Relocating to Richmond

[eandslee]

Here is a newcomers guide for those just arriving to Richmond or looking to choose Richmond as their next home!

Richmond Newcomers Guide

[urbanvb]

Great find, eandslee!

[mlsimons]

I am applying to VCU for the MURP program. I'm from the Norfolk/VB area and never planned to move...but my dream to be an urban planner is leading me away.

So, my options are simple:

1. Commute to Richmond once a week, completing only two classes a semester. OR

2. Get a really cheap apt in Richmond and live there for about 3/4 days a week and Norfolk the rest.

So basically I'll probably be looking for an apt in August? Any suggestions, or things to avoid.

Also, are there any MURP students on the thread that can give me some inside advice (things faculty won't tell you) about the program/school?

P.S. I'll be in Williamsburg for the APA conference later this March in case anyone else is going.

[mikeas]

I am applying to VCU for the MURP program. I'm from the Norfolk/VB area and never planned to move...but my dream to be an urban planner is leading me away.

So, my options are simple:

1. Commute to Richmond once a week, completing only two classes a semester. OR

2. Get a really cheap apt in Richmond and live there for about 3/4 days a week and Norfolk the rest.

So basically I'll probably be looking for an apt in August? Any suggestions, or things to avoid.

Also, are there any MURP students on the thread that can give me some inside advice (things faculty won't tell you) about the program/school?

P.S. I'll be in Williamsburg for the APA conference later this March in case anyone else is going.

[wrldcoupe4]

This 23% vacancy rate is totally inaccurate by almost all accounts, but there is usually a good amount of apt turnover near VCU in the summer so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a place.

what are your expectations for a cheap apt? (price, location, etc)

[burt]

Even more than ODU, the academic campus of VCU is very urban in an exhilarating way. There are some adjacent grunge areas, but the University's heavy stress on the arts and its general diversity contribute to its NYU/Greenwich Village-like ambience.

Brent, who sometimes posts here, might have some suggestions about housing on and off campus.

[mlsimons]

what are your expectations for a cheap apt? (price, location, etc)

[mikeas]

Around Norfolk, I would likely pay about $600 for a studio and at least $700 for a one bedroom.

But for Richmond, I'm hoping to go cheaper, even if it means living in a sketchy neighborhood, (just not gang infested). So prolly around $450 for a studio, $500 for a one bedroom.

[Brent]

You would have to time travel back 15 years and live in a super sketchy area to pay those prices.

You can find a nice enough place for around $600 in Jackson Ward, Carver or Oregon Hill.

Why don't you want to commit to Richmond? Its only for 2 years. It seems to me that dividing one

[jasonb]

You would have to time travel back 15 years and live in a super sketchy area to pay those prices.

You can find a nice enough place for around $600 in Jackson Ward, Carver or Oregon Hill.

Why don't you want to commit to Richmond? Its only for 2 years. It seems to me that dividing one

[mlsimons]

Agreed. The type of rental you are seeking does not exist in Richmond. At the price you expect, you would need to be splitting a multi-bedroom space or you would be in a highly undesirable location. I know many cost of living calculators show Tidewater as being slightly more expensive regarding housing, but I would argue those numbers are skewed by 2 factors (expensive vacation/waterfront properties in Tidewater and the very inexpensive tri-cities area).

[jasonb]

Well, I've already seen a 2 bedroom on craigslist for 550. A nice studio in the fan for 600 and a nice one bedroom with a loft also in the fan for 500. Nothing is anywhere near that close where I live in Ghent, norfolk. So unless these guys are lying, Im pretty sure that I can finding something like that in a few months too.

But yeah, I am not able to live full time in Richmond, a few people I've heard are making a commute once per week to attend two night classes and then drive back. This is another alternative which I am considering.

[mlsimons]

Brent and I are merely saying that anything in that price range is suspect for The Fan. I only know of three apartment buildings located in The Fan that come close to the $600 and under price range, and they fall into the not-so-desirable group because of their location and their condition. They are at the Grace St./Boulevard intersection, which also has no parking.

Out of curiosity, I looked up apartments in the range you mentioned on craigslist. None of the ones I see listed are actually in The Fan. The Fan has become synonymous with a large swath of area, when its really defined as: North of Main St, East of Boulevard, South of Broad, and West of Belvidere. Properties in Carver, Oregon Hill, Byrd Park, and the Museum District are often referenced as The Fan, and those properties would potentially fall into the sub $600 range.