Your Richmond Neighborhood Guide: Living Near the City's Top Employers

Richmond is a beautiful place to live and work. The city has something for everyone—historic charm, trendy shops and boutiques, world-class restaurants and amazing urban parks and green spaces. With some of the city’s largest employers centered in and around Downtown Richmond, it’s never difficult to find the perfect apartment in a great neighborhood. Today, I'll be your ApartmentHomeLiving.com Local Expert for finding the best neighborhoods near Richmond's top employers!

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Virginia Commonwealth University

Providing 7,832 jobs in Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is among the city’s largest employers. The college campus is located 10 minutes west of Downtown and is surrounded by some of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

Monroe Ward

Monroe Ward is just minutes from Virginia Commonwealth University by car, and this highly walkable neighborhood is also just 10 to 15 minutes from the campus on foot. There’s abundant student housing in the area, but also lots of affordable options for faculty and staff. A fun and energized neighborhood, Monroe Ward has a definite college-town vibe.

One of the best things about Monroe Ward is the tremendous variety of dining options. The neighborhood has everything from casual sandwich shops and pizza joints to chic fine dining and farm-to-table fare. It’s an especially fun neighborhood in the summer, when the college semester is over and many restaurants offer al fresco sidewalk dining.

Fan District

Easily one of the best places to live in Richmond, the Fan District is a large neighborhood that extends westward from VCU to the Museum District. It’s eclectic and vibrant, with a diverse community and tree-lined streets. The Fan District was designed to be walkable and bike-friendly, and it’s also well-connected to the rest of the city by public transportation.

I’ve always had a soft spot for this neighborhood. Residences range from stately townhomes and elaborate Victorian houses to sleek modern apartment buildings. It’s clear that the Fan District has a lot of history, but it’s also still very much alive and thriving. Bars, restaurants, music venues and cafes are everywhere. Locally-owned shops and boutiques line Broad Street and Main Street, which serve as the neighborhood's north and south boundaries.

Carver

Tucked between I-64 and the Fan District, Carver is a cool little neighborhood with old historic homes as well as modern apartment buildings and condos in renovated warehouses. It’s a popular neighborhood for college students and young, first-time home-buyers, and proximity to several major thoroughfares makes it convenient to pretty much anywhere in Richmond.

There aren’t as many shopping and dining options here as in the Fan District, but Carver has some hidden gems—Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee is one of my favorite spots—and there’s a Kroger in the neighborhood, which is convenient for grocery shopping. One of the best things about Carver is its proximity to so many other cool areas.

Newtowne West

The precise boundaries of Newtowne West are hazy and ill-defined. I would safely say it’s the area just west of Carver and north of the Fan District, but I’ve heard it described as including parts of the Fan District and Museum District. It’s a little bit of an overlooked neighborhood, which is arguably a good thing if you want to live on a quiet street with little to no through-traffic.

Newtowne West has a mixed urban/suburban vibe, with many bungalows and townhomes. The neighborhood has a great location, less than a 10-minute drive from VCU and just off I-64. There’s a Whole Foods right around the corner, and the neighborhood is a stone’s throw from Hardywood Park Craft Brewing, Peak Experiences rock climbing gym and the Diamond ballpark.

Scott’s Addition

Scott’s Addition has been one of Richmond’s hippest up-and-coming neighborhoods for nearly 20 years now, long enough that it’s arguably not especially hip or up-and-coming anymore. But you know what? It’s still one of my favorite neighborhoods in Richmond. It’s safe, convenient, and unquestionably one of the best places to live if you’re new to Richmond.

Scott’s Addition is the quintessential “urban renewal” neighborhood, essentially made up of former warehouses and industrial sites that are now lofts, condos, trendy restaurants and craft breweries (seriously, there are SO many craft breweries in Scott’s Addition). It’s a genuinely fun place to live and spend time, and you’ll never run out of places to eat. Check out ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque; it might just be the best BBQ in Richmond.

Dominion Energy

An energy company headquartered in Richmond, Dominion Energy supplies electricity to parts of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Dominion Energy employs over 5,000 people in Richmond alone, and the company’s head office is in the Thomas F. Farrell Building on Canal Street in Downtown Richmond.

Shockoe Bottom

One of Richmond’s oldest neighborhoods, Shockoe Bottom was once the city’s commercial center. After years of neglect, this neighborhood underwent an amazing transformation in the 21st century and is now known as one of the most energized and fun neighborhoods to live in Richmond.

