surrounded by VCU - 1/22/2014

Living in The Fan district, in a century-old townhouse, is a fun & exciting place to be!

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Bad Info - 8/15/2013

Zip Code 23233 is Henrico, VA not Richmond, VA. Doublechecked and you can only look up info for cities, which leaves out most places. Info for 23233 is showing Richmonds info, not Henrico's. I can only assume this site has tons of bad info if that's how it's being done.

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Hey! Me and my husband are going to get shifted t - 6/27/2013

Hey! Me and my husband are going to get shifted to Richmond.My husband's office will be in downtown,so i am seeking for a residential area nearby, which should be "safe" and "green" as well.please help me with your valuable suggestions.

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Right wing conservative/snooty - 10/2/2012

Definitely not a "live and let live" area. If you are right wing conservative, self righteous, and have a need to be in your brother's business, move here.

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Too many smokers and too many allergies - 6/20/2012

This place has caused allergy induced asthma! Every time I leave it clears up. We have extreme levels of outdoor mold most of the year. And a lot of air quality alerts in the warmer weather now. Those with existing breathing issues should avoid. It was better here when we came in 2003, the air was very good. Now I feel sick with almost no enery most of the year. Looking to move, since I am in my 30s. I would rather live somewhere without such mold levels. Very high on the spore count is over 50,000. We have had in the hound dried thousands several times. I don't know why there is such mold all of the sudden. If you are allergic to mold definitely do not move here!

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Great place to raise a family - 4/2/2012

I grew up in Richmond and if you're looking for a place with good schools, low crime, low taxes, all 4 seasons - mild winter, low unemployment - this is a great place to raise a family. The counties - Chesterfield(southside of the river), Henrico(west side of the river), Goochland(country), Powhatan(country) all have excellent public schools. The city of Richmond is continuing to improve the public schools but they don't compete at all with the county and private schools. There are a few elentary schools in the city that are excellent. Most people I know with children that live in the city limits send their children to private school. But the county public schools are really giving the private schools a run for their money. Richmond is 2 hours from D.C. and VA Beach, 3.5-5 hrs from NC Outerbanks, 5 hrs to NYC, 2hrs to the mountains and 1.5 hrs to the Chesapeake Bay-many Richmonders have second homes near the bay and on the Rappahanock River. Lots of people invloved in sailing/boating/fishing on the bay. Richmonders refer to it as "going to the River or Rivah" this weekend as going down to the Rappahanock or bay area. So it is centrally located. A lot of NYC people moved here after 9/11. They chose Richmond because it was south of DC where you were out of the traffic congestion of DC/Baltimore/Philly/Newark/NY. Once you hit Richmond, it just opens up and slows down. Negatives - true Richmonders can be very cold to people who have relocated, but that is slowly changing with the younger genereation. But this has been a complaint from friends/clients I've encountered who've moved here. I also hear a lot you either "love it or hate it" here. Some people complain there's just nothing to do here and it's too quiet, other people that have moved here think it's the best city. everyone is different. It does carry the nickname "the city stuck in time" because Richmonders hate change. Very conservative but there is a young population of liberals here as well. Not many laws to protect gay people, you can be fired for being gay, but I don't think the law is actually used. Supposedly, 80% of VA's believe this law should be changed but it has yet to be put on the ballet. The young generation is helping to improve this. I have lived in Boston and St. Louis and miss the activity of a bigger city with a lot to do. We don't have a sports team - unless you count the baseball team the Squirrels. Richmond has a big art scene, great restaurants, the James River runs straight through the city, so lots of boating and kyaking. The city is mainy quiet on the weekends during the summer because people escape to their River houses or Beach houses, so it very slow during the summer months. Plus the college kids are gone - Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) -great school and The University of Richmond - also a wonderful school and gorgeous campus. Hope this shines some light on my birthplace!

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Richmond, VA - Affordable and Fun. - 2/15/2012

I've lived in Philadelphia, PA - Arlington, VA - Stamford, CT - Tampa, FL to name a few and absolutely love Richmond. Housing is very affordable, you can get to anywhere in Richmond in 20 minutes, there are tons of restaurants, it's a very active city and is also 2 hours from the beach, mountains and D.C. It's easy for young professionals, families or students to find their niche in Richmond and stay. Some people do knock it for being 'boring', and those people do leave.....and then come back realizing how good they had it here.

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Midlothian, VA - 1/19/2012

Recently relocated here for my wife's job. Seems to be a safe, nice suburb of Richmond (25-30 mins on toll, 35-40 mins no toll). People are nice, the main road (Midlothian turnpike, is busy with lots of businesses, upscale car dealerships, and plenty of old/ new housing options. All in all, good place to be.

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Are there any "new" areas or suburbs? - 1/1/2012

We may be leaving our beautiful Frisco Texas to move to the Richmond area and I am wanting to get some opinions about suburbs or neat areas I might miss when I come to visit. Are there gated communities? The job my husband is looking at is in Chester but we are open to any community nearby. Thanks

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Weather - 9/23/2011

Richmond has good weather. It is not too hot in the summer and seems to be protected by the mountains again snow. Ice however is worst. It has a mixed population of races. It is a small big city.

