Tell me what you love about Richmond (Charlottesville, Chester: city hall, crime)

[Wildflower Summer]

My family is considering making a major move. I'm starting to hear good things about Richmond, but I'd like to hear what the locals have to say about it. Do you love living in Richmond or are you living there because that's where you grew up or where you found a job? Do you think it's on the rise or on the decline? Is it a safe city? Are the outlying areas nice? Do kids hang around after they've finished college or do they generally move on?

If you do loving there, what do you love about it?

Conversely, if you dislike it, what do you dislike about it?

Thanks!

[PickPatrick]

Richmond offer so so many free activities....folk festival, arts in the park, 2nd Street, parades, concerts, museums, parks ---truly something for everyone.

[chestermom]

Well, I like the reasonable COL, no traffic like NOVA, the great schools, good shopping and the weather is mild i.e we don't average 50 feet of snow per year. I also like that Richmond is in close prixomity to lots of major cities, like DC and NYC, which makes for great weekend getaways. Also, it is 10 hours to Florida, which makes it easy to get to warm weather vacations in the winter.

[AJNEOA]

Do you love living in Richmond or are you living there because that's where you grew up or where you found a job?
Moved here in 2007 for my wife's job.

Do you think it's on the rise or on the decline?
Rise - Metro and city are growing, crime is decreasing, investment in the city is strong, arts are getting better, food is getting better, etc.

Is it a safe city?
As safe as any US city. It has its bad areas, and if you stay out of them and use street smarts, it's a great place to live.

Are the outlying areas nice?
Someone who likes modern suburbs will probably like them, but I've been less than thrilled with the outlying areas. The mountains, ocean, etc. are great. However, there aren't a lot of really nice, walkable, cool towns to explore around Richmond. There's Charlottesville and Williamsburg, and that's about it for the most part.

Do kids hang around after they've finished college or do they generally move on?
I think it's a mixed bag. I wouldn't classify Richmond as a "brain-drain" city, but I also wouldn't say it's just too attractive to leave after school's up. Some of that depends on what you went to school for and what you like.

Like:
Walkable urban core
Folk festival (and other festivals, but Folk is first for me)
Weather
People are friendly and down to earth
Healthy economy (as far as that goes)
Affordable
Outdoorsy
Amtrak to the NE

Don't like:
Too small for me
Poor public transit
City is second fiddle to the suburbs
Dysfunctional city hall
Somewhat decentralized metro area
Amtrak to DC is slow/tedious
Indirect flights to most places (except for hubs)

[ronyusa]

I like:

• Zero traffic and generally stress-free life.
• People are generally nice.
• Proximity to outdoors/rivers/lakes/mountains etc.
• As a lover of various ethnic foods, I like the surprisingly large quantity of decent ethnic restaurants around the greater Richmond area.
• Associated Civil War history.

I dislike:

• People at work not as competitive as in large Northern cities. A little too laid-back.
• Lack of major international airport. As an avid traveler, that is a major problem for me.
• Not too many cities/metropolitan areas nearby. As the previous poster put it, Williamsburg and Charlottesville, that is about it.

Must mention here, some of the factors that I mentioned under "dislike" actually contribute to the factors that I "like". For instance, if there was a major international airport and people were more competitive etc., then this would be just another big, stressed out city.

There is always a trade-off ! Overall, I like Richmond very much and very glad I got to spend a part of my life here.

[novanwbie]

My family just moved back to RIC after about 10 years away, and we love it. It's a very different city from what we remembered, and in good ways. It's more progressive now, there's more diversity in entertainment and dining, which I hope reflects a more diverse population.

We love:
-the great public schools -- although a lot of these posts focus on the "premier" public schools, the reality is most of the public schools in western Henrico and northern Chesterfield are very good
-the ease of getting anywhere -- traffic is just not an issue here (although Richmonders will complain about it!)
-the proximity to both mountains and the beach -- we love being able to get to either area for an easy weekend trip
-great outdoor activities, cultural events, restaurants
-can easily get to DC, and the train is a wonderful option
-so much cheaper than northern VA, in pretty much every way

I would disagree about people being competitive -- I've encountered very competitive work environments in my career, and my husband has, as well. It may just be corporate culture? I also think sometimes the "southern" attitude implies a more laid-back work ethic, which is often not the case. My biggest pet peeve is probably when I encounter "old Richmond" -- which happens less and less as the population changes. There are other schools besides "THE university," people! It's more the folks who are still close-minded, regardless of from where they come. But really, that's a silly thing I see less and less.

[Charlesaf3]

Love it. From Boston, been here 3 years. Life is easy and the city is a fun low hassle place to live. The suburbs are the same as they are in most other us cities.

[ric75]

I moved here 13 years ago for work (and my family is only an hour to the east) and have seen a lot of changes in that time. I love how easy it is to get into the City to enjoy cultural events or just a night on the town. Richmond offers a lot in food, arts, and entertainment in a small package. I LOVE how the James River Park system is so centrally located. I can be on a warm rock, enjoying a libation, listening to the river, while kayakers paddle the white water, then glance downstream and see downtown just a half-mile away. The James River Park system is rugged. You feel like you're in a National Forest when you mountain bike instead of a city park. There are a great number of outdoor festivals to choose from from April through November. The beer scene is really kicking in and Hardywood Park has become one of my favorite breweries. It's really easy for me to head to Virginia beach or the Outer banks to go body boarding and the mountains aren't far away when I want to camp.

What I dislike is the foot dragging of Old Richmond. Every proposal for big change goes under the microscope and is rejected almost from the beginning. Old Richmonders want things to either stay the same or go back to "the way they used to be". I hate the poverty here and the crime that goes with it though Richmond is a far safer City than it was just ten years ago and especially the early nineties. Change in that realm is definitely heading in the right direction. I wish the City government also took more pride in itself instead of seeming to do just enough to get by.