Richmond/Glen Allen - Moving and Need Advice (Short Pump: apartment complex, for rent)

[FrouLaLa]

I just got a position in Glen Allen and will be moving there from Miami. I'd love to know what to expect and where are the best places to live. My company is in Glen Allen, so I'd like to know if I choose to live in Richmond what the commute is like or if Glen Allen is the better choice. I'm a single female, so I'd be concerned about safety and proximity to amenities like a groceries, shopping, and fitness centers. Thanks!

[richmondpics]

Are you a city dweller or suburbanite?

[DSNY...DirtyStayOut]

This young lady is a very good friend of mine, would love for you guys to help her out as best as possible. She likes city life but loves the tranquility of the suburbs. I guess a drive within 15 minutes of Glen Allen is ideal if not Glen Allen itself. Safety in a great area is paramount. I will let her tell you more but basically somewhere nice and safe, a place you would feel comfortable letting your own sister live. Thank you in advance everyone...

[ellieb128]

West Broad Village in Short Pump seems to fit the bill.

[FrouLaLa]

Thanks DSNY for looking out! Thanks for the feedback from ellieb128 and Truman - which seem to be two opposing views on the same area. I dont think Im looking for fake cookie-cutter cheesiness. DSNY hit the nail on the head suggesting that I would love to be close driving distance to urban but not necessarily in the thick of it. Id be looking for a condo/apartment in a relatively quiet area.

[Alicia64]

Originally Posted by FrouLaLa

Thanks DSNY for looking out! Thanks for the feedback from ellieb128 and Truman - which seem to be two opposing views on the same area. I dont think Im looking for fake cookie-cutter cheesiness. DSNY hit the nail on the head suggesting that I would love to be close driving distance to urban but not necessarily in the thick of it. Id be looking for a condo/apartment in a relatively quiet area.

It's not fake cookie cutter cheesiness. Some parts of Short Pump are like that but beware of someone who calls Short Pump "Short Punjab." That's a reference to India. Nice, Dude. I live in Short Pump and have loved getting to know the Indian people who live here who are all well educated and extremely friendly.

We live in a very pretty neighborhood ('80's built home that is not cookie) that has a double cul de sac so is not a feeder street. Our home backs up to a creek (very pretty, but I wouldn't recommend because of the bugs).

I think the West Broad Village is fun. Disney-like? Yes, but fun and active. Whole Foods, Trader Joes, an upscale hair stylist spot, townhomes, apartments and restaurants are all rolled into one. It's attempting to look like the Fan which is a very cool area in downtown Richmond that backs up to way too much scary stuff. Short Pump doesn't really have scary areas. I wouldn't call it relatively quiet, but it is fancy. And it has it's own pool which I think is cool with a fitness room. It also has a super high end health club that just went in with a pool and tennis courts on the roof. It's called ACAC, I think.

For a single woman Short Pump is a safe place to be.

Just a little further info: I wouldn't recommend the North Side which is adorable but backs up to scary neighborhoods.

Alley

[DSNY...DirtyStayOut]

Thank you for the replies. What are some of the better apartment developments and gated communities to look into? The websites are all fancy advertising, we want to know reality.

[Alicia64]

Originally Posted by DSNY...DirtyStayOut

Thank you for the replies. What are some of the better apartment developments and gated communities to look into? The websites are all fancy advertising, we want to know reality.

Re: apartments, my husband's company plunked us into the Reflections in Short Pump. It sits right behind a four-star Hilton that's fairly new. Reflections has two pools, tiny fitness rooms and office staff that will try to take every last nickel from you.

That's my way of saying we really enjoyed living in Reflections. The neighbors were wonderful and the maintenance staff just awesome. If you called to get something fixed they'd fix it within the day. Really nice guys. Corey was my favorite.

The office staff on the other hand needs to take several ethics courses. They're constantly trying to steal money from unsuspecting apartment dwellers. Basically when you move out they try to stick you with a bill. The minute we pushed back they folded like kittens. And I think that the staff is pretty standard for apartment office staff. I was just always super polite to them and knew that when we eventually moved out that we'd have to send a nasty "no way are we paying for that letter." It was much easier than I expected.

However, I took pictures when we first moved in and that made all the difference. I was also there for two or three different "walk outs." I also took notes with everything dated and made sure the office knew that too. Not hard when you realize that all apartments are like this.

Besides the pool and maintenance staff I loved that a bug exterm. would come out every Wed. No fee to you at all. And we had no bugs. I saw two spiders the entire time we lived there.

Reflection is just down the street from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's etc. and right next to the fancy Short Pump mall.

West Broad Village also has nice apartments that are above the "Disney-like" area that has the Whole Foods etc.

The other very upscale apartment complex is called The Hunton group and it's about ten mins. from the Whole Foods hoopla. It's set back in a very quiet area and the apartments are gorgeous, but they'll run you more per month than, say, Reflections. They're worth looking at, though, I'd wished we'd been put there in the first place. They also come w/ their own garages. They are also right on the freeway -- but set back so no noise -- so you can anywhere quickly.

Good luck!

Alley

[ckiggins]

We are also relocating to Glen Allen (my partner is being transferred here for work) and we will be housing-shopping in the Richmond area later this week and this weekend.

We currently live in the city of St. Louis with older brick homes (ours was built 1908), but like mentioned here, our neighborhood backs up to some tougher areas. We are looking for more of the suburban experience (quiet, safe, with retail close), but close enough to the city that we can enjoy the non-chain restaurants, arts and nightlife that city living offers.

We are looking for either apartments/townhouses or, preferably, a house to rent. We are in the process of getting ready to list our house here and will not be buying again...renting only from now on! We have 2 cats and a dog, so apartment living is not ideal, which is why we were preferably looking for a house rental, or at least a standalone condo or townhouse (no apartment "buildings").

Are there homes available for rent in the areas listed above, as well (Short Pump, West Broad Village?) Like the other poster said above, a lot of what we are seeing are websites that list very few pictures but want you to send them a lot of info to access their site, or they are Craigslist listings which always tend to make me nervous.

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by ckiggins

Are there homes available for rent in the areas listed above, as well (Short Pump, West Broad Village?) Like the other poster said above, a lot of what we are seeing are websites that list very few pictures but want you to send them a lot of info to access their site, or they are Craigslist listings which always tend to make me nervous.

Yes. There are a number of 3-4 bedroom places in Wellesley or similar neighborhoods of Short Pump for rent that are perfectly fine.

For those who do the "oh, but I don't like cookie cutter!" thing, they're on their own. There is no such thing as non cookie cutter, single-family custom-built everything on acreage, in a safe and affordable neighborhood near shopping, dining, and quaint boutiques with friendly neighbors near ample employment opportunities-

because similarity in construction keeps the price down, and sells. Deal with it. Go find your nonexistent neighborhood yourself.