Going to check out a few of the higher ranked places on our list the next few months. Richmond in a few weeks, Raleigh Durham in October. Probably Charlotte around Labor Day. A work colleague of mine has a house on Lake Keowee in SC (near Greenville) so we’ll probably check that out too. Might pair that with a condo in Atlanta, who knows.
As
@grebe made reference to, Ashland Virginia is a great little town, I lived there the last 12 years I was in Virginia. About 12 minutes north of the City of Richmond. Also about a 40 minute drive to Fredericksburg area and
@Seeking Alpha Social Club.
The main drag about living anywhere from Richmond to the northern Virginia suburbs is the Interstate 95 corridor. IT SUCKS to put it mildly. Traffic is horrendous at almost anytime of day and throughout the year. In the summer, there are NO shortcuts or secret get arounds to avoid it thanks to GPS.
If I was going to live in Virginia again and had bigger means, my personal choice would probably be the west end of Richmond, Short Pump, Goochland area. You are far enough out of the city of Richmond and have all the upscale living you could desire.
Many folks come out of the city to shop in Short Pump vs staying downtown. You’ve also got the outer extremities of interstate 295 and highway 288 that are easily accessible from that end of town.
I lived in Short Pump from 06-09 and really liked it. Reason for moving to Ashland was mainly being closer to work and a little more affordable housing at the time. I still found myself returning to Short Pump for entertainment, shopping and evening out purposes on a regular basis even after moving to Ashland.
You’d have many options in the Richmond area as you’ve heard. The airport is by far one of the best I’ve ever used. If you want to see historical towns, you’ve got Williamsburg and Washington DC both within 2 hour and 1 hour drives respectively. ( Traffic pending)
The beach is just over a two hour drive and you can be in the mountains of the Shenandoah in under 2 hours. It really is a good spot depending on where one is in life.
I spent my entire life in Virginia before moving out west. For me it was just time for a change and a different way of life. If I had to move back east again, Virginia would still rank high on my list despite feeling like I’ve just out grown it at this point in my life.
Short Pump/Goochland area if you have the means and want to enjoy just about the best of everything.
