RECENT COMMENTS
Church Hill a great place not to have children
Church Hill has been named to a list of “10 Great Neighborhoods for Childless Adults”
Karen A. Chase moved with her husband, Ted Petrocci, to the historic Church Hill District, southeast of downtown Richmond, in 2010. They have no children at home, and their independent professions — she owns an advertising and design business and writes historical novels; he is a psychotherapist — let them live wherever they wish. They weren’t looking to get away from children; they were simply drawn to Church Hill because it fulfilled all their needs: proximity to Chesapeake Bay for Ted, a novice sail racer; to downtown Richmond, the James River and nearby parks; to train lines connecting East Coast cities; and to the nearly completed 50-mile Cap2Cap trail connecting Richmond and Jamestown, Va.
“We were surprised to find so many child-free people, or couples whose children had left home, living up here,” Chase says. “It made making friends with similar interests a little less complicated. Not everyone understands the choice.”
Only one household on their block has children. That’s partly because many homes are attached and have tiny yards that young families might reject as too small for children, Chase says. They’re perfect for people who don’t have children or who don’t want a big yard to care for,
PHOTO © Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
My kids like having four playgrounds within walking distance, eating at the Hill Cafe, and walking home from school on bumpy brick sidewalks. However, if RPS goes through with closing Church Hill’s strongest elementary school, there may not be much hope for anyone wanting to raise children in Church Hill.
We have raised a child here (now 14), and she has loved it. Of course, she missed out on the ability to walk and ride her bike wherever she wanted by herself; has had very few friends up here; and has had to attend school on the other side of town. Still, it is such a nice diversion from the west end where she goes to school and she has grown up with such great neighbors that she loves it and never wants us to move. So I think it’s a great place to raise a child, but you have to be willing to accept its limitations.
“and has had to attend school on the other side of town”
Why do you say this?
Sad that our shortcomings, real and percieved, have now been repackaged into a postive.
We have horrible schools, but rather than fix it, we will just say “our neighborhood was not meant for kids”
And the local media seems to tag every crime in Greater Richmond as having occured in Church Hill, scaring away potential families and transforming us into a gunslinging frontier in the minds of suburbia.
Dont get me wrong, I love our neighborhood and wouldnt leave. I just think we need to make it kid friendly if we want to keep moving in the right direction. Or else the young couples currently moving in will move out when they have kids.
There are several families with kids the same age as ours and we all hang out, play and meet up. I’ve been told from other friends this is a unique thing as many suburban families or fan neighborhoods don’t have the same sense of community. Four playgrounds, beautiful walks, a community garden, bumpy wagon rides, our own little back yard (not huge, but it’s still fun for little kids) and playing games over coffee at the coffee shop is pretty great. City living at its best for those young families who shun the burbs.
I say all children need to learn how to play petouque…..chimbo playground is a disgrace, a child disaster zone that now is no more than a selfish failed concept and plan of an elite few…i will not let my children enter, and i do not believe the city has either for aprroximately 6 months
I think its sad the way media and marketing is pigeonholing neighborhoods and forcing people to second guess their choices of where to live.
This is also part of the con job that suggesting that its ok that the City is more in the theater business (Center Stage, Hippodrone, and the Landmark) than the PUBLIC education business.
does anyone know the progress on getting chimbo playground and park developments completed?, its a real éyesore’and danger to kids
#7 & #9 – Today I saw a city crew working at the Chimbo Park House & play ground but didn’t notice what they were doing as I was gardening, but I’ll ask if I see them tomorrow. I did attend the May 9 MPACT/CAPS meeting where Dept of Parks representatives gave us a review of their efforts to get all the parks ready for summer including Chimbo.
Of course this report is not giving the rest of the story. A half dozen couples within a few blocks of me have just had children and, like us, are sticking around. On the bright side, if this rating attracts more DINKs of every stripe it’s all the better — we need babysitters.
While there certainly are a number of people that move to the city after the children have fled the nest, there are just as many who are starting their families here. On my block and the 2 blocks on either side of us, there are at least 15 children under the age of 10. I think the news got this story wrong.
I agree, the Petanque courts are the biggest threat to our neighborhood. Possibly even the biggest threat to our city. They must be erradicated. Or irradiated. Or just irritated severly.
By design Church Hill homes do have small back yards and no front ones. We are fortunate (unless you want to tend the gardens and fish ponds) to have one of the largest but our house has a wide footprint which is why.
I have seen families move out because they did NOT want to raise their children here due to school quality and crime. So yes, the neighborhood is becoming an “adult community” per se. And that is why those “adults” should take pride in the historical aspects of owning a home here having more time to devote to them instead of raising a family.
Hmmmmm…. then my block must be invaded by people from the county coming here with their infant filled trendy strollers. Infiltrators!
I <3 HHB
I’d like to know why the Petanque players opt not to use the four new courts. Were they not constructed properly?
