Where To Live In Richmond VA | The 6 Best Areas Of Richmond VA | Living In Richmond Virginia

[@Singlesix6]

If you are not familiar with Virginia, please note that cities are independent and not part of a county or counties. So there is the City of Richmond which is not part of Henrico County to the north or Chesterfield County to the south. It's natural for folks to say, "I'm from Richmond VA" and live in the next county north of Henrico County which is Hanover County. A glance at a map will make this much clearer when you are considering something like, say, school districts.

[@andreamichelle6685]

Most of this is not even Richmond.

[@maryelizamoore7870]

I was surprised that you didn’t mention the Tuckahoe area

[@galentaylor9953]

Are you familiar with Auxiliary Dwelling Units (ADU) or multi-generational homes? For example: a carriage house where you have living quarters over a garage. A Tiny Home on the same lot as the main house is another example. We are a retired couple and would like to live near our daughter and her family, but not necessarily in the same house; although some house do provide ample space for multi-generational living.

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

Fully functional ADU's where you could live full time without any compromises are very difficult to find, and there are a lot of hoops to jump through permitting wise if you wanted to build one. The City & the various counties don't want you to be able to run an AirBnB from the ADU which is why they make it difficult to have one. I have had the multi-generational request periodically over the years and each and every time the buyers have come up empty handed. They are a unicorn. Your best bet is to buy 2 separate homes close by, or find a home with a basement and add in whatever you wanted/needed in it.

[@kitalashaun9515]

I don’t know I was not impressed by short pump it was quite boring to me

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

It is hard to capture everything that any particular area has to offer in a few minutes. I would recommend checking out the commercial bubble first hand. On our relocation guide we have instructions for how to give yourself a self guided tour of each of the areas I mention in this video. Short Pump's commercial bubble is the most dense and "exciting" of the suburbs, second only to the city of Richmond BUT the city of Richmond is very different than the suburbs so it's a whole other ball game over there.

[@blue18404]

​@@LivingInRichmondVirginia what is a good area with decent apartments

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

All of the areas we covered in this video have apartments. It will probably come down to your budget. We did a few different apartment video tours a year or so ago, so I would check those out and then search within the zip codes that interest you. @@blue18404

[@blue18404]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginia I said "decent" apartments and not slums.

[@RipVanWinkle8731]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginiaYall sicken me, acting like your so fancy and smart, “ commercial bubble”

[@Ulises_Miranda]

These neighborhoods are so car dependent and filled with strodes, no thank you.

[@Thesilentgymnerd]

I cannot say enough great things about these guys. Taylor is hands-down the LeBron of realtors in the RVA area. If you’re looking for a new place to live near Richmond, do yourself a favor and reach out to them. 🙌🏽

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

Thanks Kirk!

[@blue18404]

I am from Western PA and pollution is terrible. Pittsburgh is ruined again. Is Richmond clean?

[@troywilliams8659]

No not clean.

[@blue18404]

@@troywilliams8659 Is Richmond polluted? Cancer cluster?

[@SoniaLee-c6d]

You guys did a great job. I like your dedication. There is something very wrong with the housing market. The prices are ridiculous. There needs to be some kind of regulation of it. It won't be too far long before houses on average will be a million dollars.

[@extremlywell]

Absolutely agree with you, imagine those of us who are single and without a career, can’t never own a home not even a small one. Can’t rent either in a city like Richmond unless we have room mates.

[@DavidMitchell-t7p]

and remember you yankmees , when moving here stay north of the james as best as possible, after all, its been built to cater to your needs,

[@carsusa1]

Very well made summary. Thank you!

[@proofofpurchase747]

Stay away from the "city"

[@in4cer457]

Talk about Short Pump traffic.

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

We actually did a traffic video about Richmond and covered 64 near short pump & broad street in Short Pump. I am working on a drone tour of West Broad Street right now and that will also show you the traffic along it in various areas, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Probably coming up in a month or so.

[@RipVanWinkle8731]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginiaJust think in the 80s all short pump was, was a country store and a gas station, that’s what happens when all the city people come try to force there ways on everyone else.

[@patricktownsend3474]

I love Mechanicsville.. lived on the NE side of Henrico County for the first 7 yrs of my life. I remember both Azalea and Eastgate Malls, Dunn's drive-in, watching the VA State Fair fireworks from my second story bedroom window, the Haunted House on the corner of Harvie Rd and Mechanicsville Turnpike, walking to school, driving under Main St Station's train platforms on Franklin St. in Downtown Richmond. (Franklin St under Main St Station has been closed to vehicular traffic for years now). Those were the days.

[@carsusa1]

Not sure what the hype about short pump is all about? Anyone can elaborate?

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

It's a lot of things that add up to make it such a great and highly desirable area. The commercial amenities are top notch. Easy highway access on both the west and the east side of Short Pump. Excellent school systems. Safe neighborhoods. The list goes on and on. That said majority of our relocation clients end up picking Midlothian over Short Pump. I am going to do a comparison video sometime in the next month so keep an eye out for that.

