Alicia64 Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Hi Everyone, We're getting more tired of CA every day. My husband needs to work within a large hospital system, specifically a Childrens' Hospital. Which communities would you recommend if he worked at Childrens? Do you like New Kent? I just need some thoughts on what it's like to be in VA. Weather? Fun? Family oriented? Down sides? TIA! Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 There is a children's hospital in Norfolk, CHKD. We moved to the Va Bch area in late 2004 and did not want to be here(dh had been laid off so took job up here and we are still here, lol). But I found that life here is pretty good. TONS of museums and activities for kids. TONS of homeschoolers and co-ops/groups. We will have been here 5 years this fall and I can say we like it a lot. I don't want to live here forever...but it's a great location for raising homeschooling kids. We moved out to the other side of Norfolk 2 years ago to buy a house. It's been harder making friends out here(not sure why) but we still like it. People back in NC cringe when I say where we live...those that came here in the 80's know it was a dump at the beach, lol, but I can say that I am glad we moved here. We enjoy our life and the resources we have around us. Being close to the beach has been nice. So that's my plug for the Hampton Roads area :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 VA is an interesting place to live, because there is so much variation in the different areas--Northern VA, for example, is NOTHING like much of central and southern VA. Where is the children's hospital where your dh has to work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We moved here under protest with the Navy, 20 years ago. Now it is home and we love it. Homeschooling is big here and there is so much to do, especially if you like history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runamuk Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 This is our third time back in VA, thanks to the Marine Corps. The first time we were here, he was stationed at the Naval Base in Norfolk. We were living in VA Beach and it was a nice, but busy area. We then moved to Newport News when he was transferred to the Naval Weapons station. NN was much quieter and we enjoyed being closer to Williamsburg. We were at Quantico during our second tour here. We enjoyed the area (Stafford), as it was close to DC and Fredericksburg, but far enough away to avoid the traffic. We're now in Central VA, near Richmond. We like the weather - mild winters, pleasant spring and fall, and my husband loves the summers (they're a bit warm for my taste). There is so much to do here and so much history to see. We're a couple of hours from DC, a couple of hours from the Shenandoah mountains, a couple of hours from NC (and our daughter) and a couple of hours to the ocean. Homeschooling is easy and there is a lot of American history here. I like the Richmond area because we're close to the big city without the big city feel. It's kid/family friendly and there seems to be something going on all the time. I'm just a short drive to a yarn store, a quilting shop, a farmer's market, Whole foods and Trader Joe's, a museum (or two) and some great shopping. We're close to a state park and we do a lot of hiking. The only downside for me is the humidity of the summers. I grew up in WI and, while I don't miss the winters, I get too hot in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 You might want to study the Virginia Creed: The Virginia Creed To Be a Virginian, either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above. And we're only sort of joking when we say it.:D Virginia is a beautiful state, full of history. And it's the South, too. It just don't get any better than that.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We just moved to Fairfax a few weeks ago. We are still trying to find other homeschoolers to do things with, but we've made some contacts. We have been to the library (love it!) and went to DC and checked out the National Mall a bit. There is sooo much to do. I would like to move back to AL in a few years because that is "home" to us, but in the mean time, I hope to see and do as much as we can. I have a feeling that even though we will be doing SOTW 1 this year, we will be getting in a lot of American history! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I have a cousin living there & she loves the area. However, it is extremely expensive & the political landscape has been changing greatly over the past few decades. I would love to spend a year or 2 there... from a homeschooling perspective... the field trip opportunities are limitless. It is also a beautiful state! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Like a PP said, it depends on whether it's northern VA or the rest of the state. I lived in No. VA on 3 different occasions and the older I got the less I tolerated it. The congestion, the crime, the road rage, the transient nature just got to me. However, by that time, I had the luxury of enjoying everything the region has to offer and it has a ton. You're close to the beach, to DC, to Philly, NY is just a quick train ride away, most of the monuments and many events are FREE. Southern and central VA are gorgeous--esp. in the fall and have a much more southern feel than the north does. