What Are Race Relations Like in Charlottesville or Norfolk? (Richmond: transplants, real estate)

[GdWtHnds]

What are the race relations like in or near Charlottesville or Norfolk areas? I'm having a mid-life crisis (49 y.o.), and I'm determined to pack up a U-Haul in the next 30 days and move from Atlanta, GA. I've lived in Boston, Alexandria, VA, Columbia, MD, New York City, and several smaller towns like Greensboro, NC. I'm burned out on the stress of larger cities but don't want to go through total culture shock into an ultra rural setting. Prices, real estate and traffic are absurd in most areas I've lived, but ideally would like to find a 1000 - 1500 Square Foot loft in a safe neighborhood. I will pay up to $1800/mo depending on the amenities. Shopping is not that important to me, nor are schools. I'm self-employed as a real estate investor and spend a good part of my day driving, so proximity to employer is not important. (Though any input on investing would be appreciated as well.)

I've been taken for everything from Italian, Hispanic, Ethiopian, etc., etc., and I am lesbian; so, I'm concerned about going into "red territorities". Nice to be near coffee/book shop & Home Depot (LOL - lesbian humor). One can only buy so many antiques, so that's not important. What I'm saying is that I don't want to be the town oddity.

[dullnboring]

Charlottesville is a fairly diverse city and is actually the most liberal city in all of Virginia, voting I believe in excess of 75% against the gay marriage ban (which wound up passing statewide in November regardless), and a general air of acceptance. Race relations are generally good. There have been a handful of racist incidences at UVA in the past couple of years. Last year, there was a spate of racist graffiti and verbal abuse towards blacks students within a short period of time, and several years earlier, there were several attacks by local black teenagers on white and Asian UVA students (there's a bit of the usual town/college divide, with a tinge of a racial element, though not nearly like a Duke/Durham situation), but this isn't something that is the norm for the city of Charlottesville, and has more to do with the campus than the city.

Basically, I think in terms of its political leanings and race relations, Charlottesville is fairly similar to Alexandria. So if you felt perfectly fine in Alexandria, you likely will in Charlottesville as well. The only difference being that in Charlottesville, there is no DC right across the river to get your dose of ultra-urbanity. Charlottesville is IT.

I can't speak much for Norfolk beyond what is not statistically obvious. That being that the demographics are different and that the city as a whole is much more conservative than Charlottesville. Unlike Charlottesville however which sits by itself, Norfolk is sort of the anchor city of the large Hampton Roads metro area which has several sizable cities and is home to I believe around 1.6 million people, although in my mind the low-density sprawly nature of the area means it doesn't feel as large as it really is.

[The Dissenter]

i agree on dullnboring i don't think charlottesville would give you much trouble. i'll put my two cents in on norfolk since i grew up in hampton roads. Norfolk is a pretty conservative, not that diverse, blue-collar city with a christian presence (more than Charlottesville). So i think the lesbian part would cause a few minor problems. The racial sitation wouldn't give you that much trouble. Don't get it twisted i love Norfolk and Hampton Roads, but i really think that Norfolk is just not right for certain folks, in your situation i think Charlottesville is the better choice if you can find the housing and means.

[eddieb323]

I don't know that much about Charlottesville, but I can speak about the Hampton Roads area. The only places I think you'd be able to find a loft is in either downtown Norfolk or Portsmouth. A lot of people like downtown living but keep in mind these are much smaller cities than DC or Philly, for example, and the downtown areas here pretty much become ghost towns at night and typically aren't that safe. The obvious exception are restaurants which might stay open for dinner or bars until 2 am. I'm assuming you're black (the race thing) and that wouldn't be an issue at all. Overall, about a third of the people in the Hampton Roads are black. I've never really explored any racial issues here, but that's the point they don't really seem to be an issue. I don't think being a lesbian would be a problem for you either. That being said, if you're the type of person that goes out of their way to let everyone know what you're sexual preference is, there are quite a few bible thumpers here that wouldn't take too kindly to that. If you take these things into consideration and still think you'd like it, this is a really great area to live in, and I'm sure you'd enjoy it. Good luck!

