Moving to Virginia
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Moving to Virginia
Aug 2005
Our family may be moving from Berkeley to Northern Virginia due
to a job transfer. We're currently weighing the pros and cons of
relocation. The job is in Sterling, VA and with our very limited
knowledge of the area, we are considering Arlington and Fairfax
Counties. Does anyone have recent experience in that area that
can point us in the right direction? We would like a more urban
area, or at least a town like feel with local markets, shops,
cafes, etc. Schools/family community/parks are important - we
have 2 girls 3 and 5. Any comments on the social/community
demographics would be helpful too. Thank you.
maureen
I lived in DC for a long time and I still work there and spend
time in No Va with family. Based on your post, I would say
Arlington. Fairfax is as suburban as you can get although there
are a lot of faux-downtown developments out there. Politically
Arlington is more similar to Berkeley and it is no more suburban
than Berkeley. I hate, hate, hate suburbs and Northern Virginia
in particular but I lived in Arlington for a year and it was
ok. I would go so far as to say it is a nice place. The
drawbacks? 1. It is not cheap. If you are planning on making
a killing on your house here it probably won't take you much
farther in either Arlington or Fairfax. 2. Traffic. I pity
the commuter who has to go to Sterling. If the office has a
shuttle from the metro or something it might be ok. Good luck!
Elizabeth
April 2004
I would very much like to hear any information or experiences
anyone might have about Charlottesville, Virginia. I plan to
move there this fall. Thank you.
carla
I grew up in Charlottesville, and if I could, I would move back
in a second!! Its been about 10 years since I lived there-- I
was 13 when we moved. I spent elementary and middle school
there, so I can't give a parental perspective but I can tell you
how much your kids might like it :) ..and I have been back for
many visits as a ''grown-up''...
I remember LOVING school .. the charlottesville public schools
had a great gifted and talented program that I always looked
forward to going to. I remember having great teachers and lots
of friends. I remember being a part of the university too, as
my dad was working on a doctorate at UVa while we were living
there. Dad would sometines bring us to classes and labs, and we
went to football games, basketball games, baseball games -- all
cheap family fun, we loved it!!
I really liked the weather there, I appreciate the change in
seasons, with fall being my absolute favorite. Something about
those crisp fall days that always remind me of football season --
I miss them! We'd get some snow in the winter, no big deal.
UVas campus is very pretty, and the whole area is rich with
history (such a ''presidential'' state!) so theres never a
shortage of museums to visit or sites to see.
Charlottesville is indeed racially and economically diverse,
especially downtown. There definitely ''burbs'' too, generally
outside the city limits.
Okay, tried to keep it short. feel free to email me if you have
questions!
I love Charlottesville and have been considering relocating
there with my family, also. Can't convince my husband, though,
as he's more citified than I. My parents live there and I've
visited numerous times and at various times of year. The
seasons are beautiful, especially Fall. Summers are HOT, but
doable. It has a pretty small-town feel overall, and the areas
surrounding it are very pretty and green, and also very rural
(Ivy, Palmyra, etc.) Don't know if you've visited there before
to get a feel for it. It's family-friendly, if you have kids,
but my mom friends there do complain that it's somewhat
difficult to meet other women and form friendships. You have to
work at it. But I've seen various mom's groups/play-groups
meeting at coffee shops and parks. The downtown mall is lovely,
quaint with a cobble-stone type walkway where specialty shops,
outdoor cafes and flower pots abound. Also, there's a great
little interactive children's museum there. It is, of course, a
college town, so you've got a youthful population. It's a bit
on the Republican side, it must be said. But they have a main
drag loaded with shops and restaurants (including Super-K-mart,
Wal-mart and Sam's). I'd recommend it as a good place to raise
kids. There are rivers for swimming and kayaking, and lots of
public wading pools (big pools only 2 feet deep) which are
packed with kids in the summertime, much fun. From there it's a
3 hour drive either up to DC or East to Virginia Beach and the
ocean. I can't wait to spend the summer there with my kids - we
go fishing, swimming or kayaking every day, and spend the
evening catching lightning bugs or listening to the odd scary
thunderstorm. They live for these Norman Rockwell moments.
Best of luck!
Christine
March 2003
My husband's company is moving to Richmond, Virginia in the
summer, and we are still thinking about moving too. I have two
kids 10 and 3 and I heard the schools are excellent. I need
some advises on areas to look for housing and any other advises
will be appreciated. Thank you
A very good friend of mine moved from the East Bay to Richmond
several years ago and sent this recommendation: HI. We moved
from Pleasanton California to Richmond Virginia three years
ago. We feel the move has been great for the whole family. We
love the four seasons, the central location and the quieter
life style. I would recommend for someone new to the area to
check out the far West end of Richmond/ Glen Allen area.
Richmond is a friendly place but it is much easier to make
friends in the newer neighborhoods. You have heard right - the
schools are great at all levels.If you have any other questions
please feel free to e-mail me. We
have moved to Nottingham England for a few years, but will be
returning to Richmond. Good luck Kathy Rowe-Guin
Mary
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