Best Small Town in Virginia
 

We are on a search for a retirement town and are considering VA.

With subzero temps and 36" of snow last Fri with another storm on the way tomorrow, I can't stop thinking about the day we can move to a milder climate!

Our requirements?

Under 50K or so population (although we are open to bigger if there are defined neighborhoods, but definitely under 100K)

Safe (No problem with violent crime)

MILD 3-4 season climate (sick of freezing temps!!) with low snowfall, if any

Cultural offerings - theatre, art galleries, library, possibly college nearby
Recreational offerings

Nice surrounding towns with things to do - not some great town stuck in the middle of nowhere

Within an hour of an airport

Active community

Vibrant downton

Things going on - festivals, house tours, farmers markets, etc.

Public transit (this is a wish, not a requirement)

Walkable town

Historic

Attractive

Moderate housing costs (anything under 375K is reasonable to us)

Charming/quaint

Good restaurants/shops in town and surrounding (not filled with chains and strip malls)

Good hospital in town

Advanced medical care nearby

Great architecture - we love old historic homes

Good vet, preferably a 24-hr animal hospital

Close to a larger city would be nice, but not a requirement as long as there is enough to do where we live

So far our list is as follows:

Charlottesville
Staunton
Lexington
Winchester
Abingdon

Please comment on any of these as to how they relate to our "wish" list.

Please also feel free to suggest others we may not have considered. Let us know why you like places, or why you don't.

We live in a town right now of 20K, which is very historic (1700 and 1800s era), and very quaint, with lots of activities going on. The downtown has brick and cobble streets, with lots of cute shops and restaurants, antique stores, bookstores, etc. housed in historic buildings. There are more historic Federalist homes here than any other town in the country.

We live in a house built in 1795 where we can walk to town, which we love. There's a great library in town, a live theatre, and 5 strip malls on the edge of town which have stores like KMart, CVS, White Hen, Ritz Camera, Marshalls, drycleaners, banks, pet food stores, liquor stores, hardware store, AAA, etc.

There's a very friendly small-town feel, but not so small we feel everyone knows our business. We are 45 minutes to Boston, and 30 minutes to smaller cities where we both work. The towns surrounding us are smaller, but equally beautiful and historic. Although it is definitely a "moneyed" town, people here are not snobby or uppity.

I'm not trying to "duplicate" our town, just the ambience. We want somewhere special. My hubby says despite the cold and snow, we are NOT moving unless we can find something as charming and nice as where we live now.

My husband says I would love the landscape of VA, and looking forward to our visit in April to C'ville. I am also very much looking forward to hearing from everyone.

Forgot one -

we are also considering Waynesboro based on the suggestion of someone on this board.

Every town you mentioned except Cville is in the I-81 corridor, and all got hit with the snow and ice storm today, even Cville has ice.

We don't mind snow and ice, just not to the extent we get here.

We get 60" of snow a year, with brutally cold temps. Last winter we had many days that were 20 below with wind chill.

I believe that C'ville and surrounding get much less snow (??) and temps are not as frigid. Please correct me if I am wrong!!

Key is "milder".... less snow, warmer temps.

Hi!,

I currently live in Leesburg, Virginia. It's in Loudoun County. Which has a lot of charming towns.
Leesbug, Middleburg, RoundHill * Purcelleville. Leesburg is surrounded by suburbia. But the town itself is separate. I can walk to town and do so often for wine tastings, or to look around the shops. Lot of antiques, but I always drive 5 miles away to Lucketts to get the cheap stuff. Lots of vinyards in the area. It's pretty pricey here as it's a suburb of D.C even though it's about an hour away. We have a movie theater in town as well. It's old and has a balcony, super cute. We have a great outlet mall outside of town (well considered Leesburg, but when I say Leesburg, I am thinking of The Historic District). Loudoun County(especially Middleburg) is Horse Country. There are some really nice parks.

Anywho just a thought. The town has a website http://www.leesburgva.gov/.

Saying this I am contemplating a move to a City. I am single and have lived in Virginia all my life and am ready for a change. But I still like Leesburg. It's cutesy historic, and still very friendly.

