Am I the only person who can not reccomind living in Richmond to ANYONE? (Charlottesville: renting, buying a house)

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by Anders15

Same here but apparently the entire eastern part of the state is Richmond.

OK, I started with a smarta** response and edited it down BEFORE posting. Progress!

In answer to the question: Richmond is actually a fairly small city by the legal city limits and annexation laws are pretty bizarre in Virginia, so it can't really grow out by grabbing neighborhoods around it like happens in most states.

What is considered *greater* Richmond-that is, what in my opinion most people would consider a city, extends either a little bit or, in some opinions, quite a ways past the border of Richmond itself. Areas like, for instance, parts of Henrico County are not actually in Richmond. Try telling my father in law, who lives in the part of the West End in Henrico County that he doesn't live in Richmond. He'll stare at you like you have a third eye in your forehead, because you're clearly wrong.

Anders15 and I can disagree on exactly how far Richmond extends, but I think he's being overly strict on his criteria. More than most places, Richmond is not defined solely by the city border.

No, it's not the entire eastern part of the state. Reductio ad absurdum, and I expected better. However, it IS bigger than just the city limits. Again, we can agree to disagree and I hope you find your perfect city when you finally leave.

[Sonorio]

"I'm not saying 'well if you don't like it here, then leave.'"

Well, why not? It's the truest thing you can say, isn't it?

It's no wonder people are taking away America's freedoms. Nobody wants them.

S

[creepsinc]

I dunno. I spent the first 22 years of my life there, and couldn't wait to leave. Lived all over the place and found myself back for nearly a year at age 33 and still plotted to get out, which I did. I don't plan on ever living there again, but I always look forward to going back to visit and most of my family seems to be content with it. While you definitely sound like you need to get out, I've met many people who "came there" later in life and absolutely love it. It's the "from theres" that usually end up hating it, and that's true of everywhere. So, to answer your OQ, I would recommend living there to people who drive gigantic SUVs with Bush/Cheney stickers, but I'd direct them to outer Chesterfield where they'd find paradise. Anybody else either already knows about Richmond (move to the Fan if you can afford it, it's my favorite neighborhood anywhere, and is literally where I started) or they're also plotting their escape. I'd recommend traveling the country or world to see what else there is out there. Hope this helped.

[berzelius]

Everyone in Richmond knows Chesterfield and Henrico are Richmond.

[Anders15]

Originally Posted by berzelius

Everyone in Richmond knows Chesterfield and Henrico are Richmond.

They're only 3 "different" locations whenever money is involved.



And to those that were bashing me earlier, wake up. Here are 10 years worth of reviews on Richmond.

I could not find a site that has a longer track record with user reviews. Over 10 years and notice how year after year all the reviews state the same things for a reason.

[richmondpics]

Wow that's sad... since you're unhappy, you search the internet to find other unhappy people as a way to justify your unhappiness by blaming it on a city?

I mean people say they are unhappy because it's "humid in the summer" .... or because "Toad's Place closed" (and reopened as the Hat Factory, plus the National is better). What a joke.

[Anders15]

Do you know any other site with reviews going back into the 90s? If so feel free to post it. Go ahead.

btw I didn't search for that site, it's linked in the first post if you bothered to read it. Richmond ranked #37 and #7 under Forbes Best Places For Business And Careers.. so there are you happy?

[Jmier7]

I was transferred to Richmond about 3 years ago by my company. I got on this forum to ask about the city. I heard much of the same dialog 3 years ago, and much by what appears to be the same type of group. I came to Richmond from a major city of over 1 million, and over 7 million in the expanded adjacent cities and communities. Although I miss some aspects of living in a very large metropolitan city, I am very happy to have moved to Richmond.
I can afford to live here in Richmond. Not only that, for the first time, I am enjoying attending many of the festivals, and city events. When you live in a city of over 1M, going to events can be challenging and expensive. For instance, going out to dinner not only includes the price of the meal, but $25 to park in a garage, or pay $15 for valet and take your chances. Going to a major concert or other paid event can be very expensive as well. With the ticket, parking, and food, going to a concert usually runs about $100 per person. I have attended events here in Richmond far less than that.
Richmond is situated only 2 hrs from DC. If I wanted to see a football game, major concert, or other event, I have the access, but don't have to live in the congestion.
Like any capital city, Richmond generates less income from business property tax because many buildings are state owned. Couple that with a large state university in town and you also have less revenue. This presents financial challenges for any city.
Since moving here, I have enjoyed myself. I have found that I do not have time to do all of the events, or things that are around here. I struggle juggling a calendar of events that the city and adjacent towns provide.
I have been welcomed here, and I disagree with Berzelius..... Richmond is not Henrico or Chesterfield. Richmond is Richmond, and I am proud to be a Richmonder.

