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There are areas that are predominantly one race or another as most cities have but it is based more on economics than race. Many areas are a mix but if you are seeking a multi cultural diversity such as Chicago offers you will be hard pressed to find it. The region really doesn't have an immigrant history that would have brought the diversity you see in northern cities although there has been significant influx of people from other areas over the last 20+ years.
Translation: very few people actually migrate TO Richmond for job prospects or real estate prosperity; therefore many people who live here were originally from here. Richmond has very rich history in the Civil War - it was capital of the Confederacy. And unfortunately, the citizens of Richmond have not forgotten about it's historic past, and many of the trite and tribulations from that time are still carried on, in today.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by green_eyed_grasshopper
Translation: very few people actually migrate TO Richmond for job prospects or real estate prosperity; therefore many people who live here were originally from here. Richmond has very rich history in the Civil War - it was capital of the Confederacy. And unfortunately, the citizens of Richmond have not forgotten about it's historic past, and many of the trite and tribulations from that time are still carried on, in today.
Take that to mean what you will.
Don't translate on my behalf, if you had ever lived up north or in any city with a heavy history of immigrants you would understand the cultural diversity in those cities. Richmond is predominantly black & white with some Hispanic/Asian pockets but doesn't have the multi-cultural vibe you feel in those cities.
Also show me a city where you cross some undefined border and the quality of the neighborhood goes down sharply.
I will agree that some are hung up on the war and it's history but every place has it's quirks
I was born in Virginia...Yorktown/Williamsburg to be exact. I have lived in Richmond and Northern Va. as well. Williamsburg is a tourist trap town. Either you need to be extremely well off to live there or you are slumming it. There did not seem to be an in-between when I was there, although that may have changed. In the news, it seems like crime is coming to Williamsburg...murders and such, which usually means gang activity has found its way there, so that cannot be a good sign.
Midlothian and Chesterfield in Richmond? While the housing costs are certainly some of the most reasonable out of the areas you MIGHT want to live in, I would not live there, and I am only lower middle class. Last time I checked, Chesterfield was redneck-ville while the area right around Midlothian Turnpike was just plain BAD news. Not a nice area of town at all. Not to mention, both those areas are on the south side of town, across the river from Richmond proper and from where any IT jobs will probably be. While it should theoretically only take 20-30 minutes to go from one side of the river to the other, it always took me a minimum of one hour plus in the traffic to get to and from work. I lived in the west end and worked in Midlothian. I hated that commute. There was only one road...ONE, and it is wall to wall cars for commuting to and from work. There are one or two more ways to make that commute now, but I have not heard that they are any better as far as time goes.
Which brings us to where the main hub for IT jobs are.....downtown and the west end/far west end. Again...one main thoroughfare for that entire commute...Broad Street, and it is highly congested. The traffic is not as bad as where I am in Northern VA, but it is bad enough and getting worse all the time. Mainly bad for things like shopping and chores, eating out and other stuff actually. But, your spouse will spend at least 30 minutes minimum commuting from a decent neighborhood to somewhere for work most likely. There are parallel routes of I-295 and I-64 into downtown, but it all depends on where he would work, if he even did have to go downtown.
I like Richmond a lot, but I tend to agree with some of the other opinions here. Richmond is either a lot of old confederate money or the rednecks who cannot let go of their confederate flags. It is changing, but slowly, and what it is changing to is northern VA attitude, which sucks. At least now, the people still have manners (compared to where I currently live). The winters are not yours, but they are bad for us which means they are not handled well. Have you though about somewhere like...oh never mind...you have family here, right?
By the way Sarah...you have more than one gifted child. Dyslexia is just a different way of processing information. That brain may be the one holding the cure for cancer regardless of how it reads. Hugs and best wishes!
Thank you so much for you well thought out reply. I am currently one handed so this won't be long...
I currently have two special needs kids. My son who is dyslexic is a very different thinker. He is super intelligent, but he requires special care in school. I am having a hard time finding a tech. hub so my husband can find a good job that is in an affordable area with great schools. We have family near Williamsburg and in Maryland new DC. My husband has friends in Midlothian. I honestly am open to looking at anywhere. My crazy family lives in Bolder, CO so we want to stay clear of there. We do not want to go back to California. I would not do well where it rained all the time which knocks the Pacific North West off the list. I want great schools and better winters. We have 5 kids so we need an affordable and safe area too. Have any ideas? :-)
I live in the West End. Compared to the Twin Cities - Richmond is entirely very segregated - from North, South, East and West, an hour in each direction (or more). Think: Civil War Era. And an older, smaller city. Definitely has some small town charm embedded in different parts. "The Fan" is an area that is spread out like a fan, around Broad St..Cary st area, not too far from Monroe Park Campus of VCU (vs the medical campus of VCU AKA MCV Hospital). Shockoe Bottom = don't live there. Any Richmond City school (unless a charter) = don't go there. Some Chesterfield Co schools really, really suck too.
Gosh, I'd have to disagree with some of this. Much of my family is still in the Twin Cities, although I don't live there. I don't think it's possible (or fair) to compare the two metro areas, but the vast majority or Richmond will not remind you of the Civil War era, in attitude or atmosphere. It is old, and Richmonders are proud of their history, in many respects. But I think most people are more excited about what the city has to offer now, and where it's going. If you were going from the far northern point of the metro area to the far southern point, it might take you an hour, on the beltway around the outskirts of town, but most of the metro area is more compact, and there isn't much traffic to speak of. If you need good public schools, Chesterfield and Henrico are excellent school systems. Not all schools are of the same caliber, but that's true in any large district. Western Henrico (as opposed to east of the city) and northwestern Chesterfield (as opposed to southern Chesterfield County) are very safe bets.
