Relocation Advice (Another One!) (Richmond, Mechanicsville: attorney, homes, neighborhoods)

[ZBKB911]

Hello! This seems to be a question asked many different ways already, but I'm hoping for some advice for a family of four (two kids - one toddler, one elementary school-aged) looking at possible relocation to Richmond. We've never been to the area, but it looks great on paper and we've heard nothing but good things from acquaintances and friends-of-friends who do live there. We'll be making a long weekend trip in January to scout things out a bit for ourselves, but I'm having a hard time putting together a to-do/to-see list that allows us to maximize our time while we're there.


We currently live in small-town northwest Ohio, in a cookie cutter development with hardly any trees, so a neighborhood that has some character is very important to us (whether that be in or outside of the city). The other big item on our must-have list is the obvious, good schools. Our price range for a home will probably be $225-300k, but we don't necessarily need a ton of space. I'll more than likely be working from home, while my husband is an attorney hoping to find another in-house counsel position, which I'm guessing would involve commuting downtown. Any suggestions on neighborhoods, zip codes, etc. to start building our scouting list would be much appreciated!


We'll be staying downtown during our visit, just to get a vibe for the city as a whole - any suggestions on places to eat or fun things to do with the kids to break up time in the car scouting neighborhoods?


Thanks in advance!

[sls76]

Best schools are in Midlothian (Chesterfield County), Mechanicsville (Hanover County), and Short Pump (Henrico County). Your budget will not go very far in Short Pump but at the higher end of your range should be okay in Mechanicsville and Midlothian. Commute to the city is reasonable (30 minutes give or take) from any of these areas. Bon Air and the West End of Henrico might also be good fits and should fit your budget.

[ZBKB911]

Thank you! Bon Air was definitely on my short list, so that's good to hear, and it seems that Midlothian and Mechanicsville are consistently in the top suggestions for questions like these.

[sls76]

Originally Posted by ZBKB911

Thank you! Bon Air was definitely on my short list, so that's good to hear, and it seems that Midlothian and Mechanicsville are consistently in the top suggestions for questions like these.

Yes. Midlothian has more charm imo and Bon Air is great. Lots of good options!

[ZBKB911]

Thank you! The neighborhoods in/around Short Pump seems to be maybe a bit too newly developed for what we're looking for (although as someone who currently lives 40 minutes away from the closest Target, I can appreciate and would look forward to having that type of one-stop spot nearby!), but, as you said, I think a few miles down the road towards Glen Allen proper (Crump Park area, any good neighborhood recommendations near there?) looks like a great spot.

[sls76]

Originally Posted by ZBKB911

Thank you! The neighborhoods in/around Short Pump seems to be maybe a bit too newly developed for what we're looking for (although as someone who currently lives 40 minutes away from the closest Target, I can appreciate and would look forward to having that type of one-stop spot nearby!), but, as you said, I think a few miles down the road towards Glen Allen proper (Crump Park area, any good neighborhood recommendations near there?) looks like a great spot.

No specific recommendations but that's a nice area with good schools. It's still very convenient to shopping.

[ShannonMilligan]

With your price point, you will be able to find something lovely. That being said, our market is "hot" right now so the good homes get snatched up quickly. Check out The Virginia Department of Education Report Cards site for info on schools.

I used to live in Glen Allen and moved to Midlothian 2 years ago. We had a very cookie cutter home in Glen Allen and now we live in a renovated 1981 home with an acre of land, lots of trees, and deer. It was what we wanted.

There are many awesome neighborhoods for you to check out. I just helped a couple yesterday with a home in the Woodlake subdivision in Midlothian and it is wonderful. It is 4 beds, 2.5 baths, 2600 square feet and around $300K. This is just an example for you. I also helped a client two weeks ago for $225K and they are getting a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Henrico, Short Pump schools. It is much smaller but darling.