From New England to Virginia

[grabmaneandgo]

So I say this EVERY year…I’m moving to Virginia. I’m sick of the looooong New England winters. Then spring arrives, and I shudder at the thought of leaving my beloved home on Boston’s north shore. Not to mention leaving some seriously fun hunting. Yet each year, my complaints last longer and longer into the spring and summer seasons. So I turn to you COTHers for advice…anyone re-locate from NE or NY to VA?

If you were to suggest a place in Virginia to re-locate, where would you suggest? Here are my criteria:

• Convenient to trails or parks for hacking
• Must be within an hour of a hunt
• Would prefer historic area or have an historic district
• Must be within 2 hours of the Atlantic ocean
• Must have really good school system (we have a 5 yo daughter)
• Must be a good place for families (safe, clean, small town-ish)
• Somewhere a displaced New Englander would feel sort of at home :sadsmile:

VA’s ‘Hunt Country’ is likely to be out of our price range - we may as well stay here in Boston. Plus it’s a bit far from the ocean (long story). So I was thinking somewhere around Williamsburg or the Richmond area.

Any thoughts?

[Elghund2]

Instead of looking around MIddleburg and Northern Va, look a little further south. Within an hour of us (Madison County), there are ten hunts. As someone said the other day, “There’s a hunt on every corner around here.”.

The only thing is we are about three hours to the ocean.

If you look from Warrenton to CHarlottesville you will find a lot of quaint, historic wide spots in the road that don’t even qualigy to be towns.

We used to live in Norther Va and are thrilled that we moved here. It is also much cheaper than Northern VA.

[cswoodlandfairy]

Hi! I currently live in Charlottesville and love it. It can be pricey but there are less expensive options as well. Definitely cheaper then Boston. My horse now lives in town so hes 2 miles from me and a 1 behind everything close ( grocery, mall, etc) There is a lot of history here and many trails as well. We are also right off the skyline drive which has MANY MANY trails. Charlottesville also has lots of various hunts in the area as well. A co-worker of mine is big into the hunts and I could always get more information is its something you wanted to know more about.

Its big horse country around here with everything ranging from Grand-Prix level to bumpin along on the trail.

Hope this helps and good luck with the move!! If you want to know anything else, just PM me!!

[dawglover]

Williamsburg area…Princess Anne Hunt and Colonial Foxhounds are both nearby. Parks/Battlefields to ride in. Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay nearby as well as the James River.
Good selection of schools.

[grabmaneandgo]

Thank you! I hadn’t even considered Charlottesville, but after your recommendation, I’m doing some research. We make the trek down your way every year with the hopes of finding just the right place. So I like to ask around for other suggestions before we go for a visit.

I’ll put Williamsburg and Charlottesville on our itinerary for the summer. We’ve never been to either place.

Thank you for the suggestions, and please, keep them coming!

[Hunter_s_Rest]

Try Rappahannock County and environs. 20+ hunts within 90 minutes. Chesapeake Bay is exactly 100 miles from my doorstep (I know – the current-future-ex-Mr.-HR lives in Annapolis…)
Come and see!

[Groro]

Central Virginia

Charlottesville for sure.

I’ve been here 20 years having moved from Boulder, Colorado! Great public and private schools. UVA is here. Great hospitals, shopping is average. VERY HORSIE!

There is a hunt for anyone. Fast to slow! Laid back to incredibly snotty! Small to Big!

Whatever your pleasure. All within an hour of easy driving.

We used to live in Albemarle, but now live a bit east in Louisa. Got a farm 10 times bigger only eight miles further out.

Rappahannock County is awesome, very “green”, and expensive, but a VERY cool place to live. Not sure if there is a stop light yet in the county.

Email privately for more…

[Artful]

One thing to keep in mind is that the cost of living here in VA(except for northern VA) will be much lower than in the Boston area, and you can afford private schools(so that you can concentrate on the horsey aspects of your search:D)

[strawberry_roan]

One more very big plus: VA school fees for residents when it is college time!! So many great schools here–I have told my kids they are going in-state. :):)

[Stellaspeed]

NEW KENT !!

Come to New Kent, it is HEAVEN . We moved from Michigan, gray, dismal, cold, muddy, to New Kent, hubby works for Colonial Downs. Wonderful mix of old genteel Virginia farm families, working class, mud bogging, lifted 4x4 driving camo wearing guys, along with new blood leaving the city building million dollar homes in the Farms of New Kent development . Colonial Foxhounds, and Neal Blair are here, as well as some of the top calf ropers in Virginia.
Hay can be found locally, there’s a feed store in Providence Forge, and you have one of the nicest race tracks in the country next door to a top flight golf course (Royal New Kent). I have a second grader, and will see his teachers in the local grocery store, where they’ll stop and chat with you . Teachers and staff are wonderful. No crime to speak of, and most of the local cops are home grown boys who know their neighbors and don’t pick on residents .
I-64 runs right through New Kent, easy to jump on, I-295 connects right up the road, the beach is 75 minutes away, two rivers right close, and I can get to downtown Richmond in 26 minutes .
Come down to visit, and hubby and I will treat you to dinner, drinks, and a day at the races.