[dallastova]

Ohhhhh dont listen to all that. Im from Norfolk. You will not have a problem. It is very diverse place. You would enjoy yourself and fit right in. As far as the lesbian issue. There would not be one.

[Richmonder27]

Charlottesville's race relations are "iffy". The town has a fairly large black population for its size, and a lot of the spoiled UVA kids trample over the town, some of the native blacks resent how arrogant some of the students can be.

Also I heard of incidents were the "N" word was spray painted on someone's car. There was also a rapist in town who happened to be black, and they were using racial profiling- a lot of people were upset by that.

But I dunno. Charlottesville is also overrun by a lot of Northern transplants who are very liberal and kinda ruining the nice Virginia ways and traditions.

[DC Oldtimer]

Originally Posted by GdWtHnds

I'm concerned about going into "red territorities"

If there is anything red about Charlottesville, I don't know about it. Check the 2000 and 2004 county voting maps. Albemarle County is blue in a sea of red.

I think you would like it there. Only thing that might annoy you is the preppies. But hey, they could be your buyers!

[Richmonder27]

Originally Posted by DC Oldtimer

If there is anything red about Charlottesville, I don't know about it. Check the 2000 and 2004 county voting maps. Albemarle County is blue in a sea of red.

I think you would like it there. Only thing that might annoy you is the preppies. But hey, they could be your buyers!

Because of all the out of state people living there now. C-ville is the new NOVA.

[deserthorse]

Originally Posted by Richmonder27

Because of all the out of state people living there now. C-ville is the new NOVA.

No sir C'ville is a college town, mostly. With the huge growth of the spy center, ever becoming more of an army town, but not government in general. If you take a few steps out of the city, I think it's still generally southern.

I know about the South as a place of racial brutality in the past, but honestly, I see more evidence of true integration most places in the South than in the Midwest. I'm not talking about just the college, either. I'm talking about things like frequently seeing groups of people of various races at lunch, just being regular people.

I know some people here who wouldn't be those people, sad to say. But it was the same (or worse) in the Midwest.

As for politics, that's a hot topic, isn't it? I know native born Democrats, and Democrats here originally from other Southern states. I also know Republicans. But in my view, the divisions come in more over things other than race now. Gay marriage, yep, that's an issue. Being gay, not so much.

One of my formulas for how Southern a place is is how many churches there are. There are plenty in Charlottesville, and none I see lack congregants.

[Richmonder27]

Originally Posted by deserthorse

No sir C'ville is a college town, mostly. With the huge growth of the spy center, ever becoming more of an army town, but not government in general. If you take a few steps out of the city, I think it's still generally southern.

I know about the South as a place of racial brutality in the past, but honestly, I see more evidence of true integration most places in the South than in the Midwest. I'm not talking about just the college, either. I'm talking about things like frequently seeing groups of people of various races at lunch, just being regular people.

I know some people here who wouldn't be those people, sad to say. But it was the same (or worse) in the Midwest.

As for politics, that's a hot topic, isn't it? I know native born Democrats, and Democrats here originally from other Southern states. I also know Republicans. But in my view, the divisions come in more over things other than race now. Gay marriage, yep, that's an issue. Being gay, not so much.

One of my formulas for how Southern a place is is how many churches there are. There are plenty in Charlottesville, and none I see lack congregants.

There is more integration. But C-ville was ALWAYS a college town and never as liberal as it is now.

Try back in the 1950s. It was quite a different story.

But even so- there is a resentment from C-ville negros towards the white preppy UVA kids from out of state who run all over town and seem to have an arrogance about them.

I have heard of incidents where there have been racial tension among the UVA kids and the native blacks of Charlottesville. They are largely right- I have to say, the kids are just lacking respect.