The Southside has quickly become one of the best areas to live in Charlottesville. The Southside (think 5th Street Extended, Avon Extended, 20 South, Old Lynchburg Road) features venerable neighborhoods like Mill Creek, Lake Reynovia, Redfields, Foxcroft, Mosby Mountain, Avinity and newer developments like Mountain Valley Farm, Whittington and Bundoran Farm.
With the addition of 5th Street Station and the positive growth and attention surrounding the Southside of CVille, we decided to assess why this area is booming in popularity. So, without further ado, here are 10 reasons why the Southside of CVille is the best side!
1. It’s Extremely Convenient
Photo: downtowncharlottesville.net
The Southside of CVille is close to everything! 5th Street Station, The University of Virginia, The Downtown Mall, Martha Jefferson Hospital, Intrastate 64, 250 Bypass, The UVa Corner and Barracks Road Shopping Center are all 10-15 minutes away from the Southside of CVille. Short drives mean a better commute and more time at home for everyone on the Southside! This is even more true with the addition of the connector road that runs by 5th Street Station and links 5th Street Extended with Avon Extended!
2. The Parks!
There are two fantastic public parks smack-dab in the middle of the Southside of CVille! Biscuit Run and Azalea Park offer lovers of the outdoors hiking trails, public gardens, biking trails, swimming holes, basketball courts, picnic areas, playgrounds and much more. Biscuit Run and Azalea Park are less than a 10-minute drive from just about anywhere on the Southside. If you enjoy the outdoors, get to the Southside!
3. No Traffic!
Photo: FB
There is very little traffic on the Southside of CVille. Think about the daily traffic nightmares you encounter on Pantops Mountain, Route 29, around Barracks Road and near Hollymead/Forest Lakes. Now, think about the Southside of CVille. That traffic does not exist on the Southside of CVille! Very little traffic means a better quality of life for Southsiders!
4. The Schools
Photo: FB
The educational options are very solid on the Southside of CVille. Cale Elementary is a tight-knit, diverse community that looks after its own. After graduating from Cale Elementary, your Southside son or daughter will head to Burley Middle School or Walton Middle School before moving on to Monticello High School, Charlottesville’s newest public high school that features state-of-the-art technology and a well-rounded athletic program. If you prefer the private school path, The Covenant School (off 5th Street Extended) and Tandem Friends (near Mill Creek Drive) are top schools in Central Virginia. Parents know their children have strong educational options on the Southside of CVille.
5. Safety!
Photo: FB
The Albemarle County Police Department, the Fontaine Avenue Fire Station and the Monticello Fire Station (on Mill Creek Parkway) are headquartered in the Southside of CVille. That means a policeman or fire brigade can be at your house in less than 15 minutes on the Southside. Furthermore, with UVa Hospital and Martha Jefferson Hospital less than 15 minutes away, you know you have all emergency services right around the corner.
6. 5th Street Station
149 5th Street Station Parkway, Charlottesville, VA 22904
Website | Facebook | Photo: 5thststation.com
In the Spring of 2017, 5th Street Station opened next to the Holiday Inn, across from the Food Lion Shopping Center. The new “lifestyle center,” 5th Street Station features more than 470,000 square feet of commercial space, including Wegmans. 5th Street Station also features Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Timberwood Tap House, Planet Fitness, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Field & Stream, Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Panera Bread and much more. 5th Street Station is already increasing property values on the Southside of CVille and will continue to do so.
7. Wegmans
100 Wegmans Way, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Website | Facebook | Photo: 5thststation.com
5th Street Station is an amazing addition to the Southside, but without Wegmans it just wouldn’t be complete. The store includes a pub, a wine store, made-to-order pizza, a sub shop and everything else you expect from a grocery store. Wegmans draws people from all around Charlottesville. Once you’ve been inside it’s easy to see why!
8. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
375 Merchant Walk Square, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: FB
The addition of a movie theater on the Southside is enormous! It’s just icing on the cake that they not only serve food and drinks, but bring them right to your seat while you enjoy your movie!
9. Timberwood Tap House
245 Merchant Walk Ave, Suite 100, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: Timberwood Tap House
A great addition to the already impressive list of businesses at 5th Street Station, Timberwood Tap House is a casual American restaurant with amazing food made from scratch in house daily, 32 rotating craft beer taps, fast, friendly service, all major sports packages, patio seating, and more! Check them out if you haven’t already!!!
10. Fry’s Spring Beach Club
2512 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, Virginia
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: FB
One of Charlottesville’s best kept secrets – Fry’s Spring Beach Club – is located in the Southside of CVille. The Fry’s Spring Beach Club first opened for business in 1921. In the club’s earliest years, the members would put up portable wooden cabanas at the beginning of the season and then take them home for storage at season’s end. Today, Fry’s Spring Beach Club is a CVille institution; one that offers families safe, clean fun for everyone!
11. Wayside!
2203 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Website | Facebook
You can find some of the best fried chicken in the entire state of Virginia in Southside CVille. That’s no joke and it’s far from hyperbole. For roughly 50 years, Wayside Chicken on Jefferson Park Avenue has served heaping portions of fried chicken, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, baked beans, green beans, collard greens, BBQ sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches and more in a family-friendly environment. Wanna know the best part of Wayside Chicken?? It’s extremely affordable and you get sooooo much food!
12. Durty Nelly’s Pub
2200 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, Virginia
Facebook
Here’s another one of Charlottesville’s best kept secrets: Durty Nelly’s Pub showcases some of the top live music in town 3-5 times per week! Seriously, head to Durty Nelly’s on just about any night, and you will hear some of the most talented musicians in Central Virginia playing in an intimate environment. Add a tasty cold beverage, and you have all the makings for a fabulous Southside night!
13. Fry’s Spring Station
2115 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, Virginia
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: CVille Photo & Video
If you’re in search of delicious, affordable pizza, then look no further than Fry’s Spring Station. This locally-owned neighborhood pizzeria (it’s owned by the same team behind Downtown Grille) serves well-priced pizzas, salads, entrees, desserts and a strong lineup of craft beer, which keeps Southsiders coming back and asking for more. When the weather is nice, enjoy a frosty beverage and a pizza pie on the Fry’s Spring Station outdoor patio, or, when it gets colder, sit around the fire-pit and stay warm with friends!
If you liked this post, you may also like 14 Reasons To Try Tilman’s On The Charlottesville Downtown Mall! and 19 Dog Friendly Businesses In Charlottesville, Virginia!
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CEO Jerry Miller
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