Personally I think there are a surprising amount of children in the neighborhood. Parks and walks through the neighborhood trump a backyard in my opinion. We have a 6month old and enjoy getting out and getting exercise and meeting/talking with neighbors. Opposed to sitting around in a fenced in backyard.
I think Church Hill is kind of the best of both worlds (nice neighborhood in the city)
Fingers crossed for Chimbo and Bellvue!!!
I don’t see this as negative. Actually, a large part of my husband and my decision to move to Church Hill was because we aren’t going to have kids. We obviously fit in and enjoy it a lot better here than in the West End or Southside (Woodlake, Brandermill, etc) where everyone’s connections seem to be through their children. I can relate to much of what Chase is saying in the article.
The question is, why do we have so many PETANQUE COURTS? ….who made that decsion, I moved here with my young family, but are concerned that these courts are supposedly newly constructed, do not drain and have not been used by the eleven or so players in the past 6 months. I have been told that the playground was going to be redeveloped and a familiy orientated parke catering for all groups in our community.
The petanque courts in their current state are a disgrace to CH.
And what’s up with that bottomless pit on Chimborazo Playground with only a traffic cone beside it? WON’T ANYONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN !!!!!11111??????//////
When my husband and I moved to CH 81/2 years ago, we were childless 20-somethings. Now we have a 9 month old and are 30-somethings. A few instances of violence, some of the hassles of owning a 125 year old house, and concerns about schools have produced discussion about whether or not we should stay. However, CH works for us – it’s urban, but village-like; close to downtown where my husband works; and full of commonly-minded people (with and without children). Living in CH, we are able to manage with one car, pick up CSA produce without using said car, have a big dog (because of the park), and eat at some tasty restaurants. I’d love to see more businesses so I try to shop at the ones that have come to our neighborhood. I’d like the schools to improve, so I’m trying to help out the folks behind the Chimborazo IB initiative.
CH can and should be a neighborhood for 20-somethings without kids, 60-something empty-nesters, LGBT couples, singles, and people with kids. I see alot more families than I used to, but I also see a lot more MCV students too.
WTF is a pantaque ? Seriously .
Gwomper: Where have you been? Everybody knows that petanque, second only to soccer, is one of Europe’s most favorite outdoor sports! And indeed, in Europe & South America, it is the number one outdoor activity for those without children!
Recently on the news, it was announced that Mayor Jones & Co. won the bid to host the 2015 Petanque World Championships here in little ‘ol Richmond. And our very own Church Hill petanque courts (soon to be outfitted with premium stadium lighting, at tax-payers’ expense) will be the focus of the world petanque community. Just you wait…petanque-mania will be running rampant on the Hill.
Hasn’t anyone ever heard the phrase: “If you build it, they will come…” (But if you build it with poor drainage, they probably won’t!)
@tinkerbell–supposedly a former president of the Church Hill Association is one of the ten or fifteen petanque players and it was he who convinced the city to build the courts. I live behind Chimborazo playground and as far as I can tell all those courts do is serve as mosquito breeding grounds since they’re always filled with water.
As far as families go I’ve noticed quite a few babies and toddlers but very few school age and above kids on the Hill. Everyone seems to concentrate on the elementary schools but what about middle and high schools? Don’t they matter as well?
I moved here 10 years ago and have 2 kids. While we do opt for private school for them (hence the guilty mom part), I love every other aspect of living here, as do my kids
Reading the MSN article and honing in on this particular town brought me to this community site. My husband and I do not have children currently and live in a sprawling urban area in New England. Though we may have children in the future, owning a rental property with land upkeep has provided us insight about what we desire for future living. Church Hill sounded beautiful yet funky with people of a similar mindset. I work in an urban school district where those who can afford to, remove their children from, driving away academic and economic diversity. It is unfortunate to see but for the students that remain, much promise is there, especially when encouraged by the surrounding neighborhoods. I would hope that Church Hill does the same.
@Trish, again, I feel this was a very selfish moveon the part of an influencial few. The plan that we need 4-5 courts within a COMMUNITY park that caters for ALL those that live in CH is ridiculous and unfair. Regional petanque site is a joke…maybe once a year, then what happens the rest of the time. This grand plan has failed, and know we have an ‘eyesore’ and hazard to all those that attempt to use the playground. I charge anyone to go to the park and take a look, its overgrown with weeds, there is a huge hole with a parking cone stuck in it, unfinshed construction, trash, piles of dirt and mulch and the swamp ponds.
lets lynch the petanque players. Or at least stand aruond the fence and taunt them into submission!
It boggles the mind that anyone thought this was a good use of taxpayer money. I see people playing croquet and bocce in city parks on weekends and they dont have special lawns built just for them.
Those aren’t pétanque courts. They are children’s pools that just haven’t been fully dug out yet.
I suggest a representative from the petanque group give the community an update on the present status of the court drainage and if we are going to accept the need to concrete at least 2 in to create some usable hardscape, prevent the trip hazards and toddler accidents waiting to happen?
i think many in community would like an update. I have heard rumours that the city is to begin work on completing the park development.
