Where, Oh Where
First, we’ll share Clara’s new favorite song because it’s semi on topic. I don’t know what possessed Sherry to start singing the chorus of “Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego” to her the other day, but when she realized she was making up most of the words for lack of actual knowledge of the song she googled the lyrics so she could sing it correctly. Lo and behold, watching (and singing along) is now Clara’s favorite pastime ever (although we all could do without the gratuitous beatbox solo in the middle):
But back to the actual topic at hand. Where our new house will be located. Sherry and I quickly realized that the number one question we had to answer to keep our house hunt somewhat focused was “Where do we want to live?” Sure, we love the area that we’re in now, but with no work commute to factor in (one of the perks of working 8 feet from where we sleep) we were excited by the freedom to live pretty much anywhere we wanted. We even asked ourselves if staying in Richmond was our best move. Maybe we should go elsewhere in Virginia? Or elsewhere in the United States? Or even elsewhere in the world?
As adventurous as that sounded, we quickly realized that we definitely want to stay right here in good ol’ RVA (translation: Richmond, Virginia for any non locals). We love this city for its mix of urban and the great outdoors, its low cost of living, and its proximity to many members of our family. Plus it sure simplifies our hunt if we’re not trying to decipher a new town along the way. Plainly stated, we think Richmond rocks (much like these guys who made a rap about it):
This is turning into quite the musical post, eh? Anyway, while we have plenty on our housing wish list, our priority numero uno when it comes to location is schools. Sure Clara’s still a few years off from that and we know better than to assume that we won’t find ourselves moving again before she hits kindergarten (never say never) but we’d hate to put a time limit on our next house from the get go. Especially knowing my wife’s propensity to get attached. What the whole school district parameter means around here is that we decided to nix any homes within the Richmond city limits since the schools are said to be not-so-hot after elementary school (which we confirmed by checking out ratings on sites like greatschools.org and talking to friends and family members who have kiddos in our area). Ruling out Richmond city homes was a total bummer because ‘hoods like Forest Hill, The Fan, and Bellevue basically ooze charm left and right. Many lucky lads and ladies live there but they have the means to send their kiddos to prestigious private schools and we just don’t think we’ll be able to make that commitment while considering where to live – so eliminating the areas without high ranked public schools was the best choice for us. Even though many of the houses and neighborhoods there are a DIYers dream.
Our next priority after Clara & future bean(s) education is proximity to family. Right now my sister lives about five minutes away (and my parents are talking about moving nearby in May). Sure, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we landed in a spot only 30-ish minutes away from Emily, but we do think we’d miss the ease of popping over on a whim, swinging by to let out each other’s dogs, or even borrowing her SUV to haul craigslist and thrift store finds. So that means outskirt areas like Hanover County’s Mechanicsville, Henrico’s Short Pump, and even Chesterfield’s Swift Creek regions sadly got the boot from our consideration list. They’re certainly lovely, but they’re not the perfect fit for our little “family parameter” goal.
Once we effectively limited our search radius to 5-to-10 miles of our current house, the “old house filter” came into play. Since we prefer not to live in a newer-than-the-’50s-or-’60s house, we were able to eliminate a lot of the traditionally suburban developments that have popped up in Chesterfield County (where we currently live) and nearby Henrico (just a hop over the river from us).
And while Henrico’s West End neighborhoods boast lots of charming old capes with a pseudo-city feel, their smaller lots and tendency for on-street parking made us realize how much we liked our current neighborhood set up (with tons of privacy and expansive green lawns).
Which brings us right back to Bon Air.
Yep, it appeared that after all of that geographic soul-searching and (apparently pretend) adventurous spirit we decided that we’d love to end up right where we started in our current wooded, old, private, and scenic stomping ground (that’s still just 10 minutes from downtown Richmond). It has some of the greatest schools in the state, it’s close to family, and it’s packed with old homes on lots of lush land that need some serious love.
And it’s not like we’ll end up on the same street or anything because Bon Air is actually quite a large area, so we can move into different neighborhoods within Bon Air (and can’t wait to start exploring other developments). Oh yeah and it has a water tower. Idyllic, right?
We know, it’s a bit of an anticlimactic ending. But we’re glad we went through the exercise of exploring our options (literally, we spent a few weeks on field trips through various counties and neighborhoods every other day while Clara snuck in her early evening nap in the backseat). And all that recent road neighborhood tripping definitely makes us more confident and excited by our decision to stay nearby. Now if only the perfect house would reveal itself. We promise to share our actual house hunting adventures as those arise. And while we’re on the subject, have any of you made much more exciting huge cross-country or international moves? If so, how exotic of you. We still remember the thrill of loading up my mom’s minivan and moving from NYC to Richmond nearly five years ago. Has anyone else cast a wide net and ended up right back where you started like we did this time around?
Psst- We announced our big winner for this week’s contest at the end of Monday’s original contest post. Click here to see if it’s you.
