Pros/Cons of moving to Richmond suburbs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Richmond is awesome, suburbs you're interested in will be much like where you're living now.

There is no traffic, fantastic biking trails, class 4 (not really sure of the correct terminology) rapids on the James. Great restaurants, VCU basketball, art galleries, many of the same bands that play DC will also stop in Richmond and play at a smaller venue/cheaper tickets, Carytown, VMFA, The Fan, brunch at Joe's Inn, very art centered community.

The city is currently working out how and when to remove the confederate statues on Monument Avenue. No one local is proud of the confederate history.

I grew up in the Fan, attended the public schools (Open High!). I love Richmond!

Agree with all this. Lived there for a yr for a job and liked these aspects of it and really wished I could stay for these things. And yet IME -- being a brown Muslim in RIC wasn't easy. Sure no one knew I was Muslim when I walked into a show or an art gallery but these events were very much for the white folk (or the few AA families known around town bc dad is a McGuirewoods partner or a cardiologist - so they're welcome at these things as "respectable black folk"). Otherwise a brown person walks in and there are looks. Work and the neighborhood was cliquey in the same way -- surface level friendliness/acceptance but still being made to feel like you're the "other" and lots of being asked "where are you REALLY from" (uh Philadelphia - no really I was born there). Even generally for white newcomers there was a feeling of -- everyone who lives here has lived here and been friends since birth, their parents went to high school together etc. so it felt very insular in a way the northeast doesn't -- though I think you can work around this one if you are living in the city. Lots of positive attributes to Richmond - if you can fit it.

This is 100% correct.

I also completely agree with this. I have also lived in Charleston, SC ( the deep south) and I found the people and culture there to be very warm, friendly and welcoming. No one cares where you are from or what school you went to etc... Richmond is very cliquey.

Interesting re Charleston. My experience in Richmond led me to assume that all small southern cities had this insular vibe. Richmond is the only place I've seen where associate and partner bios for one of the 3 biglaw firms state -- Associate X went to St Christopher/St Gertrude/Benedictine/wherever -- bc it was THAT important to potential clients to be dealing with a true Richmond attorney -- not someone who moved for a job; they want to know that generations of your family have lived there and you are one of them - even in the interview process. Very odd.

[Anonymous]

I agree with C'ville instead.

[Anonymous]

I have friends (educated lived in major urban cities in NE), south Asian descent and they LOVE Richmond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never recommend anyone from the DC metro area move to the Richmond area. Never. Stay far away. Trust me.

Who are you and why would anyone "trust" you. If you have something to base this advice on, I'm listening...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Richmond is awesome, suburbs you're interested in will be much like where you're living now.

There is no traffic, fantastic biking trails, class 4 (not really sure of the correct terminology) rapids on the James. Great restaurants, VCU basketball, art galleries, many of the same bands that play DC will also stop in Richmond and play at a smaller venue/cheaper tickets, Carytown, VMFA, The Fan, brunch at Joe's Inn, very art centered community.

The city is currently working out how and when to remove the confederate statues on Monument Avenue. No one local is proud of the confederate history.

I grew up in the Fan, attended the public schools (Open High!). I love Richmond!

This is not totally true. My DH is from Richmond and his parents still live there. His family has been in the Richmond area for a long long time. They are fairly wealthy and far from being rednecks but honestly don't get what the fuss is all about. They are proud 5th generation Virginians and while they don't have confederate flag stickers on their cars I think deep down they maybe wish the civil war had gone the other way. There are definitely pockets of progressives in Richmond but its far from the whole city.

Yep -- worked at the courthouse with lots of attorneys, paralegals etc. so not your redneck hicks working at Walmart -- and they too were civil war proud. They were just a touch too eager to tell you all about every confederate general and what buildings/homes/families in Richmond were the keys to the confederacy. Also recall some "wistful" conversation re how bad desegregation of schools was -- of course with the caveats of 'oh it's ok now' -- but you could tell in their heart of hearts they don't understand why their neighborhoods/schools etc. can't be white and Christian and what is so wrong with it if the black folks live on their side of town and why are brown folk being let into the country . . . . These attitudes are there just below the surface even amongst the well educated, non hicks.

