30 something couple moving from Portland, OR to Richmond, VA (Chester: apartment complexes, rental homes)

[new2richmond]

Hi all,

My fiance and I will be moving from Portland, OR to Richmond, VA shortly for a new job and have never been to the area. We are going back and forth between signing a rental lease site unseen and flying out there for a quick tour to hopefully find a place quickly before we move with all of our stuff in tow. I have a few questions I am hoping locals can help out with.

1. From our research so far, it seems like Richmond has a lot of pockets of good areas next to pockets of not so good areas. Do you think signing on a lease without taking a look in person would be too big of a gamble in Richmond?

2. I will be working in downtown Richmond. Are there any areas within walking distance that would be good and safe to live or should I look elsewhere? We've researched Tobacco Row and the Locks area but reviews are saying it is noisy and not good for working professionals.

3. We aren't afraid to live in the suburbs if it will give us a nice house with a yard. Which suburbs should we consider?

4. Are there any neighborhoods we should absolutely avoid? I understand every city has crime but we definitely want to feel safe walking around and not have to be concerned with theft/breakins.

5. How competitive is the rental market? In Portland, it's very competitive and when good rentals are posted they go within a few days.

6. Do you have any property management companies you recommend we consider?

Our main concern is price (would like to keep it around $1200/mo or less for a 2-3 bedroom house), safety, and a reasonable commute in to the city. We don't have any children, so aren't concerned about schools. We love parks (kayaking, hiking, biking).

Thanks so much!

[novanwbie]

Welcome! My sister moved back to VA from Portland last year -- you're probably in for a bit of culture shock. The rental market is not super competitive, like a major metro area, except in pockets. Houses in nice areas go faster than apartments. My family just moved back to RIC after 10 years in NoVA and we were able to tour apartments and sign a lease on one Saturday, with careful planning. Since schools aren't an issue, you have more options. I think you'll find housing to be much cheaper. My sister was in Beaverton, and her apartment cost about $250 more there than it would here, I'd say. You would have a hard time renting a house in a decent neighborhood for $1200. I think at that price, if one came up it would probably go faster than you expect.

You'll probably find commuting here easier if you drive in Portland, more frustrating if you take the train or ride your bike. Richmond is a driving city, for the most part. Richmond and the counties have lovely parks (although Portland's can't be beat). Look up Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Maymont, Bryan Park and Byrd Park, for some reference points.

Henrico and Chesterfield Counties house the surburban areas right around the city where you're most likely to find rental homes. Chesterfield might give you options in that range, but not too many in great neighborhoods. I was just looking on Trulia this morning and found some nice options in 23113, 23114 and 23112, which would be suburban, but would give you lots of apartment options in your price range. In Henrico there are lots of apartment complexes along the Broad Street corridor that are a little older, would put you 20 minutes from downtown, and would easily meet your price requirements. There are some brownstones in the near West End that are safe, and would put you about 10 minutes from downtown. Not walkable, but pretty close. You might look at Malvern Manor, for example.

Much of the rental market in the Fan supports VCU, so if you don't want to be close to college students, be careful in that area. The Bottom can get pretty loud. It does border rougher areas, but so do most urban communities. I don't know anyone that lives down there that's over 25, but the flats are beautiful. I don't know much about the renovations in Manchester, either, but my husband's office is over there. I think that area is much more transitional, and you might not be as comfortable walking from there, but a lot of young people seem to like it. It's very hip, if that's your thing. Obviously, from my use of "hip," I've dated myself right out of that market.

We love Westover Hills, right across the river from downtown, and Bellevue. Since you're completely new to the city, I'd avoid Church Hill, Chimborazo, anything that says "east end" or anything that's northern Chesterfield just south of the city. If you can give me more specifics on what you like, I can probably get closer on my recommendations. Feel free to PM or post here, and if there's a specific listing you're curious about, lmk. Let me know what you like about Portland and would like to find here, I can give you some comparisons.

[novanwbie]

Was just reading another post, and totally forgot about the Willow Lawn area. You could probably find a small house there in your range. 10-15 minutes to downtown. In the city, or just on the other side of the Henrico County line.

[new2richmond]

Thank you so much for your thorough reply! As we get further into the search and if we have further questions I will definitely post them.

Feedback from others is still welcome too!

Thanks!

[hgnmx]

novanwbie makes great points but I disagree that you wouldn't be able to find a suitable home/apt in the city proper. Check out the Fan, Monroe Ward, Shockoe Bottom, Museum District, Malvern, and Carytown neighborhoods.

I happen to live in the neighborhood adjacent to novanwbie (Forest Hill / Westover Hills). That area is as well a wonderful area to look for homes. If you continue to go west from these neighborhoods along Forest Hill Ave you will eventually run into Midlothian which is a very nice part of Chesterfield.

[novanwbie]

I didn't mean to imply they couldn't find a rental in the city; several of the neighborhoods I suggested are in the city. But not walkable to downtown. If the OP wants to be in a house, it will be hard to find a nice place for less than $1200 -- particularly from across the country, if they can't check the market really frequently. Anything in that price range will rent quickly, and the OP might have an easier time getting an initial rental in a complex or in a less trendy area. I love city living myself, but it would be hardest to arrange given their other constraints or expressed interests. That's how I chose the areas I recommended, anyway.

[Charlesaf3]

Minor addition - most of fan doesn't cater to college students anymore, they got pushed out by high prices to carver and Randolph. On that front, no such thing as a house that cheap in the fan, it's 2 bedroom apartment range at 1200

[new2richmond]

Thank you all so much for your help. We have secured a lovely rental home in Westlake Hills for $1275/mo. A little more than we wanted to pay, but in a great neighborhood and has everything we want and still on the city bus route!

[Charlesaf3]

Great

[novanwbie]

That's great news -- hope you enjoy Richmond!