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Old 05-13-2010, 01:46 PM
 
512 posts, read 1,632,210 times
Reputation: 222

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Good day to all. I've had my eye on Richmond for quite sometime. Matter of fact, the Mrs and I will be down this weekend. As you know D.C. is fun exciting and whole another animal. For newcomers this is the common thing. For me and my wife it is starting to wear on us. Seriously all I want is a place that I can afford to live close to my job. I want a place where life's decisions aren't based on the traffic.

I understand that Richmond is no D.C. so I'm not expecting a whole bunch of world class museums and metro. I am however looking for a nice area where my kids can play safely and have things to do when it's time to play. So what is your opinion on Richmond? How is the job situation down there? Is $250,000 in a decent budget for a home. Will that put me in good schools systems. Basically what should I expect when it comes to Richmond. Thanks in advance.
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Old 05-13-2010, 05:32 PM
 
1,250 posts, read 4,773,529 times
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You know..you say DC is a "whole other animal"...which is correct..

But in a lot of ways, DC and Richmond are very similar.

What to expect?

Expect a smaller, less-expensive, more southern version of DC...but with an 11pm curfew (2am on the weekends) and no real rush hour to speak of (comparably at least)..lol.

Expect a smaller salary to match the lower cost of living (though, that's not a given..it all depends..but generally speaking most people who make the move from DC to Richmond with a similar position take a pay cut).

I would say Richmond city proper is the most comparable to DC...the historic houses, beautiful architecture, eclectic people, slight quirkiness, a bit of urban grit but still a beautiful place.

If you like the historic homes (particularly the row houses) that you find in DC, you'll love The Fan neighborhood. Imagine a DC housing clearance sale...everything half off!

As you travel west from downtown and towards the Short Pump..that would be comparable to parts of Northern Virginia. I've heard it called NoVa Lite. Strip malls and subdivisions but good schools and new development. Traffic can be bad in some places but probably not as bad as you're used to.

Expect to rely on personal transportation. No metro here. The bus service is excellent within its very limited reach...but it's just that....its very limited. Also, never walk out in front of a GRTC bus unless it has come to a complete stop. Even if it's light is red and you have the right of way.

Expect a slower pace of life. Don't blow your horn at the car in front of you as soon as the light turns green. Give him/her a few seconds. All you'll do is annoy the driver and out yourself as a "Yankee" (lol).

Expect lots of "festivals" and "events"...
It seems like some type of cultural or hobby-related festival is going on every weekend.

Expect weird weather. I've been in Richmond for almost 3 years and still haven't quite figured out the order of the seasons. Yesterday was Summer. The day before that was Spring. Today was late Fall. Tomorrow will be a mix of all the above. Winter is like one of those friends who is never on time. Either she shows up before you're ready or she's 'fashionably' late.....She sometimes only stays for a few days but has been known to overstay her welcome. You love to see her come but can't wait for her to leave.

$250,000 should allow you a nice home in a nice community with nice schools. Nice.
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Old 05-13-2010, 06:44 PM
 
381 posts, read 1,362,922 times
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In my experience, DC and Richmond feel vastly different, in addition to the differences in size/traffic. Richmond feels decidedly more southern, and can be difficult for a "northerner" to get used (moving from liberal Minneapolis, it took me 3-4 years to get over the culture shock in Richmond and as much as I grew to like it, it never felt like "home."). I loved Fredericksburg, it had more of a northern feel to it.

That being said, any of the counties surrounding Richmond city have good school systems. Like any school system, some areas/specific schools are better than others. Avoid Richmond city unless you can afford private school.

What industry are you in? What size house would you be looking for?
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Old 05-13-2010, 08:03 PM
 
Location: Richmond, VA
1,799 posts, read 6,302,182 times
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What you want is doable in Richmond. Obviously, the suburban schools have a better reputation than city schools... but you'll find yourself heading to the city for your cultural and eclectic fixes. Commutes in Richmond are rarely longer than 30 minutes... mine is about 10.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts just wrapped up a major expansion, making it one of the 10 largest art institutions in the country. By many accounts it is world class.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
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Old 05-13-2010, 08:33 PM
 
512 posts, read 1,632,210 times
Reputation: 222
Thanks for answering my questions. So how is the job situation in the area? I'm in IT my wife is a federal employee. Are they doable? Is there a website that list things to do in Richmond as well? I tried doing a search on city data I didn't get a whole lot of information about that. Also good places to eat would be helpful as well.
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Old 05-13-2010, 08:41 PM
 
Location: Chesterfield, VA
1,222 posts, read 5,138,239 times
Reputation: 552
Hmmm, on federal jobs, your wife may have a pretty good shot of transferring to Fort Lee with the BRAC increases. I would start the search there. And for a website, I look at Richmond entertainment, shopping, news, and classifieds | Richmond.com quite a bit, and just the other day discovered Venture Richmond.

Hope that helps!
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Old 05-14-2010, 09:23 AM
 
54 posts, read 154,421 times
Reputation: 34
540_804 pretty much nailed it. brought a tear to my eye lol
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Old 05-24-2010, 07:08 AM
 
Location: Raleigh NC via Richmond VA
132 posts, read 252,678 times
Reputation: 169
Big Small, Northern Southern, it's all about what you see with your eyes every day. When I lived in Philadelphia and would come back home to Richmond it appeared small and clean. Now Ive lived in Raleigh NC for 4 years and went home to Richmond for the first time in about a year. It appeared to be a large filthy metropolis. Richmond much more resembles northern cities than it does a laid back Raleigh or Savannah or any of those other southern cities people in this forum love to compare it to. IMO. Oh and you can be right back in DC in less than two hours if need be so you dont really have to be without the things youre accustomed to.
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Old 05-25-2010, 09:40 PM
 
3 posts, read 8,515 times
Reputation: 17
i was born and raised in the md dc suburbs. i have had jobs that sent me commuting all over the place. while living in montgomery county, i commuted to springfield (both driving and metro), when i lived in pg i commuted to arlington, so on and so forth. i have spent most of my life in the dc area and i now live in richmond and there is noo way this place is any thing like dc. in my opinion you could probably look at richmond as more comparable to baltimore, but not really. to compare richmond to baltimore you would have to reduce baltimore's population by a 3rd, take away the beltway, add more republicans, add a little country twang (not too much, just a little), lower the GDP, worsen the seafood, take away some museums, take away a few skyscrapers, take away a few tourists, lower the cost of living...other than that, appearance-wise they are pretty similar to an extent (crime rate can stay at about the same). but, people are a whole lot nicer down here, i'll tell you that. southern hospitality makes you feel nice and warm inside

Last edited by davidq1017; 05-25-2010 at 09:43 PM.. Reason: forgot something important
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Old 05-25-2010, 09:45 PM
 
3 posts, read 8,515 times
Reputation: 17
oh, i almost forgot something real important...traffic doesn't exist down here. and dont let someone from richmond say that richmond has traffic because they don't know what real traffic is.
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