[@carsusa1]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginia Looking forward the comparisons. Thank you!

[@queenbey6678]

Knowing nothing about RVA but wanting to move there I was already scoping out the areas (excluding the city) that you mentioned here. Thanks for confirming the feeling I got white looking in those areas. Short pump is def top of the list.

[@captamerica3693]

Short pump is where all the worst traffic and housing prices are it's also where all the nouveau riche snobs live. This entire list is really about suburbs done about the city of Richmond at all I don't like it and I definitely wouldn't let anyone I cared about live in short pump.

[@mathiasramirez5331]

I’ve been looking at apartments in Richmond. I just don’t know which ones are good or which ones to avoid

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

We did an apartment video series but RVA has SO many more options that what we covered. I would first try to decide a general location, then search the apartment options within it. Once you have a few narrowed down based on size & budget, I would look into the reviews on google.

[@bindrasapna]

Hello , Thank you for sharing this amazing video. I am looking to relocate to Richmond where my location of working is close to sutherland, however i am open to find a home for about 30 to 40 minutes distance from my workplace. Me & my husband are looking to relocate in an area where its family oriented , mostly will be happy to move to an area that is convenient for grocery stores, restaurants & shopping. Can you suggest the best places around this configuration also I will be happy to live in a indian community or environment that has temples & indian group around my community. Thank you again for sharing this video!

[@johnunderwood7786]

Dinwiddie is a great area. We have 7 acres and a duck pond and got it for under 300,000. It's gone up in value 50,000$ in just 3 years of ownership.

[@RipVanWinkle8731]

Move to India then

[@medennewarrickjones2841]

Richmond for retirement? We live in Georgia right now and moved here from Idaho. We are not going back to Idaho and we aren’t super thrilled with GA. Our daughters live in the DC area. We aren’t stuck to living in the city but we do want the amenities we enjoy. Things like great coffee shops, golf courses, whole foods or health food co-ops, OLLI classes at local colleges, hiking trails, and lots of opportunities to make friends at our age. Retirement is only a short 7 years away so I’m beginning to narrow down our choices. What areas around Richmond or the surrounding communities would you recommend and is this a good place to retire in VA?

[@medennewarrickjones2841]

and yoga studios

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

Immediately my mind goes to Short Pump & Midlothian. Excellent nearby amenities including those that you are looking for, decent proximity to the city, and safe neighborhoods. I think whether or not it's a good fit for you would be based on your budget and whether expectations meet reality in that regard. Feel free to email me [e-mail]

[@midlife_minimalist]

I grew up in NOVA, went to UVa, been in FL for the last 24 years and also wondering about Richmond area for retirement (yes everyone else is moving here and I want to move back north a little). I miss VA.

[@kitalashaun9515]

What are your thoughts on North Chesterfield

[@kitalashaun9515]

Ok it’s midlothian, I think this area is much better… I wish not areas had more amenities

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

There are lots of different names for the areas so it does get a little confusing. Chesterfield County itself is gigantic encompassing a ton of areas south of the river. The Northern Chesterfield County area does contain Midlothian, but "North Chesterfield" itself is actually parts of a few different zip codes (23234, 235, 236) than Midlothian (23113, 112, 114). Parts of N. Chesterfield are Midlothian adjacent so similar proximity to Midlothian's commercial bubble, and other parts are further away. The home prices can be slightly cheaper than the other Northern/Western Midlothian areas in part due to school system ratings being hit and miss depending on specific area.

[@kitalashaun9515]

Thank you for the explanation I plan to visit soon so I can get a better understanding of the area. Thanks

[@deRose03]

I've looked through some listings on real estate sites and found quite a few small $100,000 (or less) houses in the area of Richmond like Petersburg, etc. Are those houses located in high-crime neighborhoods? I'm in Midwest and it's hard to find this information online. The houses look cute and vintage. What are the high-crime parts of Richmond area?

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

Petersburg is one of my least favorite areas around Richmond, and there is a reason the prices are so affordable. Check out NeighborhoodScout.com for crime data when researching areas, I have found that website to be helpful.

[@Singlesix6]

Petersburg is 30 minutes away from the City of Richmond on I-95. I lived, and owned, in Richmond's Museum District for 40 years. The City government will never improve. It just somehow cannot. Look at the ongoing disaster with their business tax program. They refuse to computerize it and move into the late 20th century. They are an embarrassment to the entire area and a danger to small businesses.

[@tmarkpeterson391]

I am looking at Goochland...a 55 plus community Mosaic at West Creek. Any thoughts in terms of your featured list?

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

The location of that community is killer! It is a great choice, and Mosaic made our best 55+ communities in Richmond video. If you can do without the 55+ restriction and community amenities, Readers Branch would be another really good pick too for single family homes. Readers does not have any townhome options whereas Mosaic does.