Photo of The Fan from here, new construction photo from here, Bon Air watertower image from here.
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What a shame, we’d love to have you move to Canberra, Australia! :-)
We recently sold our first home in Iowa and headed west to California for grad school. The cross country trip via uhaul and two chihuahuas was definitely memorable!
I moved from Toronto, Ontario to Roanoke, VA just over 2.5 years ago. It was TERRIFYING to leave the Toronto area where I had lived all my life and where all my family was (is). But my hubby convinced me that it would be a good experience and he was certainly right. We absolutely love Roanoke and hope we get to stay here for a long time! But if we don’t, it’s ok! We will love the next place too.
You’re not the only one singing some Rockapella to your baby. I don’t know why, but I sing it to my 6 mo old all the time!
My husband and I both work from home too, and we are closing on a house next week that is around the corner from our current rental house. It’s literally a quarter of a mile away.
Net change in terms of location: quieter street and 5 more minutes of walking to downtown. I’m right there with you!
Ah, Bon Air. I moved to Mechanicsville to be with my husband 2 years ago. Our house is in a great location and Hanover has great schools as I’m sure you know but I have to say I would really like to be in Bon Air too! I don’t blame you for staying.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever commented, so first I have to say THANK YOU because you guys helped me power through the last few years of fixing up our home in Massachusetts. It was “the tear down we couldn’t afford to tear down.” 8 long years, but we finally had it PERFECT, just right, never gonna leave for the rest of our lives. And then…you guessed it! My husband got his dream job offered to him in Chicago! This is my first visit back after moving in to the Beige McMansion that everyone dreams about (everyone but me of course!) I’m just going to hang out and start going through the archives if you don’t mind because all this beige is sapping my decisionmaking power and I’m at a loss! For 8 years, I’ve been trying to make a small house seem BIGGER. Now I’m up at bat with the total REVERSE challenge. How to make a big house seem cozy and homey. But it sure keeps the juices flowing! And your house hunt and subsequent fun of making your new home YOURS, will surely be a fun trip to travel with you! Thanks for taking us along. :)
We’re currently house hunting and I’ve narrowed our search field down to about a 5km radius. How adventurous we all are!
Good luck with the hunt. I hope you have more luck than we’re having.
WHAT?! South Africa wasn’t even on your radar! What a shame! 2004 we sold all our belongings in Portland OR and migrated South… to a much sunnier climate in South Africa. Pretty sweet, right?
Check out the Rockapella video around 0:43-0:45. I swear they say “from Nashville to Norway, Bon Air to Zimbabwae”! Seriously, I watched it a couple of times and I think they say Bon Air! (At least it sounds like it) :)
Good luck with the hunt!
Lauren B.
Hey Lauren B,
They do say Bon Air! I took it as a sign as well! Although in the typed lyrics that I found online they spelled it “Bonaire”… I’ll still take it!
xo,
s
I grew up in Bon Air!! Started out at BonAir elementary school (actually a friends mother works there and some of my old teachers are still there) and graduated from James River High. Love the area and it’s a great place for kids! Good luck1!
I miss RVA so much, moved from the Fan to Georgia almost 2 years ago with my hubby. I keep plotting ways to get back.
We moved three years ago into a home that is soooo close that we can still see our old house from our upstairs area! As a matter of fact, our pro movers found it easier to walk our trampoline down the street than to disassemble, load, unload, then reassemble for such a short distance. Now THAT was a funny sight!! On a more serious note, we loved our old home. We were there for 14 years. Although we are very happy with our decision to buy the house we are in now, I sometimes feel the pull at my heartstrings when I drive by the old one. I, like Sherry, have attachment issues. Just something to keep in mind. I am very excited about sharing your moving adventure. All 4 (including Burger) of you are precious!! :)
I moved from upper PA to VA over 11 years ago, mainly for the beautiful weather. Since then a lot of my family has followed and thankfully, they love VA as much as we do!
I lived in the same house all my life growing up and moved a whole hour and a half away for college. After graduation, I moved 15 minutes away from my parents and 2 minutes away (ehh)from the in-laws. I’m so exotic! I’m glad y’all are narrowing it down and looking for good schools! That is such a bonus in today’s market if you ever want to sell this “new” old house in the future!
Thank you Thank you for the greatschools.org link!! so much great information!! Hubby and I are thinking of relocating within our community to get ready for having babies, and I’ve just discovered, like you, we don’t really need to move!! Our little home is only 2 blocks from the best elementary school in town!! AWESOME!!
