Possibly moving from Philly to Ashland/Richmond for school (Floyd: neighborhoods, theater)

[dustymauve]

I'd be attending Randolph-Macon in Ashland in the fall of 2010. I don't know whether to live in and go to school in Ashland, or live in Richmond and commute to Ashland for school. (University of Richmond is not an option, unfortunately.) I don't have a car (just a bike). Is there a public or school transportation system that goes to and from Ashland/Richmond? (I know there is public transportation within Richmond, but does it go to/from Ashland? Also, how does it run? SEPTA is over-priced but fairly efficient.) The only reason I am considering the commute is because I have friends in Richmond, and it'd be nice to be near them to make the transition of moving, making new friends, finding cool things to do/places to hang out, etc. easier. [Some of my interests are: bars (particularly dive bars), good beer, pool, art, thrift shopping, dancing, coffee shops, literature, good food, lounging in the parks, live non-mainstream music, leisurely bike rides.... My ideal place to live would be someplace like S. Philly along E. Passyunk here in Philadelphia or The Mission in San Francisco.]

Also, anything -- both good and bad -- that you can tell me about either Ashland or Richmond would be super rad. Personally, I'm looking for fairer weather, nicer people, and a slower pace of life (but I don't want to be bored either). Oh! Are there any neighborhoods in particular that would be considered "walkable", with conveniences like coffee shops, convenience stores, farmer's/produce markets, parks, etc.?

Thanks a bunch!

[Nebat]

Originally Posted by dustymauve

I'd be attending Randolph-Macon in Ashland in the fall of 2010. I don't know whether to live in and go to school in Ashland, or live in Richmond and commute to Ashland for school. (University of Richmond is not an option, unfortunately.) I don't have a car (just a bike). Is there a public or school transportation system that goes to and from Ashland/Richmond? (I know there is public transportation within Richmond, but does it go to/from Ashland? Also, how does it run? SEPTA is over-priced but fairly efficient.) The only reason I am considering the commute is because I have friends in Richmond, and it'd be nice to be near them to make the transition of moving, making new friends, finding cool things to do/places to hang out, etc. easier. [Some of my interests are: bars (particularly dive bars), good beer, pool, art, thrift shopping, dancing, coffee shops, literature, good food, lounging in the parks, live non-mainstream music, leisurely bike rides.... My ideal place to live would be someplace like S. Philly along E. Passyunk here in Philadelphia or The Mission in San Francisco.]

Also, anything -- both good and bad -- that you can tell me about either Ashland or Richmond would be super rad. Personally, I'm looking for fairer weather, nicer people, and a slower pace of life (but I don't want to be bored either). Oh! Are there any neighborhoods in particular that would be considered "walkable", with conveniences like coffee shops, convenience stores, farmer's/produce markets, parks, etc.?

Thanks a bunch!

Hey there! I don't live in Richmond but frequent it often. I don't know much about Ashland other than it is a small suburb of Richmond and not much to do, especially for a young person. It sounds to me that you would much more enjoy living in the city. The entire city is quite walkable, being very old and built up before the car came along. As far as neighborhoods go, the fan district comes to mind first. Extremely walkable with Carytown being it's main little shopping district. The VA Museum of Fine Arts is close by as is parts of VCU. Major streets are Maymont, Cary, Floyd and Grace. Other locations would be downtown in areas like Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom. This is your major bar/nightclub type area. The National Theater is on Broad St. for local and national musical acts. It's up the street from this area. The streets here are Cary, Main and Broad. A cool park is Maymont and the James River has a pretty good park system from what I hear. I don't think people are much friendlier here than anywhere else, but that's a perception issue. I liken Richmond to a smaller Philly, it has similar urban grittiness and is a very old city. Richmond has a metro of 1.2 million compared to Philly's 6 million, so don't expect it to have the same level of entertainment. I'm not sure if there is a commuter bus to and from Ashland or not. Hopefully someone can chime in on that. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by dustymauve

I'd be attending Randolph-Macon in Ashland in the fall of 2010. I don't know whether to live in and go to school in Ashland, or live in Richmond and commute to Ashland for school. (University of Richmond is not an option, unfortunately.) I don't have a car (just a bike). Is there a public or school transportation system that goes to and from Ashland/Richmond? (I know there is public transportation within Richmond, but does it go to/from Ashland? Also, how does it run? SEPTA is over-priced but fairly efficient.) The only reason I am considering the commute is because I have friends in Richmond, and it'd be nice to be near them to make the transition of moving, making new friends, finding cool things to do/places to hang out, etc. easier. [Some of my interests are: bars (particularly dive bars), good beer, pool, art, thrift shopping, dancing, coffee shops, literature, good food, lounging in the parks, live non-mainstream music, leisurely bike rides.... My ideal place to live would be someplace like S. Philly along E. Passyunk here in Philadelphia or The Mission in San Francisco.]

Also, anything -- both good and bad -- that you can tell me about either Ashland or Richmond would be super rad. Personally, I'm looking for fairer weather, nicer people, and a slower pace of life (but I don't want to be bored either). Oh! Are there any neighborhoods in particular that would be considered "walkable", with conveniences like coffee shops, convenience stores, farmer's/produce markets, parks, etc.?

Thanks a bunch!

Ashland is a small town centered on the railroad tracks. It is the self proclaimed Center Of The Universe. There is no bus/public transit available there and the Richmond City buses have limited routes outside the city limits. Where the campus is located there are shops/eateries within walking distance but not much else.

S philly/mission district forget it you can watch the weeds grow in the side walks. It's a great place to live and raise a family if a small town is what you want but I would guess it's pretty boring for a collage student. Consider getting a cheap car for your time here that would allow you to live near your friends and commute, it's only about 20-30 minutes depending where in the city you are.


Good Luck

[SatomiRoberts]

downside to ashland? it's one giant freaking high school. I should know. I've lived there for years. I love the small community and live local music at the Coffee & Tea, but my parents are a little too involved in the community. The people are nice, they just have their own little clicks if you rub them the wrong way, people talk. So if you don't care for all the drama you had in high school, I'd choose Richmond. Though there are good streets to walk in Ashland and there are a few things to do at night, though you'd have to drive to them because there honestly isn't much nightlife in Ashland save for the Iron Horse Cafe, though I wouldn't eat there if you don't care to spend $20-$30 on a burger...