Want to move... well maybe :) (Norfolk, Richmond: transfer, living, price)

[gmm_24]

I am from the East Coast originally, left in 1992 and never looked back We have been in Colorado for almost 15 years now but I am tired of being land locked. I love it here, weather is not bad, people are nice and etc, but I miss the green trees, grass, the ocean and etc. So I am considering moving and have discussed it with my family, so far 3 out of 4 of us are fine with moving.
To me VA seems in the middle of the coast but I keep reading about it being Southern and that there can have racists attitudes. We are "white" but like to live in a place where any and all races live as well. I like diversity and growing up in NY there was plently and I loved having friends from all over the globe, saying that I do not want to be a minority either. I visited Newport News about 15 years ago and went to a mall where people stared at us and made us feel unwelcomed.
I do not want to live in the city, I hate HOAs and do not want to deal with them either. But I am not sure if what I want exists.
I want to live on a farm about an hour from the beach. We currently do live on a farm 15 mins from the "town" and about 45 mins from Denver. Those types of drives are fine with us.
I have one who will be going into HS next year and want a good one that is not heavy into gangs. The other is going into the military soon
Would like a place of course without alot of crime. I have a few large dogs that will deter most idiots but some a quite stupid
Having animals I have to ask if there are alot of snakes, coyotes and such around in the country areas?
My husband works for the county/state are those jobs hard to come by? My job can transfer me.
Outside of Richmond in most directions but West are there any farms around? I have found a few in our price range but they mostly seem to be to the West an more like an hour to Richmond and 2 to the beach.
Thanks

[Erma]

I would suggest North Carolina if you miss the coast/trees and want country.

[Nebat]

I have grown up in VA my entire life and never witnessed any form of racism. Not to say it doesn't happen, but I would say it is as common as anywhere north of the mason dixon. Side note: I've heard about more racist issues in the New York area than around here. Was there and saw it on the evening news one night. You won't find the stereotyped southern stuff until you go below the James River and west of Isle of Wight county in my opinion. Southern attitudes can be found all over the state, but it really feels like another state to me down there, with the exception of the Roanoke and Virginia Tech areas. I live in the Shenandoah Valley(Staunton), which most city dwellers would classify as "backward" and blacks and whites get along just fine. There is hardly a day where I don't see a black person and a white person walking down the street together, and interracial couples are plentiful and not frowned upon, unless people are cursing them behind their backs. I've never heard negative comments about it though.

The traditional farm within an hour of the beach might be hard to find. Maybe Suffolk or Isle of Wight counties or Surry county? They are in the Norfolk/VA Beach metro. Side note: Suffolk is a city that absorbed a entire county, so it still has miles upon miles of non urbanized land, with the exception of the city center. There should be plenty of farms around Richmond, which it seems you have been finding out. Hope this helps.

[gmm_24]

North Carolina is not for me, the about half dozen times I visited there I did not care for it and it was not just because my mother in law lived there lol.

Nebat thanks I will check those areas out.
Yes there is racism in NY, I hated people asking me "what are you?" like it matters. I have no issues living near a city at all and prefer it to have shopping and etc not too far but I do like being on acreage and plan on taking my alapcas, goats and chickens with me if we do move That will be an adventure in itself.
I did see some places a bit further from the ocean, but heck any of them are about 1700 miles closer than I am right now; Victoria, Disputana and such. Farmville seemed a bit too far but I am slowly learning the map.