I am partial to this part of Charlottesville for a variety of reasons, first and foremost being that I grew in this general vicinity. This section of the area defines the term I use frequently – CharlAlbemarle – meaning the blending of the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle – hence, CharlAlbemarle.
The hub of this area of Charlottesville is the Barracks Road Shopping Center, home the only two stores I personally need - Greenberry’s coffee shop and a Barnes and Noble.
The Charlottesville Community Design Center defines the area thusly: (again, check out their great maps!)
The Barracks Road, Rugby, Greenleaf, Kellytown area is a combination of many neighborhoods located in the north central portion of the city. This 386.44 acre area of the city is bordered by Barracks Road Commercial Corridor to the south and the 250 bypass to the north. This area was annexed into the city during the 1916, 1938 and 1963 annexations. The majority of the neighborhood is owner occupied single family dwellings.
My description of the area expands a little bit to the North and West, just beyond City limits. The City line ends and the County of Albemarle line begins near Finley’s Service Center on Barracks Road (one of the only honest mechanics I know). Generally, this is a very pleasant and convenient place to live.
Topography: Gently rolling to level. As this is a more established part of Charlottesville (CharlAlbemarle), there tend to be more trees than the more newly-developed areas.
House prices: The gamut, ranging from about $250k – $1.5 million. Generally, house prices are in the $300k-$450k range for a single-family detached house with at least three bedrooms and two full bathrooms.
House styles: Traditional brick ranch and two story homes. Many have been updated over the years, as the majority of the homes were built (very broad generalization coming) in the mid-50’s to 70’s.
Proximity to green spaces: backyards are usually a good size – average of about 1/3 of an acre or so. Greenleaf Park is nearby, as is Albemarle High School with their abundant fields. You may find access to St. Anne’s Belfield lower school more appealing. Even better, Sugar Hollow, one of my favorite hiking and swimming holes, is about fifteen to twenty minutes to the West.
Broadband internet coverage: Generally 100% (I cannot think of any location in this general vicinity that would have neither cable nor DSL)
“Good things” about living in this area – close proximity to Barracks Road Shopping Center, easy access to the bypass and Interstate 64, trees.
Depending on where you live in this area, you may find yourself in the County, which has a lower tax rate than the City. On the flip side, living in the County means that there is no curbside recycling.
“Not so good things” – traffic can be (by our standards) a bit difficult in the mornings and afternoons at peak hours.
An idea I wish I had thought of sooner – a permanent link to search for homes in the Barracks Road area here.
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