sunkid26

I am trying to decide between a move to Richmond, VA and Orlando, VA. Has anyone had the experience of living in both and would be able to offer suggestions, the good and bad ?

iw

While I have visited Orlando and it was great, the summers are HOT! Having said that, LOL, I live 25 minutes outside of Richmond in a town called Chester. We have so many areas here and experience 4 seasons, although no snow for the last 2 years, much to my dismay as a teacher and school is closed for an inch or more!
We are in Richmond a bunch for dinners and meetings. There are so many areas to live in around the area...Chester, Midlothian and the counties of Henrico and Hanover have a lot to offer, depending on what you are looking for.
For us, we love our acre with a pond in the backyard which is a buffer for future backyard neighbors. We, in Chester, are basically a few minutes from the grocery stores, I am 18 minutes from work and abour 25 to the best shopping malls. Translation...more house for the buck! Which is why we did not go the Midlothian route, having grown up in Midlothian, I say this fairly...could not get an acre for a decent price and bought a river lot and built a place, which was important for us.
Hanover, Chesterfield and Henrico schools are excellent. All counties have a lot to offer. If schoold are an issue for you, go on-line and find the SOL scores for the counties.
Also, I have many friends in Powhatan county, which offers lots of land and great housing prices. The schools are good.
Good luck!!

Hellion

I live in Richmond, in the city. I can't speak to Orlando, but I can tell you the city has a lot (for a place its size, and in my opinion) of stuff to do. Good restaurants, fun street festivals, two new smallish music venues luring decent live music, etc. Richmond is an hour from the mountains, two hours from D.C., an hour from Williamsburg and two-ish from the beach. I don't have kids so I can't tell you about the whole good-schools/where to buy a house thing, but I like it here. It has history and character.

ronkala

I agree with iw. It's been a long time since I've been associated with Chester, but I have fond memories of the town and the people living there. If not for that experience I probably would have opted for a promotion and moved to the Detroit area a year earlier than when I moved back to Virginia. We were in Annandale just one day and DW said she never wanted to go back to NY.

I spent three days in Orlando in September during a reunion and it was hot and humid. I would never want to live there.

bnbtraveler

September is the worst month of the year, IMHO, in Orlando. Other than that it can be downright gorgeous most of the time. I have a place in Maine and the past 3 Augusts it has been hotter there than here. Weather is not the way it used to be anywhere. We have been here 17 years now!

Postal

I lived in Orlando for 18 years and then moved 100 miles northwest to the Gainesville area. I still have relatives in Orlando and they can't wait to move from there. The crime and traffic have escalated greatly in the last few years and personally I can't imagine why anyone would want to live there if they didn't have to.

My daughter lives outside of Richmond and it's a very nice area. She is extremely happy to have "escaped" Orlando.

Ann41

I used to live in Richmond, and now live in Florida. I would move back to Richmond in a heartbeat.

There is so much to do with children in Richmond. You have the advantages of being in a city (museums, theater, shopping, interesting neighborhoods) without many of the drawbacks (traffic, etc.). Maymont park, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, the Children's Museum, About Town Moms tours. We lived in the city (Hampton Gardens) and I could have stayed there happily for the rest of my life.

I live in Southwest Florida, and know several people who used to live in Orlando, and really didn't like it. Constant traffic, a fair amount of crime (not that Richmond is crime-free by any means), and the weather in the summer is not good. We're 150 miles more southern and summers are brutal, but we at least have the gulf coast and its breezes nearby, while Central Florida just kind of sits and bakes in the summer.

girlonthego

Hi I live in Midlothian, which is a suburb just west of Richmond.
The school system here in Chesterfield County is excellent. Not sure if schools are all that important,but I could guide you to which ones are rated on the higher end. I have kids in school now.
I would look at 23113, 23112, and 23114 zipcodes on realtor.com

Comparing it to Orlando, I have never lived there only vacationed there. I can say it is hot in Richmond too, but I doubt it is that hot. Home prices are still reasonable here in richmond, schools are good, we have 4 seasons with fall being my favorite. It stays fall weather till Christmas and then gets cold. I have never worn a coat on Halloween in 10 years (I am from NJ where we wore parkas on Halloween).

I just realized this post is a few months old. So, not sure if you have made your choice or not, but if not, Richmond area has been a great place to raise my kids.