The other towns you mentioned sounded great too, and are likely less expensive.

I would also consider Fredericksburg, VA. Very nice Historic district on the river. I used to live there and loved it. College(not a huge University but a good size college) right in town. Suburbia surrounds it, but the town remains nice. You are close to History, and hour from D.C. Beautiful old buildings, country is nearby too.

Anywho this is my first post and very long I'll try to better next time.

They are probably bigger than you are thinking of (I actually don't know) but both Leesburg and Fredericksburg have old historic districts that are well defined.

Suggest you check out Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News.

We live on the coast now, and love it. We really are water people, but we are trying to avoid the really hot, humid summers, which we've heard the coast has.

We were hoping inland wasn't quite so humid.

I think Charlottesville is the closest to your requirements. It does snow, but nothing like Boston!! It is expensive. It may run higher than your 375 for what you want, but compared to Boston, it is a lot cheaper. It has a cute town with cobblestone streets. I would say it is more liberal and artsy than compared to my area just west of Richmond. You would be one hour from Richmond. You would be about two hours from DC (maybe less than that). I don't know about crime rates. The University of VA has a great hospital attached to it. There is a ton of historical places in the area. This is Thomas Jefferson's home place (Monticello) is nearby. I would say the climate in Charlottesville is relatively mild. You get more snow than we do, but not that much. Springs and falls are generally long with fall being the best time of year.
You really have to visit to see if you would like it. It does get hot and humid in the summer and that was the biggest adjustment for me (I came from NJ). But it is getting hotter and more humid in the summer there too.
Moving to VA with our kids was the best move for us. We have really enjoyed living here. My parents retired in Williamsburg and don't love it. It was just not the right place for them. I think they would have liked Charlottesville more.
So, the only way to decide is to come for a visit!!

You were typing the same time as me! You mentioned you live on the coast. Va Beach is probably not what you would be looking for. The Hampton roads/Newport news area the other poster mentioned has a lot of traffic. I doubt you would find that appealing. Just had to add my 2cents!

We've got a visit planned for mid April. Can't wait to see the area!

p.s. Someone mentioned Culpeper, Manassas and Lynchburg to us.

Worth considering?

I can't help with these other towns. I am not a native Virginian, but I can tell you something. I find that when you get any real distance from a city, it gets country really fast. I live in the suburbs of Richmond. The west/southside of Richmond city is a big area of suburbs with good schools and lots of neighborhoods. I am just south of the James River. I cross over the line from Chesterfield county into Powhatan county and the landscape changes dramatically. About 10 miles into Powhatan and you are in a very country area. It is pretty, but remote. It is not for me. I like a nice setting, but I need stores and people not too far away. So, keep that in mind. You are from a big metropolitan area and are used to all of your suburbs of Boston being hip and up to date even if the buildings are not. Get too far away from a city in VA, and it won't be hip or up to date. Some people look for that and others would go crazy! Just a thought.

wanderer, the weather in Virginia in the summer is very hot and humid.

That said, I went to college in Lynchburg and it is a gorgeous, historic little town. It is 45 minutes for C'ville, two hours from Richmond, and three from DC. Ten miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

You asked me about Charlottesville and Fredricksburg on another thread. I am the one who is seriously considering moving to Winchester. Fredericksburg might fit what you are looking for- very charming small college town. We would consider it except it is more expensive than what we are looking for. Charlottesville is very nice, but it is bigger and more commercial than we want. You might consider Culpeper. Our son is moving there and took us to see it a couple of weeks ago. It is very attractive, but I don't think it would have the activities that you are looking for. It is very close to Warrenton which probably has more activities and it is about fifty miles from Charlottesville. Of all the places you have mentioned, I think that Winchester and Fredricksburg would best fit your description. Someone mentioned Middleburg. My mother is from that area and it is a charming small town. However, so many wealthy people have moved there from other areas, and housing prices have go up so much that it is probably well over your price range.

As far as the humidity is concerned, we think that is is only bad during the month of August except on the coast. Of course we currently live in Louisiana where there is high humidity year round! At any rate we find Virginia to be very comfortable most of the year.

