the best place to look for rentals.

[onevthoki]

I'll chime in with the Chester/Chesterfield area. You could definitely find homes in both your rental and purchase price ranges.

Some of the subdivisions that come to mind (in alphabetical order) are: Chesdin Landing (index), Meadowville Landing (Meadowville Landing - Chesterfield, Virginia's Premiere Riverfront Community. New Homes on the James River. (http://www.meadowvillelanding.com/home.html - broken link)), River's Bend on the James (River's Bend on the James Community Association, Chester, Virginia), The Highlands (Welcome to The Highlands), and Woodland Pond (WPHA - Welcome).

And to give you just a bit more information, check out the county and schools websites... County of Chesterfield, VA | Home and Chesterfield County Public Schools Another great resource for the schools is their Facebook page, where you can get a good idea of what goes on in some of the schools... Chesterfield County Public Schools | Facebook

Hope I haven't given you too much information, but as someone who moved many times with my husband's career, I've worn the relocation shoes and all the stresses that come with it!

If you know yet where the job will be, let us know. That might help us give you an idea of what areas will be closest to the place of employment.

Best of luck with your move!

[christinlilly]

we looked for 3 months and settled in Rockville, it appears rural but we are 7 mins from Macy's, Dillards, Nordstrom, etc... and all the restaurants you could want.

We live right on the outskirts of short pump (by 4 miles exactly) and I love it, good schools, good location, actually have a yard and some privacy, and still have every convenience I could ever want

[hgnmx]

West End / Short Pump or Midlothian

[SparrowGirl]

If you go Midlothian, look for neighborhoods that feed into James River, Cosby or Midlothian HS. James River HS's area is closest to the city. Cosby HS is way far out in the most western part of Chesterfield County. Between those two you have the Midlothian HS neighborhoods. The 'hoods off of Robious Road are very nice.

[REPBOY]

Originally Posted by ellieb128

The Robious Road corridor in Midlothian would fit your needs (23113 zip). Great schools and lots of nice neighborhoods. Easy access to 288 puts you in the far west end in minutes, easy access to the city and there is lots of nearby shopping. We looked in Short Pump and Midlothian - liked both but we got a lot more house and land here and it is a little less congested.

We took our kids (2 of them) from K thru 12 in this area and the memories are wonderful. The best neighbors, friends, church and schools were there during those years. It couldn't have changed that much!