Hating poe-dunk Iowa; looking to move to Richmond..difference between Richmond & Roanoke, VA? (Chester: living in, suburbs)

[richmondpics]

Nothing against Roanoke, but how does it have more "culture" than Richmond?

[happygal0000]

Roanoke is pretty but...that's about it.

[Charlesaf3]

Roanoke is your hick town in Iowa, only in the Virginia mountains.

Richmond is actually what you are looking for. Though you might find the cost of living not all that cheap - it does beat Colorado though.

And yep, the city of Richmond is fun to walk around. And live in.

[Paul Hammond]

Richmond has a great music scene and you don't have to wait for national acts to come through. There is so much great local talent you can save your big bucks and get your entertainment cheap at the local clubs. There are a lot of free concerts during the summertime and we have one kick as music festival in the fall. People from Richmond like to rag on it, but there is really a lot going on. Downtown is on the rise and people are moving back to the city.

[JDlaw]

If you are into mountains and outdoorsy stuff, then Roanoke might be your place. Roanoke seems quiet to me...like theres not much to do after 9pm. Beautiful scenery, but possibly lackluster in the city nightlife/music department.

If you want nightlife then Richmond might be it. Alot of the major concerts (Billboard top 10 artists) will skip Richmond and go to the Hampton Roads area and Charlottesville. The smaller indie bands will hit the National in Richmond...I haven't gone to the National yet, but I have heard good things and they have wide variety of genres that perform there. Richmond has bike trails, parks & rafting in the river, but you will have to drive to get to the mountains. Richmond isn't a cultural epicenter like some of the larger east coast cities, but I'd say it has its fair share and it's growing. Lots of culinary options, history, cultural events and festivals.

I agree with NeilVA, in that you may wanna look into Charlottesville too...I've never been, but I've heard that you get the mountains and the music scene and that seems to be what you are looking for.

Best of luck!!

[PaliBoy20]

Originally Posted by traveling_in_the_sun

Here's a fun video about Richmond that you might find interesting. It gives you a small view into the city:


River City (Richmond, VA) - YouTube

Ahem ahem, I second this

For those who don't know why, I'm the short guy rapping. WOOT WOOT! Go Richmond!

[PaliBoy20]

Originally Posted by Katmosphere

HA! that was not only hilarious - it gave me a good look at Richmond and was very helpful! We decided we're def moving there, after doing some further research!
I'm curious, however; are there many jobs available in Richmond? I've read that the cost of living isn't too high.. I'm just hoping I'll be able to get a job going once I move there. Thank you so much for all of the info, all of you.

The job market is looking significantly better here in the city. We just posted a 5.2% unemployment rate in February, lowest since Feb 09.

[sls76]

Originally Posted by PaliBoy20

The job market is looking significantly better here in the city. We just posted a 5.2% unemployment rate in February, lowest since Feb 09.

Richmond isn't close to 5.2%. That's NoVa/Charlottesville territory. The Richmond MSA's non-seasonally adjusted rate in January was 6.6%. That's much better than the nation, but lags the statewide average (of course that is distorted by NoVa).

Employment growth in Richmond hasn't been great since the recession ended, but there are signs things are improving. It's still a fairly small job market, though, depending on your skills.

[PaliBoy20]

I meant that in February of 2012 in comparison to February 09. That it has been the lowest rate since then that Richmond has posted.

[sls76]

Originally Posted by PaliBoy20

I meant that in February of 2012 in comparison to February 09. That it has been the lowest rate since then that Richmond has posted.

The February rate isn't even out for the cities/counties/MSA--only for the state. January rates for the localities were only released last week, I believe. And although the MSA's rate is 6.6%, the city's rate is 8.6%. Henrico and Chesterfield, though, are both at 5.8%.

The state rate is at its lowest point since Jan. 2009. Again, however, that is massively distorted by NoVa which has experienced insane growth due to federal spending.