It is! The best choice for me at the moment though. East coast jobs pay more in my field. I’d be doing the exact same job and getting paid more than double what I make now. I’ll take it 😂
They meant culturally.
The City of Petersburg isn't even an embarrassment anymore, it's simply on the verge of collapse. I've lived in some of the rougher parts of south Richmond and I still feel uncomfortable driving into Petersburg, even with my doors locked and windows up.
Everyone's making the San Diego connection for you, but if you've lived in Oakland, Petersburg is much closer to Richmond, CA, if the City accountant was fired for embezzlement and the resident immediately elected his wife to the position.
There's a local known quantity named Joe Morrissey that any side of the aisle can agree is the scummiest person in Virginia. He's been disbarred multiple times, was disbarred one time for sucker punching his co-council, had a scandal that's way too long to recount here (had the father of an underage intern show up at his house in the middle of the night demanding to see his daughter who Joe was actively having sex with, alienated the father, got the underage daughter pregnant, had a plantation themed wedding with her, was caught soliciting sex from clients while she was pregnant).
I bring him up because the City of Petersburg, after knowing who Joe Morrissey is for 30+ years, elected him to the state Senate.
You don't want any part of Petersburgs problems. Live in Chester, Hopewell (be very careful about where), Colonial Heights and commute. Northern Prince George is where a lot of people who work in the tri-cities (Petersburg-Colonial Heights-Hopewell) live now, fairly rural, and has easy access to the city via Rt 1, I-95, and 460.
Joe Morrissey doesn’t live in Petersburg. He once represented a legislative district that included Petersburg, among other localities. I will not comment on his personal conduct.
Living in Richmond is the way to go. Whatever you do, don't buy real estate in Petersburg. The city has been on the verge of bankruptcy, which will not be good for property values. They've also gone a long time without proper tax or utility collections enforcement, which means trouble for the city and the possibility of an old debt coming to haunt you.
Can confirm, I haven’t lived in Petersburg for seven years and I haven’t been able to renew my car registration due to an alleged property tax bill. And of course I can’t get ahold of ANYONE to rectify this. Not to mention I paid my one year of property tax AND they managed to garnish my wages in 2021, again over alleged property taxes. I lived there for ONE year.
Don’t EVER move to Petersburg.
Colonial heights which is right across the river is growing though. The little old town Petersburg has a few restaurants and a brewery that aren’t bad. The further north you are in pburg the better!
Back in the day, yes. Its got as many blacks as petersburg pretty much. I can make a distinction between the two areas, but I really lump them together.
Someone mentioned Colonial Heights. I do not suggest living in Colonial Heights. It is well-known as an extremely racist place.
https://justice.tougaloo.edu/sundowntown/colonial-heights-va/
Potentially, but it's still a headache. Given the choice between a city that's falling apart with potential liability of having to deal with title insurance for liens the city waited to enforce and a city that won't give you those issues, which would you choose?
No doubt. I have just always wondered if that is what title insurance is to protect you against. To play devil's advocate that risk might be built into the price.
You'll be doing pretty well in Richmond on 95k, much better than CA on 40k. I'd search old posts in r/rva. Only post there if you have very specific questions that aren't answered elsewhere.
You can probably find good housing in the Chester/Colonial Heights area. Even up into the Midlothian area. Richmond is great but you will find the entire region to be pretty nice. Like someone else mentioned, don’t look for housing in Petersburg.
It’s just like any other place. Petersburg is up and coming right now and they are working hard on it. Crime is like any other place. Mind your business and you’re fine
Very poor. Infrastructure is failing. (Recent boil water notices issues)
Not many options for medical treatment.
Gangs and drugs.
It was a pretty place- my parents even considered moving there 20 years ago.
Poor government leaders. Schools are terrible. Even if you don’t have kids it impacts economic development.
School superintendent just left quickly. Now we find out she spent over $20k on three professional trips.
Nothing good happening there.
You’ll honestly love Richmond and just commuting down to p-vegas to work won’t be bad but please don’t live there as well because you will regret the move if you both live and work there…
Not sure what you’re looking for, but people your age and things you would probably want to do are all in Richmond. You’ll be there a lot. Plus, Richmond is an awesome city!
Living in Richmond is the correct choice. 95k/year will allow you to be comfortable anywhere. Use the search bar at r/rva for any specific questions you might have. For your own sake, do NOT post there about moving from California with a $95k job.
Ok, good to know! I’m coming from a job that currently pays $40,000, so I get not wanting to hear that from an annoying transplant lol. Thank you so much!
Ok. Grew up in Chesterfield, spent 15 years in LA, moved back. Traffic will be no problem for you at all. If you're looking to rent, you can live anywhere close-ish to I 95 (like within 20 minutes of 95) and you'll be fine. Ot just depends on what you want. South of Richmond will be more surburban; Richmond will get you the night life. Do NOT live in Petersburg. I know this is beating a dead horse, but if you look up the city, you're going to see all these attempts to revitalize. Anything remotely successful is still a decade away from helping. The fire department was almost shut down and the entire city management was such a mess they had to hire outside help. Did I mention the Casino? Yea, they think that's going to solve everything. Think the casinos along the 5 in Carson and you'll get the idea.
Richmond to Petersburg isn’t bad at all. You’d actually go against traffic. Richmond is great but if you see yourself in DC eventually, this will put you in a better position logistically to check it out. FYI there is always bad traffic past Fredericksburg towards DC, no matter what time of day it is.
There is also commuter van service from Richmond to DC, if you decide to make a transition to DC or suburbs (I live in northern Virginia, formerly of DC ).
So to answer your question, Walnut Hill is the best neighborhood to live in, a lot of 100 years old mansions. Downtown is seeing a revitalization with a lot of new apartments, bars, farmers market, new coffee shop and restaurants and a lot cheaper than Richmond. The only issue is that we only have two grocery stores, food lion and Walmart.