My hubby grew up in Argentina, went to the states for college where we met, got married and lived for almost 30 years, and now he’s completed the circle and returned to Argentina. We live less than two hours from where he went to high school and every chance we get, we go out to work on the “family house”. It sat (mostly) empty for over 20 years after his folks retired to the U.S. so there’s a LOT of work to be done, but we’re having a great time doing it :) It sits the equivalent of a city block from the river in a neighborhood of mostly vacation homes — which means we’re often the only ones around most of the year. I’m having a blast getting ideas from online DIY bloggers, including y’all :)
I used to live in the West End for years…and reading your adventure makes me miss living in Richmond…good luck, you are in an amazing city…that is all :-)
my husband and i have been married for 6+ years and we have lived in two general cities in two states, while totaling up to 7 homes. my not even one year old is living in his 3rd home (yes, we have had some crazy changes this year!)… and we’d love to live back where we recently moved from.
We ended up buying in the LAST place we ever thought we’d move to. In fact, my husband’s last words were, “No houses in Colonial Heights” as he kissed me goodbye and headed to DC for a couple of days for work.
I’d spent 5 years falling in love with Richmond (what an underrated city!. Living in the Fan and Church Hill as renters was great but my husband and I came to the same conclusion y’all did — homeownership there wasn’t the best fit for our young family. I was heart broken. (Bonaire was actually at the top of our list too!)
When I saw the Floral Hill and Battery Park neighborhoods in this dinky little town I was sold. Sidewalks! Character! Charm! And CHEAP! When I saw the wrap porch on our 1921 Amerian Four Square my heart skipped a beat. When I saw the original tile on the fireplace it almost stopped. I was sold. What could be the ugliest bathroom in America couldn’t even sway my love. Thankfully my husband felt the same way… so we moved to Colonial Heights and I ended up with all the things I loved most about Richmond but with better schools and a lower price point.
Plus, we’re a short walk from Old Town Petersburg which has great (non-chain) restraunts, shops, a wonderful farmers market and a coffee shop that rivals anything I’ve been to in Richmond (Demolition Coffee on Bank Street). And for a thrift store junky there are more antique stores (that have insane prices) than you can shake a fist at.
What can I say, I’m a sucker for hidden potential!
We just moved across the country to Richmond for my husband’s work! We absolutely love it here and cannot believe how much we already feel at home. We’re out looking for charming houses and cozy neighborhoods every weekend, and have sadly cut homes within the Richmond city limits out too. We just found out that we have a little one on the way, and schools have jumped up the list of crucial factors in our search. We’re not Short Pump people, so I think we’re going to keep looking in Chesterfield! :)
Ummm, the Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego video just made my day. Ohhh awesome. I used to love that show (but mostly just the song) and still to this day randomly get the chorus stuck in my head.
And I kind of thought the gratuitous beat box solo was amazing…ha ha
I’m sooo glad you’re staying in Bon Air! I was born in a little brick rancher in Bon Air and my family moved a few miles away to another Chesterfield County neighborhood when I was in elementary school (shout-out for Bon Air Elem. School and Monacan HS!). As a “grown-up” I still daydream about living in one of those awesome Victorian houses on Buford Road! Smart choice to stay in a great neighborhood!
Bonaire is actually a Caribbean island, but hey close enough. I am actually horrified that they say Chicago.
Haha, close enough!
xo,
s
Hey guys! Bon Air is a great place to live…especially with all those old historical Victorian houses. Be careful though…word is most are haunted :) I’m from Richmond, in fact all the fam still live there. My grandma lives right across the street from that water tank!! Good Luck!!
PS…I LOVE that video! Hilarious and awesome!!!
Yes I moved to Germany, lived before in another foreign country and plan to move at least once more aborad. I love to experinece another language, culture etc. For me, the best way to do that is to live somewhere.
In the city where I live now I moved 4 times in last years, but having no kids yet it was easier I guess.
Oh I do have one question: could you please show those of us who are not from USA or your area something about Richmond city, like down town, main streets etc. I would like to see how your city looks like. Thanks!
Hey JJa,
Check out the map of Richmond that we included above in this post. Where it says “Richmond” that’s pretty much downtown, and where it says Bon Air, that’s where we currently live and the area that we think we’ll be staying near. It’s a bit more complicated than describing a certain area as “main street” since Richmond has many areas (like The Fan, The Bottom, The West End, Southside, etc) but maybe you can check out google maps or google images for other photos and maps of Richmond to get more of an idea. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We are going through the same sort of dilemma. My husband and I moved from Philadelphia to Richmond and now we’re considering buying a house… the only problem is unfortunately I haven’t fallen in love with Richmond yet so we’re in the middle of deciding if we should commit to Richmond or relocate to another city (D.C. or Baltimore maybe)
Not sure if anybody else made this comment, but, having been a Richmonder myself, the city is rumored to have some sort of Indian curse that once you live there, you either never leave or always return eventually. I absolutely adore Richmond and would move back there in a heartbeat (job and housing opportunities permitting).
Love, Love, Love Bon Air! HOWEVER, need to put in a plug for the mid-west-end. The little neighborhoods along Forest between River and Patterson have older homes, loads of potential, and the price points have come down in this market. Tuckahoe schools are great and the neighbors are fantastic!
Does anyone else think that this guy looks like a young Tom Hanks or perhaps like his son Colin Hanks?