This is the biggest pile of bologna I’ve ever read on DCUM, and there’s been some crazy $hit on here. I’m from Richmond, grew up in Richmond, went to grad school in Richmond, meet my husband in Richmond, my entire family STILL lives in Richmond, my sister married a black guy (OMG) and they even have kids together (double OMG) and my brother is gay (sweet baby Jesus OMG) and they all live right there right now. I go there all the time. NONE of what you wrote is true. Did you work for Judge Judy court or something, in la la land?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. I'm a UVA alum. Love, love, love Charlottesville. We are trying to feel out the rest of our options and weren't sure whether or not to keep the Richmond area on our list! Thanks for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Richmond is awesome, suburbs you're interested in will be much like where you're living now.

There is no traffic, fantastic biking trails, class 4 (not really sure of the correct terminology) rapids on the James. Great restaurants, VCU basketball, art galleries, many of the same bands that play DC will also stop in Richmond and play at a smaller venue/cheaper tickets, Carytown, VMFA, The Fan, brunch at Joe's Inn, very art centered community.

The city is currently working out how and when to remove the confederate statues on Monument Avenue. No one local is proud of the confederate history.

I grew up in the Fan, attended the public schools (Open High!). I love Richmond!

This is not totally true. My DH is from Richmond and his parents still live there. His family has been in the Richmond area for a long long time. They are fairly wealthy and far from being rednecks but honestly don't get what the fuss is all about. They are proud 5th generation Virginians and while they don't have confederate flag stickers on their cars I think deep down they maybe wish the civil war had gone the other way. There are definitely pockets of progressives in Richmond but its far from the whole city.

Yep -- worked at the courthouse with lots of attorneys, paralegals etc. so not your redneck hicks working at Walmart -- and they too were civil war proud. They were just a touch too eager to tell you all about every confederate general and what buildings/homes/families in Richmond were the keys to the confederacy. Also recall some "wistful" conversation re how bad desegregation of schools was -- of course with the caveats of 'oh it's ok now' -- but you could tell in their heart of hearts they don't understand why their neighborhoods/schools etc. can't be white and Christian and what is so wrong with it if the black folks live on their side of town and why are brown folk being let into the country . . . . These attitudes are there just below the surface even amongst the well educated, non hicks.

This is the biggest pile of bologna I’ve ever read on DCUM, and there’s been some crazy $hit on here. I’m from Richmond, grew up in Richmond, went to grad school in Richmond, meet my husband in Richmond, my entire family STILL lives in Richmond, my sister married a black guy (OMG) and they even have kids together (double OMG) and my brother is gay (sweet baby Jesus OMG) and they all live right there right now. I go there all the time. NONE of what you wrote is true. Did you work for Judge Judy court or something, in la la land?

I could post names of ED Va employees if you'd like.

[Anonymous]

OP, just about everything negative said about Richmond has been said for just about every city in America whenever someone posts a where-to-move thread. Seattle? Cold and unfriendly. Minneapolis? Insular and racist. Boston? Cold and racist. Even DC itself? Full of transients, hard to meet people, unfriendly.

If you are moving to a new city where you don't know anyone you will face challenges in meeting people, regardless of where you move to. Which is why you constantly hear the same "My friend moved to X city and couldn't make friends and people were racist/bigoted/Trump voters" but the simple reality is that you are a stranger in a new place and it always takes time to find your community and make friends.

If you like what you see in Richmond, then go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Richmond is awesome, suburbs you're interested in will be much like where you're living now.

There is no traffic, fantastic biking trails, class 4 (not really sure of the correct terminology) rapids on the James. Great restaurants, VCU basketball, art galleries, many of the same bands that play DC will also stop in Richmond and play at a smaller venue/cheaper tickets, Carytown, VMFA, The Fan, brunch at Joe's Inn, very art centered community.

The city is currently working out how and when to remove the confederate statues on Monument Avenue. No one local is proud of the confederate history.

I grew up in the Fan, attended the public schools (Open High!). I love Richmond!