Wanderer, approaching retirement and living in eastern MA, we're going through the same issues. We've looked all over and its certainally an overwhelming and daunting task. Your list put into words all the things we're considering. Thanks for being so organized and good luck.

If you want generally mild weather all year, you'll probably want to stick to the central strip of VA (Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, and surrounding areas). The areas near the coast tend to get a little more hot and humid and the areas in the west (closer to the mountains) are more brutal in winter.

I grew up in Virginia Beach, went to William and Mary for college, lived in Northern VA for 2 years after graduate school, and have just this past spring moved to Charlottesville.

I have honestly found something to love in every area. I'd really like to move back to the Virginia Beach area someday (I miss the beach!) - it is obviously a larger town than you are looking for but there are smaller neighborhoods that might feel more homey. However, you won't find a downtown (Norfolk pretty much serves as the downtown for Virginia Beach). Other than that and the weather, it might have potential.

Williamsburg also seems like a town that might fit your description. It does get humid there as well, if that is a major issue. The "downtown" is Merchants Square and Colonial Williamsburg - nice area to stroll but also can have a lot of tourists if that bothers you. Also, unless it's changed since I've been there, the hospital in W'burg leaves a lot to be desired.

I did like the northern VA area because there was SO much going on. However, the traffic is terrible! I'd watch out for any of the rapidly expanding NoVA suburbs...when I was working in the area I had colleagues who were commuting from as far away as Fredericksburg.

I've lived in these places at such different times of my life, but I've always felt like I could "fit in" and was never bored.

<b>Williamsburg</b> has a large community of retired folks.

Thanks everyone for all of your help.

Which areas on our list would be considered &quot;central strip&quot; and which more brutal in the winter?

We need to be careful with extremely hot and humid, as my husband has asthma, that's why we ruled out anything right on the coast.

We definitely want a downtown also, so I think have ruled out Williamsburg.

p.s. to girlonthego

Good point. Yes, I would not like isolated and outdated. I like hip and updated.

We do like country, but I guess you would define our style as &quot;upscale country&quot;, i.e., Sonoma CA, Yountville CA, St. Helena CA, where the landscape is definitely rural but there's upscale shopping and restaurants and things to do.

Hey, can you guess where I live?:)
I live in a small town about 45 minutes away from Fredericksburg and although I like a faster pace life I still would not consider moving there.And I'm 22!It's nice for shopping and I love the downtown area(very historic and cute shops).The town itself was not planned out very well.Hence, you have alot of congested traffic in a relatively small area;causing a wee bit of chaos.Also, it's not generally thought of to be a retirement area.Hope that helps.Personally, (though in the mountains)I like C'ville.Did anyone mention Staunton?Hmm.

Leesburg is adorable! Reminds me of where I live.

It may be a little too expensive for us, but we are adding it to our list to at least check out. Thanks.

What is Front Royal like?

Stauton is a nice small town. But very small. Woodrow Wilson's house is there, and a nice outdoor International living museum (name escapes me). Bu tvery small town feel and not enough &quot;downtown&quot; for what you are describing.
I'm not sure there is anywhere in VA where you can get what you are looking for in tha tlist. MAybe decide which of thos ethings are really important and which ones you can let go of, or go to another state...

Wanderer,
you have started a couple of posts about small towns in Virginia and you have received many informative replies.
The best thing for you to do is to spend at least two weeks driving through Virginia to see what is here, and then make your decission.

You are not looking for a small town, you are looking for a small city or a large town. Woodstock where I live with 4000 population is a small town.

Incidently, have you heard about the gnats in Virginia?

While this town ia not in Va., it meets all your criteria and more. Asheville NC is an incredible town. Anything a retiree could want is located there. Restaurants to numerous to name, gr8 galleries and museums, a walkable downtown, a university for taking those classes you could never do before, the Blue Ridge Parkway, moderate weather. excellent cultural scene. You should seriously check out Asheville. Who knew???

While you're checking out Winchester, I'd take a look at nearby Warrenton also. I'm certainly not a Virgina expert but from what little I've seen, Warrenton may be a closer fit to what you are looking for than Winchester.

