Why does Richmond have such a bad rep? (Charlottesville, Short Pump: apartment, houses)

[101flyboy]

Because the city looks dirty and old in many ways, and even though some have said that isn't true and I agree to a certain extent, it definitely also has a run down look in certain places also. It's not overly vibrant even though it's a young city on average, it's quite segregated culturally, economically it's borderline, and because the crime rate was in the top 5 of the country until recent and that has stuck into the memory of some.

[twilfits]

Thanks for your post. I'm reading about the east cost cities to relocate and appreciate your candor.

[Hoop Love]

It's because people can be very ignorant, and go on outdated impressions of Richmond. Someone in this thread included Church Hill as a "bad area", which is not accurate at all. I live in Church Hill and it's absolutely gorgeous, clean, community-driven, and a place where I feel safe and happy to live. Sure, if I wanted to buy crack in RVA, I know where to go...but that's in any city or town in America. Richmond is a beautifully diverse city, with creative artists everywhere you turn. The county dwellers tend to stay in their comfort zones, and rarely venture into the city. I hear them saying "I scared of Downtown." I find it sad, but then again, I'm not a big fan of the yuppie conservative, so stay where you are, shop at Wal-Mart, eat at Applebee's, listen to Q94, drive your big fat SUV's, but don't dis Richmond, just because you haven't clue what this city has to offer.

Hmph....I'll put my pom=pom away now.

[tizzielu]

LOL HoopLove, keep the pom poms out please!!! I am planning on moving to Richmond and I am very attracted to the Jackson Ward area. Its' incredibly difficult to find anyone that says many nice things about that area, it's they all say don't go there! And I'm not a local but feel like I think the rep for that area is a bit out dated.
I am going to be living alone and and I'm not young and I am female..why do I feel like I can do it and everyone is telling me no????

[RVAtoCNC]

Originally Posted by tizzielu

lol hooplove, keep the pom poms out please!!! I am planning on moving to richmond and i am very attracted to the jackson ward area. Its' incredibly difficult to find anyone that says many nice things about that area, it's they all say don't go there! And i'm not a local but feel like i think the rep for that area is a bit out dated.
I am going to be living alone and and i'm not young and i am female..why do i feel like i can do it and everyone is telling me no????

nnnnooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Skratch]

Originally Posted by tizzielu

LOL HoopLove, keep the pom poms out please!!! I am planning on moving to Richmond and I am very attracted to the Jackson Ward area. Its' incredibly difficult to find anyone that says many nice things about that area, it's they all say don't go there! And I'm not a local but feel like I think the rep for that area is a bit out dated.
I am going to be living alone and and I'm not young and I am female..why do I feel like I can do it and everyone is telling me no????

cause you can't its the projects

[Charlesaf3]

Jackson Ward isn't the Projects. But it is right across 95 from one... in general, its nicer closer to Broad street.

Lots of single women do live there. But I wouldn't say its the safest place downtown either

[youngzb]

Originally Posted by twinmma

I moved from Nova and my initial feeling was "dirty" for no other reason than that is what I had HEARD. We took a dirve down here as I am not one to go on others impressions, and I LOVED it. We went back to Nova, put our home on the market, sold it in two days, and never looked back! Here is what I love about Richmond:
The cost of living. My home here is larger than the one in NOVA, newer, and A LOT less in the mortgage department. That in turn allows us to actually LIVE life as oppossed to just being house poor!
There is a lot to do here...at an affordable price. The concerts, plays, museums, Carytown, Nascar, etc. Sure, Nova has a lot of that but 1) it is more expensive to do those things there and 2) try getting there in the awful traffic. (people tried to tell me there is traffic here in Richmond. Just not true compared to Nova. It takes my husband 10 minutes to get home from work where in Nova it took 45-1 hour.
The people - I find the people here so friendly. I can talk with someone in line at the grocery store and not feel like someone is keeping me at an arms length. Now, that does lead to one negative in my mind...I find stores very SLOW here. In Nova, everything is such a hurry so it is taking me some time to get used to a slower paced schedule

It's sad that some people have a negative opinion of Richmond, but I think that is changing. There are LOTS of Nova people who are discovering this area and are moving here.

I love it here!

I could not have said this better myself. There is just so much more Bang for the Buck in Richmond, and its so mobile you could do ten things in one day a opposed to Nova where you might only get a couple things out, and then get stuck in Traffic for the rest of the Day.

[vapeninsula]

Originally Posted by Yankeerose00

I heard that it was the murder capital in the 80's but I've never been able to find any evidence of that. While I know the city was worse in the 80's, I just don't see how it could have been the murder capital because that would mean it outranked DC, Miami, NYC? In the 80's these cities were horrible. Actually a lot of cities were pretty bad in the 70's and 80's.
But anyway, now Richmond ranks really low in crime compared to other US cities these days. Plus the metro area has expanded so far out that you really don't need to live in the downtown in order to live in the "city"

That murder capital was PER CAPITA. It couldn't possibly have ranked with NYC and LA on a numbers basis, only per capita.

[richmondpics]

Murder rate now hovers around 40 to 50 year lows... much better.