This is not totally true. My DH is from Richmond and his parents still live there. His family has been in the Richmond area for a long long time. They are fairly wealthy and far from being rednecks but honestly don't get what the fuss is all about. They are proud 5th generation Virginians and while they don't have confederate flag stickers on their cars I think deep down they maybe wish the civil war had gone the other way. There are definitely pockets of progressives in Richmond but its far from the whole city.

Yep -- worked at the courthouse with lots of attorneys, paralegals etc. so not your redneck hicks working at Walmart -- and they too were civil war proud. They were just a touch too eager to tell you all about every confederate general and what buildings/homes/families in Richmond were the keys to the confederacy. Also recall some "wistful" conversation re how bad desegregation of schools was -- of course with the caveats of 'oh it's ok now' -- but you could tell in their heart of hearts they don't understand why their neighborhoods/schools etc. can't be white and Christian and what is so wrong with it if the black folks live on their side of town and why are brown folk being let into the country . . . . These attitudes are there just below the surface even amongst the well educated, non hicks.

This is the biggest pile of bologna I’ve ever read on DCUM, and there’s been some crazy $hit on here. I’m from Richmond, grew up in Richmond, went to grad school in Richmond, meet my husband in Richmond, my entire family STILL lives in Richmond, my sister married a black guy (OMG) and they even have kids together (double OMG) and my brother is gay (sweet baby Jesus OMG) and they all live right there right now. I go there all the time. NONE of what you wrote is true. Did you work for Judge Judy court or something, in la la land?

I could post names of ED Va employees if you'd like.

Yes, that would be great. Desegregation of public schools in Richmond started in 1959. You mean to tell me you had recent conversations with several Richmonders in Richmond who are highly representative of the Richmond population and are the reason no one should move there and who also were old enough that in 1959 they can tell you why RCPS should still be segregated. You know such highly, openly racists people???? Who work in the courthouse? Or you know one or two hicks that you met once? Your suggestions to the OP about why Richmond basically has the KKK marching around in its courthouse is so ridiculous, back it up or it never happened. Do you even know who Oliver Hill is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just about everything negative said about Richmond has been said for just about every city in America whenever someone posts a where-to-move thread. Seattle? Cold and unfriendly. Minneapolis? Insular and racist. Boston? Cold and racist. Even DC itself? Full of transients, hard to meet people, unfriendly.

If you are moving to a new city where you don't know anyone you will face challenges in meeting people, regardless of where you move to. Which is why you constantly hear the same "My friend moved to X city and couldn't make friends and people were racist/bigoted/Trump voters" but the simple reality is that you are a stranger in a new place and it always takes time to find your community and make friends.

If you like what you see in Richmond, then go for it.

+1,000

Anecdotally, I have a bunch of friends in the arts (went to Pratt) and they are all about RVA. That should tell you something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Richmond is awesome, suburbs you're interested in will be much like where you're living now.

There is no traffic, fantastic biking trails, class 4 (not really sure of the correct terminology) rapids on the James. Great restaurants, VCU basketball, art galleries, many of the same bands that play DC will also stop in Richmond and play at a smaller venue/cheaper tickets, Carytown, VMFA, The Fan, brunch at Joe's Inn, very art centered community.

The city is currently working out how and when to remove the confederate statues on Monument Avenue. No one local is proud of the confederate history.

I grew up in the Fan, attended the public schools (Open High!). I love Richmond!

This is not totally true. My DH is from Richmond and his parents still live there. His family has been in the Richmond area for a long long time. They are fairly wealthy and far from being rednecks but honestly don't get what the fuss is all about. They are proud 5th generation Virginians and while they don't have confederate flag stickers on their cars I think deep down they maybe wish the civil war had gone the other way. There are definitely pockets of progressives in Richmond but its far from the whole city.

Yep -- worked at the courthouse with lots of attorneys, paralegals etc. so not your redneck hicks working at Walmart -- and they too were civil war proud. They were just a touch too eager to tell you all about every confederate general and what buildings/homes/families in Richmond were the keys to the confederacy. Also recall some "wistful" conversation re how bad desegregation of schools was -- of course with the caveats of 'oh it's ok now' -- but you could tell in their heart of hearts they don't understand why their neighborhoods/schools etc. can't be white and Christian and what is so wrong with it if the black folks live on their side of town and why are brown folk being let into the country . . . . These attitudes are there just below the surface even amongst the well educated, non hicks.

