Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

On to Richmond!

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by

Dick Hall-Sizemore
in

by Dick Hall-Sizemore

For all those Northern Virginia critics of Richmond on this blog, e.g. Don Rippert, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported yesterday that the Richmond metro area has grown faster than Northern Virginia for two years in a row.  In fact, the growth rate of the Richmond metropolitan area is at least triple that of each of the rest of Virginia’s five largest metro areas.

Furthermore, a lot of that growth is coming from Northern Virginians moving to Richmond, drawn by the lower cost of living and aided by the growth of remote working.

Personally, I would not mind the area not growing so much, but it is nice to know that not all Virginians view the Richmond area as a provincial outpost.

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18 responses to “On to Richmond!”

  1. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    Richmond is the best of a pretty sorry lot. It has indeed become the fastest-growing metro in Virginia…. but it’s growing at slightly less than the national average. And if much of the population is comprised of NoVa refugees fleeing high taxes and congested roads, that’s not really an endorsement of Richmond. I don’t think Dick has much to worry about the region being overwhelmed with growth.

    Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Winchester and environs are growing, too, but the rest of the state is pitiful. NoVa is no longer an economic dynamo — perhaps the slowing in defense spending is the issue, perhaps there’s more to it, I don’t know. Whatever, NoVa has lost its mojo.

    And Hampton Roads is still a basketcase — slowing defense spending, caps on natural gas supplies, increasing flooding, and shrinking aquifers that restrict industrial expansion. Not to mention a super congested Interstate connection that makes travel to and from a nightmare.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      “Richmond is the best of a pretty sorry lot.”

      With that kind of opinion voiced so regularly, JAB, kind of hard to understand why you stick around… maybe Costa Rica…??

    2. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      NOVA’s slow would most likely have to do with housing prices and taxes.

      The median house price in Fairfax is currently $585k. That’s down ~5% from last year and even at that level with the current interest rates.

      Couple that with the extremely high cost of living, traffic and the new “hybrid work” environment and you get the exodus.

      Don’t you worry though, that MIC is trying to ramp up their budgets.

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        The real question is how long remote work will continue. It seems to be in decline as Covid fades. My point has always been … if your job can be done remotely (from Richmond, for example) then it can be done remotely from Belize or Costa Rica – at a far lower price.

    3. vicnicholls Avatar
      vicnicholls

      Lot worse than that Jim in HR. I’m sorry I’ll miss you this weekend.

  2. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    A typical Richmond perspective. So many fallacies in such a short piece.

    I’ll start with two.

    First, Northern Virginia is a suburb of Washington, DC. The metropolitan area includes (at least) DC and the Maryland suburbs of DC. What happens in Montgomery County, MD is far more important to Northern Virginians than what happens in Henrico County. This blog, run by Richmonders, has never understood that.

    Second, the world does not end at Virginia’s borders. The real competition is not between Richmond and Northern Virginia. It’s between major metropolitan areas like Dallas vs DC and it is between mid-sized to large southern cities like Richmond vs Atlanta or Richmond vs Charlotte.

    As far as Richmond is concerned, the real issue is a century-long lack of imagination from Richmond’s elite. One example is the disinterest among Richmond’s elite in attracting serious (i.e. professional) sports teams. Sometimes, a city has to invest in things like stadiums to help secure its future. The ruling elite in Richmond have proven incredibly unwilling to understand this.

    As for NoVa’s growth – it’s going to remain federal government focused until enough of the 140 fops and dandies in the General Assembly become willing to look at places like Silicon Valley and Austin as examples. The key isn’t just attracting another technology company (like Amazon HQ2). The key is attracting venture capital companies which will fund he inevitable spin offs from companies like Amazon. But that is a concept far too sophisticated for the Imperial Clown Show in Richmond. A group that demoted the Secretary of Technology from the cabinet but managed to make the DEI leader a cabinet position.

    The best thing that could happen to NoVa would be for DC to become a state with the NoVa and the Maryland suburbs along with it. Kentucky and West Virginia both escaped the deadly embrace of Virginia’s plantation elite. It might be time for Northern Virginia to do the same.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Virginia would never give up NoVa to DC… they couldn’t afford to… (lost “mojo” notwithstanding…)

    2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Virginia would never give up NoVa to DC… they couldn’t afford to… (lost “mojo” notwithstanding…)

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        I find it hard to see DC as a state without more than just the 62 sq mi of the District as the base.

        1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          Maybe we should just go ahead and make DC a territory and be done with it… but I certainly don’t ever see Richmond giving up the NoVa cash cow either…

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          Also, based on the wording contained in our Constitution, Washington DC cannot be both a state and the seat of the federal government.

          Of course, based on the Constitution, congress was not supposed to shirk their responsibility for …exercising exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States… by granting DC “home rule”, either.

          It seems our congress likes to actively avoid the responsibilities placed upon it by the Constitution, while exercising powers not granted to it by that document.

  3. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    I hope that the newcomers bring the food!

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Welcome to Richmond! Missed the 295 exit, huh?

  4. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    In 1862, the Yankees sang a song about Marching On to Richmond. Turned out to be a short lived one hit wonder. History does have a habit of repeating itself.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKgDe-Qh6X0

  5. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Richmond is a GREAT place, especially considering because the 295 skirts around it so well.

  6. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    “but it is nice to know that not all Virginians view the Richmond area as a provincial outpost.”

    I wouldn’t bet on that. It’s as likely that they find Richmond’s provincial rubes quaintly amusing. That and they work so cheaply and value their homes so inexpensively. It’s hard to get good help these days and Richmonders natively speak an almost recognizable dialect of English.

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      Quite the opposite. It is the Richmonders who view themselves and their city as some kind of modern miracle. I graduated from college 41 years ago and I have yet to meet a group of people as arrogant (and as racist) as the preppies from Richmond who attended UVa with me. Back then, the Richmond preppies had “The University” bumper stickers. Now, it’s “RVA”. How many bumper stickers do you see with “NOVA” or “The Hook” (Charlottesville)?

      Most of Richmond’s self-described elite never met a mirror they didn’t like.

      I’ve been all around the US. 45 states. I hate to tell Richmonders this but, outside of Richmond, nobody cares about Richmond.

      1. Lefty665 Avatar
        Lefty665

        You must not have met U of R students back then. The more enlightened Richmonders went to UVa.

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