Date Archives May 2013

Could Charlottesville Copy CitiBike?

Anyone remember the yellow bike program in Charlottesville? Maybe the City of Charlottesville was just really ahead of its time.

I’m watching the CitiBike experiment in New York City and wondering if that could work in Charlottesville. I know this – it’s usually faster to ride my bike from my office in Downtown Charlottesville to various locations – attorneys offices in Court Square (a 4 minute bike ride versus a 10-12 minute drive, not including parking), to Para Coffee on the UVA Corner, coffee at Milli Joe’s on Preston …

Citibikes

Check out more citibike photos at flickr.

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Choosing Where you Want to Live in Charlottesville – Walkability and Safety Top the List

Choosing where you live is a huge, immensely significant decision. As I jokingly tell my buyer clients – “it’s no big deal … you’re just deciding where you’re going to live for the next five to ten years … “

Last year I asked you what were the most important factors when evaluating where you want to live. I’m finally getting around to publishing the results. (and thank you to all who answered – for answering and for your patience).

While by no means a scientific survey, as the RealCentralVA readership is probably skewed (I’d argue towards the more informed) 86 responses isn’t insignificant.

Not surprisingly, the top two answers to “What’s the most important factor when choosing a neighborhood?” are “Maximum walkability” and “Quietest/safest.” “Other” came in a reasonable third place.

What's the most important factor when choosing a neighborhood in Charlottesville?

What’s the 2nd most important factor when choosing a neighborhood? Revealed an interesting shift – “safety” and “neighborhood with character” came in 1st and 2nd with “activities for kids” edging out walkability and length of commute. Sadly, there are few “neighborhoods with character” being built in Charlottesville, so new construction buyers are left choosing from either soulless “neighborhoods” or older housing stock that likely needs some degree of renovation and updating, but may have the “proximity to stuff” that matters.

What's the 2nd most important factor when choosing a neighborhood?

From my perspective, everything is about location (naturally) – but “quality location” can be a relative term.

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Hearing Cicadas for the First Time

Cicadas in the most unlikely places

Ironically, I am hearing cicadas in Charlottesville for the first time on a new construction site. I remember the last time they were out, we were using them for bait. 🙂

A friend told me last week that cicadas aren’t in places where ground has been disturbed in the past 10 years. Living in Crozet, most of that space has been disturbed.

The contrast between new, graded lots and trees that will stay is striking.

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