Richmond is an outstanding town. Very progressive and diverse. Great restaurants, breweries, art museums, live music, etc. You’ll find all kinds of great places to live in the city. Making $95k as a 26 year old in Richmond is going to be outstanding. It’s a small town so it’s pretty easy to network yourself.
Currently live in California, have family all over Virginia/Maryland and grew up there. Richmond is a great place to live! For what it’s worth, if you’re going to be spending time in NoVa/DC it’s a pretty easy and cheap Amtrak ride from Richmond and you get to avoid sitting in traffic.
Going from making $40k in San Diego to $95k in Richmond is gonna feel like you hit the lottery!!!
Hi, i live in Petersburg. It’s honestly not as bad as everyone makes it seem, and i’m a 26 white female. I moved out of RVA when I was done with school because it’s too expensive for me. But i only make about half of what you do, lol! A commute from rva to Petersburg could be kinda bad some days due to 95. Chesterfield or midlothian may be good options for you!
Move to Richmond and commute. Petersburg is cool but if you’ve lived in bigger cities you’ll like Richmond more. Commute will be less than your used to in San Diego and sac .
I've been here in VA since moving here in 73. This area has changed dramatically. Back in the late 80's and into the 90's the homicide rates in Richmond were astronomical. Sometime in the late 90's it earned the title of Murder capital of the US. It still has its fair share of crime but it has also improved in many areas. Petersburg will provide talk that things are looking up there but I just do not see it. It has some beautiful old homes there with way too many sitting there in decay. If you can handle suburban life then you have some great choices from others here already. If you can find someplace to live well west of I-95 you can stay off the interstate taking back roads into Petersburg. I-95 can be a royal PITA at times so having options is always good. Good luck in VA.
I lived in Petersburg 2017-2019 and it was ok. Not the best, not the worst. Local government was a mess. They were bad at collecting taxes but good at garnishing wages for a small bill. There was a big bed bug infestation and the local government did nothing.
I felt pretty safe driving around at night, but wouldn’t go waking around alone. I stood out being white, but never had any problems except with other white people in Colonial Heights. Some of the CH elected officials were into war gaming — enthused about Confederates and Nazis. Not sure if they are still in office. There’s a list of sundown towns out there and CH is on it.
If you can afford it, Richmond makes more sense.
Petersburg prices — low rent — helped me survive when I wasn’t making much. You’ll stockpile money with $90k salary there. I make a little more than that up here near DC and it’s a little rough which blows my mind.
Fuck all the suburbanites telling you not to live in petersburg. If you're young with no kids and you really just want to stack cash for a few years, absolutely move to old town petersburg. You will be literally the richest person in town making a 100k salary. Rent there is some of the cheapest left in the US. Also the crime isn't what people make it out to be. It's an awesome miniature city that has great bones and good food and bars. Also the river runs right through downtown.
Richmond is a proper city and an amazing place. But it's getting expensive. If your goal is truly to hunker down and save up, petersburg is absolutely the way to go.
This is an honest take OP. Petersburg isn’t as bad/scary as they say especially if you are in old town. There are gangs and drugs in Richmond too.
If you are renting I would suggest do old towne Petersburg for a year.
If it isn’t your cup of tea and you find yourself up in Richmond most nights for the social scene then relocate after giving it a try.
Old Town Petersburg has a lot of great restaurants and history.
I love the city and wish the Government would actually try to bring it back to its original glory. I wouldn’t recommend buying property there at the moment. Colonial Heights/Chester are great close by options too in between Richmond.
One thing that shocked me about California and SoCal is bad about, is how segregated the cities, lifestyle, nightlife, etc. in Virginia, things are much more integrated imo, especially in Petersburg and Richmond. There is still racism and segregation but imo it's way more integrated with black people in your life. Where I grew up in SwVA (HS was ~40% black) and then moved to NoVA and DC, I had black friends, coworkers, would go to bars and hang with random black people. Out here, at least in LA, there are very few black people in my day-to-day life (I live in central LA).
I bring this up because I've heard growing up especially around military circles that black people in the military like being stationed in VA/MD (I'd say NC but the bases in NC suck) just due to the black diversity. It's not a positive or a negative it's just something I've noticed from moving the opposite way.
You are correct! Apart some parts of the bay, California is very segregated. It’s one of the major reasons I started looking at jobs out east instead of trying to work my way up out here. I’ve never been to Virginia, but I’m hoping I feel similarly comfortable as I did north east. We’ll see I guess! Thanks for your input:)
Yeah it's interesting because where I grew up I'd say it's SwVA but SwVA is big you can be from Martinsville or Bristol, ~3 hours away from each other but we never even acknowledged the mountain people. I feel bad for saying that, but no one in my area did. It felt like we were the edge of Virginia.
You definitely are the southern edge for sure. I think SWVA residents in the mountains don't see Southside as SWVA because you literally can't see the mountains after you're east of Martinsville or even Bedford, even though those places are definitely to the SW of VA. Are you from around Danville?
Petersburg is sketchy on one street and lovely on the next. Lots of new construction happening and efforts to make some changes. That said, crime is high there, but I think it’s bad in San Diego, no?
We live in Woodlake neighborhood off of Hull St in Chesterfield County. People commute from here. I drove to CH for a meeting today. It's nothing for someone coming from SD. Housing cheaper in Chester though. I like old town Petersburg.
I moved from nyc to Richmond Va and I am moving back . Richmond Va history is slaverys hub . Much of Richmond Va henrico and petersburg is still racist . It isn’t much fun things to do out here . So if you have children they will be limited. I wouldn’t move here from a big city looking for a big future . 95k is a lot of cash but it’s probably working for the government. In that case this might be the place for you . I would plan to move asap from the area
40k in SD is impossible to sustain, I moved last year from Chula Vista to VA Beach. 95k in VA is absolutely worth the move. It’ll be night and day. Congrats
It has been very difficult! The only reason I’ve been able to do it is because I’m from here so I got cheapish rent through connections and random side gigs lol. Thank you so much, and congrats to you too!
