“Give me liberty or give me death.” If you’ve studied any American History, you’ve probably heard this infamous quote from one of our Founding Fathers. They spoke these words right in Richmond, VA, leading up to the American Revolution. As you can see, Richmond — the capital of Virginia — is full of rich history and culture.
Richmond has been an established city since 1737. To this day, it’s still a thriving city with a population of approximately 226,000 people. It’s located near the James River and near other cities like Williamsburg, Charlottesville and Washington, D.C. Here, you’ll find an even blend of empty-nesters, young families, college students and professionals working in industries ranging from law to finance to government. With a median household income of $47,250, you’ll meet hardworking, friendly Virginians who love to call Richmond home.
If you’re looking for a new place to call home, Richmond is a great option as it’s full of history, charm and the residents boast a great quality of life. So, let’s talk about the best neighborhoods in Richmond and share some fun facts about each neighborhood. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the variety within the best neighborhoods in Richmond and see the perfect blend of city and suburban life.
15 best neighborhoods in Richmond
It’s time to walk through the neighborhoods in Richmond and see what is a good fit for you. Let’s go!
1. Byrd Park
- Walk Score: 77
Byrd Park is a neighborhood in the west end of the city and centers around the large and beautiful Byrd Park. This 200-acre park is full of walking trails, parks, exercise stations and even three small lakes — Shields, Swan and Boat Lake.
2. Carytown
- Walk Score: 95/100
Carytown is a neighborhood in Richmond that’s near the Museum District and Fan District. This is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Richmond.
Carytown Street Park and Shop Center was founded in the late 1930s and was Richmond’s first strip mall. Meander down Cary Street and you’ll find lots of locally-owned shops and restaurants. While you’re out shopping, pop into some great thrift stores like Clementine or Plan9Records for some music. Afterward, take the local food tour and try the local cuisine. Carytown is full of shops but you can also catch some nature at Byrd Park, where you can walk around the 300-acre park and try pedal boats, tennis or simply stroll along.
Carytown apartments are plentiful and you’ll find the neighborhood charming.
3. City Stadium
- Median 1-BR rent: n/a
- Median 2-BR rent: n/a
- Walk Score: n/a
Aptly named, City Stadium is a sports stadium by the Downtown Expressway. It’s now called UR Stadium, or the University of Richmond Stadium, but the neighborhood name stayed the same. Here, you can cheer on the Richmond Kickers soccer team — not to be confused with AFC Richmond, you Ted Lasso fans.
City Stadium is a small neighborhood nestled in Richmond, VA. With a population of roughly 500 people, you’ll be close to your neighbors and get to know the community well. City Stadium is near Carytown, Byrd Park, Carillon and Windsor Farms, which are some of the other best neighborhoods in Richmond.
Once people move to City Stadium, some never leave and you’ll find original homeowners throughout the neighborhood. If you’re looking for a place to settle down and become close with the people around you, this is a great choice. Residents love the local restaurants and have named Cathay Gourmet Chinese Restaurant and Food Dog among the best local eateries. Rent in the neighborhood of City Stadium is comparable to rent in Richmond with average rental prices between $1,300 and $1,600 per month, depending on the type of apartment.
4. Forest Hill
Source: Rent./Forest Hills Ave.
- Median 2-BR rent: $1,420
- Walk Score: 58/100
On the southern banks of the James River, you’ll find the historic district neighborhood called Forest Hill. One of the coolest things about this city is the history of the trolley car. This suburb is near the end line of the trolley that ended at Forest Hill Park, where swimming lakes and amusement parks are.
To this day, you can enjoy Forest Hill Park, which is popular among the locals. The neighborhood association does its best to keep the park a central part of the community and puts on fun runs and summer concert series.
Forest Hill also has a rich Civil War history as the infamous Confederate colonel Stonewall Jackson was from this neighborhood. While the Civil War is a bitter part of history for Americans, the neighborhood is still an important landmark.
Living in Forest Hill you can expect to pay around $1,400 for a two-bedroom apartment. Check out more apartments in Forest Hill here.
5. Fulton Hill
- Walk Score: 41/100
Fulton Hill is a historic neighborhood in Richmond named after the Irish-born founder James Alexander Fulton. In the early 1800s, Fulton and his wife built an estate on Powhatan Park. This was a thriving neighborhood but in the 1970s, under the Fulton Urban Renewal Plan, 800 homes and businesses were completely torn down. Thousands of long-time residents were relocated and the neighborhood became a ghost town for a period of time.
