Welcome to Charlottesville, Virginia! Charlottesville, itself, is about 50,000 people strong with another 100,000 or so living around it in Albemarle County. Home to the University of Virginia, and a lively community college, Piedmont, the area shows the impact of academic institutions. Research, electronics manufacturing & distribution, government offices, entrepreneurial start-ups, cultural events featuring books, plays, music, athletics, movies art and more! There is so much going on here that keeping in touch with it all is, indeed, a full-time job.
Getting here
Getting here is half the fun! My wife and I first had air tickets for Charlotte,
North Carolina, some six driving hours to the south, when we first came job seeking in
the 1960's. The travel agent in Illinois was unfamiliar with "Charlottesville" but
had heard of Charlotte - so it was a lucky review of the tickets by my wife, Luanne, that
saved a 350 mile rental car bill. Charlottesville sits astride US Route 29 and US
Interstate 64, some 115 miles south-west of Washington, D.C. and 72 miles west of
Richmond, Virginia. It is served by three major airlines at the moment (US Air, United
Air, and Delta), but a fourth possibility (Northwest) keeps bobbing up too. Greyhound
buses function here as well plus many van driven enterprises designed to get you back and
forth from airports and nearby cities. Our airport is modern, easy to get to and park at.
It is located eight miles north of town about 1 mile west of 29 North. Finally, we
have limited train services north and south, east and west. AMTRAK will let you know all
about it.
History
"C-Ville" is one lively place...and it has traditions. Many relate to its historic
ties to the American Revolution and the War between the States. Fortunately, the town
escaped major destruction in both Wars. If the name "Thomas Jefferson" rings a bell with
you, and you recall "Monticello" as his home, you will know that both of them rest
gently just to the south-east of town on Virginia Rte. 53 off of Rte. 20 South.
Once you get here, you can add to your historical places to see such as James Monroe's estate, Ash-Lawn-Highland, only 21.2 miles East and South of Monticello and (or drive 20 miles North towards Orange County to see James Madison's Estate - Montpelier). The house was more recently owned by a DuPont Family member resided there with actor Randolph Scott. This part of Virginia draws celebrity people who love it here, because locals leave them alone. John Grisham and Sissy Spacek have long lived here, while Mohammed Ali, Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard, Martina Navratilova, Alan AIda and Art Garfunkle have all either bought property or lived here. One celebrity family of the past was the Longhorns: One of their daughters married an Englishman and became Lady Astor, the first woman ever elected a member of the British Parliament.
Schools
Hey, wake up! Here's more, scuttlebutt! The University of Virginia is not just a good
University, it's a great one. You should come see it - visit The Grounds....once
more, "THE GROUNDS!" There is no such thing as a campus here. Nor are there Freshmen,
Sophomores, etc., but, there are 1st years, 2nd years, etc. There is nothing quite like
"The Lawn" guarded by the Rotunda and the Pavilions. Stop by Edgar Allan Poe's old
room, see where James Monroe once lived....and marvel at Mr. Jefferson's dream come
true in 1819.
Okay, you've had enough of that. By now you realize Charlottesville is where East meets South. There is a strong student contingent from out-of-state at UVA. Approximately 35% of them are not native Virginians. The School has an honor system as strong as the military academies. In recent years, ethnic populations other than Caucasian have made rapid growth in the University and the local school systems.
In addition to the public schools, there are private schools of every description you can imagine. Most private schools have a religious orientation or are focused on a particular teaching method or philosophy. The best place to start looking is in the phone book. Realtors often can give you local opinion on schools, however, the most difficult to assess are the middle schools where the quality of the Principal and the overall teacher morale is most important to grasp. The cost for private schooling runs between $600-$1800/month (day school).
Now, if you are a student coming here as a grad student your basic information packet from UV A will have a grounds and off-ground housing office address and phone number. Use it. If you are coming to work or retire, pump your realtor about whatever concerns you. Private rental apartments run $650 - $950/month for 1 and 2 bedrooms. Most single students try to find roommates to split expenses.
Resources
A very useful resource comes from the Chamber of Commerce. IF you intend to live here,
please, by all means, contact them at once. The address is Charlottesville Regional
Chamber of Commerce, Fifth and Market Sts, P.O. Box 1564, Charlottesville, VA 22902,
Phone (434-295-3141, (fax) 434-295-3144) or on the Net: www.CVILLECHAMBER.COM . This
office will send you a wide variety of maps and brochures about the community either for
minimum cost or free. For the University of Virginia call: (434) 924-0311 and ask for the
department you want.
From the Chamber of Commerce material above, you will be able to locate a lawyer, a real estate agent, a physician, a dentist, the senior center, a great hospital (we have two and they are first class), a volunteer rescue squad and some fine golf courses.
Charlottesville is regularly rated one of the top ten best places in America in which to live. Four seasons with mild Winters helps. You can be as busy as you want to be among an intelligent, well-educated population. There is something for everyone. Did I mention 450 beef ranches in the county? Or two ski resorts within 60 minutes drive? A life-long learning program run by retired professors? In door tennis? Broadway quality musicals? A High School String Orchestra that sounds like Carnegie Hall moved South?
And finally, we have numerous retirement care centers catering to every level of physical and mental health needs presented. Martha Jefferson Hospital and the University of Virginia Medical Center work closely with these facilities. Come see us! Better yet, stay.