From AZ to VA (Richmond, Roanoke: sale, real estate, condo) - Virginia - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

seanpecor · 10-30-2007, 06:08 AM

First I'd avoid Hotjobs.com like the plague. Hotjobs.com and Monster.com are both great if you plan on working in a big metro where big brands pay big bucks to post jobs. The company that owned Monster.com back in 1999 tried to headhunt me for a job in Dubai and even back then they were charging something like $12,000 / year to companies just to post jobs, thus pricing out most of the small biz market. Roanoke and Richmond are replete with small businesses who recruit using local venues or word of mouth. I urge you to post your information at Roanoke City's connect database ( Connect Database ) you'll get responses. Stuart helped set this up, and _alot_ of Roanoke area firms subscribe to it. Young professionals are given some serious preference in the recruiting process in Roanoke because company and civic leaders (many of whom run companies here) are keen on attracting them.

Probably the best classified resource for finding job leads in the greater Roanoke area is http://jobs.roanoke.com. I searched for "financial" and got 23 results, some of which sounded much like analyst positions. Which reminds me; you may also want to look into Blacksburg, VA. About 35 minutes from Roanoke.

Sean

skilletnice · 10-30-2007, 10:38 AM

Thanks for all the info Sean and EricD. I dont know which area is the best. You both seem to really love your areas. We will start looking into both, see what works best for us. i guess it would be beneficial if we came out to visit first, see how the areas are. Would you reccomend flying into Richmond or some other airport? how far are these places from one another, from the airport. You 2 have been great with the information. thank you soo much.

seanpecor · 10-30-2007, 12:09 PM

Richmond is a +/- 3 hour drive from downtown Roanoke. One way to do it would be to fly into Richmond, spend the day there touring. Head to Charlottesville to spend the night, then spend the day there, and head to Roanoke to spend the night. Spend the day there, and if you have time, drive the 45 minutes to Blacksburg to spend the day there also. You'd get four completely different metro/town vibes and give yourself the opportunity to immerse yourself in each to get a good impression.

There are a few Roanoke publications that would be helpful to plan a trip:

The Roanoker Magazine (http://www.theroanoker.com/index.cfm - broken link)
The Premier Arts & Leisure Guide of Roanoke and Southwest Virginia (VA) | City Magazine
Smith Mountain Laker @ SmithmountainLaker.com Magazine - Smith Mountain Lake - Home

Sean

EricD · 10-30-2007, 12:50 PM

Richmond would be perfect if you were flying to come to my area. We're about a 40 minute drive from the airport. You could always fly into Richmond, get a rental car, drive around, drive to Roanoke, and then fly out from there. (Roanoke has a decent-sized airport... you can at least connect to a larger one for the long flight)

I actually looked into Roanoke. The cost of living there is low, and it's a pretty area.. but the extreme lack of job opportunities as compared to Ruchmind or Northern VA turned me away. I like having options... not be stuck in one job until I retire, liek it is down there. The joke I've heard is that you have to wait for someone to either retire or die before an opening is posted.

skilletnice · 10-30-2007, 01:38 PM

you 2 should work in the tourism department. you have been great. thanks soo much for all of the info. both areas seem great. landing a job will be a critical, so maybe richmond would be the place to go. i like the idea of visiting for a long weekend and being able to see each of the 4 areas. how is the city of richmond??? safe?/?

EricD · 10-30-2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skilletnice

how is the city of richmond??? safe?/?

It all depends on what area you're in. In general, North and West of the city you're safe... some pockets East and South of the city are a little sketchy. Generally the western side of Richmond is a little more high-end than the rest. (of course you have your isolated exceptions, but I'm talking in general)

Richmond gets a bad reputation as far as crime goes... but if you stick to the better areas, I think you're pretty safe. I still like being in Ladysmith though... I just feel a little safer being in a small community like this.

richmondpics · 10-30-2007, 02:57 PM

If you decide to visit for a long weekend, mention it and I'm sure myself and others can help make suggestions (where to visit, eat, explore, etc).

skilletnice · 10-30-2007, 04:21 PM

lets say we work in the city of richmond, where i am guessing most of the jobs are. outside of ladysmith which we like already, any other areas to look at for affordable housing, good schools, good commute and saftey......i know i am asking for a lot.

eveyrone on this thread has been very helpful. we appreciate all the info.

richmondpics · 10-30-2007, 07:06 PM

If you're looking to work in the Richmond area, check out the counties of HAnover, Henrico, and Chesterfield as well. They surround the city. Henrico and Chesterfield both have about 300,000 residents while Hanover has around 100,000. The City itself has around 200,000.

Here's Virginia Magazine's 2007 Statistical Digest for the Richmond area which you may find helpful.
Virginia Business Richmond Statistical Digest (http://www.virginiabusiness.com/edit/research/digests/richmond/richdigest.shtml - broken link)

DiscoverRichmond (http://www.discoverrichmond.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/Page/RTD_DRContentPage&c=Page&cid=1059599861069 - broken link) is also a good resource

skilletnice · 10-30-2007, 08:17 PM

thanks again for the info. we will look at houses in those areas. any subdivisions specifcally? i was wondering if you could tell me the make up of the people there. are there more caucasians then african americans, are there asians, mexicans???