Pros/Cons of moving to Richmond suburbs?

[Anonymous]

(What are all of those people on DCUM doing, that they "can work anywhere"?)

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Richmond and still have family and many friends there.

Pros: you can buy a nice, big house for much cheaper. Schools are decent (though many of my friends choose private, and I went to private as well)
There are liberals there, in parts. Not everyone is racist.

Cons: it is a big enough town that many people move back after college. Don't underestimate how hard it is to "break in" there. It's not like DC where so many are from other hometowns. People grow up there and have deep roots. A lot of my childhood friends pal around together and there is not a lot of interaction with people who didn't grow up there.

Also, a lot of my well-educated friends did vote for Trump, which is crazy to me. There are liberal pockets as I said above, but there are definitely a lot more conservatives there than in the DC area.

Traffic - better in Richmond, but I'm always frustrated by things like parking etc. There are fewer walkable places in Richmond and no public transport options (for most people) so it is a heavy car town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cons--Trump supporters everywhere.
Pros--none.

That's subjective, depending on your politics. People who are overwhelmed by all the liberals in the DMV might feel more welcome there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I am in the same situation, maybe we work for the same company, and I feel exactly the same way about the people.

[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.

+1001! I’m from the deep south. According to dcum everyone down south is uneducated, racist, inbred, dumb, classless, and toothless. Also fake. And addicted to meth. Take what you read here for what it’s worth.

[Anonymous]

I made the move you are considering. My advice is for you to take a weekend trip to Richmond one weekend in the next month while the weather is still warm. Stay at a hotel in the suburbs you are considering. Go to Short Pump mall and walk around and stay for lunch. Go to the Twin Hickory library or the Midlothian library (if you’re considering south side.) Visit a playground close to the neighborhoods you like and observe how the parents interact. Map out 1 or 2 open houses in the areas you are considering. Stop at a local grocery store like Wegmans or Kroger. What you see and feel and think will let you know if it’s right for you. Trust your instinct that first trip.

[Anonymous]

I would move back to Richmond, but only Richmond City. I used to live in the Museum District and looooved it. I don't care for Southside....its just another boring exurb. Sprawl and lots of stoplights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made the move you are considering. My advice is for you to take a weekend trip to Richmond one weekend in the next month while the weather is still warm. Stay at a hotel in the suburbs you are considering. Go to Short Pump mall and walk around and stay for lunch. Go to the Twin Hickory library or the Midlothian library (if you’re considering south side.) Visit a playground close to the neighborhoods you like and observe how the parents interact. Map out 1 or 2 open houses in the areas you are considering. Stop at a local grocery store like Wegmans or Kroger. What you see and feel and think will let you know if it’s right for you. Trust your instinct that first trip.

+1
This is great advice. We made the move two years ago and love it here.

[Anonymous]

Can I correct a few myths here?

1. Yes its cheaper, but not that much. A "big nice house" in Short Pump or Midlothian is still going to cost $600-700k or more. (If you want to be in the "right" school districts.)

2. If you live in one of the above mentioned places but don't work in the same general area, there is a TON of traffic to cross town or drive downtown for work.

I LOL when people act like its this cheap, traffic-free land.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made the move you are considering. My advice is for you to take a weekend trip to Richmond one weekend in the next month while the weather is still warm. Stay at a hotel in the suburbs you are considering. Go to Short Pump mall and walk around and stay for lunch. Go to the Twin Hickory library or the Midlothian library (if you’re considering south side.) Visit a playground close to the neighborhoods you like and observe how the parents interact. Map out 1 or 2 open houses in the areas you are considering. Stop at a local grocery store like Wegmans or Kroger. What you see and feel and think will let you know if it’s right for you. Trust your instinct that first trip.

+1
This is great advice. We made the move two years ago and love it here.

I would be willing to wager the above PP's are white, protestant, stepford-ish, joiners. I don't mean that disparagingly. For some people that comes naturally to them and it makes them happy to "belong." There isn't a lot of room in Richmond to be different, or not conform to be like everyone else. I love it up here and would not move back there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I correct a few myths here?

1. Yes its cheaper, but not that much. A "big nice house" in Short Pump or Midlothian is still going to cost $600-700k or more. (If you want to be in the "right" school districts.)

2. If you live in one of the above mentioned places but don't work in the same general area, there is a TON of traffic to cross town or drive downtown for work.

I LOL when people act like its this cheap, traffic-free land.

Not true. Plenty of great houses for 400-500k in great school districts. And there is traffic but nothing like DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made the move you are considering. My advice is for you to take a weekend trip to Richmond one weekend in the next month while the weather is still warm. Stay at a hotel in the suburbs you are considering. Go to Short Pump mall and walk around and stay for lunch. Go to the Twin Hickory library or the Midlothian library (if you’re considering south side.) Visit a playground close to the neighborhoods you like and observe how the parents interact. Map out 1 or 2 open houses in the areas you are considering. Stop at a local grocery store like Wegmans or Kroger. What you see and feel and think will let you know if it’s right for you. Trust your instinct that first trip.

+1
This is great advice. We made the move two years ago and love it here.

I would be willing to wager the above PP's are white, protestant, stepford-ish, joiners. I don't mean that disparagingly. For some people that comes naturally to them and it makes them happy to "belong." There isn't a lot of room in Richmond to be different, or not conform to be like everyone else. I love it up here and would not move back there.

It always seems to me like there's more room to be a hipster or non-conformist LBGT person in RVA than in the D.C. Area. It doesn't get much more conformist/careeerist than the D.C. Region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I correct a few myths here?

1. Yes its cheaper, but not that much. A "big nice house" in Short Pump or Midlothian is still going to cost $600-700k or more. (If you want to be in the "right" school districts.)

2. If you live in one of the above mentioned places but don't work in the same general area, there is a TON of traffic to cross town or drive downtown for work.

I LOL when people act like its this cheap, traffic-free land.

I'm the poster that is from there. You can buy a house in my old neighborhood for around 400K - decent schools, four bedrooms, renovated kitchen. That said, you can't argue that a 600-700K house in richmond is going to be A LOT nice than what that gets you here. Sorry, there is no comparison. Do a zillow search! Ridiculous. Housing is cheaper there. Yes if you want a mansion and you want to send your kids to one of the nice privates, you need to pull in a lot of money, just like here. But a decent house with schools that are good is just cheaper there.

Agree about the traffic. And little walkability.

[Anonymous]

OP I started the other thread about moving to the suburbs of Richmond. Maybe we could be neighbors and start our own clique of transplants?

[Anonymous]

If you can move anywhere you want for your jobs, then why on earth would you choose Richmond?