Since we only have a long weekend to spend this time around, we think we will only be able to see C'Ville, Staunton, Lexington, Culpeper and perhaps Fredericksburg.

We'd like to check out Winchester, Warrenton and Abingdon on other trips.

A couple of our guidebooks mention that Staunton is and &quot;industrial&quot; town. What exactly does that mean? What kind of industry?

I currently live in charlottesville. i have lived in VA all my life. it really is a great state to live in. i was raised in lynchburg and went to college in harrisonburg. i spent a few months in richmond as well. richmond is a little crazy for a retirement town and anything east such as newport news or norfolk gets really crowded. williamsburg is beautiful and ideal for a retirement town. it is however expensive. you enjoy the 4 seasons in VA. the color change is the fall is amazing.
i have seen stanton..it is between lynchburg and harrisonburg and alos between charlottesville and harrisonburg. it is a quaint town but not a whole lot to do.
the point of my response is to sell you on charlottesville.
1.a lot of culture..theaters,art,libraries and so forth. UVA really has a lot to offer charlottesville.
2.there is plenty to do. downtown is like nothing i have seen. it is clean, not crowded, unique and cute.
3.there are plenty of restuarants around for any taste you may desire.
4.history,history...amazing things around. monticello,ash-lawn highland(james monroes house, and montpeiler(james madisons) you could spend so much time visiting historical sites.
5.vineyards..if you are interested. there are so many vineyards to see its impossible to see them all in a weekend.
6.the views and countryside outside of the city and quite enjoyable
7. airport is decent for cville but richmond is a quick trip away.
8.UVA medical has some of the best doctors and are always getting awards.
9.tons of shopping. not your typical mass mall but unique strip malls.
10. there are always festivals. i have a book with almost somethign for everyweekend.
11. for 375K you can find a great place..but housing is expensive.
i would love to tell you more! there is so much to say...since i recently moved here 6+ months ago i have done the whole get to know the town visitor/tourist things.

Thanks! So far C'ville sounds closest to what we are looking for. We can't wait for our trip in April to see it and the other towns!

Hi Wanderer - I just left C'ville after a few years working at UVa, and as many others have commented, it does sound like a good match for you. I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit, if you need any restaurant recommendations let me know!

To get a sense of local activities and events, you can check out the two alternative weekly papers, The Hook (http://readthehook.com/) and C-ville Weekly (http://www.c-ville.com/). You'll also find them free at many hotels/stores around town once you arrive.

And one final, random thought - you mentioned your husband suffered from asthma. It is my understanding that C'ville has an unusually large percentage of allergy sufferers, including people who never had trouble with allergies anywhere else - something about the location &amp; trees that combine to cause this issue. I'm clearly no expert, but I experienced this personally and know many, many others who did, and heard several local doctors confirm this. If your husband's asthma is triggered by allergies, you may want to check with UVA's allergy clinic or your doctor.

goodheart -
Yes, would love restaurant recommendations!

My husband's ashtha is triggered by allergies, so that is a concern. We'll see what we can find out. We wonder if a climate with as much humidity also will be difficult for him. We'll just have to see.

You will LOVE Charlottesville. I'm a huge fan of those Blue Ridge Virginia towns. You have DC or Shenandoah Park within a easy drive.

I'm orginally from the upper midwest. Believe me when I say that the few wintery days you have in Virginia will be nothing compared to Mass.

Wanderer - tell me a little more about your food tastes and what kind of restaurants you enjoy, and I'll try and suggest some locations in town!

We want to eat at casual spots - not McDonalds, but places we don't need to dress up.

We love Italian food, and seafood, real comfort food (meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, etc.) is always great too. We like places with character that are not chains - ones with outdoor seating even better!

No suggestions wanderer, but based on what you have written, I live in one of those smaller towns right next to your town. It sure has warmed up aropund here since your first post.

The places you are interested in sound wonderful. I began reading the thread to jot down places I'd like to visit when we spend time in VA this summer.

I hope you find a nice spot. My husband lives in Centreville (near to Dulles) VA during the week and I find that area to be soo different from our neck of the woods.