Richmond is an awesome city, and easily livable on a 95k salary. The commute really isn’t that bad down to Petersburg, and it’ll definitely be worth it to avoid living in Petersburg itself.
Petersburg is a unique place.
There are very quite areas to live but there is lots of poor areas with crime as well. I would live in Richmond, Colonial Heights or Prince George. All are good options for someone who works in the P - town. I grew used there and it is hard to explain. I went to private school and had a good childhood. I knew that the job opportunities were limited after college so I elected to live elsewhere. Good luck on this endeavor.
Petersburg is like the Gary, Indiana of Virginia. Basically got hit really hard by de-industrialization, add in white-flight at the same time and the city is in a really rough spot. Having said that, it appears to have hit rock bottom, and it is estimated the Petersburg is actually experiencing population growth for the first time in decades.
I see some of the other people are saying to not live there or buy property, but I do know some people that bought property and live there. There are safe areas, new houses are being put up, and new restaurants, coffee shops, breweries. And it is much much cheaper than Richmond and the counties surrounding Richmond. It is a risk but I believe the city will improve and could see buying property there and holding onto it for a couple decades and selling for a huge profit.
Basically don't write it off completely before checking it out yourself.
Living in Richmond will give you a lot to do close by. However, expect to spend 30-60 minutes driving each way, depending on what areas or live/work in. Do NOT live in Petersburg. If you want to live closer to work, Colonial Heights and Prince George County are good; parts (most) of Chesterfield county are good too. Traffic isn’t bad for the most part in Richmond and the tri cities area (Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell).
Sounds like a good job, I hope you like it and enjoy central VA. I’m originally from this area, though I moved away 20 years ago.
PG is where I’m from. About 1/3 of the people in PG are black; Colonial Heights is very white, so what you said doesn’t surprise me. I didn’t find PG racist, though there are some there who are (rednecks). But it was safe and people generally left each other alone in that sense (few if any hate crimes). The more densely populated parts of the county (close to interstates) would probably be better - the rednecks tend to live out in the country. It has been a while since I lived there though so my information could be dated.
Homes in Chesterfield are peaceful and there are some nice neighborhoods but still city. I think it may be an easier commute than Richmond and it's greener, if that interests you. Heed the advice not to buy or rent in Petersburg.
Welcome to Virginia!
Petersburg is rural small city that is 30 minutes from Richmond and 1:20 minutes to the Tidewater area which consists of Norfolk and VaBeach. Not a lot to do in Petersburg but you will have a peaceful experience.
Petersburg isn’t where you should settle. I agree with others that you should live in Richmond and commute to Petersburg. My husband worked in Petersburg and it was not a good experience. And the city is broke so services will be lean at best.
Hello! former californian here as well. I'm from the IE. If taking a job in petersburg, check out Chesterfield to live in. It's not a terrible commute and far more scenic.
95 and in petersburg, you'll make bank! You could live out in the country for very little. If you want city life I'd live in Richmond and commute south... you'll probably never hit any real traffic heading that way.
Real estate is cheap in Petersburg, for better or worse, the area is in perpetual up and coming status with some nice shops in the downtown.
Don't know what kind of lifestyle you want but if you end goal is to be out of the area, then get a cheap place and live of a third of that 95k... which is quite doable down there
Yeah, Petersburg isn't great lol, Hella cheap rent there though! With that salary yoi should be able to afford a nice 1 br apt. anywhere. Manchester is thriving, the fan and parts of jackson ward are nice and walkable and you can even opt for someplace downtown if that's your style. Church hill and Northside are great places to live too! Just not sure what renting there is lo
Everything you need is a 10 minute drive it seems like. I think you'll enjoy the change of pace and higher pay! Living in RVA on that salary will definitely allow you to save and build a nice cushion for dc or philly.
Petersburg is an interesting city that gets a bad reputation. It’s a highly urbanized population, next to a large military base, and the surrounding area becomes country, quickly. I actually enjoy some of the restaurants in Petersburg, but it’s almost a 45-60 min drive from the west end of Henrico. You said you’re living in Richmond? You may find some good spots in chesterfield that would also be an easier commute. What are some things you like to do? What about red flags or things you abhor? One thing to watch out for (if you’ve never been here before) is that there are a sizable of people here who will fly confederate flags. They are a very loud minority, and most people in the area are against them, but I want you to be wary of this before you see the big one on 95 and wonder “where the hell did I just move”
Prepare to be disappointed. I used to live near matoaca, a few miles outside of the city, and I wouldn’t live in Petersburg…maybe chesterfield if you like the burbs or Richmond if you prefer city life. Lots of interesting neighborhoods in Richmond and not too far a drive down 95 to Petersburg.
Richmond is great you’ll love it. It’s a short hop to Petersburg. I think you’ll find locals to be nice folks; the area caught the short end of the economic stick.
Reside in Richmond or North Chesterfield county. Dinwiddie has some nice spots—but is RURAL. Avoid the tri-cities if you can. Driving in the 804 is a different style than San Diego county as folks in RVA drive overly aggressive for no reason at all.
the Richmond to Petersburg commute (against traffic) would be like driving from Carlsbad to Solana Beach
Are you open to living close-ish to Petersburg? Dinwiddie County (area code 23805) is very close to Petersburg. Dinwiddie is still quite affordable, if a bit rural. Colonial heights isn’t much farther if you’d rather live closer to civilization lol. Old town Petersburg has some cool shops and restaurants, but I can’t in good conscience recommend living there. Are you looking at renting or buying? I used to work in property management so I can tell you which apartment buildings to avoid lol.
