What's bad about Richmond? (Roanoke, Lynchburg: low crime, house, safest area)

[richmondpics]

Overall violent crime in the city was down last year by double digits... the same trend is happening this year, with murders down nearly 50%. I wasn't in the top 10 last year, and I'd probably put money on it being outside of the top 25 after this year.

[rtangs]

These are personal peeves and nitpicking, but the question was asked. Fair warning...

-The climate. I found the summers absolutely unbearable. The temperatures are always high and the humidity turns it all into a mush that I find reminiscent of Floridian swamps. Winters are usually pretty cold and I don't mind cold one bit, but there's rarely any snow to make it worthwhile. I find it depressing despite the abundant sunshine, as it feels like a bad joke. I will say that the early spring and late autumn is a treat in Richmond, but both end far too quickly, maybe three to four weeks each.

-Crime. Of course you have your high city crime, but it seems to spill out like the sprawl. While living in Chesterfield (near Midlothian), my car was vandalized and broken into multiple times, and a friend was carjacked at gunpoint, and home invasions seem to be a problem in the area.

I did live in the West End for a few years and it's the only part of the metro area I really liked. There seems to be a greater sense of civic pride there as opposed to Southside and certainly the East End.

- Traffic. But of course it is a somewhat-major metro area. At least there had been steps taken in recent years to alleviate it.

- Appearance. It goes along somewhat with what I mentioned earlier, but Richmond itself has some nice places and a lot of ugly ones. I'm sure it's true that part of the city's bad rep for crime comes from the fact that many people associate unattractiveness with a lack of safety.

[Jmier7]

If people find Richmond ugly, unattractive or consider it 'high crime', I suggest they get out to places in the rest of the country. I've been a lot of places, and I'll take Richmond, yes weather and all over some other places I've lived. I won't name names of cities, we all know if we've been there. No need to get into an argument with someone's home town. The point I'm making is that Richmond is a great town, with normal problems. It's not Mayberry, but then most places aren't.
$.02

[roanoker 4]

The view that people get of a city is its downtown area. In Richmond the residents(who can afford to flee the city) have left for the booming counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. In Virginia we have a medieval type of government set up with cities independent of their counties. In other words, the poor and minorities are caged into a poor inner city while the affluent white people(who work in Richmond and who have benefitted from the labor of the poor) flee at night, pay no taxes to help the inner city and tell all of their co:horts to just avoid at all costs going into Richmond. I have heard that for years. No wonder people have a negative view of Richmond--they don't see Short Pump, the West End, etc. Charlotte has a better example that all Virginia cities should follow: The Cities should be able to just ANNEX the counties and make them pay their fair share of the services and care for the poor. The cities become stronger as a result(i.e. North Carolina) they attract industry, the whites can still live apart from the blacks and have their own segregated schools. Downtown Richmond should be booming with office towers, safe streets and a new beginning. It has SO MUCH MORE potential than Charlotte or Raleigh. We in Virginia just have too many tired old men running this state and it needs to change!

[roanoker 4]

I also believe charity begins right here at home. In Richmond as elsewhere in VA, the predominately affluent suburban churches bring in countless numbers of refugees to an area. I have witnessed this here in Roanoke. The City of Roanoke opened a refugee home to assist these people. The affluent suburbanites felt good about bringing these "unfortunates" to the U.S. but they failed to understand the costs involved and the social problems encountered by the refugees being stuck in Roanoke City. The churches will help with food, clothing, etc but thats about it. Its now up to the poor inner city people to help pay for other poor people coming in. The last time I looked we were still a democracy(albeit shaky). In other words, the poor have gotten poorer(like its their fault of course for being lazy) and the affluent suburbanites have gotten richer on the backs of the poor. Its a disgrace how we treat our citizens!

[Patsfan20]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

The view that people get of a city is its downtown area. In Richmond the residents(who can afford to flee the city) have left for the booming counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. In Virginia we have a medieval type of government set up with cities independent of their counties. In other words, the poor and minorities are caged into a poor inner city while the affluent white people(who work in Richmond and who have benefitted from the labor of the poor) flee at night, pay no taxes to help the inner city and tell all of their co:horts to just avoid at all costs going into Richmond. I have heard that for years. No wonder people have a negative view of Richmond--they don't see Short Pump, the West End, etc. Charlotte has a better example that all Virginia cities should follow: The Cities should be able to just ANNEX the counties and make them pay their fair share of the services and care for the poor. The cities become stronger as a result(i.e. North Carolina) they attract industry, the whites can still live apart from the blacks and have their own segregated schools. Downtown Richmond should be booming with office towers, safe streets and a new beginning. It has SO MUCH MORE potential than Charlotte or Raleigh. We in Virginia just have too many tired old men running this state and it needs to change!

I for one can't wait to get back to Charlotte, and you have nailed it why VA., and RIC in particular has, and will continue to struggle. Look at the old farts running this state!

[roanoker 4]

Unfortunately, nothing will ever change here in Virginia, thats why we call it the "old dominion". Our state has always been run like in the movie "Gone with the Wind" where wealthy landowners(our founding fathers) were country gentlemen who had no clue that America would one day have great cities and that slaves would rise up and participate equally in society. I would not be surprised if one visited the state capitol in Richmond they would see tired old men sitting around with wigs on just like they did in the late 1700's.

[Patsfan20]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

Unfortunately, nothing will ever change here in Virginia, thats why we call it the "old dominion". Our state has always been run like in the movie "Gone with the Wind" where wealthy landowners(our founding fathers) were country gentlemen who had no clue that America would one day have great cities and that slaves would rise up and participate equally in society. I would not be surprised if one visited the state capitol in Richmond they would see tired old men sitting around with wigs on just like they did in the late 1700's.

Exactly how I feel, except you are a bit more tactful. Wake up Virginia!!! Or you could just move to Charlotte.

[Jmier7]

I guess you haven't heard of L. Douglas Wilder, Roy West, or Irma Anderson.

[hogbeer]

Grew up on southside, Bon-Air, Mildlo., area. Lived there 20 yrs. LIke any other city it has its ghetto. It's and old civil war town, the confedrate capital in fact. I-95 runs slam through downtown, I 64 runs slam through downtown so you got crime and drugs. If you dont want to see it or be a part of it, stay in the suburban areas. Fan, shockoe, and the financial district "skyline" areas are nice. However if you dont know those areas too good you can easily stray off onto bad street or block. North of broad, south of cary, east of shockoe, are is bad news. North of Chippenham, to the river, blackwell, bellmeade, Midlo trnpk, Hull st., Jeff Davis Hwy bad bad bad.... Gilpin, Whitcomb, Fairfield, Mosby, Fairmount, Hillside, Creighton, Jackson Ward, Highland Park, Barton Heights, all of Church Hill, especially north CH., Randolph, Fulton, stay away.