Yes, I used to have clients in Annandale, and that was my only impression of VA - busy, busy, busy, strip mall, strip mall, strip mall, with no sense of neighborhood anywhere.

My husband says I'll find the VA countryside beautiful, much like VT, which I love.

Wanderer - there are lots of great options on the downtown mall in C'ville. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and you can eat all of your meals outdoors - you'll find almost every restaurant has outdoor seating once the weather is warm. Based on what you described, you may enjoy Bizou (http://www.charlottesvilletourism.or...ails.php?id=57) for delicious meatloaf,
as well as Escafe (www.escafe.com).

Blue Light Grill and Raw Bar (www.bluelightgrill.com) has nice seafood options, a little more upscale but nothing too dressy.

Vivace is another great Italian restaurant. It is not in the downtown area, but on Ivy Road, but has really nice outdoor seating.

Another great place to check out, and my favorite in town, is Bang, near the downtown mall. They have Asian-inspired tapas dishes, and fabulous desserts. Their garden seating is also wonderful.

For more options, check out the restaurants that were voted &quot;Best Of,&quot; http://www.c-ville.com/www/closet/BESTOF/vote.asp

No shortage of great restaurants in town!

Don't be scared when you drive into town on 29 - it looks alot like NoVa sprawl, but the rest of the area is not at all like that.

Oh, and, you might find this link useful as well: http://readthehook.com/newcomer.html

Wanderer - sorry to bring some negativity to this thread, but I've lived in Charlottesville for 7 years and the biggest downside to this city is dining out.

I've never lived in a place with such an abysmal restaurant scene (and I've lived in several cities from small to large). The problems include:
- The &quot;nicer&quot; restaurants have pretentious menus but mediocre food. They will have many examples of whatever is trendy in the restaurant scene but little of the nuance in flavor that you would expect.
- Price: the cost of dining out in Charlottesville is as high or higher than you will find in New York City or New Orleans.
- Service is uniformly bad, with places seemingly vying to outdo one another in this category.

To what to do attribute these problems?
- Most of the &quot;nicer&quot; restaurants are owned by people or groups who want the cachet of owning The-Hip-Place-To-Be. It's the problem of style over substance. The Blue Light Grill, for example, is owned by Coran Capshaw - the manager of the Dave Matthews Band. He owns several places in town all of which, in my opinion, should be avoided as they incorporate all of the negative qualities listed above: costly, pretentious, mediocre fare, and bad service.
- Why the high prices? The University of Virginia is populated with a very well off students. There are also a lot of Doctors, medical residents, academics, lawyers, and the county's &quot;horsey set.&quot; Most of these people apparently seem to equate price with quality and lack a sophisticated palate - so if they pay a lot, it must be good!
- The bad service? It's partly a combination of poor training, most servers viewing their job as temporary on the ladder to something better and the fact that most Americans are trained to tip no matter what so there are few repercussions to bad service.

All this said, there are a few places run by proprietors/chefs with a passion for what they do:
Bashir's Taverna
On the downtown mall
414 E Main St
Mediterranean food prepared by the gregarious Bashir. He knows nuance - even in a simple side salad. Go on a Saturday night and you might catch some live music or belly dancing.

L'etoile
On Main St about half way between UVa and the downtown mall
817 W Main St
French-Virginian style food. Chef owned and operated. Delicious food with a well-trained staff.

La Cucina
Just off the downtown mall
214 Water St
Italian food. Also Chef owned and operated. Far better choice than Vivace (I had the worst carbonara ever at Vivace).

South Street Brewery
Just off the downtown mall
106 South St.
Local beer. Food is mediocre here but if you like beer they brew it on the premises and have some good options. Ask what they have on cask.

For many other opinions, check out the following site:
http://www.charlottesville-dining.com/index.php

TravelingMom, if you come back to this thread, I thought you were moving to central Germany? Did that not work out or were you there for a shorter period? If you did go, just wondering what you thought of the area...

I spent a summer in Charlottesville about 20 years ago, and loved a little restaurant called Martha's. It was in a quaint little white house and had delicious, homey food. It's the kind of place I'd be afraid to return to, because it holds such a special place in my memory. Does anyone know if it's still there?