Charlottesville, VA Reviews

Not a good place anymore - 3/29/2021
I have lived in Charlottesville, Albemarle County for 25 years. It USED to be a decent place but in the past 10 years has gone downhill. Rent is TOO high, landlords are greedy, everything has an HOA that like to fine people for various issues, and WAY TOO MUCH growth in town and throughout the county. Traffic and crime both increased. The police are useless when crimes are committed. They dont even bother reporting fender benders. Jobs are very hard to find with all the competition and therefore salaries are LOW. Many people have 2-3 jobs to pay to live here and enjoy whats left of the area. People have grown to be unfriendly with a lot of transplants from New York City, Boston, New Jeresy, Michigan, Indiana etc. All seems to have deteriorated with the quality of life, people always trying to outdo each other with bad drivers, rude people in stores, poor service in restaurants. DO not try to get a car inspected, ALL the shops overcharge and always find something wrong. They charge as Read More

Nothing positive - 3/27/2021
Loved here for 7 years, lots of parks and close proximity to Shenandoah, but that’s where the positives end. High cost of living with extreme income inequality, Confederate sympathetic presence, general lack of compassion and consideration of others, horrific traffic accidents on the daily. High humidity, UV rating and pollen count are regular issues. It doesn’t rain here, it floods, then its Sahara desert sunny for weeks! Don’t forget your sunscreen and insect repellent if you are visiting! I have nothing positive to say about this place and I hope every single day that I do not spend the remainder of my life here, which will undoubtedly be cut short by the high crime for such a small town or one of the many gruesome vehicle accidents, or cancer from the pollution of the water system curtesy of a corporation and a military industrial complex benefactor. Don’t move here, you will regret Read More

Good luck! - 3/20/2021
Charlottesville resident for 7 years. Plenty of parks, the Rivanna River and trail, and a short drive to Shenandoah National Park means plenty of opportunities for enjoying the outdoors. Sadly, that’s where the positives end. Culturally, it’s a miserable place to be. Income inequality is extreme here, and the separation from the wealthy and the rest is evident everywhere. There is a general lack of compassion and empathy for others that has been a dejecting experience for me. People here are genuinely shocked and skeptical if you do something nice for them. The University culture is also a problem, while neighborhoods are affected by frat and sorority house parties, during football season whole neighborhoods are shut down by police closing the roads, can neither come nor go from your own home unless you walk. God help you if you need emergency care or police assistance anywhere in the city on game days. Though the city interior is heavily liberal, step just outside city limits and you Read More

Why go here? - 12/21/2020
Being a natural born citizen and spending only a little time away I am in question: who visits charlottesville for recreation? Sounds like a self destructive Read More

Fun but expensive - 3/5/2019
Charlottesville is a beautiful college town. Just be forewarned that it comes with a lot of traffic and very high real estate prices. A small colonial in town in a good area can run close to a million. A new house way out in Crozet, 15 miles away, is 600. UVA hospital and medical providers are good. Surrounding countryside is beautiful. Students are privileged and entitled and hearing about The University is tiresome. Best for rich young professionals, OK for families, not navigable for seniors unless you're a great walker.. Read More

Did not want to leave! - 3/18/2018
I went to UVa in the late 70's and spent nearly 6 years there as an undergrad and afterward as a townie. Probably the best years of my life. I only left to pursue opportunities in the DC area. I loved the small-town atmosphere and the plethora of things to do. C'ville is a small town with limited things to do for a young person beyond the university. It is close to DC to the north and Richmond and Atlanta to the south so I never felt at t loss for things to do or places to see.I have not been back since the early 90's but my memories are fond of this little city. I am thinking of going back to retire after decades in LA- a welcome Read More

loved it here and sick missing it. - 3/7/2017
Want to start by saying we have lived in Boise, San Francisco, Seattle, Corvallis-Oregon, Yakima-Washington, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Manhattan-Kansas, Enterprise-Alabama, Charlottesville, Eugene-Oregon, and now Ann Arbor, Michigan. The college towns of Corvallis, Manhattan, Eugene, and Ann Arbor all had much in common with Charlottesville. But Charlottesville has a southern charm/uniqueness not found anywhere.
The weather is occasionally brutally hot or cold or wet but mostly wonderful.
There are so many restaurants, parks, hiking trails, cultural and sporting events, festivals, art galleries and museums, concerts and just a huge variety of things to do in this town. You have to pick and choose because you cannot do it all--too much going on at all times. Other places we have lived didn't seem to have half as much happening... Even if much bigger.
It is ethnically diverse, has a huge amount of country folk commuting into it everyday giving it somewhat of Read More

Not for seniors - 1/6/2016
Nice downtown mall but parking is expensive. If you plan on doing activities at U of Virginia parking is awful and expensive and expect lots of walking and stairs due to hilly campus and poor location of parking. Basketball tickets for UVA are more expensive than the NBA team I left. No pro or semi pro sports. Due to poor road planing, traffic is much worse than it should be for a city this size. Eating out is already expensive and the city is adding taxes on restaurants meals. Golds Gym and ACAC have a shared monopoly on the gym market so you have to pay $40 to $50 a month to join a gym. No Planet Fitness here. Probably due to all the transplants, city has absolutely no southern charm. Living here for two years and very disappointed. The area is pretty Read More

Life Quality - 9/22/2015
C'ville is one of the best areas I've lived in. As a father and business owner, the quality of life is far superior to Upstate NY, Chicago, NYC and anywhere in NJ I've lived. The University of Virginia, two hospitals, and nice weather was a reason for us to move. The weather is moderate and taxes are low. We are 2-3 hours from the Chesapeake Bay and less than an hour from the Blue Ridge.  Read More

Affordable Housing - 12/31/2014
Charlottesville is a great place to retire but there is a lck of affordable housing.Check out this site to see where you can build a custom home from the 200K range.Lots of amenities for the retired to live and play.There is also 24 hr security and medical facilities 15 minutes away at the VCU medical Read More