Living options are widely varied in Shockoe Bottom, though the neighborhood is most associated with historic-warehouse-turned-loft style spaces. There are tons of great shops and eateries here, and I would argue that Shockoe Bottom has some of the best nightlife in Richmond. It’s also home to Main Street Station, making it well-connected via public transit to points all over the city.

Oregon Hill

Convenient to both Dominion Energy and VCU, Oregon Hill is a charming residential neighborhood just west of Downtown Richmond. Homes here are about a 50/50 mix of owners and renters—there are a lot of student rentals toward the north end of the neighborhood—and the streets are quiet and well-kept. It’s a great neighborhood for young working professionals.

Bordered by Belvidere Street to the east and the picturesque Hollywood Cemetery to the west, Oregon Hill also has great access to parks and green spaces, with views of the James River from the North Bank Trail. Oregon Hill is highly walkable, and nearby neighborhoods like the Fan District and University area offer no shortage of restaurants, shops and cafes.

Old Town Manchester

Located on Richmond’s Southside and separated from Downtown by the James River, Old Town Manchester is just a 6-minute car ride from Dominion Energy’s head office. Manchester was once a separate town before being incorporated into Richmond, and it still feels a little bit removed from the main part of the city. That being said, it’s a nice neighborhood with a mostly urban-residential vibe.

Old Town Manchester seems poised for renewal. Several old industrial buildings have been turned into art spaces, and some of the best Richmond breweries—Legend Brewing and Basic City Beer Co.—are located here. Old Town Manchester also has easy access to the amazing James River Park system, including Belle Isle. This is definitely an up-and-coming neighborhood.

Jackson Ward

Jackson Ward is one of Richmond’s most compelling neighborhoods, and it’s less than 10 minutes from virtually anywhere in the city center. A historically African American neighborhood that was once known as the Harlem of the South, today’s Jackson Ward is a diverse, welcoming neighborhood with a great mix of art, culture and history.

East Broad Street serves as the neighborhood’s “Main Street.” It’s a fun, lively avenue lined with thriving local shops, cafes and bars as well as art galleries and entertainment venues. And between Mudhouse Specialty Roasters, Lit Coffee Shop and Coalescence Coffee Company, Jackson Ward also has some of the best coffee shops in Richmond.

City Center

One of eight neighborhoods that collectively define Downtown Richmond, City Center is where you live when you want to be right in the heart of the action. It’s also where Dominion Energy’s head office is located, so your commute time will be essentially nil.

There’s also a lot to see and do here. City Center is home to entertainment venues like the National Theater, Dominion Energy Center and Ember Music Hall, plus some of the city’s best upscale bars and eateries. The neighborhood borders Jackson Ward and is also convenient to the Riverfront District and Brown’s Island, which hosts festivals including Dominion Energy Riverrock and the Richmond Folk Festival.

VCU Health System

Employing about 13,500 people, VCU Health System is the single largest employer in Richmond. Although the VCU Health System has multiple facilities throughout the Richmond area, the VCU Medical Center Main Hospital is located Downtown, just a few blocks from the Virginia State Capitol.

Church Hill

The word I often hear to describe Church Hill is “quaint,” and it’s a fitting adjective. A well-established neighborhood with well-kept historic homes, Church Hill is laid-back, walkable and pet-friendly. The majority of homes here are rentals, and it’s an excellent area to rent an affordable duplex apartment.

Church Hill covers a large swath of land, but just about any home in this sprawling neighborhood is within a 10-minute drive of VCU Health. The neighborhood overall has a lot of historic character, with brick sidewalks and cozy shops and cafes in buildings that have stood for 100-plus years. Sub Rosa Bakery has long been one of Church Hill’s standout breakfast spots, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Union Hill

A beautiful neighborhood east of Downtown Richmond and just a 5-minute drive from the VCU Medical Center, Union Hill is almost entirely residential. With streets lined with charming mid-sized homes occupied by a mix of owners and renters, Union Hill is known for being a safe and quiet place to live.

There are a handful of great restaurants and cafes in the neighborhood—Spotty Dog Ice Cream and Fat Rabbit Bakery are a couple of my favorites—but most of the nearby dining options are in the larger Church Hill area, of which Union Hill is considered a smaller part. Another highlight of the neighborhood is Jefferson Park, a picturesque green space with a splendid view of the Downtown Richmond skyline.

Upper Shockoe Valley

Known for its industrial roots, Upper Shockoe Valley could be considered an extension of the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood directly to its south. The revitalization that has transformed the latter into one of Richmond’s trendiest areas hasn’t quite overtaken Upper Shockoe Valley yet, but I get the sense that the transformation is coming.

