Possibly Relo to Richmond from So California (Roanoke, Chester: apartment, how much)

[sunnyinca]

hi
my husband is possibly accepting a job promotion to Richmond.. his company is based in Henrico. We are in our late 30's with a one year old daughter.

and i have so many questions.. so i thought i would try here.. forgive me if i bombared you helpful people with some naive ???

how much of a culture shock will it be from so cal to the East Coast ?
we are used to being 30 minutes from everything. beach, 3 hours from skiing, lots of new grocery stores and shopping, activites including concerts, supercross/motocross racing etc.

this will sound funny but if my husband loses his ablility to surf regularly he is looking for another active outlet so we are looking for active outdoors things to do

what would be good communities to look in ? for homes
are there any homes/communities with water views or direct access to rivers, ponds, lakes ? it appears a lot of homes in the richmond area have some land also is that typical

what are the school districts like our daughter is a year old and i would want to be located in a very safe area, with good schools, newer shopping etc.

any help would be appreciated

[sls76]

Do you have a price range that you're looking in? IMO the best public schools in the area are either in Chesterfield County or in Western Henrico but there also are good schools in Hanover County (a bit more rural) and Goochland counties (fairly rural). You probably would get more land (if that's what your looking for) in those counties. Western Henrico has pretty small lots (generally under 0.5 acres, but I'm sure there are exceptions). Commutes aren't a big deal here (compared to what I imagine you are used to), but it is nice if you can to live close to work. My husband's commute is less than 10 minutes which is great since we have two small children. There is skiing about two hours in Wintergreen although I doubt it compares to what you're used to. The grocery situation here is great from the consumer perspective. Five years ago this area got two upscale malls. My favorite is Short Pump Town Center (I love having a Nordstrom 10 minutes from my house). I've never been to So. Cal, so I can't comment on the possible culture shock but I imagine it will be a big change.

[sunnyinca]

Hi thank you so much for the input.. a nordstroms.. that would work..a favorite.. we would probably be shopping price wise some where 500-600 that seems to get us more house than we would need

[sls76]

There really are a lot of choices in this area. It just depends on what you like. You should have no problem finding something nice in your price range. IMO buyers in this area above $500k have a lot of negotiating power right now--of course there are exceptions to that.

Do you want a newer home or something older? How much land are you looking for? Do you want to be in a big pool neighborhood? Are sidewalks important? Do you golf? The more details you provide, the better information you'll get. I'm sure this is pretty overwhelming.

In Western Henrico I always recommend Wyndham and Twin Hickory. They are both large pool neighborhoods with homes that are somewhere between fairly new to 20 years old. These big planned neighborhoods aren't everyone's cup of tea, though, but they are great ways to meet people--especially at the pool in the summer.

[consideringamove]

We're in the midst of our relocation to Richmond from Michigan. You can definitely expect the cost of living to drop dramatically. My husband was up for a transfer from MI to So Cal and his income would've had to almost double to live there like we live here. From MI to Richmond, things look about the same. I'm sure you can find exactly what you're looking for.

[naomisday]

sunnyinca,

It will be a culture shock, its different in the Southeast then Cali...I am in Northen California and
have gone throughout the South..it is different...

I am considering a move to the South perhaps in a few years...

Its great in many ways, its according to what you are looking for--I agree the cost of living just
amazed me...the home prices, apartment rents.......food is about the same...lots of family
style restaurants..very family oriented---

Good luck

[PickPatrick]

You will love it here...though it will be a change. Remember, any change whether for the good or not is a change and you will need to be open and flexible. In your price range you will have so many many options to consider including location, style, community type, etc. I suggest you get in touchwith a realtor and have him/her start sending you listings to begin getting a feel for your choices.

[onevthoki]

For water access, you might want to look at Meadowville Landing in Chesterfield. There are riverfront lots available in the price range you are looking for. My thought process there is that it would give your husband that outlet you mentioned. Also, the development has a community pool for the kids.

[Howe2]

Hi Sunnyinca,

Glen Allen is a really nice area with tons of amenties and will be close to where your husband works. I'm not sure how far he is willing to drive but, if you are looking for waterfront, Woodlake Subdivision is a waterfront community on the Swift Creek Reservoir in Chesterfield County. There are tons of hiking trails, parks in each neighborhood, 2 pools, a waterfront pavilion where concerts are held throughout the year, a marina if you have a boat, etc. We have friends that go kayaking and canoeing there since it is quite large. There are lots of amenities in this area, nothing like Short Pump, but lots of shopping centers within 5 min. Here is the link to Woodlake in case you're interested.
About Woodlake (http://www.woodlakeonline.com/aboutwoodlake.htm - broken link)
Also, Pocohonatas State Park is about 15min away if you like to hike or mountain bike longer trails.

If you're looking for surfing, my husband has found a few spots along the Eastern Shore of VA and on the NC coast. Depending on the tropical activity, the waves can get pretty big but so does the likelihood of rip currents! I'm sure the waves are not nearly as big as the ones in CA but...the water is warmer

Good luck with your search!

[oleo]

You should live in Glen Allen.

10min away from a nice upscale mall
1 hour away from Charolottsville (they have apple picking there)
2 hours away from the beach
3 hours away from the mountains in Roanoke
2 hours away from Washington DC
30min away from Richmond (concerts, art, etc.)
10min away from trader joes, whole foods, tom lenard's fresh market (grocery stores)
10min away from the great schools of Glen Allen (all of them are good)
30min from the James River (Hiking the trails, canoeing, kayaking)