Considering Richmond as a potential move...Insights please! (Virginia Beach, Williamsburg: crime, homes)

[Stefos1]

Hi again everyone,

I want to leave N.H. and was considering to move to Richmond.

I enjoy:
Martial arts
Museums
History (Revolutionary & Civil war)
Culture
Good "ethnic" restaurants...Thai, Indian, Nepalese, Middle Eastern, etc.


My questions are:

1. Is Richmond "northerner" friendly?
2. Will I have difficulty finding the "I enjoy " stuff there
3. How expensive is it REALLY?
4. How is the travel? I don't want to live in the city necessarily. I'd prefer a suburb on the western side of Richmond.

Thank you,
Stefos1

[Archguy]

It fits all of your requirements and the traffic is a pleasure frankly. Of course that depends somewhat upon what you're used to, as there are always a couple of yokels who come in from outlying areas and haven't seen a traffic light before!

Thai is my favorite cuisine and we also have Mongolian, Afghan, Japanese, Middle Eastern, etc etc. Living costs are incredibly low from my vantage point. Although if you have an expensive car you'll have to pay an annoying personal-property tax on it annually.

The absolute best areas of the city are actually inside the city limits, off Cary Street Road. But they're not so affordable for most. Many people do like their 'cookie-cutter' suburban tract homes though. They are all over.

99% of Richmonders are "northerner-friendly" or actually northerners themselves. The remaining 1% are found on this forum and will likely post in this thread

[ocngypz]

You will, of course, have to pay State Income taxes which you don't now in NH.

[PickPatrick]

I moved here in 1976 and NEVER NEVER regretted that decision.....come on down!

[Stefos1]

@Archguy and PickPatrick & ocngypz,

Thanks for your most revealing insights! I appreciate them!

Now, What about crime?

How is Richmond crime wise?

Finally, The commute to D.C. Is it brutal? I mean, I enjoy museums and such.
Is it like driving around in crazy New York City? Btw, I've been to N.Y.C. only twice and once I didn't drive.

Thanks folks,
Stefos1

[ronyusa]

As for crime, there are very small pockets of crime in Downtown Richmond, but nothing to lose sleep about, chances are you will never have a reason to go there, especially in odd hours, anyway! Unless you are hanging out in the middle of the night in a shady alley in one of those pockets chatting with your friend in your iPhone, you have nothing to worry about. Just use common sense, keep your eyes open, pay attention to your surroundings and you will have no problem. Suburbs, especially Richmond's West End where you plan to live is extremely safe, so I wouldn't even worry about it.

Traffic within Richmond is nothing like the North. Pick point A, pick point B, and you can almost certainly get from A to B without sitting in heavy traffic. At rush hour it may take a few extra minutes in the Downtown areas, but like I said, they are a joke compared to the traffic in the big cities of North.

You may face some traffic if traveling to DC in rush hour, and northern VA (close to DC) is notorious for its horrible traffic, but again, unless you work in DC and have to travel there in rush hour, it is not going to be a big deal.

I see you like culture, things to do, etc. Here are some of the things I appreciate about Richmond:

DC/Museums: Like you, I am also into museums. Everytime I have family visiting me in Richmond, I take them to the museums in DC. It never takes me more than 2 hours to get there. Also a tour of the nation's capital is a fun activitity in and on itself. You can park your car somewhere (finding free parking can be a challenge though) and walk around to visit all the attractions, White House, Federal buildings, museums etc. Also, Georgetown is a quick drive away and is an attraction on its own might!

There are also a number of museums/civil war museum/arts scene in Richmond. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts located in Richmond has a good selection and hosts interesting exhibits all the time. They are currently running an exhibit on Indian Maharajas from the British Colonial rule era.

Colonial Williamsburg: One of my favorite places to visit in the world. I have a lot of interest in American history, and Colonial Williamsburg is an excellent place to learn about it! There is a living history museum which is a must !! There is also a huge outlet mall in Williamsburg (away from the historic stuff) with lots of famous brand name stores, I personally don't care for the mall much being a guy, but if you have girlfriend/wife/female family members they will love it.

Shenandoah National Park/Skyline Drive: Run a Google search on either of these terms. Excellent place for camping, hiking, or a trip in the outdoors.

Besides that, there are plenty of state parks around, including Pocahontas State Park (about 25 minutes drive from Richmond's West End), with hiking, biking, trail running and kayaking opportunities.

Virginia Beach: Only 2 hours drives East. Fairly easy/comfortable drive without much traffic, nice for a weekend beach visit!


I noticed someone else responded already to your query about the restaurant scene, and I have to agree, for a mid-size city, Richmond offers a surprisingly diverse selection of restaurants - American/BBQ, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek/Mediterranean, Turkish/Lebanese and many more, you will never get tired of it. Also during your trips to DC you can dine in the many fantastic restaurants there.

Good luck with your move. Feel free to ask questions in this forum, there are a few trolls/negative people like in every forum, but there are also many fantastic individuals who will offer genuinely good advice!

Last but not the least, I will strongly recommend paying a visit to Richmond (if you have not done so already) for a long weekend (or longer if possible) -- drive around a bit, check out the Downtown area, drive through Broad Street from Downtown all the way to the West End, go to a few restaurants and get a general feel. This is always a good idea before moving to any city, as what works for one may not always work for another!

Best wishes.

Originally Posted by Stefos1

@Archguy and PickPatrick & ocngypz,

Thanks for your most revealing insights! I appreciate them!

Now, What about crime?

How is Richmond crime wise?

Finally, The commute to D.C. Is it brutal? I mean, I enjoy museums and such.
Is it like driving around in crazy New York City? Btw, I've been to N.Y.C. only twice and once I didn't drive.

Thanks folks,
Stefos1

[Archguy]

Richmond's crime--even downtown etc--was much worse several years ago.

It's improved dramatically since then. See these links:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/25222321-post6.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/25184152-post3.html

To get to Washington DC, take the train. There are several daily and you can relax, snack, drink, and read or snooze instead of hassling with traffic. You get right into Union Station which connects to the Metro.

[Charlesaf3]

Traffic into dc is pretty bad. Crime in Richmond isn't, as long as you aren't on the east side. Standard American localized pockets of bad by the projecs sadly

[Anders15]

The only issue I have is with the "Northerner's Friendly".. I would not mention "The North" round these parts. You say you like Civil War history you should know that by now... Saying you are from the north is just as bad as saying you like Short Pump and fancy name brand clothes. It's one of THE easiest ways to offend Richmonders otherwise this sounds like it will be a paradise for you.

[richmondpics]

You don't make sense... many Richmonders live, work, and shop in Short Pump and how do "fancy clothes" = un-Richmond?