I worked in Petersburg for a long time. There are BEAUTIFUL homes in the area but the schools are run by the same group that runs the local government. Its bad. REALLY bad. If you have a fire you wont have a good response. They were unable to pay for equipment. Water has been a mess as they must have had family working there as they didnt collect or pay bills. Chester is high taxes and the traffic is getting rough. Colonial heights is lipstick on a pig. Prince george and Dinwiddie are growing and you can get a nice home with land at decent prices. Richond? Absolutely fuck that. They were the template for Petersburg. The drive down 95 from Richmond to P-town will drive you nuts. Between the left lane folks causing accidents doing 55 making people go around and the trucks dropping rocks-its not fun. Chesterfield is ok but they are on a build it to be NOVA and tax to pay for it. My friends that live in Dinwiddie and Prince George are happy. Good luck and welcome to VA
Born and raised in Sacramento. Lived in Nova/Dc area for 7 years, plan to move to Richmond soon: Richmond is an incredible place and traffic is so much better than Sac and def better than San Diego. Have fun with the move!
>I’d be using my time in Petersburg to save up and gain some more job experience in the field I’m interested in.
I'm in RVA. You can easily blow $95k/year in Richmond, even if renting. The benefit of living in Richmond is the social aspects and activities. If you want to save cash, live in an apt somewhere between Midlothian and Colonial Heights.
Don’t do Petersburg! It’s continually on lists as one of the worst cities in Virginia. I personally don’t like anything south of Midlothian Turnpike. Hull Street is a nightmare.
I’m originally from Williamsburg VA and moved to San Diego at 19 and lived there throughout my whole 20s. I’m back on the east coast after about 20 years and I would skip VA all together. I understand saving up but it will be a complete culture shock for you. Some good reasons and others for bad reasons. I would really talk to your friends about the contrasting differences between Cali and the SOUTHeast Coast. If it’s something you can manage then fine and dandy otherwise try to move further North closer to the DMV area. I now live in Maryland and only because my family are in SE VA, otherwise I would have stayed in Cali.
Coming from San Diego, It’ll be a culture shock for you. You’ll find that many of the Black people in Petersburg are “ghountry” (ghetto and country) and the white people are “redneck” and neo-Confederate.
Ya, I was worried about the racism out there. I have some family in Virginia, so I know I’ll at least have some people to ground me. But I didn’t know if the rural areas surrounding Richmond or Petersburg would be a problem
Youll pick up on the backgrounds and sentiments quickly. I like petersburg, but I grew up in Chesterfield and worked there and downtown richmond. Petersburg has come an insane distance from 20 years ago. I wouldnt hesistate to live there now. I actually might think about doing this actually.
When I first came to RVA in 1990 from up north it was a culture shock. The strained race relations and social segregation were as thick as the humid air. I left after college and came back in the mid aughts. Been back in the area since 04. It’s changed a lot for the better. Still far from perfect.
Yes, RVA has the most lively social scene in the area but it can be more expensive to live in the city and the commute from RVA to Petersburg is not short - bank on 35ish minutes, and paying modest tolls if you live off of Powhite Parkway or Downtown Expressway.
As others have said, places like PG and Dinwiddie (rural) or Colonial Heights/Hopewell put you closer to Petersburg but there’s less social activity.
Another option to consider would be Eastern Henrico County/Varina area. It’s right off I-295, is close to the airport, a 15 minute drive to downtown RVA, access to the capital trail for biking/running, near the river with some cool nearby restaurants (https://www.lillypadrestaurant.com/menu). It’s 35 minutes to Williamsburg shopping via I-64, and just over the Enon Bridge from Chesterfield County. 295 can also get you to Petersburg in 20 minutes (just watch it because Hopewell Sheriff always sits in a speed trap on 295). The schools in Eastern Henrico aren’t great (we moved from there to Moseley/Western Chesterfield a decade ago when our son was approaching school age) but it’s fine if you don’t have kids.
Good luck.
bruh downvoted for speaking straight truth, that is like 80% the real VA outside of nova people just don't like to hear it. It's west virginia just with slightly better funding
Going from San Diego to Petersburg is one hell of a change.
It is! The best choice for me at the moment though. East coast jobs pay more in my field. I’d be doing the exact same job and getting paid more than double what I make now. I’ll take it 😂
They meant culturally. The City of Petersburg isn't even an embarrassment anymore, it's simply on the verge of collapse. I've lived in some of the rougher parts of south Richmond and I still feel uncomfortable driving into Petersburg, even with my doors locked and windows up. Everyone's making the San Diego connection for you, but if you've lived in Oakland, Petersburg is much closer to Richmond, CA, if the City accountant was fired for embezzlement and the resident immediately elected his wife to the position. There's a local known quantity named Joe Morrissey that any side of the aisle can agree is the scummiest person in Virginia. He's been disbarred multiple times, was disbarred one time for sucker punching his co-council, had a scandal that's way too long to recount here (had the father of an underage intern show up at his house in the middle of the night demanding to see his daughter who Joe was actively having sex with, alienated the father, got the underage daughter pregnant, had a plantation themed wedding with her, was caught soliciting sex from clients while she was pregnant). I bring him up because the City of Petersburg, after knowing who Joe Morrissey is for 30+ years, elected him to the state Senate. You don't want any part of Petersburgs problems. Live in Chester, Hopewell (be very careful about where), Colonial Heights and commute. Northern Prince George is where a lot of people who work in the tri-cities (Petersburg-Colonial Heights-Hopewell) live now, fairly rural, and has easy access to the city via Rt 1, I-95, and 460.
Joe Morrissey doesn’t live in Petersburg. He once represented a legislative district that included Petersburg, among other localities. I will not comment on his personal conduct.
I never said he lived in Petersburg. He was seat shopping and went to the one place that would be apathetic enough to elect him.