Midlothian and Chesterfield in Richmond? While the housing costs are certainly some of the most reasonable out of the areas you MIGHT want to live in, I would not live there, and I am only lower middle class. Last time I checked, Chesterfield was redneck-ville while the area right around Midlothian Turnpike was just plain BAD news. Not a nice area of town at all. Not to mention, both those areas are on the south side of town, across the river from Richmond proper and from where any IT jobs will probably be. While it should theoretically only take 20-30 minutes to go from one side of the river to the other, it always took me a minimum of one hour plus in the traffic to get to and from work. I lived in the west end and worked in Midlothian. I hated that commute. There was only one road...ONE, and it is wall to wall cars for commuting to and from work. There are one or two more ways to make that commute now, but I have not heard that they are any better as far as time goes.
Which brings us to where the main hub for IT jobs are.....downtown and the west end/far west end. Again...one main thoroughfare for that entire commute...Broad Street, and it is highly congested. The traffic is not as bad as where I am in Northern VA, but it is bad enough and getting worse all the time. Mainly bad for things like shopping and chores, eating out and other stuff actually. But, your spouse will spend at least 30 minutes minimum commuting from a decent neighborhood to somewhere for work most likely. There are parallel routes of I-295 and I-64 into downtown, but it all depends on where he would work, if he even did have to go downtown.
I like Richmond a lot, but I tend to agree with some of the other opinions here. Richmond is either a lot of old confederate money or the rednecks who cannot let go of their confederate flags. It is changing, but slowly, and what it is changing to is northern VA attitude, which sucks. At least now, the people still have manners (compared to where I currently live). The winters are not yours, but they are bad for us which means they are not handled well. Have you though about somewhere like...oh never mind...you have family here, right?
By the way Sarah...you have more than one gifted child. Dyslexia is just a different way of processing information. That brain may be the one holding the cure for cancer regardless of how it reads. Hugs and best wishes!
Sarah, I have to totally disagree with Wicked Girl, too (except for the comment about your children). You can find reasonable housing within a 10-15 minute commute of the West End -- we live in an excellent school and are currently living on my husband's income since I'm in grad school. Very affordable, and it's about 10 minutes to Innsbrook, and less to some of the other "office" areas in the far west end. My husband commutes downtown at rush hour and it takes 25 minutes. If you do not have to have the newest and shiniest subdivision, you will find many options with very good schools. As with any metro area, it's more convenient to live close to where you work; for family reasons, you may choose to live in another area, knowing that you're increasing your husband's drive time.
Midlothian and Chesterfield are not redneckville; there is a mix of neighborhoods, and again, excellent schools. Many of the houses are cheaper than Henrico, but that's not always the case. If you were in Midlothian, it would take 30 minutes (perhaps more in rush hour) to get up to the West End, if your husband were to find a job up there. The further south you get in Chesterfield, the more likely you are to encounter the "redneck" population, as it becomes less urban, but again, that's a pretty generic statement and not applicable to all neighborhoods. Is the metro area more conservative than the Twin Cities? Yup. But as a fairly liberal, open-minded person I've found plenty of other people who share my views, and plenty of more conservative people who respect my right to have my own viewpoints. And I haven't seen a confederate flag once in the year I've been back. This is an extremely limited view of our area, imo.
I'm not sure I'd consider Richmond a tech hub, unfortunately, but if he can find a good tech job, it's a pretty inexpensive place to live with a lot to offer. I'm sorry to hear you're one-handed; that can't be fun. If you can manage a visit, Richmond is beautiful in most seasons, but stunning in the spring.
Ha! I was nursing my baby which was why I was one-handed. I am so used to typing to people who know me that I forgot how that statement might sound!
Thanks for your response! This winter is driving me crazy. My husband is currently job hunting. He keeps asking me how I feel about this place or that place. It is hard to keep my head in then process. You are right that Richmond is not a big tech. hub and that might be the deciding point right there. I stay home with the kids so we are dependent on my husband finding a good job.
We do not have much of a spring here. Last year it snowed through May. March is our snowiest month, but it can start to thaw in March, or April. In the spring everything is mushy from melting snow. I do not like June here. June is gray. Juy and August are pretty though, and fall colors are very nice. The snow can be pretty too if you don't have to go anywhere.
Well, I'm glad to hear the one-handedness isn't a permanent condition! I could never have typed while nursing -- not that coordinated. The good thing about Richmond is it's a really great place for families, and there's enough of a transient population, especially in the burbs, that it's pretty welcoming to newcomers. It's not necessarily a tech market, but it is a fairly stable market, and there are some great companies here. Have him look at Capital One, for example. Or get in touch with a tech headhunter.
I live in Midlothian (Robious Corridor). Capital One - 10 minutes away, Short Pump 15 minutes, West End/Innsbrook 20 minutes.
A lot of misinformation about Midlothian above. Great Schools, great location, a lot of excellent neighborhoods rivaling the best West End neighborhoods for generally a little less money.
I live in Midlothian (Robious Corridor). Capital One - 10 minutes away, Short Pump 15 minutes, West End/Innsbrook 20 minutes.
A lot of misinformation about Midlothian above. Great Schools, great location, a lot of excellent neighborhoods rivaling the best West End neighborhoods for generally a little less money.
Agreed, a lot of misinformation above.There are parts of "southside" that I would not chose to live in but most of Midlothian is lovely. Chesterfield is a very large and diverse county.
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Dyslexia is just a different way of processing information. That brain may be the one holding the cure for cancer regardless of how it reads. Hugs and best wishes!
