Can it be found in Richmond (Fairfax: apartments, crime, townhomes)

[WalkerTejasWrangler]

Hello everyone,

My family (spouse, 2 toddlers) is currently living in the PacNorWest and will be relocating to Richmond. Working in city center.

We are looking for (perfection):
-a real community (friendly/real people)
-a walkable place to live that is close to shopping, theaters, cafes, restaurants, parks, schools, libraries etc...
-homes town-homes in the <$450K range



We are looking to avoid:
-bad schools (dogs, metal detectors, recent student shootings)
-crime
-the houseless (it's a personal choice to be drunk or drugged-up all day)
-people: El Sal gangs, ghetto thugs, fundy proselytizers, uppity Lexus drivers, hipsters
-suburbs (Little boxes on the hillside,Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes all the same...)
-strip malls
-country club/golf estates (we're not dead yet)
-traffic
-anything remotely resembling Fairfax,VA
-neighborhoods where gas attendants are shielded behind bullet-proof glass and a cage

[Potter82]

Maybe you should look somewhere else......what city has all that you are looking for? You want to "avoid" almost every type of person that dwells in a city.

[sls76]

The schools in the city generally are not good. The good schools are in the suburbs where the uppity Lexus drivers live. Not much is walkable in this area outside of parts of the city, but again unless you go the private school route I would not recommend that to a family. West Broad Village might be considered by some to be walkable, but there are no SFHs (only townhomes, brownstones and apartments) and it's walkable to retail/restaurants/possibly schools, but not really to parks (as far as I'm aware) or libraries.

[Anders15]

If you find a place like that please let the rest of us know.

[AllTheWayToMemphis]

Some people on here really have a degrading and condescending attitude toward the homeless that is a bit disturbing. As others have said, you're not going to find what you're looking for in Richmond. Move elsewhere.

[VA Yankee]

Try Celebration in Florida, i'm sure Disney neutralized everything offense..

[PickPatrick]

I think people are not responding to you as they should. Richmond has many areas that meet your needs....look at Bellevue also the near westend may also afford you a compatibale area.

[mamacamam]

Twin Hickory has walking ppaths and is near all shopping but the houses all look the same. The trade-off is really great schools.

[ric75]

I would have said the Fan as the public elementary school there I hear is pretty good however in the Fan you'd have to cross paths with hipsters frequently and the homeless every now and again. Bellevue as another poster suggested may be a better option for you. Also look into Westover Hills, Woodland Heights, and Stratford Hills though I think if you went that route you'd end up having to do private schools and there isn't a plethora of shopping there though you will be close to parks and a few local restaurants/cafes. Best of luck with your search for perfection.

[WineCountry]

They want to avoid DOGS of all things!! Hmpf! That's just downright UN-american!