[@tmarkpeterson391]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginia Thanks guys!! first let me say that your videos are my go to instructions for living in RVA...thank you! I settled on Mosaic @ West Creek after looking at Readers Branch. The major difference was I am looking to down size and the Mosaic "townhome" option made since for me and my situation. Fully optioned, my townhome priced out at a little over $600k and trust me I included every possible option. Also there are four builder options and only HHHunt for townhomes...so for those who must have a single family home...you have three builder options that can go as high as high 800's. Thanks again for your advice, and I am looking forward to moving into my new unit in November 🙂

[@guslopes2594]

Congrats for the great video , I’m looking to move to VA , I’m locking to buy a a ranch between 25 to 50 acres to build a horse ranch , but must be close to a nice town like Short pump . Where do you guys recommend?

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

To find that type of acreage you will have to be in a rural county, something like Goochland, Hanover, or Powhatan. Curious how you define "close" and what your budget would be. The closer you are to civilization with that type of acreage the more expensive it will be. I searched through MLS strictly for homes with 25+ acres that have sold in the past 6 months and there weren't many results without getting too far into the sticks. Expect to pay at a minimum 500k, but that number inflates quickly the closer you get to civilization. There was one that sold pretty much for land value only at $1.15M and it was still 18 minutes away from the western side of Short Pump.

[@guslopes2594]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginia thanks for your response, I meant to say close at 20 miles range . And yes 1m is my budget for this type of property . Thanks and Kudos for the great informative Chanel

[@RipVanWinkle8731]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginiaYall are evil, telling this guy to move to Goochland, cause in 10 20 years Goochland is gonna be overrun with you city people and we’re gonna be have short pump all over goochland, all the trees there are gonna be gone, and it’s all gonna be neighborhoods and amenities.

[@RipVanWinkle8731]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginiaGoochland is gonna be like short pump in 10 20 years any ways we can’t escape you city people can we

[@melon-84]

I'm looking to move to Richmond after couple of years, that's why I'm looking for a safe place for my kids and good school. Thanks for a great video

[@RipVanWinkle8731]

Don’t

[@captamerica3693]

Has the fifth generation native Richmond, I could not disagree with you more about what you think is the best part of Richmond categorically down the line. Your list is DEAD wrong across-the-board. You literally chose the worst areas that cost the most that have the worst traffic the snobbiest people the most expensive housing and they are not walkable communities. Totally backwards.

[@alpinevicemotorsports1805]

Are there any specific recommendations for areas outside the heart of downtown Richmond that have more unique/local/small business retail and dining options? One reason my wife and I don't really enjoy areas like Short Pump is because there's so much emphasis on cookie cutter type national franchises and chains. We currently live in a small town in North Carolina and we'd miss the unique family/local owned businesses. I know downtown Richmond has tons of that stuff, but I don't think we could make it work to live downtown.

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

A lot goes into this decision, and budget/year built of home desired might decide that for you, so it's tough to provide a specific tailored recommendation. What I would suggest is living in one of the suburbs nearby the city. The city has the most amount of unique, one-off restaurants and shops compared to the suburbs but commuting from the suburbs to the city isn't impossible 15-35 minutes depending on which area you choose. There are also a bunch of smaller commercial centers/bubbles scattered about all the suburbs that will have the mom & pop/locally owned businesses. It is likely that the locally owned smaller restaurants/businesses can't afford to pay absolute top dollar to be in the primary commercial bubbles. I think the Bon Air area could be a good fit, close proximity to the city of Richmond but has a suburb feel. The downside to that area is it is older homes. Lakeside area is close to the city and there are a bunch of breweries and restaurants not too far away that aren't national chains. Cheaper homes within that area too. It's probably worth a phone call to discuss specifically what you are looking for beyond the vibe, because each area has it's own unique flavor of houses and price points. 804-357-8490 - Taylor

[@alpinevicemotorsports1805]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginia thanks so much for that reply Taylor. I am planning to give you a call at some point, but still working on my research and narrowing down what we really want in a home first, so I can be truly prepared to discuss. Thanks 🙂

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

@@alpinevicemotorsports1805 Happy to help, hit me up whenever you are ready. Wouldn't hate talking cars with you too!

[@alpinevicemotorsports1805]

@@LivingInRichmondVirginia that’s part of the difficulty moving, I have too many project cars to fit at the average neighborhood home 😂

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

So I need to find you a large garage that comes with a house, got it!

[@joharzuber9745]

I love Richmond VA. That’s why my first house purchase is Richmond. This Great Video gave me great confidence in my Choice. very informative.

[@LivingInRichmondVirginia]

RVA definitely has a lot going for it! Thanks for watching!

[@troywilliams8659]

Midlothian is the place to be!

[@patricktownsend3474]

I disagree.. anyplace south of the James River gives me the creeps.