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschoolmom22 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 New Kent is a great area! very rural but close to Richmond and Williamsburg(where I live). I've lived here all my life, I know nothing else...homeschooling is huge here and very well respected. We have Busch Gardens, Water Country, Jamestown, Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg....where specifically are you looking in New Kent? we had a contract on a house there 2 years ago but could not sell ours so we had to back out of the contract...it's still a place we would love to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I'm still here by protest because of the Navy. It's an ok area. This is our 3rd time here and so far the best. We were in Virginia Beach the first 2 times and it's ok, but crowded. Now were in Chesapeake and it's better because it doesn't seem as busy as the beach, and the only reason we're happy here is because we're kind of sick of moving. We have moved every 12-18 months for the last 12 years. This is the first time we've stayed in one place for this long. The others are correct in that homeschooling is easy and there are tons of field trip opportunities here. As for the humidity I also grew up in WI and honestly find the humidity to be not much different from the Milwaukee suburb I grew up in. I was just back to WI last fall and it really wasn't any different temperature wise. I like that I generally don't have to deal with 5 ft. of snow in the winters but I'm just a midwestern girl at heart and can't wait to go back home. DH is also from the midwest (IA) and can't wait to get away from a coast. We don't use it because we're military but CHKD (Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters) is HUGE here, you hear about it all the time and they have lots of clinics all over as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kah Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We like the weather - mild winters, pleasant spring and fall, and my husband loves the summers (they're a bit warm for my taste). There is so much to do here and so much history to see. We're a couple of hours from DC, a couple of hours from the Shenandoah mountains, a couple of hours from NC (and our daughter) and a couple of hours to the ocean. Homeschooling is easy and there is a lot of American history here. I like the Richmond area because we're close to the big city without the big city feel. It's kid/family friendly and there seems to be something going on all the time. I'm just a short drive to a yarn store, a quilting shop, a farmer's market, Whole foods and Trader Joe's, a museum (or two) and some great shopping. We're close to a state park and we do a lot of hiking. The only downside for me is the humidity of the summers. I grew up in WI and, while I don't miss the winters, I get too hot in the summer. :iagree: All that. :) Except for the part about WI- I grew up in NY. Also, while we don't homeschool (yet- more afterschool) I have many neighbors who do- off the top of my head, I know about 10 homeschooling families in our subdivision of about 500 homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Wow, thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate it. Am I nuts to think that a beautiful home could be had for about $250? Beautiful meaning "not a fixer upper", with three bedrooms, two baths. We're in a fixer here CA that we can't afford to fix. Plus I love the idea of being in a state that's pro homeschool. And I absolutely love the idea of all that history. Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVA Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We've lived here 16 years- came from Seattle. While I'm not crazy about the humidity in the summers, either, we love it here. The greenery, history and culture make it wonderful. Besides that, we've found a great church. I'm VERY familiar with National Childrens Hospital in DC- it's top notch- at least the ortho dept is!! While I wouldn't recommend living in DC, the drive from VA could be a deterrent. However, there are several satellite offices in MD and VA- the closest one to us is in Fairfax. Homeschooling is easy here and now that most of our kids are adults, college and employment have not been difficult transitions to make given the booming govt.- based economy. Happy hunting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) Wow, thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate it. Am I nuts to think that a beautiful home could be had for about $250? Beautiful meaning "not a fixer upper", with three bedrooms, two baths. We're in a fixer here CA that we can't afford to fix. Plus I love the idea of being in a state that's pro homeschool. And I absolutely love the idea of all that history. Alicia You can get that in Va Beach, and your husband could work in Norfolk at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. :D A friend of ours works there (but in computer repairs). We have a three bedroom single bath that would probably sell for $200K, so I think $250K is resonable. Northern VA is more expensive, so I hear. I do hate the humidity, heat and mosquitoes, though. I love my library, though. They order everything I ask them to order, and they are very friendly to homeschoolers. I love our area because everything is so close by. Edited June 8, 2009 by nestof3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I