The community deserves an update at the very least. This project is terrible in so many ways…
In response to the comments posted on this blog concerning the petanque courts, here is today’s response from Parks and Rec on renovations to Chimbo Playground.
Quote “We hope to start next week on correcting the drainage issues. The contract has been signed.
We know and recognize we failed you all as fellow Citizens, but we are going to do four things over the next 30 days or so.
1. Get the drainage fixed. (Which drives everything else)
2. Restore the P-courts
3. Begin work on the landscaping
4. Lower the fence as per the plan.” Unquote
It is not the petanque players who caused the drainage problems or the long time it has taken for the repairs. They are as frustrated as everyone else. A major hurdle has been the permitting process for drainage into the Chesapeake Watershed.
Sarcasm, threats and intimidation are not going to solve this problem.
It would be interesting to know how many of the people who have voiced their opinions on the condition or design of the playground have contacted Parks and Rec with their concerns and suggestions. The contact at Parks and Rec is Larry Miller.
this does not distingish the fact that we have 4 P COURTS that no one will use………
@Petanque player–thank you for the update, but the question remains about why it was felt that additional courts were needed? I see your little group out there every week and it’s the same ten or fifteen people. To be honest I never even heard of petanque before I moved here; I had to Wiki it. Yes, Parks and Rec did fail us as citizens–by taking up half a community park with unneeded courts for an obscure-outside-of-France game that only a handful of people south of Broad play. Way to go, Richmond.
Petanque Player, thank you for taking the time to contact Parks and Rec on the community’s behalf.
Trish, I totally agree with you. Parks and Rec completely dropped the ball.
Trish, Petanque is not an obscure-out of France game. It is played all over the world. In fact the Petanque Federation of America estimates that at least 30,000 people play the game in the US. It can be played by handicapped people as well as children, costs little except for balls (of which there are loaners) and can be learned in ten minutes. The playground renovations were designed by BAM architects based on input from the community, the Petanque Club. Friends of Chimborazo Playground, and Parks and Rec. Several meetings were held during the design process with minimal attendance by the community. As far as I know, it is not the design the petanque club would have preferred. The courts are also used for bocce.
I went to the meetings to redesign the playground, and anyone who opposed the redesign proposal with the multiple pentanque courts were ignored. Multiple community members came forward to oppose the design and work on a new design, but when it came to working on the plans, our efforts to save the blacktop area for the kids were ignored. I feel very resentful about it, and my children, who also attended every meeting, are left with the feeling that it does not make a difference if you want to get involved. Very sad.
Let’s not forget about the skaters who rallied and were also ignored…
JD
To set the record straight, The skate boarders were not ignored. They were asked by Parks and Rec at each meeting they attended to provide them with their design for a skateboard area as part of the playground renovations. To my knowledge they have not done so.
This issue will not be solved on this blog site. I recommend all concerned contact Larry Miller at Parks and Rec as soon as possible with your issues.
Petanque Player,
/2010/07/09/continuing-call-for-skatepark-in-chimborazo-playground_14395/
How many skaters does it take to get a modest skate park? Apparently it requires more than 400. How many Petanque players does it take to get four petanque courts? 15-20 at most?
For the record, I do not have an issue with anybody in the petanque community. I have an issue with the decision(s) made by the city.
Quite honestly, we moved out of Church Hill because we wanted a family. In the three years we lived there, there were three murders on our street.
I don’t think the article was at all about Fairmount, Jackie.
@Pentanque Player, it was the city of richmond that dropped the ball on the skatepark. I have called the city Larry, but I realize now that they never really had any intention of building the skate area. The swimming pool in still underground in the area plotted for the skatepark, and this greatly complicated the design and would force the whole thing to be built on a platform.
However, the underground swimming pool would NOT have impacted the petanque courts at all. The courts should have been built in the grassy area, leaving the blacktop for the kids.
We also told that the skate area could only be built after meetings were held to make sure there were no community concerns with it. Funny how this was not a requirement for the pentanque courts. And, when concern was expressed about the courts, it was ignored.
I am very bitter about this and process for the redesign for the playground. I really think the pentanque player from CH should be ashamed of himself. I think we should pave over the sand areas of the courts in the playgrounds blacktop area. This would solve the mosquito pit problem and give the area back to the kids.
I accidentally erased part of my comment above. What I meant to say, was when I saw they were starting to tear up the black top (after attending all the meetings where my and other’s opinions were ignored), I called Larry many times. I also called our council person several times. I did my best, but it was to no avail. The playground was hijacked and it no longer serves the needs of the community. I realize now that it there was no point in even voicing my opinion. The whole show are working together to redesign the playground was a farce.
For the record, the four pits are actually DOUBLE courts. So, in addition to the four new courts, there are the two in the corner that are used and another double court that is overtaken by weeds that is never used. That’s a total of TWELVE petanque courts. TWELVE!!!