This is the biggest pile of bologna I’ve ever read on DCUM, and there’s been some crazy $hit on here. I’m from Richmond, grew up in Richmond, went to grad school in Richmond, meet my husband in Richmond, my entire family STILL lives in Richmond, my sister married a black guy (OMG) and they even have kids together (double OMG) and my brother is gay (sweet baby Jesus OMG) and they all live right there right now. I go there all the time. NONE of what you wrote is true. Did you work for Judge Judy court or something, in la la land?

I could post names of ED Va employees if you'd like.

Yes, that would be great. Desegregation of public schools in Richmond started in 1959. You mean to tell me you had recent conversations with several Richmonders in Richmond who are highly representative of the Richmond population and are the reason no one should move there and who also were old enough that in 1959 they can tell you why RCPS should still be segregated. You know such highly, openly racists people???? Who work in the courthouse? Or you know one or two hicks that you met once? Your suggestions to the OP about why Richmond basically has the KKK marching around in its courthouse is so ridiculous, back it up or it never happened. Do you even know who Oliver Hill is?

I know you're proud of your city but get a grip. Such people do exist and no it isn't one hick I met once but people I worked with at ED Va for an extended period of time; once you got to know them these views came out -- I don't know why it's sooooo hard to believe that there are closet racists. I'm not saying they're burning crosses on the lawn -- I said nothing about a KKK march that was a different poster so clearly more than one person here with these views that you hate. Nor am I saying it's a reason not to live in Richmond -- I was the one who said I liked all the positives and amenities and wanted to stay but the insular nature and subtle racism wears on you when you're brown -- which I suspect you are not. And if I post names you'll do what, tell me this person is not believable and that person has some other excuse -- do you personally know each of the 100s of employees in ED Va? Sadly you're very representative of the negative qualities of Richmond folk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just about everything negative said about Richmond has been said for just about every city in America whenever someone posts a where-to-move thread. Seattle? Cold and unfriendly. Minneapolis? Insular and racist. Boston? Cold and racist. Even DC itself? Full of transients, hard to meet people, unfriendly.

If you are moving to a new city where you don't know anyone you will face challenges in meeting people, regardless of where you move to. Which is why you constantly hear the same "My friend moved to X city and couldn't make friends and people were racist/bigoted/Trump voters" but the simple reality is that you are a stranger in a new place and it always takes time to find your community and make friends.

If you like what you see in Richmond, then go for it.

+1,000

Anecdotally, I have a bunch of friends in the arts (went to Pratt) and they are all about RVA. That should tell you something.

There's a growing hipster, art, artisanal coffee and beer making community in Richmond; if you're like that you'll find friends.

[Anonymous]

What is ED Va?

[Anonymous]

While I've not lived in Richmond, I work for one of the major employers in the Richmond area, out of the DC area office. My colleagues in the Richmond area may have a touch of a southern accent and are more likely to live in the country than my co-workers up here, but they're smart, kind people. In some ways, my Richmond colleagues are more friendly and inclusive than the NoVa colleagues (although, they're all good people). The main thing that would hold me back from living down there is there's really only a few large employers. If you want to switch jobs in the future, there's not a lot of options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:City of Richmond is awesome, suburbs you're interested in will be much like where you're living now.

There is no traffic, fantastic biking trails, class 4 (not really sure of the correct terminology) rapids on the James. Great restaurants, VCU basketball, art galleries, many of the same bands that play DC will also stop in Richmond and play at a smaller venue/cheaper tickets, Carytown, VMFA, The Fan, brunch at Joe's Inn, very art centered community.

The city is currently working out how and when to remove the confederate statues on Monument Avenue. No one local is proud of the confederate history.

I grew up in the Fan, attended the public schools (Open High!). I love Richmond!

I went to Open High as well! However, I graduated from a Chesterfield County School.