Our life in Richmond

It's hard to believe we've been living in Richmond for a year and a half now. It's been a good move for our family and we are happy with life here. I won't lie, I miss Chicago and our friends but there's something about Richmond that I really like.

Richmond is relatively a small city but has so much to offer. It's known for the food scene (and I'm not talking the chain restaurants here), the river front activities (although we have yet to partake in any of those), it's glorious historic neighborhoods, the many beautiful parks and of course the museums.

Speaking of its architecture, there's one neighborhood I find absolutely charming. The Fan District. This neighborhood takes its name from the "fan" shape streets and is home to many cafes and unique restaurants and of course the different types of homes (dating of late nineteenth, early twentieth century homes). There are tree-lined streets and famous monuments along the streets. 

What many different home styles are truly captivating. The styles vary from Victorian, Revival, Colonial Revival, Art Deco, Richardsonian, Tutor Revival, Edwardian, Bungalow, Spanish, and Georgian (just to name a few). We'd love to buy a home here but we would be under city schools, which unfortunately aren't great.

We've been looking in other close by areas, like Tuckahoe, known for good schools and a friendly, relatively young community.

On another note, I've been blessed to connect with some amazing people since our move here on both personal level and through work collaborations. I'm happy to say, it's starting to feel as though we are finally planting some roots in Richmond.

I am also continuing to study for the ARE (the Architectural Registration Exam). There are 5 exams in all and I have high hopes of becoming a licensed architects in the near future. The boys are doing wonderful and Aaron "still" loves his new job. Happy to say, it's been a good move after all.