Relocating near Charlottesville (Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Staunton: apartments, home, neighborhoods)

[katied75]

I'm trying to research which towns near Charlottesville have the best schools. I'd like to be near Charlottesville, but not necessarily in. I'd actually prefer my kids to grow up in a small town, country feel, friendy people and good schools. Oh, and at least a half acre to an acre of land.

Can any of you recommend some towns for me to look into? Housing wise we'd be in the $350,000 range. Thanks!

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by katied75

I'm trying to research which towns near Charlottesville have the best schools. I'd like to be near Charlottesville, but not necessarily in. I'd actually prefer my kids to grow up in a small town, country feel, friendy people and good schools. Oh, and at least a half acre to an acre of land.

Can any of you recommend some towns for me to look into? Housing wise we'd be in the $350,000 range. Thanks!

Stick in Albemarle County and you'll be fine..... Not sure the pricing, but Earlysville is beautiful (it's where I mostly grew up). Also Free Union, Ivy, White Hall, Crozet (was down in C'Ville area this weekend and there's a good amount of development out in Crozet and it's a nice little town and I can personally vouch for the schools as I went to them..... JT Henley Middle and Western Albemarle High ROCK!!! )

[cathyfla]

Hello,

My husband is interviewing for a job in Staunton, can you give any info on the surrounding area. The place you speak of sounds great, any idea how far of a commute to Staunton?

Thanks,

CathyFla

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by cathyfla

Hello,

My husband is interviewing for a job in Staunton, can you give any info on the surrounding area. The place you speak of sounds great, any idea how far of a commute to Staunton?

Thanks,

CathyFla

Actually Crozet would be only about a 25 minute commute via I-64..

[cathyfla]

VAFury,

Thank you for your help. If you have any insight to Staunton, I'd appreciate it. Where is the closet mall? Catholic church? Best and worst schools in the area?

All help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Cathyfla

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by cathyfla

VAFury,

Thank you for your help. If you have any insight to Staunton, I'd appreciate it. Where is the closet mall? Catholic church? Best and worst schools in the area?

All help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Cathyfla

Honestly I know very little about Staunton itself..... I looked there briefly for apartments when it was looking like I'd be working in Harrisonburg, but got a better offer in Front Royal...... Rents and Housing prices are relatively low in the Staunton area which is about as far as I went in my research... Pretty area too.... Wish I could tell you more.

[pazzo83]

I've got you covered for Staunton, lived there for about 11 years.

The city, after seeing some population declines in the 1990s, is undergoing a bit of a renaissance. There is some serious growth regarding the housing stock, with over a dozen subdivisions being built currently. The city is 20 sq miles, but only about 10 of those are developed, so there is plenty of room to work with. You could easily find a very decent sized home in one of these subs, or any of the existing neighborhoods for less than $200,000.

Regarding your questions, the closest mall is in Staunton, but its not great at all. It has a Belk, Pennies, Books a Million, and a Gold's Gym, but thats probably it in terms of anything of note. The better malls are in Harrisonburg (25 min), Charlottesville (40 min), or even Roanoke (about 70-80 min). The downtown has a growing retail area, but it is still primarily novelty shops and the like. The closest catholic church is right in downtown Staunton (St Francis) on N Augusta St. It is an old, very pretty building with a pretty large # of families. There are also catholic churches to the east in Waynesboro and to the north in Harrisonburg.

The best schools in terms of academics are without a doubt in the county, however diversity there is almost non-existent. The city school systems (one of which I am a graduate) have been eclipsed by the county, but are much more diverse. Plus, all three area school systems have a centralized magnet school for arts, science, and technology which offers college level classes. It is part of Virginia's network of governor's schools, and is basically a half day ordeal when you are junior & senior in high school. I think Staunton city schools offer a better all around package in terms of schooling. The county schools have a large agricultural component that tend to dominate the entire school, and this is not found in the city school systems.

All in all, the area seems to becoming more and more popular. I'd recommend living in the city, because you are closer to amenities and it is much more pedestrian friendly (from the neighborhood where I grew up you could easily walk to neighborhood parks, downtown, shopping, convenience stores, etc). That is simply not possible in the county. Hope you enjoy the area!

[Rhett_Butler]

I also looked in a small developing town about 5 minutes away from Staunton that seemed nice..... Fishersville I think.....

[pazzo83]

Originally Posted by VAFury

I also looked in a small developing town about 5 minutes away from Staunton that seemed nice..... Fishersville I think.....

Most likely. Was it between Staunton and Waynesboro? That area has seen considerable growth since Staunton & Waynesboro consolidated their hospitals there in the 1990s.

[HB13]

My son and daughter (she's not an inlaw but like a daughter) chose the town of Crozet because of the schools. My son works in Staunton but really liked the schools in Crozet and from what I can see of my grandkid's progress, I heartily agree. Depending on where in Staunton and where in Charlottesville you work, it wouldn't be much more than a 15-20 minute commute. I live in the mountains about 13 miles from my kids (when I'm in VA) and it takes about 15 minutes to get to their place.
Lastly, living in SC for over half of the year, I absolutely love the area in VA. It is incredibly beautiful 12 months a year. Good luck. HB