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.

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.

I grew up in RVA. Pros: less traffic, cheaper, big fish small pond. Cons: racism, sexism, insular, less job opps.

You are in the South now. Open racism. Not as bad as ATL, but it's there.

Short Pump is an exurb. It's far away. Better public schools. White flight.

I would never move back, but I enjoy visiting family.

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.

I lived there for 3 years. If you don't have a way in - family or friends you will struggle socially. It is a nice town and has a more reasonable cost of living but its very Southern and tight nit. It would probably help if you went to a Va college and would have that in. Its not a transient place the way DC is where people are from all over. A lot of people are from the area and grew up there. I would would maybe consider Short Pump but thats kind of suburban and the traffic is bad. I would look in the fan/museum district and Tuckahoe depending on your budget and schools. Never would I move to the Southside/Midloathian.

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.

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.

The suburbs (short pump and chesterfield) are VERY VERY Different from the city. The city is awesome - come here!

I am originally from the Baltimore area, live in DC area now, and have lived in NYC, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Atlanta, Montgomery, AL, and Richmond, and Richmond was the only place I disliked. Very cold, unfriendly people who are cliquey, and not much to do. I was there eight years ago, however, so things may have improved.

DC is provincial enough.....but Richmond? It's like a race to the bottom.

Anonymous wrote:Pro: You are not actually in Richmond.
Con: You are close to Richmond.

Man, your joke is old.

Pro: You are not actually in Richmond.
Con: You are close to Richmond.

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

There’s a lot to love in Richmond and Midlothian. Great schools and cheap real estate, namely.

Anonymous wrote:.. that, and they're really proud of the being the capital of the Confederacy. Still. ... like maybe they could have let that go ... awhile ago ...

No we aren't. The city is crazy liberal and we are trying to figure out what to do with our statues now.

OP - I live in Richmond city. I love it here. I love my kids school. The VMFA and children's museum. We have a great restaurant scene as well as breweries, art, and music.