Hanover (Mechanicsville, Ashland: real estate, new home, construction jobs)

[chinocal]

Any thoughts out there on relocating from Southern Calif. to Hanover? I'm not super familiar with it but the housing is affordable and it looks beautiful. I heard the school district is great to.

[richmondpics]

You're correct about all of that... but what are you looking for from a community?

[kg1122]

The school district is not that great At least liberty. both my kids go there its not the best school.

[chinocal]

What areas in the vicinity would you recommend? We'd like a good district, large wooded lots, good people .....

I'm enchanted by Virginia and its people. I'd really like a steer in the right direction.

[chinocal]

I'm looking for an old-fashioned sense of community, where people are friendly and know their neighbors. Where the town walls aren't all marred by grafitti, where people throw their trash in trash cans and not on the ground, where people take pride in their homes and their yards, where I don't have to freak out if my daughter wants to play in the front yard because she may get kidnapped.....I want to feel like I'm living in America and not a third-world country.

I would like to know what neighborhoods are the best, which house the best schools, etc.

Any thoughts are appreciated (Forgive my other direct message - I got confused on how to use this) Thanks!

[vglattn]

on the plus side-- few traffic issues, pretty good schools, really nice people, small town feel

on the negative side--very little diversity, very conservative (your call on whether that is a + or - , schools have less to offer than ones in Henrico,

[vglattn]

We may be selling our Hanover county home soon, so keep me posted on your decision and I can tell you about our home. What price range are you seeking? That may help me steer you in the right direction..

I think the Atlee High district is the best and all the elementary schools that feed into are good. Our kids go to Kersey Creek Elementary School. The big subdivision that feeds into that school is Milestone. Another good school is Pearson's Corner and its major subdivision is Ashcreek. Kings Charter feeds into Cool Spring Elementary. All three of these elemetary schools are solid. My guess is that you will be amazed by how far your money will take you in these areas...

The area I have described above is usually called the Atlee area. Another area of growth is around the 360/Mechanicsville Turnpike area. I'm not as famliar with that area but there are tons of new homes around these. My impression is that the high school in that part of the county--Lee Davis-- is not as good for college bound students.

Most of what I described in a bit of small town and lots of subdivision/suburbia. There is also the option of the only real town in the county--Ashland. It is somewhat of a college town and it has a lot of Black/White diversity. I would describe my friends in that area as down to earth, family oriented. Most of them don't like the cookie cutter houses and feel of a subdivision. Downside to Ashland is that I am pretty sure the schools are considered at risk, although Ashland families love it and would never leave.



Here are some zips in case you are doing a real estate search: 23116/atlee area; 23111 360 area; 23005 ashland.

Feel free to ask more!

[chinocal]

Coming from Southern California, I am thoroughly immersed in diversity and that is not something I am necessarily seeking now. In fact, some of the problems we've had as a result of this diversity is what is prompting our move. We anticipate moving in the next 3-6 months. We have some loose ends we need to tie up here first. Because we're moving from family and friends, it would be nice to go somewhere that still has a sense of community and friendliness. The input on the different schools is great! We're looking for a large wooded lot. I'm guessing there are still some of those around from what I've seen in real estate searches. The house we can fix if need be although I'd prefer to do as little work as possible.

[vglattn]

I think you would really like one of the big subdivisions-- Ashcreek, Milestone, or Kings Charter. Everyone is super friendly and people are from all over the country and are trying to make friends. There are pools and tennis court. If you look around, you'll find decent size lots. I've heard that it is harder to make friends in a random, non-subdivision house since these homes are filled with natives who already have their friends and families in the area. (If you look for a house in Kings Charter, it will have a 23005 zip although it is not really Ashland, it feeds into Atlee High).

If diversity is a not a factor (my daughter's school is less than one percent non-white and there are only four Jewish families-- out of 900 kids), then I do recommend Hanover.

Oh, and there is a new community coming up in the area. It is called Rutland. If you google HHHunt homes, you'll probably find it. The other HHHUNT communities are supposed to be incredible, family friendly places.

take care and good luck to you!

[chinocal]

This is also really great information and will be very useful. I can appreciate diversity can be something great and that all cultures have something useful to contribute. However, the important thing to note in So Calif. is that schools and neighborhoods have been overrun with non-English speakers who don't have any desire to acclimate. When construction jobs run dry, these people resort to thievery and violence. It is overwhelming and scary for those of us that have been here all our lives and just want to live peacefully and make livings. So, it does sound like Hanover would be an excellent choice for us. It sounds like it is exactly what we need. I think the point on newer subdivisions being more condusive to making friends is a really good one.
Thanks so much for the input.