NJ to Richmond (VCU) (Forest, Short Pump: real estate, apartment complex, rent)

[gvalenti]

hey all! I'm moving to Rikinchmond on December 1 and will be working as a nurse at VCU. I'm really excited about the job opportunity, but coming from the NYC area the extreme drop in pay is a little scary.

I'll be moving with my boyfriend as for the time being will be the sole provider. We are looking for a 1-2 bedroom apartment within 35min driving of VCU. We don't have many must haves other than the usual of safety.

It'd be nice to be within a 15 minute walk of dining/shopping, but that's no where near necessary. I like the idea of living in a complex as I think it'd be an easy way for us to meet new people, but again it's not necessary.

We are both young to mid 20-somethings.

Of course the Short Pump, Shockoe Bottom, and Fan/Museum district appeal to us, but I'm not sure they're doable on our budget of $850ish/month.

So I suppose I'm here with a couple of questions. First, will we have a difficult time finding a place within our budge? What neighborhoods should we focus our search? Craigslist seems to be the same postings over and over, do you think a Real Estate Agent is our best bet? Or can we do it alone and save the money of having an Agent?

Thanks so much for your help!!

[jcuecker]

Welcome to Richmond! Don't worry too much about the drop in pay; RVA has a very reasonable cost of living.

If you are comming from NYC/NJ you will probably feel most at home in the Fan/Museum/Shocko areas. My wife and I (both mid 20s) rented in the museum district for a while and really loved it there. Unfortunaly rent in the area has gone up (we were paying 800/month for a 2 bed apt. but that jumped to 1k/month).

Some other great neighborhoods that are still walking/biking distance to shopping and VCU that would work for your budget inlcude: Oregon Hill; Church Hill; Forest Hill/Woodland Heights; Near West End, maybe Bellevue

I would also take a look at Manchester; lots of revitalization and young people moving to the area.

The West End (Short Pump) is very different form these areas and has much more of a suburban feel. People really prefer one or the other but I can tell you that most younger people I know that moved form up north really prefer living in RVA proper over shortpump; easier to meet people your age and get around without driving everywhere. short pump (or many of the other communities outside the city in the surounding counties) certainly has its advanatges as well (great schools, lots of shopping; very safe, more space, etc) just has a very different atmosphere which most either love or hate.

No mater what you choose though you picked a great place to move to!

[gvalenti]

thank you so much for your response! You've brought up a lot of neighborhoods I hadn't yet heard of. Off to google I go!

[frank7799]

Is the commute in richmond have to do with crossing the james river? In other words, if you want a smoother commute is it better to not have to cross the james river?

[Charlesaf3]

No real commute by most cities standards anywhere in Richmond. And I wouldn't worry about crossing the James for commuting, basically its not an issue.

850 is tough but doable - either a crappy apartment in the Museum District, or a nice one on Church Hill.

[RVA91]

Try somerset glen

[BuiltforSin]

$850 isn't going to go very far downtown or in Short Pump. I recommend checking out some apartments in Henrico's west end or Midlothian.

[ric75]

I live just South of the river in some apartments near the Stratford Hills neighborhood. I pay $770 a month for a nice, albeit older apartment. Get a Smart Tag and you can be in Carytown in about 3 minutes and downtown in about 7. It's not great on the walkability scale but there is nearby shopping and some nice local restaurants. If you are curious about the apartment complex just message me and I'd be glad to give it to you.

[novanwbie]

With what you've described, it does sound like downtown is what you're looking for. If you go out into Henrico County, it's not walkable, but everything is super convenient and you should be able to find a complex in your price range. If you look at it as temporary until you can learn the neighborhoods and have more income, it might work. The stretch along W. Broad Street has tons of apartment complexes and they often have rent deals that would put them in your price range. Wilde Lake, on Lauderdale Rd, is older but very nice, and has a real mix of population -- would take about 30 minutes to get downtown. I think their apartments might fit your range. If it's much less than your limit, though, check out the area closely -- that's a pretty cheap rent for Richmond. You might be able to find a good deal in the Fan, around VCU, too.