Relocating to Charlottesville area (Richmond, Crozet: rent, house, neighborhood)

[fishstix3]

Hi All --
Ok, I read the part about being specific, so let's see if I can get it all. We are possibly relocating to the Charlottesville area, one to work at UVA hospital system, the other not quite sure yet! So we are just exploring Charlottesville. We have visited and liked it very much, but coming from CA. (which we are so ready to leave! Too crowded), we are concerned about schools. Our 3 are currently in private school. Can someone shed some light on public vs. private schools in Charlottesville area? Also, we can spend up to $450K on a home, but don't have to be right in town area -- would consider surrounding towns as well. We are hoping to find an area with a small town feel, not the big suburban sprawl. We are not development kind of people, unless lots are closer to .5 acre. Kid friendly would be good. Would we be shunned coming from CA? We are not California cheerleaders; we are truly looking for a slower, quieter pace for our family with less pressure on the kids -- it is unbelievable here! Any insight is appreciated.

Cake or pie? YES!!

[WillV]

I think you will find the Cville area much to your liking. First, plenty of folks from other places...even California. For a small city, Charlottesville is extremely cosmopolitian with lots of cultural and recreational opportunities, University related activities, the Downtown Mall, Concerts, great places to eat, and so forth...

For the price that you have indicated ($450K), you will find a very nice place in the Cville area. There are some areas of the Charlottesville City (and Albemarle County) where you can find more expensive housing, but (depending on what you want) I think you can find a heck of a nice house for that price.

For school, I'm sure some folks would tell to stay away from the City; Though I think the City Schools are fine, I would tend to think areas adjacent to the City would be your best bet. Albemarle County schools are excellent, and I personally can't see any logic in paying big $$$ for a private school when the local school are just as good. But Cville does have several private schools with great reputations (St. Anne, Tandem)

If you don't mind living a short commute outside the city (20 minutes) I'd take a look at Crozet; there is some new development going on there, and it's a nice small town but not a small-minded place...

Best of luck, I think you will enjoy the area...

[fishstix3]

Thanks, WillV, for the info! We are mostly looking for a quieter, less frenetic lifestyle. We care more about whether or not our kids are getting a good education and are kind to others around them than we do about making the Gold soccer team or playing in the orchestra at 10 and driving 150 miles a day in order to achieve that ... The pace just bleeds into every other aspect of our lives, and we just want to live in a nice neighborhood where we know most of those around us and can afford to eat out or go on a simple vacation to the shore without sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for 10 hours! Don't get me wrong; I know there is traffic everywhere and there is no Utopia, but California has become hellish!

[Pavel]

I personally love the Stony Point area of Charlottesville. The whole 20 North corridor is beautiful and you can find a place somewhat equidistant to Downtown/Pantops shopping and the 29 North area. I hear the school debate all the time: private vs. public. I have three little ones in private school right now, but we're having weekly discussions about future direction. Consensus of majority of the parents I've talked to seems to boil down to personal choice: some like the new Catholic school we have (Blue Ribbon designated, a high honor) because of the religious preference; others like Charlottesville High for their performing arts program and the general Arts programs, others like St. Anne's for sports and academics (Howie Long's kids play/played football there)... our area's school offerings are abundant so it will come down to personal choice (and in some cases finances). I used to teach cello lessons and a few of my students lived in Albemarle County, but their parents paid tuition for them to attend Charlottesville High for the award winning orchestra program. I have friends who graduated from Albemarle High and loved their experience there.

For small town feel, Charlottesville itself is not very large: but Scottsville, Free Union, Earlysville, Crozet, Batesville, etc., are smaller options.

Hope this helps.

Pavel (licensed Realtor in the state of Virginia)

[fishstix3]

Thanks, Pavel -- just the type of info I was looking for! I have to say that while we are currently in private school, we have heard that the area has good public schools. My biggest concern is plunking our soon-to-be-6th grader into a huge public middle school, when she has never had the experience of being in a public school. This is probably a separate question, but are the middle schools huge? That is a big deciding factor for us as our middle school has over 1500 students in grades 6-8.
Is the new Catholic school called Charlottesville Catholic? We have another daughter who plays violin, so we would want to have her continue with that. Lots to think about, but my husband has interviews next week in both Richmond and Charlottesville, so that will determine a lot!

[Pavel]

Good luck to your husband with the upcoming interviews. My wife works at the UVA hospital... it's a constantly growing/changing environment. They're breaking ground for a new cancer center soon in the middle of hospital grounds. In any case, Charlottesville Catholic School is here Charlottesville Catholic School- Home Page and I know Walker and Buford (City upper elementary and middle school respectively have no near the numbers of 1,500 - I used to work for the city school system). Virginia schools report cards are here if interested.... VDOE :: School Report Card. I have friends/clients that really like Sutherland Milddle school in Albemarle County - Sutherland - Sutherland - Home

It all comes down to personal choice.

[crozethouse]

Hi,

I own a house in Crozet, and while I was very reluctant to move (because I absolutely love it there) I had to relocate to GA for graduate school. Anyways, I have a house that might be a good fit for you. You could rent it for a year (with the possibility of buying after you get a feel for the area and decide if it's right for you). It's a very small neighborhood, lots of young families, and everyone is VERY friendly. So, if you're curious, check out some pics of the house, and contact me at great new large home in peaceful friendly neighborhood (http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/apa/654461299.html - broken link)

As for Crozet, I can't say enough good things about it. I don't have any kids, but my neighbors tell me that the schools in Crozet are some of the best around. It's is a pretty hip area, but definitely at a slower relaxing pace (there's only one stoplight in downtown Crozet). My house is less than a mile from the organic market, the downtown Crozet restaurants, and the grocery store. It's an awesome place for mountain views, hiking, vineyard picnics and polo. And, it's very conveniently located right off of route 64 (so getting to Charlottesville is very easy). A random Crozet fact: the movie Evan Almighty (with steve correl) was filmed there a couple of years ago. If you end up taking the job in Charlottesville, Crozet is definitely something worth checking out! Good luck!

[fishstix3]

Thanks to you both; for some reason I just got notice of the postings and was not following for a few weeks as we were out of town. We like Crozet very much and have looked in that area. We both loved whole C-ville area, but it looks as though we will have to be closer to Richmond area. Your encouraging posts make us feel less nervous about the move and we have had nothing but positive experiences in our search in VA. Thank you!

[alice_61]

I lived a long time in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. I'm a fan of western Albemarle County and Nelso County. I like the mountains! I lived in Kents Store, just east of Zions Crossroads. I have a hard time getting excited about that area with it's flatter topography and less interesting towns (to me).