Lousia & Orange Counties living (Richmond, Charlottesville: homes, camp, living in)

[OhiotoVA]

We are a retired military couple planning to move back to Virginia to be nearer our children. We are a pretty low-key couple looking for a friendly community that is somewhat progressive in planning for the future. What are the advantages/disadvantages of living in Lousia or Orange Counties? Can you recommend any particiular towns?

Thanks for any help you offer.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by OhiotoVA

What are the advantages/disadvantages of living in Louisa or Orange Counties?

This may be a concern in Louisa: https://www.dom.com/about/stations/n...anna/index.jsp

Despite the nuke, we looked at homes around Lake Anna for a retirement place and found it attractive. The addresses would be in Mineral or Bumpass. Besides the lake, I would find historical sites in the two counties to be an attraction.

As you are ex-military, are you looking for a place close to a base where you could shop or use other facilities?

[OhiotoVA]

Thanks for the link. While concerned about the nuclear station, we are not really worried about it. We currently live a couple of hundred miles from one now.

Living close to a base would be nice and yet it is not necessary. We don't now. Medical care is the most urgent concern along with community and area growth plans.

[TN Lily]

Based on geography & trying not to drive way out of your way for health care, if you live in western Louisa County, you would likely use physicians associated with Martha Jefferson Hospital or the UVA Hospital in Charlottesville. If you live in eastern Louisa County, you would likely use physicians associated with one of the Richmond Hospitals. I believe folks in Orange County wind up in the Fredericksburg hospitals.

Both UVA and Martha Jefferson have built satellite offices for providers in Zion Crossroads which is at exit 136 on I-64. There is a practice in the town of Louisa associated with UVA.

I would pick Louisa over Orange just over the fact that traffic in Fredericksburg is worse than in either Charlottesville or Richmond -- at least that's my opinion. Louisa has I-64 that runs through it which makes getting places easier.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by TN Lily

Based on geography & trying not to drive way out of your way for health care, if you live in western Louisa County, you would likely use physicians associated with Martha Jefferson Hospital or the UVA Hospital in Charlottesville. If you live in eastern Louisa County, you would likely use physicians associated with one of the Richmond Hospitals. I believe folks in Orange County wind up in the Fredericksburg hospitals.

Both UVA and Martha Jefferson have built satellite offices for providers in Zion Crossroads which is at exit 136 on I-64. There is a practice in the town of Louisa associated with UVA.

I would pick Louisa over Orange just over the fact that traffic in Fredericksburg is worse than in either Charlottesville or Richmond -- at least that's my opinion. Louisa has I-64 that runs through it which makes getting places easier.

A lot of people from Orange County go to Charlottesville, too. It mostly depends on what part of the county you live in. Parts are closer to Charlottesville and some parts are closer to Fredericksburg. And Culpeper is another option as well.

OP, the town of Orange has several GPs but if you're looking for a specialist, you will have to go to C'ville or F'burg - which city you would go to depends on where in the county you live. Probably the same situation with Louisa. They are both small towns and that's what you get.

I find traffic in Charlottesville to be just as bad as traffic in Fredericksburg.

Orange County is a beautiful area. I never thought the same of Louisa County but then I'm a native of Orange and I still go there about once a month to visit family so I might be a little biased.

I will say that I don't think Orange is progressive. Can't say about Louisa because I'm not as familiar with it.

[OhiotoVA]

Thanks, everyone, for all the great info. At this point it seems the areas around Ft Lee or Camp Pickett are moving higher in our preferences.