Charlottesville, give me the good, the bad, and the ugly; (apartment complex, transferring to)

[uvagrad]

Originally Posted by angelrena517

Everyone is saying that the job market is not that great but just curious on the Teacher's job outlook. We're in Florida and wondering if it's comparable or much less..

i work in one of the school districts in charlottesville. charlottesville city has a pretty small school district and so there arent lots of options. albemarle county school district is much bigger so more options. i'd say start looking at the districts' websites now and visit job fairs. cville school still hires way into july, but hiring doesnt start until around april, may.
hope this helps!
and charlottesville is a nice town to live in if you're ready to settle down with family. unfortunately, i have had enough of the quiet life. i'm moving, hopefully next year

[angelrena517]

Thanks. We are actually looking at the surrounding area of C'ville. I was checking into the teaching part for my best friend who is thinking of moving. My husband and I are actually on the medical track..he's working his way up to a PA (if all goes well) and I'm doing RN. I'm assuming that just about anywhere you go there is a need for nurses. We do have 2 small children that I'm hoping the area has events for. We won't be moving for about 2 years but I like to research these things so we could visit certain areas. Thanks for all info.

[uvagrad]

lots of stuff for kids to do. petting zoos, orchards, etc in the surrounding area, children's museum downtown, great parks and parks and rec program, children's theater etc. take a look at AlbemarleFamily - NEW for the week of Tuesday - Monday December 4 - December 10, 2007 to give you an idea of events for kids.
and as far as jobs for you, there'll be plenty. lots of retirement homes and two hospitals that are always looking for nurses. trust me, i know. my mom is an RN

[angelrena517]

Originally Posted by uvagrad

lots of stuff for kids to do. petting zoos, orchards, etc in the surrounding area, children's museum downtown, great parks and parks and rec program, children's theater etc. take a look at AlbemarleFamily - NEW for the week of Tuesday - Monday December 4 - December 10, 2007 to give you an idea of events for kids.
and as far as jobs for you, there'll be plenty. lots of retirement homes and two hospitals that are always looking for nurses. trust me, i know. my mom is an RN

Great, thanks! Do nurses get paid pretty well there? I think here (tampa, fl) they average around $50k, I guess depending on experience and specialties.

[uvagrad]

you could easily get 23-25 dollars an hour as a nurse at either UVA hospital or Martha Jefferson Hospital. negotiation is key

[uncgrad22]

Originally Posted by VAFury

Basically Charlottesville can be expensive, but the surrounding Albemarle County IS expensive.... Lake Monticello is in Fluvanna County, so yes, it's cheaper...

Albemarle County schools are superb, so if you have children that's where people prefer to live if they can afford it.

I would definitely agree with this statement. I grew up in Charlottesville (technically Albemarle County but with the 22901 zip) before moving to Earlysville (still Albemarle County) during my high school years. There is a BIG difference in prices if you are looking in places like Greene, Nelson, Louisa, or Fluvanna Counties--and then you look at Albemarle prices. But you pay for what you get. Albemarle has much better schools and a much shorter commute to work. I'd say it's definitely worth it. I realize there has been a lot of development going on in those neighboring counties these days, but while I was still living in C-ville only a few years ago, those places were considered Hickville.

But if you are thinking of living in Charlottesville and have a bit of money to spend, I would definitely recommend looking on the North side of town--like Earlysville or Free Union, or the area out by Forest Lakes. The schools are good and the commute is a lot shorter than if you are living out in Crozet or one of the neighboring counties.

If you don't have a lot of money to spend, I would be careful about where you do purchase a home in Cville. Cville doesn't have a high crime rate or anything, but I would not recommend buying in certain areas of the city where there have been gang and drug problems (believe it or not). I think you are better off spending a little bit more money if you can and living in a nicer area. For instance, you don't want to end up right across the street from "Friendship Court" or what used to be called "Garrett Square". The cops are always being called over there for one reason or another.

[cpr4k]

Originally Posted by vanna

Would anyone recomend areas in town I should stay away from...
I have been told that the south and east sides of town are not so safe. Would anyone familuar with C-Ville recomend the safest area(s) as well as the parts of town a single female should not live.
Is the Fairway Ave. section of Martha Jefferson safe?
Thanx for the help

I've been here since graduate school, raised a daughter as a single parent, and am now retired, living in the home my husband grew up in - University area, mostly single houses with front and back yards.

It depends somewhat on what you want to do - like being able to walk to the library, downtown mall, older homes? Downtown off High Street is great, but housing in town can be expensive. As a single female, I would NOT live in an apartment near the University. Students and student-type housing are targeted by undesirables, because they are often on foot, out alone after dark ... all the things you've been told to avoid.

There are rentals downtown and in the older residential areas north of the University until you get into the county. Then it's mostly developments with homes 40 years old or less. Numerous areas off Route 29 North, but you would have to fight the traffic.

The residential areas are safe, for the most part ... there may be a rash of burglaries or some such in a neighborhood, but for the most part it would be incidental and not something you would worry about much. That said, any area can have neighbors you'd steer clear of - just don't become too friendly too fast. That holds for any area you move to, however.
Moderator cut: real estate agents advertising not allowed.

[tklove]

If I were to work at the hospital what area outside of town would you recommend

[TN Lily]

What are you looking for? Lots of shopping centers or lots of woods and pastures? Do you want to stay in Albemarle County?

Zion Crossroads (Louisa County), Lake Monticello (Fluvanna County), Ruckersville (Greene County) have many residents who commute to Charlottesville. Waynesboro isn't that far away and it's in Augusta County, but as previously indicted, you have to face Afton Mountain coming and going.

If you stay in Albemarle County, you can basically head in any direction and find a community. Rt. 29 heading north is congested but has lots of development. Keswick going east is rural as is Crozet to the west. Ivy to the west has some development going on too.

I would suggest visiting for a few days and driving around to see what you like.

[tklove]

Thanks for the reply.We would be interested more in the convience of food shopping etc. and reasonable apartment rentals.800-950.00 rangeAppreciate
a reply.Thanks