After the turmoil of the Fulton Urban Renewal Plan, the goal was to rebuild and improve the neighborhood. Now, it’s once again a suburban neighborhood near Richmond with a close-knit community.
Fulton Hill is a great neighborhood for renters as 59 percent of the people are working-class renters. This neighborhood is on the east end of the city. Apartment communities and homes have great views from the hilltop where residents can see the James River and downtown Richmond. Fulton Hill apartment prices are comparable with those in Richmond itself.
6. Gilpin
- Walk Score: 51
Gilpin, or Gilpin Court, is a neighborhood in Richmond on the north side of the city. It’s adjacent to Carver and Jackson Ward, two other neighborhoods in Richmond. This part of the city dates back over 200 years and was originally called Shockoe Hill. Like most neighborhoods in Richmond, you’ll find places and historic sites full of history. Gilpin has a great cemetery — Shockhoe Hill Cemetery — where you can see the final resting place of Revolutionary War veterans and a Supreme Court Chief Justice.
The city of Gilpin commits to improving education, health and economy and looks for ways to enhance the city and community. The majority of residents rent and you can find studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments in Gilpin that’ll fit your needs. Lots of old warehouses have been turned into loft apartments, so you’ll find some unique spaces to rent in this neighborhood.
7. Jackson Ward
Source: Rent./The Penny at Jackson Ward
- Walk Score: 94
Jackson Ward is in the area of Richmond known as downtown. It’s near Gilpin, another one of the best neighborhoods in Richmond.
Jackson Ward is a predominantly African-American neighborhood and is also known as the “Harlem of the South.” Full of history, culture and entertainment, legends like Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald often visited Jackson Ward.
This is a great neighborhood full of locally-owned businesses. After the civil war, several African-Americans made history in Jackson Ward. For example, Maggie L. Walker was the first woman to serve as the president of an American bank. You can visit the Maggie L. Walker house in Jackson Ward to this day.
Rent in Jackson Ward is comparable to prices in Richmond. You can search for apartments in Jackson Ward and find your new home.
8. Malvern Gardens
- Walk Score: 50
The Malvern Gardens neighborhood is home to approximately 4,000 residents and is on the west end of Richmond.
In true Virginian fashion, you’ll find tree-lined streets and Colonial Revival-style homes in this neighborhood. It’s a walkable neighborhood where you can get to-and-from restaurants, bars and shops easily. It’s only a short commute to downtown Richmond.
People in Malvern Gardens love their local grocery store — Stella’s Grocery — as it’s full of boutique treats, gourmet foods and artisan wares. Likewise, you can find Stella’s Greek restaurant where you’ll eat at communal tables with your neighbors.
Malvern Gardens has several apartment options for renters looking to move here. With a smaller population of roughly 1,500 people, you’ll live in a community where you’ll get to know your neighbors and enjoy the small-town feel while still being close to the larger city of Richmond.
9. Manchester
- Median 1-BR rent: $1,886
- Median 2-BR rent: $2,090
- Walk Score: 32/100
Welcome to Manchester, a booming neighborhood south of Richmond, once called Rocky Ridge. Back in the day, it was its own town full of agricultural, tobacco and coal industries. Fast forward to today, it’s part of Richmond but it’s its own distinct neighborhood.
While it’s part of the broader city of Richmond, this neighborhood has character from the past. You can see the old courthouse, the Hull Street business district and several old railroads and railway buildings that make up the history of the past.
You’ll find great cafés, pubs and seafood restaurants here. Try Manchester’s Table or The Continental Manchester. Also, if you’re into birding or fishing, you can do that on the James River easily. People also like Manchester for its accessibility. While it’s not a great walking town — it has a walk score of 32 — you can easily access the major highways and get anywhere you want, quickly.
Check out apartments in Manchester that range in price from $1,800 to $2,000 for one- and two-bedroom apartments.
10. Mary Munford
Source: Rent./W Lock Ln.
- Walk Score: 57
Before it was a neighborhood and local elementary school, Mary Munford was an education reformer and civic leader. Now, her legacy lives on in the neighborhood and school. This neighborhood has great schools, which is a perk for families looking to move here. Another fun family perk of this neighborhood is the Mary Munford Playground. Jump back to medieval times as you play in this castle-themed park. In addition to the fun, imaginative layout of the playground itself, it’s catered toward special-needs children and is very inclusive.
The Mary Munford neighborhood is in the west end of Richmond, VA with a good blend of homeowners and renters alike. People enjoy good food at restaurants like The Mantu, Mary Angela’s Pizzeria or Philly Steak and Gyros.