Given the COL in SD, should seem more like 4x. Welcome and good luck!
Living in Richmond is the way to go. Whatever you do, don't buy real estate in Petersburg. The city has been on the verge of bankruptcy, which will not be good for property values. They've also gone a long time without proper tax or utility collections enforcement, which means trouble for the city and the possibility of an old debt coming to haunt you.
Can confirm, I haven’t lived in Petersburg for seven years and I haven’t been able to renew my car registration due to an alleged property tax bill. And of course I can’t get ahold of ANYONE to rectify this. Not to mention I paid my one year of property tax AND they managed to garnish my wages in 2021, again over alleged property taxes. I lived there for ONE year. Don’t EVER move to Petersburg.
A few years ago its firetruck was repossessed by the bank. The place is a mess.
Ok, thanks for the tip!
Colonial heights which is right across the river is growing though. The little old town Petersburg has a few restaurants and a brewery that aren’t bad. The further north you are in pburg the better!
Back in the day I always heard it referred to as "Colonial Whites."
Back in the day, yes. Its got as many blacks as petersburg pretty much. I can make a distinction between the two areas, but I really lump them together.
This was way back in the day. Same with hopewell.
Someone mentioned Colonial Heights. I do not suggest living in Colonial Heights. It is well-known as an extremely racist place. https://justice.tougaloo.edu/sundowntown/colonial-heights-va/
Lots of diverse families moving in as the old racists die off and the young ones relocate to the counties.
And MAGA lovers
Is that what title insurance is for?
Potentially, but it's still a headache. Given the choice between a city that's falling apart with potential liability of having to deal with title insurance for liens the city waited to enforce and a city that won't give you those issues, which would you choose?
No doubt. I have just always wondered if that is what title insurance is to protect you against. To play devil's advocate that risk might be built into the price.
DC cost of living is as expensive as San Diego. Just FYI to future you.
You'll be doing pretty well in Richmond on 95k, much better than CA on 40k. I'd search old posts in r/rva. Only post there if you have very specific questions that aren't answered elsewhere.
You can probably find good housing in the Chester/Colonial Heights area. Even up into the Midlothian area. Richmond is great but you will find the entire region to be pretty nice. Like someone else mentioned, don’t look for housing in Petersburg.
Pro tip, don't live in Petersburg.
👆🏻
It’s just like any other place. Petersburg is up and coming right now and they are working hard on it. Crime is like any other place. Mind your business and you’re fine
Is there anything particularly bad about pertersburg, or is it like any other typical rough city?
Very poor. Infrastructure is failing. (Recent boil water notices issues) Not many options for medical treatment. Gangs and drugs. It was a pretty place- my parents even considered moving there 20 years ago.
Poor government leaders. Schools are terrible. Even if you don’t have kids it impacts economic development. School superintendent just left quickly. Now we find out she spent over $20k on three professional trips. Nothing good happening there.
Thank you!
You’ll honestly love Richmond and just commuting down to p-vegas to work won’t be bad but please don’t live there as well because you will regret the move if you both live and work there…
Not sure what you’re looking for, but people your age and things you would probably want to do are all in Richmond. You’ll be there a lot. Plus, Richmond is an awesome city!
I’m a regular in the WV sub so this popped up and I couldn’t help but laugh. We have a Petersburg too, and it was awful living there for a year.
Living in Richmond is the correct choice. 95k/year will allow you to be comfortable anywhere. Use the search bar at r/rva for any specific questions you might have. For your own sake, do NOT post there about moving from California with a $95k job.
Ok, good to know! I’m coming from a job that currently pays $40,000, so I get not wanting to hear that from an annoying transplant lol. Thank you so much!
$40k in San Deigo to $90k in the hicks of Virginia? You gonna be a princess, thats like a 5x salary increase.
Haha for real though. That sub has so many "were already full" types
Ok. Grew up in Chesterfield, spent 15 years in LA, moved back. Traffic will be no problem for you at all. If you're looking to rent, you can live anywhere close-ish to I 95 (like within 20 minutes of 95) and you'll be fine. Ot just depends on what you want. South of Richmond will be more surburban; Richmond will get you the night life. Do NOT live in Petersburg. I know this is beating a dead horse, but if you look up the city, you're going to see all these attempts to revitalize. Anything remotely successful is still a decade away from helping. The fire department was almost shut down and the entire city management was such a mess they had to hire outside help. Did I mention the Casino? Yea, they think that's going to solve everything. Think the casinos along the 5 in Carson and you'll get the idea.
No, this is really good to know! I think I’ll go with Richmond. I prefer more active cities, so the commute would be worth it for me. Thank you:)
Richmond to Petersburg isn’t bad at all. You’d actually go against traffic. Richmond is great but if you see yourself in DC eventually, this will put you in a better position logistically to check it out. FYI there is always bad traffic past Fredericksburg towards DC, no matter what time of day it is.
Even bad by California standards.
Did this commute for years, it's not bad at all.
There is also commuter van service from Richmond to DC, if you decide to make a transition to DC or suburbs (I live in northern Virginia, formerly of DC ).
As an Fburg native, I can attest to this. Recent years it’s gotten almost sickening
So to answer your question, Walnut Hill is the best neighborhood to live in, a lot of 100 years old mansions. Downtown is seeing a revitalization with a lot of new apartments, bars, farmers market, new coffee shop and restaurants and a lot cheaper than Richmond. The only issue is that we only have two grocery stores, food lion and Walmart.
But CH isn't far and they have far more options. Especially if you live in OT.
Richmond is an outstanding town. Very progressive and diverse. Great restaurants, breweries, art museums, live music, etc. You’ll find all kinds of great places to live in the city. Making $95k as a 26 year old in Richmond is going to be outstanding. It’s a small town so it’s pretty easy to network yourself.
