Advice on Historic Petersburg/Walnut Hill in Petersburg (Richmond, Manassas: real estate, 2013)

[Kokomodie]

Hey everyone,

I am hoping to hear some advice or insight into buying a home in Petersburg.

My husband and I were just relocated to Richmond by my employer and are currently renting in the West End which has been great.

We are however considering Petersburg.

We are unable to have children (and if we were to adopt that would still be many years away) so at this point the schools are not a top concern.

We love the look of the older homes that historic Petersburg has to offer and would love to renovate one of our own. We also like the looks of many of the homes we have seen in the Walnut Hill area of Petersburg as well.

One of my coworkers currently rents in the area near Demolition coffee and thinks we would like the area... one of his coworkers disagrees (but she told us she lives in a less nice part of town).

Having been in the area for less than 4 months - I guess I'm just looking for some more advice (hopefully from someone living down in Petersburg). Is the crime *that* bad in the areas we are thinking about?

I appreciate any responses!

Thanks!

[JayJayCB]

I don't live in Petersburg but I've heard horror stories regarding the majority of that town. I've spent a bit of time there and it didn't strike me as safe at all. Neighboring Colonial Heights seemed better. If you have the option to remain in Richmond, I think that'd be the best choice. However, hopefully someone will come along who actually lives in Petersburg. Maybe it's getting better. Good luck!

[jobber123rd]

I was born in Petersburg -- however, I never lived there; my parents lived in Ettrick and moved to Chester when I was 3 (in 1987) for a "better" school district (feeding into the then new-ish L.C. Bird, which is now considered mediocre).

Anyway, my parents' social circles revolved around Petersburg, rather than Richmond. I was there frequently for church, as well as other events. Sometimes I'd stay at friends' houses in Walnut Hill over weekends during the summer when both my parents had business out of town. We never had any problems with crime.

I like visiting Olde Towne (the area where Demolition Coffee is) for the restaurants -- The Brickhouse Run is my favorite, and Croaker's Spot (also in Richmond) and Wabi-Sabi are also worth checking out. My mother (now approaching 70 years old) drives alone to Old Towne regularly to go to her hair stylist. Not sure if I'd want to live there, but that's probably because I'm more comfortable with places with a suburban feel. (I'd have the same reservations about, say, Church Hill.)

The part of Walnut Hill west of Crater and Sycamore, near Lee Memorial Park, is my favorite area of the city. To the south, along Johnson Road (across from Petersburg High School) is a subdivision named Camelot -- I like that area as well, though it is a bit more isolated from things.

This probably doesn't help that much, but I wanted to share my perspective.

[VA Yankee]

Realize that Petersburg is in the middle of financial collapse, do you really want to be living in that?

[MBBeaverdam]

We lived in Walnut Hill (Westover) in an old house for 10 years, moved in 2013. I loved it and found neighbors nice and neighborly. I love Old Towne Petersburg stores and restaurants. Beautiful walking trails on the appomatox off of Grove Ave. And awesome Petersburg National Battlefield Park, I love it there!
Real estate cheaper than Richmond! Don't expect to make $ if you fix up and sell and selling can be slow.
There is some crime- you have to lock your car doors and garage- we did have a bike stolen from garage and cars will be rifled through if you don't lock them.

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

Realize that Petersburg is in the middle of financial collapse, do you really want to be living in that?

EXACTLY!

Petersburg is a Detroit in progress. Stay Away!

[Alfiehurt]

Have things changed after 5 years?
Me and husband are planning to retire in St. Petersburg around 2027

[Bigfoot424]

"We lived in Walnut Hill (Westover) in an old house for 10 years, moved in 2013. I loved it and found neighbors nice and neighborly. I love Old Towne Petersburg stores and restaurants. Beautiful walking trails on the appomatox off of Grove Ave. And awesome Petersburg National Battlefield Park, I love it there!
Real estate cheaper than Richmond! Don't expect to make $ if you fix up and sell and selling can be slow.
There is some crime- you have to lock your car doors and garage- we did have a bike stolen from garage and cars will be rifled through if you don't lock them."

I realize this is from 2016 (cut and paste) but this is for this last poster. Why someone would move somewhere knowing this to be true is beyond me. Alfiehurt. Things are slowly improving in Petersburg but this will take a long time. Just proceed cautiously. I am in my 60's and we lived in Manassas for 38 years before moving to the valley. While we were in kind of a secluded neighborhood off the beaten path we never once saw anyone rifle through our cars or steal anything. To hear some on here Manassas is a hotbed of crime. Now in the valley no one can come near our home in the country without us knowing.

[virgo]

Originally Posted by Alfiehurt

Have things changed after 5 years?
Me and husband are planning to retire in St. Petersburg around 2027

Ooops. You accidentally responded to a post about a city in Virginia that is called Petersburg, not St. Petersburg in Florida. Judging from your other posts, you seem to be interested in the St. Petersburg city in Florida.