Find your next place to rent by looking at apartments in the Mary Munford neighborhood.
11. Monroe Ward
- Median 1-BR rent: $1,086
- Median 2-BR rent: $1,634
- Walk Score: 96
Monroe Ward neighborhood is directly in downtown Richmond. Its population skews young because of all the college students living nearby attending Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). VCU started out as a medical school but now offers programs in several subjects. Students and residents alike will love the variety of restaurants, stores, bars and coffee shops. Stroll the campus or the neighborhood of Monroe Ward.
The other significant building in Monroe Ward neighborhood is the Jefferson Hotel. Until as recently as 1948, this luxury hotel once housed alligators in the lobby. The gators are gone but the lobby is still grand and the food is excellent.
Students and families alike will enjoy living in apartments in Monroe Ward. Find your new apartment in this neighborhood now.
12. Museum District
- Median 1-BR rent: n/a
- Median 2-BR rent: n/a
- Walk Score: n/a
Just north of Carytown is the Museum District, or West of the Boulevard neighborhood. If you’re the artsy type, this is your neighborhood. It skews older, so if you’re an empty-nester, this is a good neighborhood to consider.
Home to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which houses Picasso paintings, you’ll find several artistic treasures here. You’ll also find two well-known parochial schools — St. Benedict and St. Gertrude.
Not only will you live near works of art, but you’ll also live next to great neighbors, good food, cool architecture and unique shops. The neighborhood is walkable, the homes are beautiful and the apartments in the Museum District are great.
13. Union Hill
- Median 1-BR rent: $807
- Median 2-BR rent: $894
- Walk Score: 77
Union Hill is a Richmond neighborhood on the east end of the city. You’ll find it situated between Jefferson Avenue, Venable Street and the neighborhood of Mosby, another one of the best neighborhoods in Richmond.
Union Hill gets its name because of the hills that surround it. Not the most creative name, but it’s historical as it’s been around since 1817. The powers that be dedicated Union Hill as an “old and historic district” in Richmond.
Residents of Union Hill can venture to downtown Richmond easily and enjoy the shops, museums, parks and restaurants with their fellow neighbors. Check out apartments in Union Hill today.
14. Woodland Heights
Source: Rent./Belle Summit Apartments
- Median 1-BR rent: $1,482
- Median 2-BR rent: $1,702
- Walk Score: 28/100
Located on the south side of the James River, three parks surround Woodland Heights creating a nature-filled neighborhood in Richmond. Each park — Forest Hills, Canoe Run and James River Park — offers ample outdoor activities like running, biking, dog-walking and even playing in the water from the James River. Residents of Woodland Heights can also attend events in the park, like movies, yoga, farmer’s markets or weekend concerts. Meet up with neighbors or stroll the parks on your own. Either way, you have endless opportunities to walk from your apartment in Woodland Heights to any one of the three parks that encompass this charming neighborhood.
Because this neighborhood is close to downtown Richmond — it was a trolley car hub — you can easily walk, drive or take public transportation into the city itself. Woodland Heights takes pride in the fact that the first commercially successful electric street railway system started operating there.
Woodland Heights is a great neighborhood for families where you’ll find rent ranging from $1,400 to $1,700 for one- and two-bedroom apartments. If you’re looking for a family-friendly neighborhood where you can spend lots of time outdoors, Woodland Heights is a great option.
15. Windsor Farms
- Walk Score: 57
Welcome to one of the city’s first planned neighborhoods. It was actually built with the automobile in mind and the streets were laid out in a grid for that reason. Windsor Farms was established in 1926 and looks like an English village. A lot of the architecture is either Colonial Revival or Tudor-style and you’ll see this as you walk the streets of this neighborhood.
Two historical landmarks in this neighborhood are the Virginia House and Agecroft Hall. Virginia House is a manor overlooking the James River and was actually constructed in England and shipped to the U.S. to be built here. Now, it’s a museum. Agecroft Hall is another estate steeped with early-American history. You can tour these two landmarks in Windsor Farms.
Today, residents find a mixture of historic sites, great parks, food and walking trails. Find an apartment that suits you in Windsor Farms.
Find the best Richmond neighborhood for you
The city of Richmond, the capital of the state and named after a sister city in England (also called Richmond), is an integral part of American history. You’ll be sure to find a neighborhood in Richmond that suits your needs, budget and lifestyle. You can do more research on the best neighborhoods in Richmond and find a new apartment that’s right for you.
