Seeking Cultural Mid-Sized Towns in Virginia... (Richmond, Roanoke: real estate, crime, neighborhoods)

[Jounima]

Hello Everyone...

I have been looking for a place to relocate to in various places on the East Coast. My daughter lives in the DC area. So, I am starting in Virginia, first. I have been researching various places and need to live in an area where the real estate prices are still reasonable...affordable. I am spoiled because I lived in some lovely areas of the country including Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas. (Now both overpriced and congested, unfortunately.)

Some of the places that look interesting are Lexington, Roanoke and Lynchburg...though the last two are a bit off-putting because of the crime stats.(If this is exagerrated...let me know and make suggestions nearby?) Charlottesville was promising, until I saw the real estate prices! I am looking for a place that is mid-sized, possibly a university/college nearby and somewhat cultural and open-minded city. I suppose I still envision a larger Mayberry with a Starbucks.

My needs: a good bookstore, interesting artsy people, easy commute (even if long) to DC, a college nearby, low real estate prices, real downtown area, and good shopping (for me that means JoAnne Fabrics and Michael's) and maybe some good antique shops. Is there a place like New Hope, Pa (when it was undiscovered) anywhere in/near Virginia?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions

[williamsburgfan]

price range would help.
the housing market in the college towns like Charlottesville and Willimasburg probably out of your reach. A lot of small rural areas still have OK prices - unfortunately they aren't artsy, college towns. I wish someplace had it all!!

what about halfway between DC and Richmond, or Harrisonburg country areas?

[twogrand]

Abingdon,VA sounds perfect for you.It has a lot of history, has an art museum, The Barter State Theatre,lots of antique stores,is relatively small, is close to colleges in Bristol and Johnson City and others. You might want to check it out.It is a place that I love to visit.

[vasinger]

I reccomend Charlottesville. It is a bit of a drive from DC but doeable. Roughly under 2 hours. Plus it has a beautiful view of the blue ridge mountains. Great live music scene and creative energy. The only downside it is that sometimes it feels overrun by the college students.

[VSB]

Originally Posted by Jounima

Hello Everyone...

I have been looking for a place to relocate to in various places on the East Coast. My daughter lives in the DC area. So, I am starting in Virginia, first. I have been researching various places and need to live in an area where the real estate prices are still reasonable...affordable. I am spoiled because I lived in some lovely areas of the country including Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas. (Now both overpriced and congested, unfortunately.)

Some of the places that look interesting are Lexington, Roanoke and Lynchburg...though the last two are a bit off-putting because of the crime stats.(If this is exagerrated...let me know and make suggestions nearby?) Charlottesville was promising, until I saw the real estate prices! I am looking for a place that is mid-sized, possibly a university/college nearby and somewhat cultural and open-minded city. I suppose I still envision a larger Mayberry with a Starbucks.

My needs: a good bookstore, interesting artsy people, easy commute (even if long) to DC, a college nearby, low real estate prices, real downtown area, and good shopping (for me that means JoAnne Fabrics and Michael's) and maybe some good antique shops. Is there a place like New Hope, Pa (when it was undiscovered) anywhere in/near Virginia?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions

If you're willing to live a bit outside town, then there is a lot of reasonable real-estate near Charlottesville. As another poster mentioned, you should post the price range you might be able to afford. Even within Charlottesville, or just outside its borders, there are affordable lots. It really depends on what you're interested in. Charlottesville's Belmont neighborhood, which has admittedly skyrocketed in value over the past few years, still has some value in it and is very close to its famed downtown mall.

In your shoes, I wouldn't bother looking anywhere except Charlottesville. I don't know about JoAnne Fabrics, but I've shopped at the Michael's there, so I know they've got that . . .

The only caveat is that many people may feel like outsiders if they are not somehow affiliated with the university. However, it's the university that provides the culture to the town.

Check out google maps (or other) to get a feel for the layout of the neighboring communities. You will find cheaper housing on "29 south" or on route 29, south of I-64. It's beautiful country there, and I mean COUNTRY! It gets quiet very fast. You can go 10 minutes down the road, find something very affordable, and still be right next to town. All the traffic in town (for now) is on the north side of C'Ville. There's no traffic (I've never ever even seen "traffic" on 29 south all the way to Lynchburg) on 29 south.

Other communities to take a gander at that are close to CVille and relatively affordable:

North Garden
Scottsville
Palmyra
Louisa
Waynesboro
Stuart's Draft

For more information on Charlottesville, see this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/virgi...sville-vi.html


best of luck!

[sharpeyes]

Harrisonburg has culture and coffee and reasonable prices. Eastern Mennonite University and James Madison University are there. You can see mountains, and there's plenty of agriculture, old and new neighborhoods, lots of opportunities for community involvement.

[kmflan]

Richmond is very culturally diverse; arts, ethnic restaurants, parks, awesome downtown, much MUCH more affordable than Charlottesville. But maybe bigger than what you are looking for.

[goldenage1]

How about Shepherdstown, West Virginia? It has a college, quaint shops, and is close to DC.

[EricD]

Fredericksburg is a great mid-sized town, with a lot fo shopping, and things to do. It's also only an hour to an hour and a half drive to DC (during non-rushhour)

[ganakart]

Blacksburg is a beautiful place, picturesque. Roanoke is 40 mins drive, Richmond is 2.5 hrs, DC is about 4 hrs. It is a quiet and awesome place. Full of energy, young and old, friendly and smiling always. I love it here.