Hospitals in Williamsburg (Richmond, Hampton: HOA fees, living in, moving) - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

Patrick1973 · 08-04-2018, 04:05 PM

We are hoping to retire in Williamsburg. How is the medical care? Is there an adequate number of physicians who accept Medicare? I read a few things about Sentera Williamsburg and Riverside. Both seem good. Are both hospitals full service as far as surgeries, etc.

Flamingo13 · 08-04-2018, 06:46 PM

You should post in the Hampton Roads forum (they cover Williamsburg) - //www.city-data.com/forum/hampton-roads-area/

Poquoson7 · 08-05-2018, 02:56 AM

Both Sentara and Riverside are class acts but Sentara, IMO, is the better. I had an allergic reaction several months ago and went to the Sentara ER and the treatment and care were impeccable. Sentara's network throughout the metro is much larger than Riverside's and they are routinely ranked quite high NATIONWIDE for their heart health programs. Sentara does have surgical facilities and I'm pretty sure Riverside does as well. Both hospitals are quite new/state of the art, having been in the market for around ten years.
Haven't hit the Medicare scene quite yet but with the large amount of retirees in the area I'm sure the majority of physicians do accept.

Piney Creek · 08-05-2018, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

You should post in the Hampton Roads forum (they cover Williamsburg) - //www.city-data.com/forum/hampton-roads-area/

Actually, as a person who has been frustrated trying to get information about Williamsburg on the HR Forum, I wouldn't recommend going there. That forum's pretty dead, and the regulars there really don't know much about Williamsburg. But I've had good luck asking questions about Williamsburg right here in the Virginia forum. So you're doing the right thing.

FWIW, I live in Williamsburg and I'm also a retiree, so if you have any other questions about Williamsburg, feel free to post them here and I'm happy to help you.

Re: hospitals.

Kiplinger just ran a report on Williamsburg as a place to retire, and one of the reasons cited was the quality of the hospitals. Sentara, in particular, has won several awards. Since there are a lot of retirees in the area, you'll find a large number of specialists who focus on the issues seniors face. Ophthalmologists and audiologists are pretty good. I have not been thrilled by the dental care, but maybe I haven't found the right place yet. It's not horrible, but my dentist in northern VA was better.

Williamsburg is also a very health-oriented town. There are lots of places that give free health care checks throughout the year. There are lots of hiking and walking trails (although I wish there were more sidewalks, especially along the main roads). The Capital Bike Trail goes from Williamsburg to Richmond, and is also a popular place to hike. If you move here, I highly recommend getting a membership at the James City County Rec Center. It's the local hangout, especially when the weather is bad. You'll find yourself getting into the habit of going there several times a week because it's a social thing (in addition to have the track, the pool, the classes, and the work out areas).

Patrick1973 · 08-05-2018, 10:41 AM

Thanks to both of you. That's great to know about the hospitals. Piney Creek, I agree about the Hampton Roads subforum. Since Williamsburg is not listed I never really had many responses. If I have any other questions I'll message you. Nice to know someone who retired to the area. We have a realtor now just hoping for something to become available in our area of interest.

Piney Creek · 08-06-2018, 06:01 AM

Thanks! FWIW I was initially hesitant to retire here. I was pushing for a beach town and thought we'd probably end up at Hilton Head or maybe the outer banks. Then Colonial Heritage started offering weekend stays. We took a long trip to research several beach communities, and took CH up on the offer mostly thinking it would be a good stopping point before heading to the beach cities. They did a good job pointing out all the reasons to like living in Williamsburg. We didn't end up being impressed with CH, but we did become impressed with WBurg. When you think about the things that REALLY matter, WBurg has everything we wanted. The beach towns we visited didn't (Even though they had very nice beaches).

We've never regretted moving here. And when you want a beach, there are a few small ones right here. Or you can easily drive to the ocean.

It sounds like you've chosen a community or two. Which ones did you end up choosing? We spent several years looking at communities, so I can give you a resident's perspective on some of them, if you'd like. We chose Ford's Colony. The HOA fees are on the high side, but it's a gorgeous place with numerous walking trails and fishing ponds. If you like activities or getting together with people, this is the place to be. We also like having a mix of ages (but not TOO many kids, lol). If you like lots and lots of kids Powhatan Secondary or Greensprings is the way to go. If you like strictly 55+, there are communities like that. We like mostly 55+ with a good number of young families mixed in. Ford's Colony had just the right mix for us. A hidden gem is a place called Piney Creek (love the name, LOL). And First Colony is worth checking out, too, if you like older communities. The private beach at First Colony is fun, and the people who live there gather at the beach every night for cocktails and sunsets.

Patrick1973 · 08-06-2018, 07:07 AM

Thanks. We sent you a message

Piney Creek · 08-06-2018, 10:23 AM

Happy to help. I'd also like to encourage you to post questions here (as long as they're the sort of thing you can ask publicly). There are plenty of people considering retirement in Virginia, and they have the same questions. When you ask a question, you're helping them.

NY Flo · 08-06-2018, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piney Creek

Happy to help. I'd also like to encourage you to post questions here (as long as they're the sort of thing you can ask publicly). There are plenty of people considering retirement in Virginia, and they have the same questions. When you ask a question, you're helping them.

I appreciate your discussing Williamsburg. Agree that the HR forum is pretty dead regarding Williamsburg issues.

May I ask what about Colonial Heritage didn't impress you? (Unless I should do so in a PM). What I like is they have an indoor pool (I love to swim year round) and seem to have a lot of activities. Haven't visited. May consider one of their weekend stays.

I also have a question regarding political climate in Williamsburg. Would someone with progressive values be out of their league in Williamsburg?

Thanks for any info.

Patrick1973 · 08-06-2018, 11:27 AM

We also did the weekend tour. It's a good learning experience. It's nice if you want the "active adult" large community experience. I think it really depends on what type of situation and area you are leaving. We thought is was nice, but didn't want to be so close to Richmond Road. HOA's were a little high considering they did not include lawn service. So, for us that would be an additional cost. We really like the area off of News Road and Monticello and the Holly Hills community. But, again, I think it reminds us of where we are leaving. We do wish they would have one big box store. LOL

We are happy there is now an active discussion. We have so many questions and it's nice to talk with people who were in the same situation