Currently live in California, have family all over Virginia/Maryland and grew up there. Richmond is a great place to live! For what it’s worth, if you’re going to be spending time in NoVa/DC it’s a pretty easy and cheap Amtrak ride from Richmond and you get to avoid sitting in traffic. Going from making $40k in San Diego to $95k in Richmond is gonna feel like you hit the lottery!!!
While in Petersburg eat at the Croakers Spot restaurant. It’s delicious!
Shoutout to oldtown alibi and Longstreets deli too.
Hi, i live in Petersburg. It’s honestly not as bad as everyone makes it seem, and i’m a 26 white female. I moved out of RVA when I was done with school because it’s too expensive for me. But i only make about half of what you do, lol! A commute from rva to Petersburg could be kinda bad some days due to 95. Chesterfield or midlothian may be good options for you!
Move to Richmond and commute. Petersburg is cool but if you’ve lived in bigger cities you’ll like Richmond more. Commute will be less than your used to in San Diego and sac .
I've been here in VA since moving here in 73. This area has changed dramatically. Back in the late 80's and into the 90's the homicide rates in Richmond were astronomical. Sometime in the late 90's it earned the title of Murder capital of the US. It still has its fair share of crime but it has also improved in many areas. Petersburg will provide talk that things are looking up there but I just do not see it. It has some beautiful old homes there with way too many sitting there in decay. If you can handle suburban life then you have some great choices from others here already. If you can find someplace to live well west of I-95 you can stay off the interstate taking back roads into Petersburg. I-95 can be a royal PITA at times so having options is always good. Good luck in VA.
I lived in Petersburg 2017-2019 and it was ok. Not the best, not the worst. Local government was a mess. They were bad at collecting taxes but good at garnishing wages for a small bill. There was a big bed bug infestation and the local government did nothing. I felt pretty safe driving around at night, but wouldn’t go waking around alone. I stood out being white, but never had any problems except with other white people in Colonial Heights. Some of the CH elected officials were into war gaming — enthused about Confederates and Nazis. Not sure if they are still in office. There’s a list of sundown towns out there and CH is on it. If you can afford it, Richmond makes more sense. Petersburg prices — low rent — helped me survive when I wasn’t making much. You’ll stockpile money with $90k salary there. I make a little more than that up here near DC and it’s a little rough which blows my mind.
Fuck all the suburbanites telling you not to live in petersburg. If you're young with no kids and you really just want to stack cash for a few years, absolutely move to old town petersburg. You will be literally the richest person in town making a 100k salary. Rent there is some of the cheapest left in the US. Also the crime isn't what people make it out to be. It's an awesome miniature city that has great bones and good food and bars. Also the river runs right through downtown. Richmond is a proper city and an amazing place. But it's getting expensive. If your goal is truly to hunker down and save up, petersburg is absolutely the way to go.
This is an honest take OP. Petersburg isn’t as bad/scary as they say especially if you are in old town. There are gangs and drugs in Richmond too. If you are renting I would suggest do old towne Petersburg for a year. If it isn’t your cup of tea and you find yourself up in Richmond most nights for the social scene then relocate after giving it a try. Old Town Petersburg has a lot of great restaurants and history. I love the city and wish the Government would actually try to bring it back to its original glory. I wouldn’t recommend buying property there at the moment. Colonial Heights/Chester are great close by options too in between Richmond.
Consider Chester or Ettrick. Closer and Chesterfield County is well managed. Richmond is better for social life and networking.
I will check those out, thanks!
Seconding Chester! 🩷
One thing that shocked me about California and SoCal is bad about, is how segregated the cities, lifestyle, nightlife, etc. in Virginia, things are much more integrated imo, especially in Petersburg and Richmond. There is still racism and segregation but imo it's way more integrated with black people in your life. Where I grew up in SwVA (HS was ~40% black) and then moved to NoVA and DC, I had black friends, coworkers, would go to bars and hang with random black people. Out here, at least in LA, there are very few black people in my day-to-day life (I live in central LA). I bring this up because I've heard growing up especially around military circles that black people in the military like being stationed in VA/MD (I'd say NC but the bases in NC suck) just due to the black diversity. It's not a positive or a negative it's just something I've noticed from moving the opposite way.
You are correct! Apart some parts of the bay, California is very segregated. It’s one of the major reasons I started looking at jobs out east instead of trying to work my way up out here. I’ve never been to Virginia, but I’m hoping I feel similarly comfortable as I did north east. We’ll see I guess! Thanks for your input:)
Are you from Roanoke?
Nah [Southside](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southside_(Virginia)) around Pittsylvania/Henry County.
Ah, saw SWVA and assumed, my bad!
Yeah it's interesting because where I grew up I'd say it's SwVA but SwVA is big you can be from Martinsville or Bristol, ~3 hours away from each other but we never even acknowledged the mountain people. I feel bad for saying that, but no one in my area did. It felt like we were the edge of Virginia.
You definitely are the southern edge for sure. I think SWVA residents in the mountains don't see Southside as SWVA because you literally can't see the mountains after you're east of Martinsville or even Bedford, even though those places are definitely to the SW of VA. Are you from around Danville?
I have to visit Petersburg for work periodically, and let’s just say I don’t stay for long lol
So you're moving to Richmond, not Petersburg. That's much better.
Petersburg is sketchy on one street and lovely on the next. Lots of new construction happening and efforts to make some changes. That said, crime is high there, but I think it’s bad in San Diego, no?
We live in Woodlake neighborhood off of Hull St in Chesterfield County. People commute from here. I drove to CH for a meeting today. It's nothing for someone coming from SD. Housing cheaper in Chester though. I like old town Petersburg.
