Best Richmond Suburbs for a Family? (Annandale, Mechanicsville: rental, crime, safe neighborhood)

[Girleyes]

Hi there! Looking for a little advice from some people that know the area. We currently live in Baltimore, Maryland and may be relocating soon for a job my husband may take in Richmond. We are open to a little bit of a commute (as long as traffic isn't too insane!) to find a nice area for our family. I was raised in a neighboring county of the Baltimore area and long for a place like that for my kids. It was very suburban and even rural in parts. Everyone seemed to know each other through the school, church, kids activities, etc. it was a safe place where usually the biggest crimes were a few teens getting caught for smoking pot lol. The school was great, the towns were clean and well maintained with plenty of historic cultural landmarks but also the usually retail shopping popping up. The families were good hard working people, whether it be a manual labor job or a doctor, lawyer, etc. Do places like this exist outside the Richmond area or did I grow up in. Fantasy land haha? I've been living in Baltimore city the last few years (even in the "nicest" part) and am just appalled by the crime and filth in the city. I want to take my kids as far away from this lifestyle as possible. What would you recommend for areas that are clean, safe, good schools, kid friendly, nice sense of community and all that good stuff. Thanks!!

[sls76]

Originally Posted by Girleyes

Hi there! Looking for a little advice from some people that know the area. We currently live in Baltimore, Maryland and may be relocating soon for a job my husband may take in Richmond. We are open to a little bit of a commute (as long as traffic isn't too insane!) to find a nice area for our family. I was raised in a neighboring county of the Baltimore area and long for a place like that for my kids. It was very suburban and even rural in parts. Everyone seemed to know each other through the school, church, kids activities, etc. it was a safe place where usually the biggest crimes were a few teens getting caught for smoking pot lol. The school was great, the towns were clean and well maintained with plenty of historic cultural landmarks but also the usually retail shopping popping up. The families were good hard working people, whether it be a manual labor job or a doctor, lawyer, etc. Do places like this exist outside the Richmond area or did I grow up in. Fantasy land haha? I've been living in Baltimore city the last few years (even in the "nicest" part) and am just appalled by the crime and filth in the city. I want to take my kids as far away from this lifestyle as possible. What would you recommend for areas that are clean, safe, good schools, kid friendly, nice sense of community and all that good stuff. Thanks!!

Midlothian, Mechanicsville, Western Henrico County (23059 or 23233).

[novanwbie]

Hi. There are a lot of threads on here about family neighborhoods, so those might be good reading for you. The strongest schools are in western Henrico (as SLS posted) and northwestern Chesterfield, around the Midlothian area. The public schools really are outstanding. We chose to move to Midlothian to put my son in a particular school, and to be able to afford more house. There is more new building going on in Chesterfield Co., well, I should say more affordable. There is beautiful new construction in western Henrico, but it's beyond our price range. We also like the pace/culture a little better in Chesterfield, but that parsing things pretty finely. We really liked living in Short Pump, and if we could have found a rental quickly in Gayton Elementary/Mills Godwin, I would have gladly stayed. It's like having to choose between two positives. I felt like the West End was more competitive -- when I took my son to swimming at NOVA, for example, I actually had several moms express disdain that we were in Nuckols Farm (an excellent school) rather than one of the Wyndham/Twin Hickory schools. Goodness knows how they'll react when I say we live in Chesterfield! ;-) I haven't had any such reaction down here, and my son is thrilled with his new after school program. Plus many of the Chesterfield schools offer languages in elementary school, which is important to me.

Having lived in both areas, I don't think crime is remotely an issue, or certainly not any more so than any other suburban area. I feel safer living in Richmond than I did in some parts of Fairfax and Annandale, if that helps.

I know less about Hanover County, but the people I know who live there have been happy with the schools. It's more rural than the other two areas, and a lot of Richmonders consider it the redneck area, as much of Hanover is still agricultural. But that may be your thing, and the nickname is highly debatable, as some beautiful new developments have gone in.

Having had access to the Balto news while living in NoVA, I don't blame you for wanting to get out. I think you'd find Richmond a very livable, welcoming city, no matter where you ended up. It's certainly worth visiting, since you're so close! For our size, Richmond offers wonderful cultural and entertainment options, and really has developed into a foodie town. We also have great outdoor activities available.

[ellieb128]

PPs have given you solid advice on where. Just wanted to add that for the most part traffic is a non issue. Sure there are spots that are a little sluggish at times. If something takes you 20 minutes mid day, it might be 25 at 6PM...Traffic is easy. I moved here from MD 8 years ago and LOVE it here. We are in Midlothian (Robious Road corridor). Great schools, large lots, friendly neighbors. It has been perfect for our family.

The Richmond area is a great place to live - so much to do for all ages!

[snatale1]

Western Henrico / Glen Allen / Short Pump is very nice, affordable, great schools. No "real" traffic in or out of Richmond. Even the slow downs with I-95 construction don't add up to a real rush hour.

[onevthoki]

I am probably the only regular poster on the forum that will tell you to also look at Chester. What jumped out to me in your description (of what you are looking for in your next area) is that everyone knows everyone. Look for some of my previous posts and you'll get some of my other thoughts on the area. As someone who used to live at Aberdeen Proving Ground in MD, feel like Chester would describe your MD community!

Good luck with your move!

[Bri1212]

I too will be relocating with young children, not only are we looking for great schools but also a specific safe neighborhood in the range of $225-$300… it's hard relocating blindly because even by driving thru, you can't really tell. Can anyone suggest specific neighborhoods in midlothian, short pump and glen allen?? Thank you!

[Alicia64]

We moved from out of state four years ago and ended up in Short Pump -- my husband commutes to Mechanicsville which is a 20 min. commute and no traffic to speak of.

I've often wished, however, that we'd settled in Mechanicsville (Hanover schools are good) -- most specifically the 23116 zip code.

I also wished we could have lived in Midlothian, but it would have given my husband a longer commute over a toll bridge.

Alley

[novanwbie]

Originally Posted by Bri1212

I too will be relocating with young children, not only are we looking for great schools but also a specific safe neighborhood in the range of $225-$300… it's hard relocating blindly because even by driving thru, you can't really tell. Can anyone suggest specific neighborhoods in midlothian, short pump and glen allen?? Thank you!

Bri1212 -- there are many, many posts on here addressing this question. However, most of northern and western Chesterfield is very safe, particularly the Midlothian area. If you look at the maps on Chesterfield County Public Schools, Winterpock ES and anything north (and west of Huguenot/Courthouse Rd) are really quite good. If schools are a major factor for you, I'd recommend looking at the specific school Web sites -- in Chesterfield some elementary schools are specialized and offer languages or other special programs. In your range I'd start with Woodlake, it's a lovely development with excellent schools. You could also look at the neighborhoods feeding into Swift Creek Elementary and the Walton Lake area, going into Watkins or Evergreen, both excellent schools.

In Henrico, the far west end, often called Short Pump, is very safe. I really like Gayton ES and Nuckols Farm, and the schools north of Broad Street are excellent. You will struggle to find something in your price range in this area, though. I'd stick with Midlothian.