Reviews & Comments
Rocky Mount, NC
Move to Greenville or Raleigh -
6/15/2007There is nothing to do, no jobs, no entertainment, and just plain boring. Crime and gangs are bad and all the businesses are closing and leaving for places like Greenville, Raleigh, Charlotte, or out of the state. If you want something to do and live in a better city with stuff to do and with jobs, live in Greenville or Raleigh.
Richmond, VA
Richmond is Lovely City, Crime and Traffic are not -
6/15/2007Look, I have lived here since graduating from college in 97 and I must say that Richmond is lovely and a terrific city. Since I have been here, almost 85% of all violent crime has happened in or near the public housing complexes within the city. There has not be a single act of violent crime in my neighborhood since I moved here, but there have been about seven total burglaries that I know of in my neighborhood, which can be expected in any city. If you look at the crime numbers this year to through June 15, 2007, citywide, violent crime is down 68% as compared to this time last year and crime overall is down 49%. Every city has its high crime pockets, but it seems as if Mayor Wilder has made many great strides at keeping his promise to reduce crime citywide.
The roads are not in horrible shape. Many of the roads in the historical areas of Richmond are paved with either stone or brick. There will never be changes to those roads. Also, traffic on 95 is not horrible. The only time it backs up is during a major accident or when there is road construction. If want to consider a 5 minute delay during rush hour horrible, then it is what it is. The construction on the 95 and 64 merge is not ridiculous, as stated, by another poster, they are making significant improvements to the road and merge.
People in Richmond are nice and my family and I have never ran into any problems. Overall Richmond is a lovely city, historic, and experiencing a boom and renaissance after years of crime and decay. New office towers and condos are being constructed downtown, Shockoe is becoming safer with improvements, renovations, and the construction of condos, lofts, and apartments in that area and it has become Richmond's fastest growing and a popular area for young professionals, college grads, and college students. Several large companies have relocated to the city and Richmond in a great location to other cities and it is easy to get to the airport, only minutes from downtown Richmond, and it is growing which I would say is a plus.
Washington, DC
High gay population, Traffic, Crime, Condos, and m -
5/2/2007There is no way you can compare DC to larger cities such as New York, LA, and Chicago. DC is not very big, it has its own culture, which is slowly dying, history, and that is about it.
The city features a very large gay and bi-sexual population, high priced condos, apartments, and homes, fancy restaurants, museums, and politics. It is a very transient city, and it is hard to find any true Washingtonians.
Nightlife is ok, but it does get boring after a while with the number of under-aged high school girls that frequent local clubs and 30 to 40 year old men that stalk them. Also, there are many crazy people, stalkers, and other ill-fated people that you will meet at any given DC club, lounge, or bar.
The traffic is horrible. Getting anywhere in the city is difficult and parking is a premium.
DC is not a good place to raise a family and the schools are really terrible. The public school kids seem to take over most of the city's metro system after school as they form into their neighborhood gang or what those in DC call crews and mobs and intimidate bus and metro riders. Private schools are very very expensive.
The metro system itself is another haggle. Buses are always late, trains are always crowded during rush hour and late evenings on weekends, and there are frequent delays and accidents.
DC is a very segregated city and divided along class lines, and the only time people within the city come together is during football season to cheer on the Redskins.
Crime is a big big big problem.
Air quality in DC sucks.
Overall, DC gets a 5 out of 10, with 10 being a great city. If you plan on moving to the area, prepare to spend a fortune on housing, food, and transportation and live check to check unless you happen to be rich. The DC suburbs are no better, but the cost of living in some cases is just a few cents cheaper (far western and southwestern Virginia and West Virginia suburbs and southern Maryland).