Relocating to Charlottesville from Naperville in need of a litte advice (Lake Monticello: apartments, rent)

[Qb511]

Hello,


I'm relocating to Charlottesville from Naperville IL for work, this is a fantastic opportunity that I'd really hate to pass on. I have 3 children ages 16, 12 (girls) and 4 (boy) that will make the move with me. I'm unfamiliar with the Charlottesville area and would like any suggestions on areas to live and schools, I'm not limited to a specific budget, safety, schools and diversity are very important. When I visited Charlottesville I noticed people were not very friendly, however that really doesn't bother me, my primary concern is my children's ability to adapt. I'd prefer an area where my children would not encounter issues of racism, as we are an African American family. However, living in Naperville I have a standard of living that I'd prefer to maintain. We have never encountered any racial situations, and I've lived in Naperville long before the children were born, but I'm not too familiar with Virginia and heard things can be a bit different there. I'm coming with an open mind, and heart, and I pray things work out well, any information is greatly appreciated.


Thank you

[dentite21]

Hello, I am also moving from Naperville for a job opportunity. In October, I am going with my wife to "scope" out some areas in the Shenandoah valley. Charlottesville is on the list. You should check out some of my posts and replies to my post.

[Qb511]

Thank you for the reply I'll take a look at some of your post.

[MovingFromALX]

Originally Posted by Qb511

Thank you for the reply I'll take a look at some of your post.

What's your budget? That'll play heavily into your housing options.

[dentite21]

My budget is around $250,000 but wouldn't mind going higher if we need to.

[phaedra_p]

Welcome! I have 4 kids ranging in age from 12 to 4, and we just moved to Lake Monticello. We're really liking it so far. I haven't noticed any racism, but I am not African-American, so others' experiences may be different. I think it's a pretty welcoming community. Hope you find a good neighborhood.

[Frugger]

I grew up in Chicago (Northwest side by Harwood Heights & Norridge) and then moved to LA where I lived for 20 years before relocating six years ago to Charlottesville. Charlottesville reminded me a lot of Santa Monica (culture, politics, people) and it's been great, but it's also been a shock to see people driving around in pickup trucks with the confederate flag flying from the back. Luckily that's the exception rather then the rule and Virginia is not Alabama or Mississippi regarding racial equality.

The City of Charlottesville and the surrounding Albemarle County tend to be upper middle class, very educated with most people either working at UVA, UVA Medical Center or NGIC (Army Intelligence Center). It's very liberal, consistently votes Democrat and I'd equate it to Lincoln Park / Logan Square for the City of Charlottesville and Evanston for Albemarle County. North of the city & county is Green County which is more rural (farm land), cheaper and consistently votes Republican with a lot of Trump / Pence signs everywhere. I live in a new sub-division in Albemarle County, so I can't speak to the other areas (like Lake Monticello).

The housing costs will be more the closer you are to Charlottesville. In my neighborhood the houses start at 400K and go up to 650K. But, we're zoned to allow apartments to be built over our garages which residents rent out and that helps pay half the mortgage.