If you’re researching Richmond neighborhoods from afar, here’s what the algorithm won’t tell you: the best ones don’t announce themselves. No marquee, no “Welcome to the District” signage chosen by a branding committee. They just exist — solidly, beautifully — and the people who live there know exactly how lucky they are.
Westhampton is one of those neighborhoods.
Located in Richmond’s near West End — roughly bounded by Grove Avenue, the Boulevard, and Libbie Avenue — Westhampton sits close enough to Carytown to feel connected to the city’s energy, but far enough to have its own quiet, gracious personality. If you’re considering a move to Richmond and want a neighborhood with genuine architectural character, real walkability, and daily life that feels like a reward rather than a compromise, put Westhampton on your list. (But don’t think you’re getting a deal there.)
One of the first things out-of-town buyers ask me is: can you actually walk places? In Westhampton, yes. Really yes.
The streets here are wide, tree-lined, and continuous, and there are lots of sidewalks. Westhampton was built when neighborhoods were designed for people, not just cars. Walk around on a weekday morning and you’ll find dog walkers, neighbors who know each other’s names, someone pushing a stroller with the unhurried confidence of a person who lives here and loves it. It’s a small thing that can be everything when you’re deciding where to put down roots.
A Quick History, Because Richmond Neighborhoods Have Stories
Westhampton developed primarily in the 1920s through 1940s as Richmond expanded westward along the streetcar lines. The result is a neighborhood of remarkable architectural coherence (really, just a way of saying the houses are genuinely beautiful, and they look like they belong together.)
Tudor Revivals with steeply pitched rooflines and half-timbered details. Classic Colonial Revivals with columns and symmetry and curb appeal that never goes out of style. Brick two-stories with deep front porches. The occasional craftsman bungalow tucked in like a storybook punctuation mark. For me, one of the best things about Richmond and Richmond neighborhoods is the architecture, and the variety of that in Westhampton is exceptional.
Where to Spend a Day in Westhampton
One of the things I tell buyers researching Richmond from out of town: spend a Saturday in a neighborhood before you decide. Walk it. Eat in it. See how it feels at noon. So, if you’re game, here’s your Westhampton itinerary.
Chop Suey Danish at Westhampton Pastry Shop
Start at Westhampton Pastry Shop. It’s a Richmond institution, and the Chop Suey danish and Rum Raisin danish are non-negotiable, because you won’t find them anywhere else. Flaky, layered, and the perfect amount of sweet — the kind of pastry that makes you understand why regulars have been coming here for decades. Go early. (The doughnuts are renowned, but I never get them, due to the aforementioned favorites.)
Lunch at The Continental. The salads are genuinely excellent — composed, fresh, and HUGE. And then get the Dirty Chips, because balance is a real thing and they are exactly what you want alongside a great salad (cheese, bacon, and of course, ranch) The space has that comfortable, lived-in quality the best neighborhood restaurants earn over time.
Dessert, charcuterie, or cocktails at Cameo. Cameo handles all three with equal ease, plus excellent coffee. The patio is the destination on a warmer Richmond evening (and Richmond has a lot of good evenings.)
Cameo Cakery Patio
Wander through Apothec. A tea bar, an apothecary, a gift shop… and somehow it manages to be all three without feeling scattered. The smells alone will slow you down. Herbs, botanicals, something warm and lovely. The tea selection is serious, with some on draft, and the staff actually knows their stuff. The gifts range from practical to beautiful (most are both.)
End at The Shops at 5807. A curated collection of local makers and unique vendors under one roof. Walk in with one person in mind, walk out having solved four gift problems you didn’t know you had. Very dangerous. Highly recommended (and a great place to find a little something for yourself
What the Westhampton Real Estate Market Is Actually Doing
Westhampton has been one of Richmond’s most consistently desirable neighborhoods for good reason, and the market reflects that. The housing stock — those Tudors, Colonials, and brick two-stories — commands prices that reflect both condition and character. Well-preserved homes with original architectural details and thoughtful renovations move quickly, most often with multiple offers.
Greg Pease / Getty Images
What you’re buying in Westhampton isn’t just square footage. It’s the sidewalks, the streetcar-era bones, and the walkability to the kind of daily life — a great pastry, a good lunch, a patio cocktail at the end of the day — that people move to Richmond to find. That package is the value, and buyers who understand it don’t tend to hesitate long.
If you’re relocating to Richmond and want to talk through the West End — what’s available, what’s realistic for your budget, and which blocks I’d personally put at the top of the list — I’d love that conversation.
And whenever you make it to town for a visit: start at Westhampton Pastry Shop. The Chop Suey danish will tell you everything you need to know about why people move here and never leave.
Thinking about a move to Richmond? What neighborhoods are you researching? I’m always happy to be your very opinionated local guide.
