Moving to Richmond, Virginia

Fist City has maintained a hard vibe since the pre-American-revolution hours, when Patrick Henry famously declared, in a city church, “Give me liberty, or give me death,” and since resident Edgar Allen Poe began writing his ghastly tales. Today, Richmond is home to plenty of blue-collar jobs and underground punk shows.

But Richmond isn’t all punch and swagger. It’s a college town filled with parks, art and companies that are helping spearhead the biotech industry. And, really, it’s weather is befitting its angry nickname; it’s one of the fairest climates in the nation – a nice place to find peace in a gentle breeze.

Geography of Richmond, VA

Richmond is located in mid-east Virginia, about 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding area is mostly flat and slightly forested. There are a number of lakes and rivers near Richmond, most notably the James River, which passes through the city, separating Downtown from Southside Richmond, before eventually emptying into the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.

Richmond anchors a metropolitan area that includes Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights. Though Richmond is only home to about 200,000 people, the metro area has a population of over 1.2 million. Washington D.C. is a few hours north, and Virginia Beach is about two hours south-east. Richmond is the capital of Virginia.

Positives of Living in Richmond

Education – The University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University are both located in Richmond. Both universities have sizable populations, pretty campuses, and many great programs. VCU, in particular, has arts and advertising schools that are recognized as among the best in the nation.

Weather – The dead of Richmond winters average temperatures in the 30’s while Richmond summers rarely top 80. Compared to the vast majority of cities across the nation, these temperatures are delightfully mild.

Capital – Richmond is the capital of Virginia. Its downtown is home to legislative offices, a federal court of appeals and a number of state courts. This makes it a prime place for the legally and politically inclined, as well as for protestors, and even for people who just want to beat their parking tickets.

Arts – Richmond has be a hotspot for punk and hardcore music for many decades. However, it has a growing arts community as well, which receives strong support from the local universities. Musicians, starving artists and actors all find a place to showcase their skills in Richmond. Check out the downtown’s First Friday Art Walk, which includes over forty venues.

Parks – Richmond implemented one of America’s first city park systems, which maintains a number of parks downtown, along the James River, and even on islands in the James River. Oh, and the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is 80 acres of awesome.

Economy – Richmond has survived for hundreds of years on blue collar industries, like tobacco production and commerce based on the James River. Today, though, it also supports multi-million-dollar advertising companies and innovators in the biotech industry, and the local government offices, courts and colleges provide tens of thousands of jobs. In other words, Richmond has a diverse economy.

Negatives of Living in Richmond

Transportation – Amtrak passes through, but the city does not have a commuter rail system in place. Get ready to sit in traffic.

Small city – Richmond can’t escape the fact that it’s a fairly small city. It doesn’t have a slew of five-star restaurants; it doesn’t attract parades of big-name entertainers; and it doesn’t boast a densely-urban feeling. Yet, though it’s a small city…

Crime – Richmond suffers from big-city crime. Back in 2005, it was one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. Crime numbers have declined significantly since then, but this is still worthy of making our “negatives” list.

Overcast – Richmond has great temperatures, but it only enjoys 100 fully sunny days per year. Get ready for shady skies.

Ready to move to Richmond? Check out some Richmond moving companies right here: Richmond movers.