[cavaliermax]

Virginia

Anywhere south of the Rappahannock, north of the James and east of the West Virginia line is the Old Dominion’s sweet spot.

Please don’t tell anyone else.

[wateryglen]

Northern VA???

Here in Va. we have a bit of a joke about northern virginia…that it’s really a separate state and really should suceed from the union!!! It’s sooooooo different from the rest of the state. It’s really just suburbs of Wash. DC and that’s a bad thing. Traffic, expensive everything, a rat race with status being the be-all end-all. The rest of the state is much different. Very “southern”, less expensive, less traffic, different attutudes & economies. Totally, totally different culture. We southerners say it because of the influence of all those damned yankees up there near DC!!! I say it’s the influence of all the hot air blowing in from the beltway!! Many of us horsepeople are moving further out to get further away from DC. Land is cheaper, more horse services. So…the further from DC; the better! IMHO!!

btw, I grew up in Va., relatives all over the state, now stuck here. Wanna move further out myself!

[Elghund2]

Hey wateryglen I’m one of those damm yankees! This is my 20th year in the old dominion though and have been living south of the mason dixon line for 26 years.

[HomesteadSportHorses]

my 2cents. Stay on the outskirts of Charlottesville. I enjoy more of a relaxed country atmosphere and Charlottesville was too uptight for me. Finnally got my husband to move back to Augusta County (30 minutes to Charlottesville) cost of living here is MUCH cheaper than C’ville—Taxes will kill you in C’ville!) We pay like 1/2 in Augusta county as what where where in C’ville! We are the junction of 81/64 interstate. and the people in Augusta County or wonderful!!! Now I must say I favor it becuase I for the most part grew up here, but it’s gotta tell you something when I glad I’m here raising now my kids and family!
You will love Virginia. Even out on the coast where my husbands boat is the people are great there! I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Ok well maybe some exotic island in the islands, but doubt that’s going to happen! lol
Best of luck!!

[horsecrazykid]

from new england to virginia

hi,

i moved here 20 years ago from northern NJ. note: i said “northern NJ” because as in VA, southern NJ is different, much like the comparison someone gave of northern VA to the rest of the state.

i live in 30 mins north of charlottesville. love it!

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

The Washington DC suburbs extend to Leesburg, Middleburg, and Warrenton. Lots of traffic, high power business focus. On the good side, we are close to everythng. Within 30 minutes to an hour, you can be at a Hunter, Event, Dressage show every weekend, sometimes even options for where, and both days, or several hunts in season.

Charlottesville, Keswick, Scottsville is a nice area.

I prefer the climate though near Williamsburg and east - Most winter days are pretty lovely, often t-shirt weather mid-day. Close to the beach doesn’t get as hot in the summer either.

[wateryglen]

Yes I agree!

I grew up in the Tidewater (southeast)area of Va. nearer the beach. Indeed, the weather IS different. In the rest of the state, there’s 4 definite different seasons. But closer to the coast and southern areas; no snow in winter just 40’s & damp/rain. Summers hot/humid all over state. We have 2 geography types in Va. Coastal plain and piedmont. I prefer piedmont, hills, rocks, mountains, rolling, red clay (sandy soil on coastal plain & flat) and no swamps!!! :winkgrin: And don’t forget the hurricanes!! :eek: Here we just get rain mostly with flooding. There there’s flooding and wind. Depends on how far from the coast you are.
Horsie areas are as previously described but south central Va is too. And land cheaper. Don’t be fooled by the job market and payscales here. If you get that fat paying job near DC; remember, you’re gonna pay REALLY fat to live near that fat paying job.
C’est la vie!

[Bob_Kane]

Virginia horse property

The drive is a bit longer to events, but land below the James is Very much cheaper and a real draw for Yankees looking for 100 acres plus. The drawback may be schools for non retirees. Study the local situation.

[Arado_TB]

Charlottesville, Orange or south to Louisa county is just the nicest area.One day maybe we will be neighbors!!

[grabmaneandgo]

Thank you! What wonderful information you’ve all given me!!

Okay, here’s one more question…Are there any drag hunts in VA and where are they?

MFHA website lists member hunts, but you’ve got to click on individual hunt websites to figure out if it’s live or drag. Also, I assume not all hunts are MFHA member hunts, yes?