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Richmond and DC feel like different answers to different questions. But good luck in your search.
Not really sure what you mean? Are you saying NoVA vs Richmond are different answers to different questions, or implying that these aren't as good versus Raleigh for what my OP said? And if the latter how?
I think we should cross out Raleigh and Charlotte. You seem to be circling Virginia with your posts based on what location you like, so stay there. Richmond and Nova however just feel different, heck they are different. COL, different build-out as far as urbanity goes, things to do, etc. Going up to DC-level from Greenville because you aren’t enamored with Greenville’s suburbs almost seems knee-jerk. And it does nothing to help with access to beaches. I think you could be happy there, but reading your OP I didn’t even envision NoVa as a wild card so it took me by surprise.
My internal debate is starting to sway more towards Richmond vs the Arlington/Alexandria VA area, although Alexandria and Arlington look very expensive BUT you have DC at your doorstep.
Ahhh.. I think I can see what you are talking about now and what your preferences are. Well, if you are open to living in Washington DC, which is pretty much just an East Coast city, have you considered living in larger cities near the coast like Philadelphia? A lot of people seem to rave about the New Jersey coast, but NJ is just too liberal, high tax and restrictive of a state for me to live in. My mother did grow up there and had some fond memories of the place in the 50s and 60s though.
Another city I am seriously consider moving to is Tampa, FL which has a more affordable cost of living, nice urban environment and is surrounded by the most beautiful beaches (or close to them, i.e. Clearwater, Sarasota, etc) on all sides. The reason I probably would not want to live in Tampa is that it is very flat and of course it is quite hot in the Summer. I kind of feel like Tampa/St. Petersburg or Philadelphia would offer you the urbanity you are looking for and is quite a bit cheaper than the DC area. Does the Texas Gulf Coast appeal to you? Houston is another urban coastal city in the South. Something tells me if you are bored of Greenville that Richmond may not be so much more exciting. As well, you may like to review some of the threads on Richmond where people do discuss how serious the crime in the city has become. It certainly has raised red flags for me.
I just have this feeling that none of the cities on your list are going to satisfy your urge for a large urban environment. If I wasn't in financial turmoil due to becoming disabled this year, I would probably consider Nashville for a more urban Southern environment. Although, Knoxville's geographic location is so much more beautiful. Many people do seem to like Charleston, but you do need a lot of cash to live in that town and not such a stellar job market. I don't have much of a clue about Richmond, although its population is not much bigger than Knoxville and I wonder how much more urban it really is?
I know very little about the area, but it does kind of sound like Virginia Beach/Norfolk area may also be up your alley, if you want coastal urban living.
Charlotte does not feel urban at all once you get past its uptown and rather appealing skyline.. Charlotte does have some cool skyscrapers and nicer skyline than Denver. However, outside of Uptown/Plaza Midwood/Noda core, Charlotte just seems like a big suburb and I hear Raleigh/Durham is even more suburban and sprawled. That's why I kind of found Winston-Salem appealing, as it is a very old city, that has retained its traditional North Carolina culture and has a rather established urban core. But, it is far from the coast. That is a good thing for me, as I had to flee Hurricane Florence when I was living in Charlotte last year. I much rather visit the Atlantic coast than be at the mercy of it. But, I did live on the Oregon Coast, literally right on the water, for 6 years and did fall in love with the ocean. The Oregon Coast was the best of both worlds as it was ocean surrounded by the coastal Oregon mountains. However, you had to endure the 7-9 months of horrible weather, including 100in of rain a year where I lived. I love the easy access to the mountains of North Carolina/Tennessee and find them very appealing.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 06-02-2019 at 05:39 PM..
I think we should cross out Raleigh and Charlotte. You seem to be circling Virginia with your posts based on what location you like, so stay there. Richmond and Nova however just feel different, heck they are different. COL, different build-out as far as urbanity goes, things to do, etc. Going up to DC-level from Greenville because you aren’t enamored with Greenville’s suburbs almost seems knee-jerk. And it does nothing to help with access to beaches. I think you could be happy there, but reading your OP I didn’t even envision NoVa as a wild card so it took me by surprise.
Gotcha I can see where you are coming from... My mother has lived in the DC metro area for about half my life, so I am pretty familiar with DC and the surrounding metros. That said, maybe a wild card considering the cities I have mentioned (and their COL) but I don't really think its that far off as far as what I said in the OP... I mentioned being an urbanite and the fact that Greenville was too small for our taste. Alexandria has Old Town (which is beautiful) and you've got easy access to DC and all it has to offer through Metrorail. Closest Beach is about 2.5 hours away off coast of Maryland and Delaware. COL is definitely much farther off from these other cities though and thats something that has to be weighed.
Could you clarify this as well? For people like the OP looking at Richmond, let's help paint as full a picture for him as we can. I'm not sure what you mean by this, in what ways is Richmond in the back seat within it's own state? Its not even in the back seat in this comparison if cities...
Pretty much everywhere else in VA is in the back seat compared to the DC suburbs.
I almost agree with the other guy, that if you are open to DC, might as well look at Philadelphia (or Boston).
My wife is not interested at all in Philadelphia (I have looked at that already) and we are not interested in moving as far north as Boston. My immediate family lives in the Greenville area and the farthest north I think they'd move is Charlotte. We both loved Old Town Alexandria and DC is a very cool place with all the stuff there is to do there. Appreciate the contribution regarding Raleigh.
I’m not sure where the Richmond crime obsession is coming from. It doesn’t even crack the top 100 most dangerous cities in the USA (whereas darlings like Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Charleston and Atlanta do). None of these 4 cities make the top 100.
There’s a Richmond in CA that is pretty rough. Perhaps y’all are looking at their stats? Richmond has been pretty middle of the pack for 20 years or so with regards to violent crime.
I’m not sure where the Richmond crime obsession is coming from. It doesn’t even crack the top 100 most dangerous cities in the USA (whereas darlings like Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Charleston and Atlanta do). None of these 4 cities make the top 100.
There’s a Richmond in CA that is pretty rough. Perhaps y’all are looking at their stats? Richmond has been pretty middle of the pack for 20 years or so with regards to violent crime.
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I mean, if you navigate to the Richmond VA page on neighborhoodscout.com that would be a good start...
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Ranked 1/100 for crime (100 being the safest)
Quoting Neighborhoodscout:
"With a crime rate of 71 per one thousand residents, Richmond has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 14. Within Virginia, more than 100% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Richmond.... For Richmond, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI reported crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of one of these crimes in Richmond is one in 84."
Last edited by Yac; 06-04-2019 at 01:14 AM..
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