Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

BureauOfBureaucrats t1_j4v08to wrote

  • Incompetent local government. They messed up my taxes every year. Basic utilities like garbage or gas service are absolute trash.

  • Horrible infrastructure.

  • Horrible public transport.

  • Schools are frequently a problem.

  • Excessive gun crime.

I love RVA for its museums, breweries, and parks. The “fun stuff” here is pretty good, but there’s an awful catch: basic daily life functioning is a pain in the ass in this city. VCU is just about the only thing that’s truly thriving in the city.

2

Hans_Fallada t1_j4v3qwp wrote

At the risk of a deluge of down votes…

Having lived in 5 other cities in the US before resettling back in Richmond (I grew up here), nothing you list is unique to Richmond. In fact, one of the reasons people move here is because these issues are significantly more manageable in Richmond than other major cities (NYC subway or MIA public school system and infrastructure come to mind). I agree with all the “fun stuff” you listed and the despite the headaches of living in any city, you get all of the benefits (museums, restaurants etc) at a relatively reasonable cost of living.

The reality is Richmond punches well above its weight as a city. Indeed, the cost have living has increased markedly in the last few years, but it’s happening everywhere and, frankly, you could make a strong case that Richmond has been underpriced for years, so this “catch up” was inevitable.

26

BureauOfBureaucrats t1_j4v81rv wrote

I’ve lived in 7 different states and Richmond is significantly worse than my other cities in every metric I listed.

I deliberately left out how awful renting is here because OP won’t be renting. Both tenant-landlord laws and workplace protection laws here in Virginia are vastly inferior to every other state I’ve lived in.

After 6 years, I’m ready to exit honestly. I won’t compare RVA to NYC because that’s ridiculous. RVA is inferior to most cities in the 500,000 population or less category. As wonderful as museums, breweries, and parks are, I need quality basics.

−12

Lmvalent t1_j4x1s9n wrote

Public transit here seems pretty good as someone who has lived in DC, Baltimore and Orlando. Can't speak to schools. The gun crime really isn't that bad. I've lived in the Ward near Gilpin and on Chamberlayne, I've never really felt in danger. But maybe that's just because I've lived in Southeast DC and sketchy parts of Baltimore/Orlando. Seems pretty easy to stay out of danger in RVA.

3