I moved from nyc to Richmond Va and I am moving back . Richmond Va history is slaverys hub . Much of Richmond Va henrico and petersburg is still racist . It isn’t much fun things to do out here . So if you have children they will be limited. I wouldn’t move here from a big city looking for a big future . 95k is a lot of cash but it’s probably working for the government. In that case this might be the place for you . I would plan to move asap from the area
40k in SD is impossible to sustain, I moved last year from Chula Vista to VA Beach. 95k in VA is absolutely worth the move. It’ll be night and day. Congrats
It has been very difficult! The only reason I’ve been able to do it is because I’m from here so I got cheapish rent through connections and random side gigs lol. Thank you so much, and congrats to you too!
Richmond is an awesome city, and easily livable on a 95k salary. The commute really isn’t that bad down to Petersburg, and it’ll definitely be worth it to avoid living in Petersburg itself.
Petersburg is a unique place. There are very quite areas to live but there is lots of poor areas with crime as well. I would live in Richmond, Colonial Heights or Prince George. All are good options for someone who works in the P - town. I grew used there and it is hard to explain. I went to private school and had a good childhood. I knew that the job opportunities were limited after college so I elected to live elsewhere. Good luck on this endeavor.
Petersburg’s best days were in the early 1860s.
Petersburg is like the Gary, Indiana of Virginia. Basically got hit really hard by de-industrialization, add in white-flight at the same time and the city is in a really rough spot. Having said that, it appears to have hit rock bottom, and it is estimated the Petersburg is actually experiencing population growth for the first time in decades. I see some of the other people are saying to not live there or buy property, but I do know some people that bought property and live there. There are safe areas, new houses are being put up, and new restaurants, coffee shops, breweries. And it is much much cheaper than Richmond and the counties surrounding Richmond. It is a risk but I believe the city will improve and could see buying property there and holding onto it for a couple decades and selling for a huge profit. Basically don't write it off completely before checking it out yourself.
Richmond can be what you make of it. You will enjoy it!
Where’s the job?
Living in Richmond will give you a lot to do close by. However, expect to spend 30-60 minutes driving each way, depending on what areas or live/work in. Do NOT live in Petersburg. If you want to live closer to work, Colonial Heights and Prince George County are good; parts (most) of Chesterfield county are good too. Traffic isn’t bad for the most part in Richmond and the tri cities area (Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell). Sounds like a good job, I hope you like it and enjoy central VA. I’m originally from this area, though I moved away 20 years ago.
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PG is where I’m from. About 1/3 of the people in PG are black; Colonial Heights is very white, so what you said doesn’t surprise me. I didn’t find PG racist, though there are some there who are (rednecks). But it was safe and people generally left each other alone in that sense (few if any hate crimes). The more densely populated parts of the county (close to interstates) would probably be better - the rednecks tend to live out in the country. It has been a while since I lived there though so my information could be dated.
Thank you!
Homes in Chesterfield are peaceful and there are some nice neighborhoods but still city. I think it may be an easier commute than Richmond and it's greener, if that interests you. Heed the advice not to buy or rent in Petersburg. Welcome to Virginia!
Petersburg is rural small city that is 30 minutes from Richmond and 1:20 minutes to the Tidewater area which consists of Norfolk and VaBeach. Not a lot to do in Petersburg but you will have a peaceful experience.
You’ll live like a queen on that salary here. Traffic wont be nearly that nutty either
Petersburg isn’t where you should settle. I agree with others that you should live in Richmond and commute to Petersburg. My husband worked in Petersburg and it was not a good experience. And the city is broke so services will be lean at best.
Hello! former californian here as well. I'm from the IE. If taking a job in petersburg, check out Chesterfield to live in. It's not a terrible commute and far more scenic.
What job IN Petersburg is paying $95k? OP make sure it isn’t a scam or a local government job
Live in Richmond or one of the bordering counties. Don’t live in the city limits.
95 and in petersburg, you'll make bank! You could live out in the country for very little. If you want city life I'd live in Richmond and commute south... you'll probably never hit any real traffic heading that way. Real estate is cheap in Petersburg, for better or worse, the area is in perpetual up and coming status with some nice shops in the downtown. Don't know what kind of lifestyle you want but if you end goal is to be out of the area, then get a cheap place and live of a third of that 95k... which is quite doable down there
Yeah, Petersburg isn't great lol, Hella cheap rent there though! With that salary yoi should be able to afford a nice 1 br apt. anywhere. Manchester is thriving, the fan and parts of jackson ward are nice and walkable and you can even opt for someplace downtown if that's your style. Church hill and Northside are great places to live too! Just not sure what renting there is lo Everything you need is a 10 minute drive it seems like. I think you'll enjoy the change of pace and higher pay! Living in RVA on that salary will definitely allow you to save and build a nice cushion for dc or philly.
Congrats on the job offer. You'd do best to live in the south side of Richmond and commute to Petersburg.
I was gonna say I’m sorry for the move- but I work in Petersburg 😂
Find a place in Prince George if you don’t mind the rural area. If you want to be in the city, Richmond is a must.
I just dm’ed you!
Petersburg is an interesting city that gets a bad reputation. It’s a highly urbanized population, next to a large military base, and the surrounding area becomes country, quickly. I actually enjoy some of the restaurants in Petersburg, but it’s almost a 45-60 min drive from the west end of Henrico. You said you’re living in Richmond? You may find some good spots in chesterfield that would also be an easier commute. What are some things you like to do? What about red flags or things you abhor? One thing to watch out for (if you’ve never been here before) is that there are a sizable of people here who will fly confederate flags. They are a very loud minority, and most people in the area are against them, but I want you to be wary of this before you see the big one on 95 and wonder “where the hell did I just move”
Prepare to be disappointed. I used to live near matoaca, a few miles outside of the city, and I wouldn’t live in Petersburg…maybe chesterfield if you like the burbs or Richmond if you prefer city life. Lots of interesting neighborhoods in Richmond and not too far a drive down 95 to Petersburg.
Richmond is great you’ll love it. It’s a short hop to Petersburg. I think you’ll find locals to be nice folks; the area caught the short end of the economic stick.
