How southern is the Richmond area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL they thing the confederacy still won.

Really OP?
Richmond is ultra conservative.

Tell me you’ve never been to Richmond without telling me you’ve never been to Richmond.

It’s a pretty progressive city. Been that way for the last 15 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like many northern virginians, we are thinking of moving to the richmond area. It seems as if the hot spots as of now are in chesterfield county, and parts of western henrico look quite appealing as well. However we are curious as to how southern the area is, and if we’ll experience a culture shock when moving there. we are used to northern virginia southern (aka exurban rural country loco/pw/fauquier style) but definitely are not accustomed to alabama mississippi style southern at all. Any insight would be helpful.

You may experience some culture shock in Chesterfield. Western Henrico is a safe bet.

Chesterfield is the fastest growing county from 2020-2022, almost as much growth as loudoun and prince william combined. hard to imagine it’s not majority transplant yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like many northern virginians, we are thinking of moving to the richmond area. It seems as if the hot spots as of now are in chesterfield county, and parts of western henrico look quite appealing as well. However we are curious as to how southern the area is, and if we’ll experience a culture shock when moving there. we are used to northern virginia southern (aka exurban rural country loco/pw/fauquier style) but definitely are not accustomed to alabama mississippi style southern at all. Any insight would be helpful.

You may experience some culture shock in Chesterfield. Western Henrico is a safe bet.

Chesterfield is the fastest growing county from 2020-2022, almost as much growth as loudoun and prince william combined. hard to imagine it’s not majority transplant yet.

Around the Hull Street corridor, yes, it is quickly growing. I have 2 coworkers who work remotely and moved down there and love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like many northern virginians, we are thinking of moving to the richmond area. It seems as if the hot spots as of now are in chesterfield county, and parts of western henrico look quite appealing as well. However we are curious as to how southern the area is, and if we’ll experience a culture shock when moving there. we are used to northern virginia southern (aka exurban rural country loco/pw/fauquier style) but definitely are not accustomed to alabama mississippi style southern at all. Any insight would be helpful.

You may experience some culture shock in Chesterfield. Western Henrico is a safe bet.

Chesterfield is the fastest growing county from 2020-2022, almost as much growth as loudoun and prince william combined. hard to imagine it’s not majority transplant yet.

Around the Hull Street corridor, yes, it is quickly growing. I have 2 coworkers who work remotely and moved down there and love it.

I feel like everyone in northern virginia knows at least one person who’s moved down to RVA in recent years. Seems like half the people who move out of my area go down there.

[Anonymous]

OMG, most of these people have never been to Richmond. It's just like any other mid-size city, OP. It's far more liberal than the rest of Virginia, just stay away from the rural areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL they thing the confederacy still won.

Really OP?
Richmond is ultra conservative.

Tell me you’ve never been to Richmond without telling me you’ve never been to Richmond.

It’s a pretty progressive city. Been that way for the last 15 years.

Yes, and changing all the time as well.

Take the corner of The Boulevard and Grove Ave as a barometer. Just a few years ago you used to see guys with Confederate flags "protesting" that the VMFA wouldn't let them fly a Confederate flag at a Confederate chapel on the property. You would also see a white dude counter-protesting by blasting rap music at them. These guys have realized they're outnumbered and unwanted, and they don't bother anymore.

A few years ago, there was no statue there, just statues of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee nearby on Monument Ave. Then Kehindle Wiley installed "Rumors of War," a statue of a magnificent modern Black man on a horse as a response to Monument Ave. Then after the murder of George Floyd, the Confederate statues were torn down, and only Rumors of War remains on what is now named Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

Across the street is an abortion clinic where you used to see anti-abortion protestors standing with signs, or sometimes just an old man with a rosary kneeling in prayer (and volunteers in high viz jackets who would escort patients past the protestors). Now there's just a big sign that says "Abortion is Legal in Virginia," and there are no more protestors.

Richmond has changed, and is constantly changing. Anyone who thinks the city is conservative hasn't visited in a while. If there are Republicans in the city proper, they're vest-wearing Youngkin types. But they are mainly in Windsor Farms. The rest of the city is blue and tattooed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG, most of these people have never been to Richmond. It's just like any other mid-size city, OP. It's far more liberal than the rest of Virginia, just stay away from the rural areas.

What exactly is a mid sized city? Care to give some examples? Genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to be careful. People may ask where you attend church and try to serve you sweet tea and pimento cheese sandwiches. Beware!

[Anonymous]

We are full. Sorry, try another city.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you should just move north, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you need to be careful. People may ask where you attend church and try to serve you sweet tea and pimento cheese sandwiches. Beware!

+1 Friendliness, kindness; and warmth are always a plus in my book!

[Anonymous]

I have relatives from CT who moved to Richmond and love it. They have a good QOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you need to be careful. People may ask where you attend church and try to serve you sweet tea and pimento cheese sandwiches. Beware!

The bolder is a DCUM legend, but you’re right about the pimiento cheese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL they thing the confederacy still won.

Really OP?
Richmond is ultra conservative.[/quote
Wow. Maybe you should get out of your bethesda enclave more often.

[Anonymous]

We moved here a couple years ago and live in the west end near university of Richmond. We are liberal academic types and have found plenty of political diversity. I think the suburbs have more Republicans who voted for Youngkin but not Trump than where we lived before but it doesn’t feel Southern to me. The city is definitely liberal diverse and artsy. Parts of Chesterfield are really nice (Bon Air is cute) and part of north side are lovely though we chose Henrico county over the city. There are also more southern republican rural feeling tareas about 30 minutes away. Like where we drop of dog off for boarding but it’s not like you’re gonna see a ton of dudes with shotguns and confederate flags (haven’t seen any in fact )


There are a lot of pros: much much easier to live in a day to day basis (traffic parking ); we have a large house (with a pool!) in a safe tree lined neighborhood and Richmond has enough good restaurants etc to not feel small town though it’s definitely not cosmopolitan either. The Vmfa is great; symphony ballet etc all good. All that being said we have found it hard to make a lot of friends. We are not part of a church and did not grow up here. K but kids are happy and we don’t want to relocate them. Might move back to dc in a condo when we retire.