Rentals in Upper Shockoe Valley are primarily loft-style apartments, and an increasing number of them are becoming available as the neighborhood’s defunct industrial structures are renovated. Upper Shockoe Valley is minutes from VCU Health and from the wide-ranging shopping, dining and entertainment options in neighboring Church Hill and Shockoe Bottom.

Fairmount

Fairmount was established toward the end of the 19th century when the recent arrival of Richmond’s trolley line made travel in and out of the city easier than ever before. The area has evermore been referred to as one of Richmond’s “trolley car suburbs,” and it continues to be convenient to VCU Health and Downtown, even though trolleys are a thing of the past.

Today, Fairmount is known as one of Richmond’s most affordable neighborhoods. It has an urban/residential character with many small to mid-sized historic homes. Fairmount is a diverse, working-class neighborhood, and it has the feel of a tight-knit community. Lucks Field is a nice public park in the area, and Fairmount Pool is a great place to cool off on a hot summer day.

Court End

Home to the VCU Health System’s Main Hospital and MCV Campus, Court End is a small, historic neighborhood just north of Capitol Square. The neighborhood is anchored by the VCU Health Campus, and there are also some excellent museums and historic sites in the area. It’s one of Richmond’s oldest neighborhoods, formerly known as Shockoe Hill.

Court End has some of Richmond’s best examples of historic Federal-era architecture, including some of the most desirable real estate in the city. Relatively few people live in Court End proper, but the surrounding areas are among the most popular places to live for VCU Health employees.

CoStar Group

And of course we would be remiss if we did not list CoStar Group among the list of the Richmond area's top employers. CoStar Group's Research Operations Headquarters sits along the banks of the James River in Downtown Richmond, near 501 S. 5th St. and the Tredegar Street corridor. The campus is currently undergoing a massive expansion — a 750,000 square-foot addition featuring a 26-story office tower and a six-story amenity building — which at full build-out is expected to house thousands of employees across research, technology, operations, marketing, and sales. It's safe to say CoStar has made a serious long-term commitment to Richmond.

Shockoe Slip

Shockoe Slip is one of Richmond's most distinctive and storied neighborhoods, located near the James River with a character that's hard to replicate anywhere else in the city. Its streets are lined with well-preserved brick buildings that date back more than a century, giving the area a timeless aesthetic that feels equally at home on a weekday morning commute or a Saturday night out. For CoStar employees, the proximity to the riverfront campus may provide a seemingly unbeatable living location.

When the workday wraps up, Shockoe Slip keeps the energy going. The neighborhood has a well-earned reputation for great dining and nightlife, and its apartment options — many housed in beautifully converted historic buildings — give residents a living experience that feels unique and full of character. Whether you're drawn to exposed brick and high ceilings or prefer a sleek modern unit, there's something here for most tastes and budgets.

Gambles Hill

Gambles Hill is one of those Richmond neighborhoods that doesn't get nearly enough attention, which is honestly part of its appeal. Nestled just west of Downtown and bordered by South Belvidere Street, Canal Street, and Byrd Street, it's a small and intimate community that manages to feel like a quiet retreat while remaining just minutes from CoStar's campus. The neighborhood sits atop a bluff overlooking the James River, and landmarks like the Virginia War Memorial add a layer of history and gravitas that sets it apart.

Housing in Gambles Hill tends toward a mix of residential options, including apartments and townhomes nearby that offer solid options for working professionals who want more room to breathe than a typical downtown unit might provide. The neighborhood is also well-connected for cyclists, with bike-friendly access to downtown and the surrounding areas that makes the commute to CoStar's riverfront campus a genuinely pleasant option. If you're looking for a neighborhood with natural beauty, a tight-knit feel, and easy access to Downtown, Gambles Hill deserves a spot on your shortlist.

Downtown Richmond

For CoStar employees who want to make their commute as effortless as possible, Downtown Richmond is the ultimate solution — the campus is essentially right outside your front door. It's a neighborhood that offers genuine big-city walkability, with easy connections to some of Richmond's most beloved areas including Shockoe Bottom, The Fan, Scott's Addition, and Manchester. Major highways like I-95 and I-64 are also nearby, making weekend trips out of the city just as easy as the daily commute.

The apartment landscape Downtown is diverse and growing, with everything from lovingly restored historic buildings to brand-new luxury developments. Studio apartments and larger units are both well-represented, giving renters a range of price points to work with depending on their budget and lifestyle. Add in the restaurants, entertainment venues, and the energy of a city in the middle of an exciting period of growth, and Downtown Richmond makes a compelling case for anyone looking to live where the action is.