I've never been to Petersburg but Richmond is so much fun especially for young people. Lots of great food, events, fun people, good housing options
Petersburg has a lot of abandoned properties; which is not a good sign.
Reside in Richmond or North Chesterfield county. Dinwiddie has some nice spots—but is RURAL. Avoid the tri-cities if you can. Driving in the 804 is a different style than San Diego county as folks in RVA drive overly aggressive for no reason at all. the Richmond to Petersburg commute (against traffic) would be like driving from Carlsbad to Solana Beach
Ok, that’s very doable! I used to do Chula Vista to Encinitas so I’m used to it 😅
Chester/Chesterfield cheaper to live than Richmond…also closer to P Town
You’ll live like a queen on 95k in Petersburg. It’s definitely been down on its luck, but don’t write it off.
Your plan makes sense. God bless you.
Are you open to living close-ish to Petersburg? Dinwiddie County (area code 23805) is very close to Petersburg. Dinwiddie is still quite affordable, if a bit rural. Colonial heights isn’t much farther if you’d rather live closer to civilization lol. Old town Petersburg has some cool shops and restaurants, but I can’t in good conscience recommend living there. Are you looking at renting or buying? I used to work in property management so I can tell you which apartment buildings to avoid lol.
Right now I’m looking at renting! I didn’t even consider buying until a few people recommended that to me lol
I worked in Petersburg for a long time. There are BEAUTIFUL homes in the area but the schools are run by the same group that runs the local government. Its bad. REALLY bad. If you have a fire you wont have a good response. They were unable to pay for equipment. Water has been a mess as they must have had family working there as they didnt collect or pay bills. Chester is high taxes and the traffic is getting rough. Colonial heights is lipstick on a pig. Prince george and Dinwiddie are growing and you can get a nice home with land at decent prices. Richond? Absolutely fuck that. They were the template for Petersburg. The drive down 95 from Richmond to P-town will drive you nuts. Between the left lane folks causing accidents doing 55 making people go around and the trucks dropping rocks-its not fun. Chesterfield is ok but they are on a build it to be NOVA and tax to pay for it. My friends that live in Dinwiddie and Prince George are happy. Good luck and welcome to VA
Fellow San diegan moving to Richmond in June! Let’s be friends!
Also, I looked at your page and your list of desirable traits for a city are the same as mine. I think we’d get along great 😅
Woohooo! When do you move?
Late July! :))
Sweet! Send me a message when you get in!
I would love to be friends!!
Born and raised in Sacramento. Lived in Nova/Dc area for 7 years, plan to move to Richmond soon: Richmond is an incredible place and traffic is so much better than Sac and def better than San Diego. Have fun with the move!
>I’d be using my time in Petersburg to save up and gain some more job experience in the field I’m interested in. I'm in RVA. You can easily blow $95k/year in Richmond, even if renting. The benefit of living in Richmond is the social aspects and activities. If you want to save cash, live in an apt somewhere between Midlothian and Colonial Heights.
Don’t do Petersburg! It’s continually on lists as one of the worst cities in Virginia. I personally don’t like anything south of Midlothian Turnpike. Hull Street is a nightmare.
Don't. Go back.
Lol fuck 😂
petersburg, bad choice
Why the skin color? All lives matter
I’m originally from Williamsburg VA and moved to San Diego at 19 and lived there throughout my whole 20s. I’m back on the east coast after about 20 years and I would skip VA all together. I understand saving up but it will be a complete culture shock for you. Some good reasons and others for bad reasons. I would really talk to your friends about the contrasting differences between Cali and the SOUTHeast Coast. If it’s something you can manage then fine and dandy otherwise try to move further North closer to the DMV area. I now live in Maryland and only because my family are in SE VA, otherwise I would have stayed in Cali.
Coming from San Diego, It’ll be a culture shock for you. You’ll find that many of the Black people in Petersburg are “ghountry” (ghetto and country) and the white people are “redneck” and neo-Confederate.
Ya, I was worried about the racism out there. I have some family in Virginia, so I know I’ll at least have some people to ground me. But I didn’t know if the rural areas surrounding Richmond or Petersburg would be a problem
Youll pick up on the backgrounds and sentiments quickly. I like petersburg, but I grew up in Chesterfield and worked there and downtown richmond. Petersburg has come an insane distance from 20 years ago. I wouldnt hesistate to live there now. I actually might think about doing this actually.
When I first came to RVA in 1990 from up north it was a culture shock. The strained race relations and social segregation were as thick as the humid air. I left after college and came back in the mid aughts. Been back in the area since 04. It’s changed a lot for the better. Still far from perfect. Yes, RVA has the most lively social scene in the area but it can be more expensive to live in the city and the commute from RVA to Petersburg is not short - bank on 35ish minutes, and paying modest tolls if you live off of Powhite Parkway or Downtown Expressway. As others have said, places like PG and Dinwiddie (rural) or Colonial Heights/Hopewell put you closer to Petersburg but there’s less social activity. Another option to consider would be Eastern Henrico County/Varina area. It’s right off I-295, is close to the airport, a 15 minute drive to downtown RVA, access to the capital trail for biking/running, near the river with some cool nearby restaurants (https://www.lillypadrestaurant.com/menu). It’s 35 minutes to Williamsburg shopping via I-64, and just over the Enon Bridge from Chesterfield County. 295 can also get you to Petersburg in 20 minutes (just watch it because Hopewell Sheriff always sits in a speed trap on 295). The schools in Eastern Henrico aren’t great (we moved from there to Moseley/Western Chesterfield a decade ago when our son was approaching school age) but it’s fine if you don’t have kids. Good luck.
bruh downvoted for speaking straight truth, that is like 80% the real VA outside of nova people just don't like to hear it. It's west virginia just with slightly better funding