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I know this seems like an odd pairing, but in my never ending quest to find a place possibly to relocate these actually are close in rank for some of the things that are important to us as we age -
Good local health care within 30 minutes
Nationally ranked health care within @ 1 Hr
24 ER Vet within 30 min
International airport within 30 min
Reasonable housing (under 500K)
Moderate weather
Lots of amenities
Relatively safe
Growing areas (not depressed or decaying) with low unemployment
We live right now in Mount Pleasant, SC, a burb of Charleston (about 1/2 hr away), so even though I listed Charleston we would be staying either in Mount Pleasant or perhaps relocating to Daniel Island which is part of Charleston. Reasons we are considering relocating - as we age the following are getting to be troublesome-
Hurricanes and evacuations - an expensive "forced" vacation so far 4 out of the 5 years we've been here
Traffic/# of accidents/tractor trailers on the road
Venomous snakes - I know that NC has even more venomous snakes and VA is not free of them so that may not go away
If Reston we would live near Reston TC to try and minimize the driving we have to do for groceries, shoppings, etc.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
We know where we live obviously best, and we have been to Chapel Hill a number of times, but not for at least 5 years so I know it has likely changed. We have never been to Reston or Short Pump.
We are primarily interested to learn what the general feel of each area is and how easy it is to get around and how good the nearest airport is for both domestic and international. And yes, when we can, we will visit all. So how would you rate -
Traffic (non-prime time)
Public Transit Availability/Quality
Ambience/Vibe/Vitality
Airport
Flavor of the Area - Very conservative, conservative, moderate, liberal, very liberal
Things to Do - Both in to town itself and around the area
Winter Weather - Ice, Snow and Gloominess
Welcoming to Newcomers, particularly people from the north
As a state we like VA better than NC or SC because there seems to be so much more around there, plus we have friends/family in VA and MD, but trying to keep an open mind. Proximity to DC is also a plus for us.
Thanks for any info you can provide! Please vote based on our criteria. Thx!
Sounds like you'd like Reston, VA based off your criteria. It will have the worst traffic (by a large margin) but the DC Metro will be opening a station in Reston next year, so you will have some access to public transit unlike the other cities. It will also have way more things to do being so close to DC. Also Dulles airport is right there and is much larger than Charleston Intl, RDU, or Richmond's airport. Cost of living will probably be higher there, but Charleston and Chapel Hill aren't exactly cheap either (can't comment on Short Pump, VA). Northern Virginia is not culturally southern at all and has tons of people from all over the world living there, so I wouldn't worry about people being unwelcome.
Keep in mind- Reston VA is nearby to Dulles Airport. A very strong United Airlines hub with the fifth largest Transatlantic market after New York JFK, Boston, Newark, and Miami.
Charleston, Raleigh (Chapel Hill), and Richmond (Short Pump) do not have many/any international flights compared to Dulles (Reston area). If this is important, it would make your life 1000xeasier than constantly connecting.
Reston checks off most boxes, but housing affordability might not be there. I could be wrong...
RDU as far as international flights,don't know how rona has affected it currently with the variant now increasing.
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Also what activities do you guys like, being in the charleston area currently will you guys miss the water???? or the seafood???
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Quote:
Good local health care within 30 minutes
Nationally ranked health care within @ 1 Hr
24 ER Vet within 30 min
International airport within 30 min
Reasonable housing (under 500K)
Moderate weather Lots of amenities
Relatively safe
Growing areas (not depressed or decaying) with low unemployment
.
everything else Chapel Hill has but amenities, all depends on what you guys are into
I think Midlothian has eclipsed Short Pump and the far West End. Gorgeous shady neighborhoods, lots of amenities, and easy access to downtown Richmond.
Reston is DC/Northern Virginia rat race, and I would imagine to be very expensive. You are right next to Dulles, however. Not familiar with Chapel Hill - but as home to UNC, it's probably very nice. Charleston is an entirely different animal - I would select only if I had to be on or very near the beach. Charleston is so hot, humid, and buggy in the summer. Charleston's historic area (e.g. the Battery), is not as extensive as I would have thought, so that's not a huge attraction.
Last edited by BobHoward; 08-01-2021 at 01:19 PM..
RDU as far as international flights,don't know how rona has affected it currently with the variant now increasing.
.
Also what activities do you guys like, being in the charleston area currently will you guys miss the water???? or the seafood???
.
.
everything else Chapel Hill has but amenities, all depends on what you guys are into
We're pretty low key. We just lost our dog but we spent a lot of time with her, walking her. We love browsing in bookstores, going to outdoor cafes, seeing an occasional movie, out to eat now and then. We're beyond the bar scene. We love the water, which is why I think we are partial to Reston over Short Pump or Chapel Hill.
I think Midlothian has eclipsed Short Pump and the far West End. Gorgeous shady neighborhoods, lots of amenities, and easy access to downtown Richmond.
Reston is DC/Northern Virginia rat race, and I would imagine to be very expensive. You are right next to Dulles, however. Not familiar with Chapel Hill - but as home to UNC, it's probably very nice. Charleston is an entirely different animal - I would select only if I had to be on or very near the beach. Charleston is so hot, humid, and buggy in the summer. Charleston's historic area (e.g. the Battery), is not as extensive as I would have thought, so that's not a huge attraction.
Are there neighborhoods in Midlothian that have sidewalks? I looked at Google Earth at some of the neighborhoods in Short Pump and it seemed none of them had sidewalks. That's a must for us since we plan to get another dog and we don't like walking on streets without sidewalks.
Are there neighborhoods in Midlothian that have sidewalks? I looked at Google Earth at some of the neighborhoods in Short Pump and it seemed none of them had sidewalks. That's a must for us since we plan to get another dog and we don't like walking on streets without sidewalks.
My point of reference for residential Midlothian is a large neighborhood called Salisbury. Lived there briefly as a teenager, with my parents, years ago. I was there again in May, and if anything it’s even more appealing. Quiet with acre lots with hardwoods and fescue lawns. There are no sidewalks because there is no traffic except for the folks who live there. Sidewalks are unnecessary.
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