Mechanicsville? (Glen Allen, Short Pump: rental, neighborhoods, schools)

[moving2south]

DH will be working in Glen Allen. I like to proximity and shopping in Glen Allen and Short Pump, but it looks like housing prices would be better in Mechanicsville. It looks like there is still some shopping there and it doesn't look too far from Glen Allen. DH is going to Virginia in about a month to find us a rental before we move, but I wanted to know a little more about the area first! Thanks!

[Alicia64]

Moving2South, I could have written your post. Where does your dh work? Mine is in IT. We're moving to Glen Allen too.

Do you have kids?

Alley

[consideringamove]

Alicia- Your husband got the job?!?!

Mechanicsville is nice, more rural and less expensive. It looks more like "home" to me (I'm from MI). There are more older neighborhoods (with some newer ones, too)- don't get me wrong, they're not trash, just older and I get the feeling that's what keeps the price down somewhat. I actually like Mechanicsville but my husband works in Midlothian and says it's too far to drive. The schools are supposed to be pretty good there.

[niklex]

Mechanicsville is a fairly large area spanning from directly east of Richmond (closer to the "Village" area) to northeast just off of I-95, the "Atlee" area. I currently live in a subdivision off of Rt. 360, Mechanicsville Tpk. Overall I am a fan of Mechanicsville and you can do a search of my other posts to see what else I've said. This area is recognized yearly for being one of the best small towns to raise a family. Hanover Co. overall is a superb, top 10, school district.

Where you may want to live depends a lot on what type of area you're looking for. The area I'm in has a newer shopping center right off I-295 (Panera, Ukrops, Home Depot, Noodles & Co., Old Navy, Starbucks, etc.) a few newish subdivisions (Pebble Creek, Oakley Hill) but the rest of the area is primarily older neighborhoods. Not "historic" like the Fan, but mid-century brick ranchers. Lots of locals grew up here and there is a strong sense of community. The local HS, Lee Davis, has a reputation in my neighborhood as being good but the test scores are not as high as the schools in the northernmost Mechanicsville areas, i.e. Atlee HS and Hanover Co. HS.

My impression after living here for nearly 5 years is that the northern part of Mechanicsville, the "Atlee" area, is populated with more newer subdivisions with more transplants who, on average, make a little more income than the area where I live. It is closer to the Virginia Center Commons mall and Glen Allen. The schools rate higher on tests. However, the sense of community may be limited to the individual subdivisions.

We've seriously considered moving to further north to reduce our commute so I'm not advocating one area over the other; each has its benefits. Overall, I am a big fan of the Mechanicsville area as a good place to raise a family. It just depends on what kind of neighborhood you're seeking.