Is Richmond for me and my family? (Chesapeake, Fredericksburg: fit in, transplants)

[WannaBeinBoston]

I've read this forum extensively and I've gotten both perspective from those that love it and those that hate it. I'm taking it with a grain of salt as every place has it's pros/cons. Fundamentally, it's what you make of it and where you are in a certain stage of your life.

We currently live in the upper midwest and while the quality of life here is excellent, the cold weather is a huge detriment to us. With a growing child, being able to spend time playing outside is crucial to us. We are seeking a place, and Richmond is on our list due to employment. Richmond weather is a plus, as is the pace of a smaller community and cost of living is low compared to our salaries. Based of these factors alone, we would move. Living in Chesterfield/Henrico with good schools seems like the place to be. We don't mind boring as we are simple and enjoy being able to live like other boring suburbanites with access to pools, tennis courts, bike trails, etc.

As to culture, this is what I'm most concerned about. We're not into Nascar, 4x4 off roading activities, hunting, etc. While we are transplants to the midwest, we never took to snowmobiling, hunting, hockey either. It appears that there is access to water activities...ie. sailing? Is this correct?
With respect to natural disasters, is flooding an issue? Finally, the people in the midwest are fairly closed off tending to associate with family and friends they've had since grade school. While midwestern nice does exist, it is artificial if you want to develop anything deeper.

I would like to get some candid response from transplants to Richmond. The locals seem to love it. Thanks in advance.

[lordinateur]

As a transplant from the Northeast, I can tell you it's pretty genteel in Richmond. I can't speak to the suburbs except to say it should be boring enough for you. The public school system in Richmond proper is, apparently, terrible, so the suburban ring draws all the families. I believe Chesterfield county has more of the 4x4 culture, but don't quote me on that. Good luck with your search.

[gimme it]

I don't live in Richmond, but we did visit recently, and we were quite surprised how wonderful it is. My husband is originally from your neck of the woods, and I'm a NYer. We thought the city was very lively and pretty, not to mention charming. We kept on running into one cool neighborhood after another. Personally, we loved the area around the University of Richmond, but I have a feeling that it's pricey. Midlothian seemed sprawlish to us, but you might like it. The area called The Fan was wonderful and we loved Carytown. There were so many restaurants and cafes and cultural things all over the place. This is just one NYer' s point of view. I would live there in a heartbeat, but we have several other places to check out. Good luck, and I hope you get good feedback.

[richmondpics]

Originally Posted by WannaBeinBoston

As to culture, this is what I'm most concerned about. We're not into Nascar, 4x4 off roading activities, hunting, etc. While we are transplants to the midwest, we never took to snowmobiling, hunting, hockey either. It appears that there is access to water activities...ie. sailing? Is this correct?
With respect to natural disasters, is flooding an issue? Finally, the people in the midwest are fairly closed off tending to associate with family and friends they've had since grade school. While midwestern nice does exist, it is artificial if you want to develop anything deeper.

I would like to get some candid response from transplants to Richmond. The locals seem to love it. Thanks in advance.

You won't need to hunt or go off-roading or watch NASCAR to fit in here... not to say they aren't popular (it's NASCAR weekend in Richmond right now!), but they aren't rites of passage either.

You have a variety of different water activities to partake throughout the Richmond area and beyond. Small sailing boats are popular in the Swift Creek Reservoir and I imagine they are at Lake Chesdin as well. The James River offers a load of different activities, from white water rafting (Class I-IV Rapids downtown), kayaking, canoing etc... there's even a rowing club just east of downtown. The beach is less than 2 hours away and the you could definite sail in the Chesapeake Bay. The Northern Neck is a popular retreat for sailing and other boating.

Flooding isn't much of an issue in the Richmond area. A few days of heavy downpours or a tropical system coming through can cause localized flooding here and there, but I wouldn't say there is anything major that occurs.

I've heard that Richmonders can be a little cliquish, but if you move to an area with a mix of newcomers and locals and you're an outgoing and pleasant person then you shouldn't have a problem.

Have you visited the area before? If not, and you become serious about relocating, make sure you check it out to see if you like the feel.
Good luck!

[onevthoki]

We just moved here from the Fredericksburg area, so while I am a recent transplant, I also grew up in a rural area an hour southwest of Richmond. But living here is a lot different than just coming up for doctor's appointments and the like.

With that said, I will say the adjustment here has been a little harder than our previous moves (retired military family), but I think that also has to do with the age of your children. It is much easier to meet people with similar interests when the kids are younger (stay-at-home moms are often looking for preschool groups, meeting people at the community playground ... you get the idea).