[amymaha]

Hello Yankeerose00-

You seem to have great info as a fairly new transplant to Richmond. My husband is considering a position at VCU and just wanted to ask you a few questions. It's been a while since I've been on this board so I wasn't sure how to send you a message.

Thank you!

Amy

Originally Posted by Yankeerose00

Ron, I can suggest LOTS of reasons why Richmond is a great place to live. I've lived in the north and the south. I'll admit I hate the south and the only reason I like Richmond is because it doesn't feel very southern. A southerner can live here and not feel totally out of place but if you want southern charm (barf) you need to be in the deep south like Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, etc.

Here's what is fantastic about Richmond for my husband and me.

My husband makes a salary almost as much as he would have in DC, but cost of living is about half here from what it would be in a bigger city like DC or NY. Very few cities can boast that they pay good salaries but have a lower cost of living.

Housing here is very affordable. Check out other cities in NC or look at any prices north of Fredericksburg and you'll see a huge difference.

VA has some of the cheapest insurance in the country. Our car insurance and homeowner's insurance is ridiculously low compared to when we lived in Florida.

I live in western Hanover county and it's gorgeous country out here. Woods, farms, rolling hills, nature, non existant crime, and great neighbors. However in 25 minutes I can be in the West End where there is Short Pump mall (one of the most gorgeous malls I've ever seen) and every single store you could imagine. Our Whole Foods just opened, Trader Joe's is coming we have Tom Leonards and overall awesome shopping.

We are very close to the ocean and mountains and DC. VERY few cities can boast that they are 2 hours from all of these places. Usually it's one or the other.

We have 4 great seasons. The heat never lasts that long and neither does the extreme cold. Want more snow? Head about an hour west to Charlottesville and there it is.

We hardly have much traffic at all compared to other cities.

The "bad" part of Richmond is pretty much concentrated to the east side. It's very easy to stay on the good side of town. Just stay west of the city. I know in Tampa, the city had pockets of crime all over. You could quickly go from a good area to a ghetto. With Richmond, the east side is the ghetto. (sorry but it is, you couldn't PAY me to live there) But the West end, South side and even north side isn't bad.

You can be in a city and drive a little bit and be in gorgeous country. As bad as the sprawl can feel here, it's nothing compared to other places. Like I said, I live on acreage out in the country and yet I'm in Short Pump in 25 minutes. I can be downtown in 45.
It seems with other cities you have to have one or the other. If you want a good paying job, you have to deal with high cost of living and traffic. If you find a city with low cost of living and little traffic, the jobs pay awful. My husband is a software engineer and like I said, Richmond, so far is the ONLY city I have been able to find that we can make excellent money and still have low cost of living and mild traffic.
I think the best thing a person can do is pop into different states on this forum and start reading. You will see the SAME things over and over and over said about each and every state. "It's too expensive, too crowded, people are rude, it's hard to fit in here."

Of course there are downsides to Richmond as every other city. But again, you'll find that with every city. There is no utopia. Remember that.

This is just me experience, but I've found the transplants to be some of the friendliest people with the most excitement for the city. The worst people as far as snobbery goes are the old money folks whose granddaddy's granddaddy lived here and they remember when Richmond was all farmland before the yankee's took over, etc. THOSE are the people who seem rude and cold. They have their little tight circles of friends down on the rivah' and they HATE the change that they see.
I've been here 4 years and Richmond is very much a changing city, however I see it changing for the better.
To me the locals should be thankful for the transplants. All of the new housing and shopping is bringing life to the city and making the economy better. Want to see what happens to a city when there are no transplants and nobody moves there anymore?
See: Ohio and Michigan, namely Toledo, Cleveland and Detriot. They are dying cities on their last breath. Transplants are good for the area, despite what the old timers seem to think. Most of them still think the Civil War is going on anyway, so I try to ignore them.

[Charlesaf3]

This thread seems pretty much dead, but here's my take.

I've lived in Manhattan, Miami, London, DC, the Caribbean, Boston for the last 13 years, (heart of the city). And Charlottesville for 3 years, so I've got a clue on central virginia.

I'm moving to Richmond in the fall, and it looks pretty good to me. The flaws are more apparent to people who have never lived anywhere else. Are there flaws? Sure, every place has them. Would I live there when I was young? No way.

But as a 41 year old with a wife and kid, living in the fan looks pretty good to me. The short pump suburbs and the like are the same sort of hellish suburbia you find anywhere - tacky vinyl "mansions". But downtown Richmond is pretty appealing.

We'll see if I still think so in a year, of course. But everyone I know who has moved from big cities to Richmond has really liked it.