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It all depends. - 7/4/2011

It all depends on who you are as to whether or not you would like Richmond, VA. My comments are based somewhat on Richard Florida's observations in "Who's Your City." Like any other place, Richmond has its pros and cons. I will list some of them here based solely on my viewpoint: Pros: Good outdoor recreation. Several fairly large parks are available for a range of activities, from soccer, to fishing, to biking. The James River runs through the city and is surrounded by a park for hikers, mtn bikers, kayakers, and those who just want a dip in the water. National forests lie a couple of hours west of the city and the seashore is a couple of hours east of the city. Lots of festivals, farmers markets, and CSAs. If you like funkiness and eating local, this may be your place. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. No it won't compare to NYC museums, but it's not bad for a city of this size. Friendly people. Easy traffic compared to large cities. Need to fly out? Lead time to leave the house and get to the gate is much less stressful than a big city. Good BBQ and beer. Cons: Low energy. I'm comparing it to big cities here. People tend to be happy reaching a certain level and that's it. Not a lot of upward push. See Florida's book for a better description of energy level. General lack of good ethnic food (compared to a city with a sizable international population). There are a few exceptions, but they are few and far between. There's always the D.C. area 100 miles to the north. Go there and get your fix. No public transit other than buses. Pitbulls and tattoos. Rated as third most tattooed city in U.S. Everyone with a tattoo also seems to own a pit bull. I'm not a fan of either, but if this is your thing, you will not feel alone in Richmond.

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A wonderful place to live and raise a family. Plen - 2/18/2011

I moved here 7 years ago from Northern Virginia and initially hated it. Now that I've been here a while, I love Richmond! For those who say there is nothing to do, there several music venues, tons of historical landmarks, downtown fine dining, a 5 star hotel and restaurant, and more shopping per capita than any other city in the united states! 7 theatre companies operate in the area from children's theatre to Shakespeare. The Virginia Opera, the Richmond Symphony, the Richmond ballet all perform in the heart of the city. For those who like the outdoors there are several parks and of course, the James River. It's also not far from some of Virginia's best wineries. Spring through fall there are out door festivals, film festivals and free concerts, farmers markets, local art walks and more! While the city does not have the best reputation for schools the surrounding area is packed with high ranking schools. And for higher education there are several community colleges, smaller colleges and of course the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond is becoming a younger, more eco-conscious city with lots of support for local businesses and local art. The city has a long history, not all of which can be looked upon favorably.But it's a city that is clearly trying to grow and develop. You could not pay me enough to move back to the DC area after having lived here for nearly 10 years. It's been a great place for me and to raise my children and gets better every year.

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HAS TO BE THE MOST BORINGNEST PLACE ON EARTH - 11/13/2010

Richmond,va is soooooo boring! the very racist here,no good paying jobs,rent is reasonable if you have a job or good paying for that matter,it has no opportunity if your trying to grow,geared towards the whites of this town(not surprising). and will never grow to the city that it's trying to be. it's a very bland dry town,so conservative. sometimes when i look at the people it reminds me of the jim crow law still in effect! the people who call them selves running this city or town need to be fired. this place needs a whole new make over in look and spirit. you can feel the death and hatred here once you enter,there's a black cloud over Richmond. i recommend no one who is spontaneous and loves to be active. you will get bored pretty fast. and i cant say this as many times as i would like to....no opportunity! oh yeah..the transportation sucks as well.

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Virginia Beach, VA - 10/9/2010

I'm sorry to read that anyone doesn't like Virginia Beach. We love it and are so privileged that we live close enough to get to visit the beach several times each year. We love the bike path parallel to the boardwalk and have ridden our bikes on it many miles. We have family that live in Western NC and they would love to live close to the beach.....any beach. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful Commonwealth.

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Richmond MSA - 9/7/2010

Richmond MSA is strategically located at the mid-point of the East Coast. It offers highly educated and skilled workforce, quality of place, diverse economy and top ranking schools and universities.

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Quality of Life in Richmond - 3/15/2010