Anyway, the kids have adjusted well in their new school (Chesterfield County) and seem to like it better than where they were in Spotsylvania. As to the Nascar quotient, I couldn't begin to tell you who drives what car, but I do listen to the country music station.

Richmond really has all types. Some neighborhoods are old and grand (old Richmond money), there is the (what I consider) artsy crowd in the Fanand then you have the suburbs, some recent developments with the newer amenities (splash park, clubhouse, etc.) , some a little older.

All in all, I think this has been a good move for our family. We got away from the traffic and congestion of northern VA, and seem to move at a slightly slower pace down here.

A little rambly, but I hope it helps.

[GalGardener]

I moved to Henrico County's West End (near of UR actually) from the Midwest. We think the weather is wonderful after decades of the blistering cold in SD, WI and IN. Your kids will love it when the mere threat of snow can cause the school district to close the schools. In other words, don't make the same mistake as I did and bring your snowblower.

Yes, there can be flooding because of a tropical storm. However, it is no more frequent than then the thunderstorms/tornadoes we experience in the midwest.

Like you, I'm not into Nascar, hunting, etc.. Fortunately, the Richmond area offers many wonderful experiences in things I do like. The Virginia Opera is great as is the Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum. The Lewis Ginter Botantical Gardens is beautiful and offers many interesting classes. Colonial Williamsburg is an hour away while the Beach is two hours away, depending upon traffic. Or, you can just go to the River and cool off.

Oddly enough I found the local food a big adjustment--lots of fried food and greens I had never heard of until I arrived.

Good luck with your search. You might want to check out [url=http://www.virginia.gov]Virginia.gov - The Official Commonwealth of Virginia Home Page[/url], [url=http://www.co.henrico.va.us]The Official Website of Henrico County[/url], and/or [url=http://www.co.chesterfield.va.us]Chesterfield Connections | Chesterfield County, Virginia[/url]

[WannaBeinBoston]

Thanks the previous posters for your time and response. Richmond does appear to be an area that we could enjoy living and raising our family. I think for all the reasons Richmond is on our list, you have all confirmed the livability factor. We have not visited the area, though my wife has been in/out for business, and she couldn't form an impression given the short time there. We would definitely spend some time in Richmond before making a commitment.

Could y'all tell me (trying to acclimate in advance), why housing is still fairly low given proximity to DC? Not that I'm complaining mind you, and frankly this is a big draw to us, given that it will mean a larger savings rate.

The biggest negative in my mind right now, is the lack of a public transportation system, but maybe that will come with time...and unfortunately with more people like us coming into the area.

[onevthoki]

As for taking a drive and heading to DC for a day of sight-seeing, yes, Richmond is definitely close. But as to using this as a bedroom community, right now it is just too far. Now that's not to say that others do not do it, but I would say Spotsylvania (and a little of northern Caroline) is the furthest south (on a bad Friday in the summer you could see a 3-hour drive) most commuters want to go. Hence the housing prices are not reflected as those of a DC suburb.

[docmommaCA]

Originally Posted by onevthoki

Richmond really has all types. Some neighborhoods are old and grand (old Richmond money), there is the (what I consider) artsy crowd in the Fanand then you have the suburbs, some recent developments with the newer amenities (splash park, clubhouse, etc.) , some a little older.

I am part of a mixed marriage -- I am a Democrat and my husband is a Republican :-) My job is in Lakeside, and when I drove around I liked the feel of Hanover county in the Atlee Station/Chamberlayne Rd area. I know my husband will prefer it to Lakeside, and the commute isn't bad. However, I have heard that Hanover is very conservative. Am I going to feel uncomfortable? Or are there enough transplants coming in that the area is likely to be more "mixed"? I also liked Ashland near the college -- is it considered a "college town"? Ashland Coffee and Tea seemed pretty funky -- is it an anomaly or is the town more liberal than the county?

[MisnSoFL]

Originally Posted by WannaBeinBoston

Could y'all tell me (trying to acclimate in advance), why housing is still fairly low given proximity to DC? Not that I'm complaining mind you, and frankly this is a big draw to us, given that it will mean a larger savings rate.

The biggest negative in my mind right now, is the lack of a public transportation system, but maybe that will come with time...and unfortunately with more people like us coming into the area.

The housing is low because people don't want to move here... LOL actually I think it is due to the current housing market. But most houses under 300K have not dropped much in value in the Richmond market even in these times, so that should be a good sign.

As for public transportation... I think you will be waiting a LONG time for that to change.

Good luck to you, and I hope you follow your own advice to spend some time here before decided to make the big move. I have found that people either love it here or hate it and can't wait to leave.