Moving to Richmond

[sls76]

Originally Posted by urbanqueen

Chester has the best schools. Henrico has had a few shootings and deaths.

Chesterfield County has great schools. Most of those great schools are in Midlothian. Henrico County also has it's share of excellent schools--mostly in the Short Pump area. Henrico County has had a few shootings and deaths? I think that's Eastern Henrico County primarily and I believe Chesterfield County has had its share of violent crime too. There are places in Henrico and Chesterfield that are statistically speaking extremely safe.

[Teebyrd86]

The East End has been looked down on for years. I grew up in Varina and have to say that Varina is a nice area, The schools have a lot of work to be done to them. I would not send my children to Varina High or John Rolfe if I had them. I would however send them to any of the Elementary Schools are even the new White Oak Middle School. It is sad how much Varina High and John Rolfe has changed over the years. I remember when John Rolfe was a good school and I actually enjoyed it. Varina High started to change for the worse during my sophmore year. Even teachers were scared for their lives. In 11th grade my favorite teacher dissapeared in the middle of the year, later to hear that she was threatened to death by a man who didnt even go to the school because she came to the aid of a guy that had been beat with a baseball bat on campus during lunch! I witnessed all of it. She and I are friends now on facebook we caught up and I found out she is at Lee Davis now. I just think Varina schools have been overlooked and the West End schools are more important to the county because that is where most of the money is. I would definatly live in Varina because I think its a great place to live and raise a family, minus John Rolfe and Varina High. My parents live on Varina Road near Battlefield Park. Lots of new developements in the area closer to the Richmond City line (on the other side of Laburnum Ave. closer to Varina High) cater to the government hand outs and I truely feel that is where most of the trash at Varina come from. Out near my parents and near White Oak you can find many homes priced at over $300k or more One positive thing I would like to say about going to Varina schools is that I was surrounded by a diverse enviornment without that I probably wouldnt be as accepting to the many different races that make up America today. There are such a mix of people in that area its crazy. I wouldnt cross out the Varina area to everyone but for you I would look in Chester as its closer to Fort Lee and would be an ideal spot for you. Good Luck!