Aside from IN Richmond, are there any cities with walkable "downtown"/village areas? (Petersburg: apartments, leasing)

[consideringamove]

Are there any suburbs that have a walkable downtown type of area without a 4-8 lane highway running through it?

[ric75]

Do you mean within the Metro-area or outside of it? In the Metro the only walkable suburb outside of City limits that comes to mind is Bon Air and there isn't a ton to see there. Midlothian Village is ok as well compared to other places in Chesterfield, especially the Hull Street corridor, but you still have 4-5 lane Midlothian Turnpike in the middle of it. Is the City just too far to go? Maybe other folks know of some walkable burbs that I'm not familiar with.

[dubiousthoughts]

If you want somewhere to walk other than your subdivision, move to the city, primarily the Fan or Carytown. That's about it.

[toychri]

This is the worst part about the Richmond region. I moved here from the Cleveland, OH area 3 years ago where most suburbs had there own town center, shops, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Here in Richmond, it's just the city, and the counties. There are no individual towns with town centers. It breeds a real lack of community.

[PickPatrick]

West Broad Village sounds like the answer you need!

[EricD]

What about Ashland?

Also, you can take 301 up to Bowling Green. It's maybe a 35 minute drive from I-295, but it's a nice little town of around 1,000 people with a 3 block traditional (historical) downtown with a couple cafe's and other stuff to check out.

[consideringamove]

Originally Posted by toychri

This is the worst part about the Richmond region. I moved here from the Cleveland, OH area 3 years ago where most suburbs had there own town center, shops, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Here in Richmond, it's just the city, and the counties. There are no individual towns with town centers. It breeds a real lack of community.

I'm here from SE Michigan.. that's what I'm asking about. Our suburbs were sidewalk filled- within your own suburb you could walk just about anywhere!

That's what I'm asking, are there suburbs (not just subdivisions- unfortunately the one I'm renting in doesn't even have sidewalks) that have town centers & sidewalked areas (that aren't just inside of a outdoor mall)? I love the village type style.

In my hometown, were 4 small village blocks away from town, there were a bunch of little shops in there. I loved it. Is it not to be found here?

Maybe I'll visit Ashland.

[consideringamove]

Originally Posted by PickPatrick

West Broad Village sounds like the answer you need!

Is West Broad Village an actual village center or is it a shopping plaza?

[jhrichmond]

Originally Posted by consideringamove

Is West Broad Village an actual village center or is it a shopping plaza?

Shopping plaza with hotels, apartments, and condo's. Stores include Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Five Below, Petco, and several restaurants. West Broad Village Community | Short Pump, Virgina | Upscale Living, Retail, Entertainment & Office Leasing

[Nebat]

What about Petersburg, Hopewell, or Colonial Heights. They are only about 20 miles from Richmond's city center. I think most people view them as their own area, but really they are adjacent to Chesterfield county and are included in the Richmond metro by the census bureau. I'm just not sure if you would want to walk around there or not. Petersburg sort of has a reputation for crime. Correct me if I'm wrong. But it definitely has it's own downtown. Not sure about Hopewell or Colonial Heights.