I moved to Richmond from Savannah in 1975 to take a professorship in the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University and helped to build the School's reputation over the course of the next 30 years. Before 1975 I had lived in New York City--now there is a city to be recommended--for five years off and on attending New York University. I thought that Richmond would be a lot like Savannah, but it turned out to be a lot like Charleston--a really stuffy town too. What a shock it was!! And I had left a tenured position at a liberal arts college in Savannah. There was to be no return. In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, Richmond rolled up the sidewalks come nightfall, so we went to Washington--another great town--on the weekends to have something to do. Very disappointing, but that is the way it was. Richmond could grow into being the largest city in the world and that would not affect its ultra-conservative, orthodox stogginess, which it wreaks of. I am a queer man with a partner of 44 years and counting, so you can imagine what life was like during those 30 years. And by the way, the queers are just as conservative and stoggy as the straights. Pretentious, nothing interesting about them. The only friends we had were straights who in fact did think outside the box as the one commentator mentioned. You can find them even in a dire place like Richmond, but that yields no reason to move to the place if you can possibly do otherwise. I stayed because I had a good career going, and my partner had one going too. Today, I believe that I should have found another job when I was younger and was being offered positions at other universities, and we should have gotten the hell out of Dodge sooner rather than later. Of course we cannot execute decisions about the past. After 25 years, my partner took an early retirement from the University of Richmond and moved to New Orleans--at least it is an interesting place no matter what you think of it--to develop side-by-side lots that we owned there into a Bed and Breakfast (www.brackethouse.com) that he later sold when he retired a second time. We lived apart during those last years before I too retired and I commuted by air back and forth once a month thereabouts. Which would you chose to visit, Richmond or New Orleans? Five years ago, I finally, finally retired--bored time does not pass quickly--and left Richmond. May god bless you unfortunates who feel you must live there. To survive I turned to my work and built quite an inventory of scholarly research publications and wrote four books. Real life then took place at home and when we left town. Today, we live near Mexico City in a safe, worry-free environment where there are no attitudes against outsiders of any color, shape or hue. You can compare Mexico City to New York or London. There is everything to do, and the creative spirit flourishes here. Mexico City, not Miami, is the destination of choice throughout Latin America. Perhaps we will move to Madrid in a year or so. If you are not conservative and raising a family, either get out of town or do not come in the first place. Whatever you choose to do, take note that Richmond will remain the same. The blacks are full of venom even today. Think Nelson Mandela if you want contrast. The devotion there to the memory of the Civil War is absolutely bizarre. Looking backward is a good way to rearend someone.

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Richmond is very boring. - 2/22/2010

I am from Richmond, and I have lived here all of my life. I realized how much I started to despise Richmond during my late teen years. Richmond is not the place for people who are totally spontaneous, and for people who think outside of the box. There are not enough activities for people who like to do "different things". The city is very conservative, dry and boring. There are several historical places to see, museums, parks and things of that nature. What some Richmonders my age group (20's) consider to be fun are bar hopping and clubs ALL THE TIME. That is not fun in my opinion, and not create out of a style of life. Richmond is a place for families to be raised without much going on as far as traffic and overpopulation. The school systems are average in my opinion. The people here in Richmond appear to be very tight-minded, stuck in their ways of living here, and not creative or different. Mostly everyone here blends in and do not stand out. This place has been very depressing to me in terms of meeting people who do think outside of the box; there are not enough "outside of the box" places to go--or if any....all you do is shop, go out to eat, maybe go to the movies, go over people's houses, and...the biggest hobbie will be TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO ALL THE TIME. This is not the worst city, but it is not near the best at all either. The weather is balanced and pretty decent in its seasons. Your quality of life here will depend on how you will make it happen here. I am finding that I will be saving A LOT of money, because I can never find anywhere interesting to go here! If you are very laidback, do not mind being in the house, or are content with a very easy lifestyle, then by all means come, or stay here. I wouldn't recommend Richmond at all.

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I actually like Richmond - 2/19/2010

I have lived in New York City, Newark,NJ, Baltimore,MD, and Texas, and I have to say that I always come back to Richmond! I'm 27 yrs old and this has been the best and easiest place for someone my age to live. It is easy to find and get your own apartment here. I live in a 1400 sq ft 3 bdrm apartment for $680 a month on Hull Street not too far from downtown. My hubby and I are moving into our first house soon in Chesterfield County which is right near Richmond. A gorgeous 4 bdrm from Ryan Homes that is only $230,000!!! Jobs are so easy to find here. I worked for a company for 3 yrs (property management) and then was offered a better position at a rival company and have been working with the new company since September now. My salary is $35,000 a year, but I don't have a college degree. My daughter is too young for me to know much about the schools yet. I hear most of them are average.

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Commute From Richmond To DC Now Much Better - 12/31/2009

There are tons of us commuting daily from Richmond (a great place to live) to the DC metro area (better paying jobs). Most of us have tried all the options to see which one works best for us. A few months ago, however, a new option appeared on the scene. Spirit Tours is now providing a luxury motor coach (soft reclining seats, overhead storage for luggage, bathroom, dvd screens) with professional drivers that departs Richmond (and a few other places) each morning and drops off at the Pentagon (metro access to all of DC), and a few other places. Unlike Greyhound and Amtrak, the cost is reasonable, can be paid per month, and qualifies for the government Transportation Subsidy benefit. To me, this is the best option so far, by far. It's so very comfortable, and because we commuters aren't having to share the driving, everyone is pleasant and stress-free. I could never go back to the cramped, drama filled vanpool scene. This is the happiest I've been with my commute for years, so I thought I should share the information with my fellow Richmonders or potential Richmonders. Spirit Tours contact number is: 804-517-4974.

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occupied - 10/8/2009

in richmond there is always something to do, and something new to discover. It's moderately expensive. I go to school here and VCU is an very good school.

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