Student-Subway ^alpha

Cooper Mill is one of the cookie cutter apartments in the far west end of Richmond. Almost all of the apartments in this area are going to look alike and will probably mesh together as one giant suburban blob.

However, there is some appeal to living out on The End. If you are a serious student, or a grad student who is getting too old for that undergrad experience, then getting out of campus housing, or old run down houses in the fan is a big deal.

Being out in the West End also puts you really close to many shopping outlets. It is in very close proximity to Short Pump and Stony Point - the two big high end shopping centers.

On the other hand, you are farther from Cary town, the cool hipster area, and On the complete opposite side of town from downtown and the great bars there.

For amenities, C-Mill has a pool, hot tub, small gym that really is almost unusable- but go to your school's gym, a lake with a dock, and a running trail where people are always jogging or walking a dog.

Copper Mill's strong point is its customer service. They had a banner up for a while that said they had been voted "#1 in Richmond" for customer service. I believe it. From our first experience, through every interaction they have gone out of their way to make sure we are happy. They have community parties about once a month. That is more than I can say about the other nearby places. If anything breaks, I have never waited more than 1 day for it to be fixed. And you will almost get tired of how often they say "welcome home", but they seem to mean it.

The one complaint I have is that there seems to be a never ending stream of construction and renovation. This year we had new pipes installed (for which they had to cut holes in the walls), new roofing, FiOS, and complete landscaping overhaul. I'm sure the place will be nice in a few months and look brand new, but right now the noise is troublesome at best.

If you are already looking on the west end, you can't go wrong with Copper Mill. It is 15 min from Univ of Richmond without being so far out as to feel like a commute while still being close to everything else in Henrico.

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One of the great things about Richmond is the availability of off-campus housing. I know several law students who live on campus and are happy with their living arrangements and cheap rent; but if you have a roommate, you can end up paying less than school housing for a much better place. Nearly everyone I know here has opted for off-campus housing and loves it. The university is located in a great centralized position, so you can live towards the city and be close to nightlife or live out towards the country for peace and quiet and still be able to get to school in less than fifteen minutes with traffic.

I chose to live in the west end and have not regretted my choice. I'm only a few minutes from Short Pump, so going to see a movie or picking up dinner with friends at a nice (or cheap, given my budget) restaurant is really easy. If I need to go downtown, I can simply hop on the highway and be there in about twenty minutes. Despite the fact that the west end is often known for its expensive real estate, there are some awesome cost-effective options out there. I found an apartment owned by the Wilton Companies (Westmoreland Square Apartments) that included gas, water, and waste management all in the rent. Not having to pay for gas in the winter means that my electric bills in the fall through spring only end up being about $14 a month. My friends who have electric only end up paying up to $150 a month to keep themselves warm.

I currently work part-time at a residential real estate law firm here in town, and from personal experience I think that the current economic market has definitely driven prices down for both homeowners and renters. Monthly rent for some complexes has dropped $100 since just two years ago. So if you're considering having some extra freedom and don't want to have to go to the dining hall for all of your meals, Richmond is a great city for finding your own place off campus. I would suggest googling apartments for rent in Richmond, narrowing down your search to several apartments, and then visiting them. I did just that, and after seeing about five apartments on a Saturday morning picked my current place and could not be happier.

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I live in the Fan on Grove Street and I love it. I believe it is a little more expensive than living in Short Pump for example, but for me it is worth it. It is a culturally rich area with beautiful houses that have a lot of character. It is also close to a lot of shops, restaurants and bars and only about a ten to fifteen minute drive to school depending on traffic. It's nice to go for a walk on a sunny day or walk down to Carytown to get an icecream or catch a cheap flick at the Byrd. I would definitely recommend living in the Fan to any of the new students that would appreciate the things that I have mentioned!

Richmond off-campus housing

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Over the short time I have studied at Richmond I have lived in two different dorms and an on-campus apartment. The housing needs for the most part are adequate. Rooms are not too spacey but never feel cramped. The bathrooms are serviced once a week so the issues surrounding a dirty bathroom are never a problem.

The major issue is the quality of the actual housing. Many of the dorms are in need of major maintenance however some have/are being renovated. The apartments seem especially cheap, with paper thin walls and shoddy furniture. The lighting provided is decent but the fixtures look like they were put in around 1980.

Overall there aren't that many complaints about housing. It's just a run of the mill average aspect of the Richmond campus. Not a highlight nor a negative aspect.

Creek's Edge Apartments Richmond VA

Virtual Richmond Campus

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