Segregation in Chesterfield?? (Richmond, Short Pump: renting, buying a house, neighborhoods)

[Mandy612]

I just moved to the Richmond area. Im renting and am looking to buy a home in Chesterfield County. I asked my neighbor about Chesterfield neighborhoods and she explained that theres South Chesterfield and North Chesterfield.

No sort of diversity in between because Blacks live in South Chesterfield and all the whites live in North Chesterfield and Midlothian. She also Mentioned that Richmond is the same way with Blacks on the east side of the city and Whites on the west side. How true is this??

Honestly, I went to the Chesterfield Town center mall which is in the north part of Chesterfield and I saw mostly black people there. But after my neighbor told me about how things are segregated here, and after seeing the mall, I felt that maybe she was wrong. There were hardly any white people at the mall and it was the north part of Chesterfield!!

How true was my neighbors statement about segregation in Richmond and Chesterfield??

Thanx!!

[oatmealcookie]

Your neighbor's observation is pretty accurate. As for Chesterfield Towne Center, it used to be the mall to go to until the Stony Point and Short Pump malls were built. As the Chris Rock joke goes, "Every town has the same two malls: the one white people go to and the one white people used to go to."

[johnny500]

It's not just Richmond and the surrounding counties. Having lived in North Carolina, I can say that the segregation was pretty much the same. It's very much a part of being in the south.

[Hanshananigan]

Midlothian and the developments west of 76/288 are more White for sure, although some neighborhoods are more diverse than others. As far as I'm concerned, CTC and other shopping in that area are relatively "diverse" (Target, Kohls, Martins grocery, etc). Check out school district and voting district demographic maps if it is really important to you.

[Mandy612]

haha!! Chris Rock is soo funny!! he once said "what is this world coming to? we have a white top selling rapper (eminem) and a Black pro golf player! (tiger woods) lol.

I just wanted to hear what residents had to say about what my neighbor said. Since I just moved to Chesterfield, I dont really know the area or the neighborhoods and since im buying a house, I want a good place to live with good schools. I wanted to know if she was accurate.

Ive seen houses in Smoketree, Monacan hills, Brander Mill and Woodlake. I like the first 2 neighborhoods best. Brandermill and Woodlake have strong HOA's that Im not interested in.

Does anybody live in any of these neighborhoods?? if so, what do you like or dislike about it?

[RVAtoCNC]

It's not racial segregation, it's economic segregation. In other words, housing is more expensive in Midlothian than in So. Chesterfield. You don't find too many poor whites in Midlothian either, but you find plenty of more successful blacks/other minorities in Midlothian.

[ellieb128]

Originally Posted by RVAtoCNC

It's not racial segregation, it's economic segregation. In other words, housing is more expensive in Midlothian than in So. Chesterfield. You don't find too many poor whites in Midlothian either, but you find plenty of more successful blacks/other minorities in Midlothian.

Agreed that it is heavily economic - If you go East on Robious (mall side of Huguenot) - those neighborhoods are much more diverse than the other side of Huguenot where houses are more expensive. I don't think things are any different here from any other metropolitan area. You have pockets of everything you might want. There are no walls but just natural divisions, and it is partially racial - there are a lot of Hispanic families in Chesterfield now and that has changed a lot of areas.. I just don't think this area is any different than any other.

[ronyusa]

Very good post RVAtoCNC. I don't appreciate how the OP puts "segregation" as if people are being forced to live where they live???? Everything boiils down to Economics really. I have many Indian friends and I know many more (you know, the dark-skinned, dot-on-the-forehead ones??) who live in the West End / Far West End, as do many Asians, simply because many of them are IT or healthcare professionals with a moderately high income base who can afford to live there, I also have many well-to-do Black co-workers who live in the expensive parts of the town, West End, Midlothian etc. Don't go around crying discrimination/segregation when it is really about economic well-being regardless of color!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by RVAtoCNC

It's not racial segregation, it's economic segregation. In other words, housing is more expensive in Midlothian than in So. Chesterfield. You don't find too many poor whites in Midlothian either, but you find plenty of more successful blacks/other minorities in Midlothian.

[SparrowGirl]

There are plenty of white people that shop at Chesterfield Town Center.

[Charlesaf3]

There is economic segregation, naturally. But I have never heard of high income black people complaining of racial segregation in those areas. Probably wouldn't hear it, but I do know black people who live in some of the areas mentioned above as white, and like their neighborhoods a lot.

There is absolutely economic segregation in Richmond, like in most places. And like in most places (oddly common pattern) West is wealthier. This applies in the cities and the counties - the center and west ends of the city are wealthy, and so are comparatively the western parts of Henrico and Chesterfield.