Young family from NYC looking to move to Richmond (Chester: for rent, house)

[Yankeedad]

Hello and thank you for looking into my post. We are a young family with 2 toddlers looking to move to Richmond from Staten Island, NYC. I myself am a stay at home mother for the time being while studying online to become and accountant, My husband has his A.S in criminal justice and has hopes of becoming a Police Officer in the Richmond PD. He has been a driver in nyc while pursuing his degree so will be working in the same field in Richmond until he can get into the Richmond PD. One of our toddlers will be going to pre-school in september the other has some time left at home. We are looking to leave the expense and hectic life of New York City behind us and relocate. We have visited Richmond once and fell in love!. We are looking for a nice and safe young family friendly area definitely a house with 3 bedrooms and a yard that is in the price range of $800-$1200 a month. We would like to be in the best school districts available of course. Any help would be great! Thanks so much.

[Pruzhany]

My first question is why not State police? Ricmond PD doesnt pay well. As to where to live on the budget your sort of listing would be Chesterfield. richmond apts/housing for rent classifieds "chesterfield" - craigslist=

Also you will need to have two cars as there is no public transportation thats worth anything.

[vman650]

You may have to pay a little bit more than $1200 to find a 3 br home to rent but it really all depends on the location. The Richmond area is pretty large when you factor in the surrounding counties. Traffic is nothing like what you are accustomed to in the city and fairly long commutes are possible even during rush hours (although not desirable). The surrounding counties, for the most part, have excellent schools and can range anywhere from suburban to country. The reputation of Richmond city schools is unfortunately not nearly as good as those in the burbs. Many of the police in our area have been recruits from up north, so what you are trying to do is definitely a possibility. We have excellent Universities in the area where you can continue to seek a degree in business and accounting. These are difficult economic times and it may very well be that none of the counties or the city is looking to add to the police force at the present time. I suggest that you contact the county and city government and request applications. The surrounding counties are Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover. I think that being cautious in today's economy is wise and would recommend that you do not move without having obtained some form of employment. It is very easy to burn through savings and with two toddlers you cannot afford to make too many mistakes. The local paper is the Richmond Times Dispatch and you can Google to get their web site. You can download the paper for free and this may provide you with additional info on the area. Salaries in the Richmond area are not nearly as high as what you are accustomed to but neither are expenses as great. Good luck in your quest and I hope that everything works out for you and your family.

[abcinvan]

I would definitely look into some of the county sheriff departments as well. Hanover has an excellent sheriff's department and Hanover is a great place to raise kids - it's a little more rural than some of the other county suburbs. School system is pretty good as well. You would probably be able to find something within your price range.