East Highland Park, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia is a stone's throw away from the birthplace of famed American writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Nestled squarely between Richmond and the Chickahominy River, East Highland Park, Virginia is only a two-hour drive from the the nation's capital. The census-designated place is a suburb of greater Richmond, and has a population of 14,796 according to the last 2010 census.
Moving to East Highland Park
When to start looking
It's probably safe to start looking for a place here a month in advance, but if you want to get the best place possible, it wouldn't hurt to start some research and calling around at least two months out. Over a fourth of all residents in the area are in rental properties, and while there are a good number of places to go around, you'd be smart to spend some time choosing one. After all, you're going to be signing a lease, so since you'll be there for a while, you definitely don't want to end up hating the place.
When to make the move
There's one consideration that many people regret not having after moving to East Highland Park, and that consideration is weather. Temperature to be more precise. East Highland Park may be in the trendy NOVA (that's what locals call NOrthern VA), but the Commonwealth of Virginia is a southern state. That means potentially hot and definitely humid summers. Aim for cooler months; you never know when that record high of 107 degrees might be beaten.
What to bring along
Different landlords in this area will require different things, and it's best to ask upfront, before the interview, what can help them with their job. Normally, you'll need to bring along references from former landlords and proof of income. If you're looking for apartments with all utilities paid in East Highland Park, you can bet that the landlord will be doing a credit check. So go ahead and take the initiative to bring one into the interview. Seriously, with all these free credit check websites, you should be fine; if you don't know what we're talking about, watch more television!
East Highland Park Neighborhoods
Even though East Highland Park is on the smaller side -- especially compared to its larger neighbor Richmond -- this doesn't mean that every neighborhood in the area doesn't have its own little perks. These are the things you should look for when choosing an area to live in. And since we've taken the time to share some of these with you, your search will go much more quickly. We're nice like that. Sometimes.
Westside: The western side of this census-designated place is chock full of beautiful homes, but that's not all! Whenever you walk out of your house rental, you'll always be nearby Northeast Plaza Shopping Center, and if you ever need to get out of town quickly, Interstate 64 is right there!
Eastern Area: The eastern area, though not too far east since the bulk of the eastern area of East Highland Park is uninhabited, has amazing transit opportunities since buses run up and down East Laburnum Avenue. Throw in some great shopping places like Big Lots, and you've got everything you need!
Northside: Northern East Highland Park is also great for transit since East Laburnum Avenue cuts through it as well, but it also can brag about being home to the Henrico Plaza Shopping Center. The area is relatively small as well, at least compared to other sections of East Highland Park, so commuting by walking isn't out of the question. Unless it's January and 28 degrees... then stay home.
Living in East Highland Park
Sure, the neighborhoods around here are pretty and have a few things that will make life easier, but what's this place really got? Well, we're glad you asked. Plenty! In fact, you may just wonder why East Highland Park isn't more well known.
Take in 18 Holes: Don't you get bored just sitting at home all day? Well get off your keister and head over to Glenwood Golf Club. Besides...golfing makes you look classy.
It's Who You Know: Better yet, it's where you live close to. You'll have all of the benefits of living right by Richmond. Just don't enjoy it too much; needing bail money could really cut into your month to month rental payments if you got them. Better yet, just head to Washington, D.C. It's less than two hours away!
Quoth the Raven: Ever want to explore the dark side of literature? Heck, why not? You're literally 10 minutes or less away from the Museum of Edgar Allen Poe. There's nothing to be afraid of... unless you hear rapping at your chamber door. No, not rap music -- it was a reference to one of Poe's stories. Read a book, people!