have a cousin living there & she loves the area. However, it is extremely expensive & the political landscape has been changing greatly over the past few decades. I would love to spend a year or 2 there... from a homeschooling perspective... the field trip opportunities are limitless. It is also a beautiful state! Well compared to CA it's not at all expensive unless you are in the NoVA/Dc area then it comparable to CA. We moved here from CA. It's nice - homeschool friendly. But honestly we'd leave if we could. Our hearts are up north. Wow, thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate it. Am I nuts to think that a beautiful home could be had for about $250? Beautiful meaning "not a fixer upper", with three bedrooms, two baths. We're in a fixer here CA that we can't afford to fix. Plus I love the idea of being in a state that's pro homeschool. And I absolutely love the idea of all that history. Alicia It depends on what part of the state - is some parts 250 would get you a 1000 sq ft townhouse, but in other parts it would get you 3500 sq ft house. VA is a very diverse state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyP Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I used to live near VA Beach and we loved it. I don't think you would have too much trouble finding a place. I remember thinking how reasonable real estate was then, I would have to think it would be more so now. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We live in Roanoke, and we love it. They're starting a medical school here, and there is a children's hospital, though it's part of the adult hospital system. I love the weather, and it's beautiful. Gorgeous mountains. Easy access to lots of natural resources. It's four hours to DC. Roanoke has more of a hippie feel to it than a lot of the state, because there are so many colleges around. (Roanoke, Hollins, VA Tech and Radford up the road.) Plus there's a definite art/ music local scene, which is nice, but it is still definitely the South and the Bible Belt. I moved here from San Antonio and Denver before that, and I do miss some of my big city conveniences. I loved having a great zoo and children's museum in town. And it was hard to beat living five minutes from Sea World. But it is totally worth it! Just a very nice place to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kah Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 In the greater Richmond area, if you're looking for 3 bedrooms/2 baths, I would think you'd be able to find something nice in the $250 range. Most of the homes in our neighborhood are 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths, less than 10 years old (many about 5 years old) and seem to be selling for about $300 on average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 If your dh wants to be associated with Children's Hospital in Washington DC, northern Virginia can be a nice place to live. Most of the museums in DC are free. It is convenient to visit mountains, beaches. It is convenient to Baltimore. There is a great homeschool network in No. VA with lots of co ops, classes and field trips. Housing is expensive, but that's relative. If you chose CHKD, I think you would be likely to find larger homes for a given price range. Each area has a different character, based on typical occupations, average education levels ect. If you have options, you may want to sit down and think about what you want in your community and then try to compare your desires to the types of communities you can find within commutting distance of your dh possible work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I was raised in Charlottesville and after years of moving around I am now in Bristol (south-west corner of the state on the TN line). I really love the variety of places to live in Va. You can be in the mountains, on the beach, in a big city, etc. Charlottesville has a fabulous, world-class hospital system, but housing is outrageously expensive. The Va. Beach area has improved greatly since the 80's, and I would consider living there. I have to say I really love Bristol (except the fact that it is not on the beach ;)). You get the small town feel, but not everyone in your business. Niswonger Children's Hospital is in the Johnson City, TN area, which is about 35 minutes from here. Since we are in the mountains, the air is dry, we almost always have a nice breeze blowing, and the temps are moderate in the summer. For $250,000 you would get a VERY nice house here. $150,000 would get you a nice 3 bedroom/2 bath house. We paid $130,000 for a 2,000 sqft duplex with 2 bedrooms, plus a loft (could be a 3rd bedroom) and 2.5 baths, living room, formal dining room, 2 car garage, mostly finished basement, etc. Our part of Virginia is still strongly conservative, churches on every corner, Southern, etc. I would strongly suggest taking the time to travel around the state and see what areas suit you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee22 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We live a little north of Williamsburg and love it. When we first moved here ten years ago we lived in Hampton. I grew up in the country and Hampton was too busy for me but it was convenient to everything. The winters are mild compared to where I grew up and l love that. The summer is a bit hot but that is really only for a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We lived there for 3 years while my husband worked at UVA in Charlottesville. I loved it there and miss it! Lots of Jefferson history at UVA and of course Monticello is there too. When we moved back west our son stayed in VA to go to college and is still there. I wouldn't go to northern VA myself - too expensive. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We just moved to Fairfax a few weeks ago. We are still trying to find other homeschoolers to do things with, but we've made some contacts. Try subscribing to Sharenet. Write to Sharenet.att.net and you will get signed up to get a weekly newsletter listing an abundance of homeschool opportunities in NOVA. It's almost overwhelming how much stuff there is. To the OP...I've lived in VA my entire life. It's home and I've grown to really like it and appreciate it more. I grew up in Richmond. Did my residency in Charlottesville at UVA and lived there for 3 years. And have been here in NOVA for med school and then again since getting married in 2000. I like Northern Virginia a lot. You'll here complaints about the congestion and expense and busyness of the people and that's all true. But there are a lot of good things...amazing parks, great rec centers, wonderful library systems, a huge diversity of people, restaurants (and grocery stores) of any ethnicity you can think of, great access to the FREE museums. There is always just a lot going on. For me and dh, we've decided that it's only worth putting up with the expense and traffic if we also take advantage of the good stuff. So we make a real effort to go into DC a lot and take advantage of all the other great stuff in the area. I think it would be difficult to find a house for $250K in this area, although not impossible. There are more deals to be found with the real estate market as it is. In my neigborhood there a bunch of foreclosures and I know some good deals. But it will be harder than in other areas in VA. Also, I'm a pediatrican, so if your dh has questions about specific Children's Hospitals in the area, I might be able to help. Feel free to PM or email me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) I live about an hour and a half from New Kent. It's a BEAUTIFUL place, and actually only about 45 minutes from the North Side of Richmond & Henrico where there *is* a Children's Hospital. There are tons of homeschoolers here and lots to do. Getting a nice house in the $250k range won't be difficult around here either. Edited June 10, 2009 by skaterbabs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 We moved from SoCal to Charlotte, NC 4 years ago. Have you considered NC? I think it is cheaper to live in than VA. It still doesn't feel like home and I miss CA terribly, but it is a very nice place for the kids. There is a lot for homeschoolers here. We go homeschool skiing every year, homeschool days at Disney World, we are in a homeschool scouting troop/pack, and on and on I could go. We had really wanted the Raleigh area because I have dear friends there, but DH interviewed for a Raleigh job and they hired him for the Charlotte office. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I never lived there but I did visit and researched Charlottesville as a place to live. It is listed in the best places to live. It has the University of Virginia and a major hopsital. It is nestled in Shenandohoh National Park. It is a small city with many cultural attractions. It is scenic. Just my 2 cents and excuse my spelling:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) Our family took a month long road trip across the country in 2006. We hit many, many states on our way to and from the east coast. I fell in absolute love with VA and eastern Tennessee (and Southern Missouri as well) I would move to any in a heartbeat. Charlottesville was a very nice Va area. I really enjoyed Williamsburg as well. I can't think of many places in VA that I did not like actually, though N Virginia was definitely more crowded and we prefer a small town feel. Virginia Beach seemed a bit lowly compared to other areas, but we were only in the area around the actual beach and did not spend time in the neighborhoods. I personally didn't care for it though. Anyhow, I have nothing to add except to say that I am jealous. I have lived in CA all my live and frankly, I would love to move! I think I would be careful to move to an area of VA that is not so prone to humidity though. I can see that coming from the dryness of CA to the humidity of VA could prove quite bothersome (Not to mention the spiders & bugs seem quite a bit LARGER there! :eek:). We visited the area in October, so we missed the humidity. I recall the girls working at Mt. Vernon telling us how awful the humidity can be in the summer though. It sounded quite horrid! :w00t: We also got a small taste of it while at Monticello. It had been raining off and on. Then the sun came out in a big way and we all began to broil. It was quite stuffy! Ah, but to move where all that history is!! To be so close to DC. So close to all that American History! My dh and I loved the trip so much we plan to do it again sometime...just the two of us...without boys in the back seat arguing over the right way to eat sunflower seeds. :glare: Edited June 10, 2009 by Melissa in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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