Gina and Scott Camp's little slice of paradise on Lake Chesdin in Chesterfield (Photo by Justin Chesney)
There’s a psychological draw to water. We need it to survive, but just being near a stream or a lake can improve one’s outlook, providing a chance to pause and appreciate nature.
It’s such an irresistible attraction to some that they feel a need to live in proximity to water, whether it’s a river, a reservoir or a golf course lake. Richmond offers several choices for those who prefer a watery view. In the southern part of our region, those choices include homes along the James River; properties along Swift Creek Reservoir in Midlothian; homes on Lake Chesdin bordering Amelia, Chesterfield and Dinwiddie counties; and houses in golf course communities such as Birkdale in Chesterfield.
Such homes are in demand. “Water draws energy, and people are drawn to it,” says Curt Reichstetter, president of the Richmond Association of Realtors. “There’s a definite demand for waterfront residences, because there are not that many.”
Reichstetter draws from firsthand experience: He and his wife, Heather, who also is a Realtor, have a pond-side home in Hanover County. “I woke up on a cold morning and took our dog for a walk, mist was coming off the pond,” he says. “You stop and take a moment. It was a calming moment. It centers you.”
What’s it like to have a body of water that's central to your home? Here are six perspectives from South Side residents blessed with watery retreats.
When Lesley and Darren Newberry moved to the Richmond area two years ago from California for his job at CarMax, waterside living was important for the couple and their four children, ranging in age from 10 to 20. The Chesdin Landing community on Lake Chesdin fit their needs. Their six-bedroom, modern home on the 3,000-acre lake also has a pool, as well as a dock for a boat.
“I wanted it to feel like we were on a vacation every day,” Lesley Newberry says. “It’s absolutely beautiful. On the lake we use kayaks, [a personal watercraft] and paddleboard as well as swim.”
The planned luxury neighborhood’s amenities include a community pool; a clubhouse with a recently revamped restaurant, Palate and Pour, led by chef Dave Bauman; a workout room; and a golf course.
The Newberrys have not only found an oasis of recreation, they have also found community. Within Chesdin Landing, the Women’s Club stages an array of activities, including holiday and end-of-school-year parties; Bunco; holiday house tours; a book club; speakers; and yoga.
The numerous children and teens in Chesdin Landing meet up and socialize on the lake. Many are also involved in competing in the PGA Junior Golf League.
But kids don’t have all the fun.
“During summer it’s like adult spring break,” Newberry says.
One of the property owners makes their waterfront a social center, with gatherings at the Tilly Dock. Another resident created a Tiki bar boat as well as a hot tub boat for amusement. Lake Chesdin is also known for fishing, with bountiful populations of largemouth bass, bluegill or sunfish, striped bass, catfish, crappie, walleye and white perch.
Newberry enjoys the community and friendship of the residents. A neighbor, Jen Davis, is a work-from-home federal employee whose favored office is a lake-facing table. Davis marvels at the egrets, herons and white swans she sees on the lake, as well as the blazing sunsets that animate the sky and the water.
“When I’m stressed out, I just go out and take a breath, look at the view, and feel better,” says Davis, who found herself reconsidering a weekend at the beach with her three children and extended family in favor of a staycation at Lake Chesdin.
Robious Landing on the James River (Photo by Justin Chesney)
ALONG THE JAMES
Sandra McNinch moved from Westover Hills into a three-bedroom house next to the James River on Old Gun Road 30 years ago because she thought it would be fun to watch the river as it changes every year. “I thought it would be soothing and relaxing,” McNinch says. “I love to see the mist rising over the river in the morning. My favorite thing is to go out in the mornings in the spring or fall, with the newspaper and a cup of coffee. It’s calming and relaxing.”
The well-loved 1970s-era home is near the Virginia Power Boat Association. The noise doesn’t bother McNinch: She rather enjoys the traffic of boaters and those riding personal watercraft.
“Once, a rowing crew was out there early one morning,” McNinch recalls. “I couldn’t see them, but I could hear the coxswain. We were hearing all this colorful language. He was using every swear word on the crew to get them to move. It was pretty funny.”
McNinch’s house has a beachy feel and is raised 16 feet high on stilts, about four feet above the flood stage. Dwarfed by impressively large neighboring residences, McNinch believes the value of her house is much more, because of its proximity to the river, but the lifestyle it affords the family is what makes it truly valuable.
“We’ve enjoyed it,” she says.
Residents of Brandermill enjoy winding paths along the Swift Creek Reservoir. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
KAYAKS AND NATURE
Jeff and Ilona Cherry’s four-bedroom house is tucked away off a cul de sac in Brandermill abutting the Swift Creek Reservoir. The two working parents with a school-aged child and a dog have a home with a cozy, lived-in, day-to-day feeling, combined with the essence of a lake house getaway. A wall of windows illuminates their dining room/kitchen and living room, offering a stunning view of the woodsy backyard and the reservoir. It was this proximity to the water that convinced the Cherrys to purchase the house.
“We were sold on the location,” Ilona says. “Our Realtor gave us a tour of the house through FaceTime as soon as it came on the market because we were out of state. And we felt it was just perfect, with the playground out back and the kayaks and the walking paths.”
Brandermill offers a web of walking and bike paths that the Cherrys enjoy. The recent transplants plan on pedaling to enjoy meals at the Boathouse at Sunday Park in Brandermill.
Jeff enjoys kayaking as a workout. “We wanted a place where we could go clear our minds,” he says.
The family loves the natural serenity of the site.
The sunsets are very pretty and striking here,” Ilona says. “So is nightfall. The first glimpse of water in the morning makes you feel happy. When I come home from work, it feels good to see the water.”
When working from home, she positions herself at her kitchen table, facing the lake for the views of nature. Chilling out and watching the kayakers, boaters and people fishing is another pastime, by the bike/walking path, on their porch or from the many water-facing rooms.
Wildlife is abundant. Once, the Cherrys watched three eagles perched on a tree as one dropped a fish from its beak, startled by the human encounter. They rescued the fish and returned it to the reservoir. They’ve also seen deer, Canada geese, squirrels and a raccoon. The natural setting feels remote, but the relaxing benefits of living on the reservoir outweigh the drawbacks of a neighborhood without sidewalks. “I would not want to live anywhere else,” Ilona says.
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A glimpse of a Birkdale Golf Club lake from Deb Motto's living room (Photo by Justin Chesney)
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Deb Motto enjoys a view of a Birkdale Golf Club lake from her porch. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
A PEACEFUL PLACE
Deb Motto moved to the Richmond area eight years ago from New Jersey to be closer to her daughter and grandson. She wanted a waterfront home, which she found in Birkdale next to a small lake on the Birkdale Golf Club course in Chesterfield.
“I wanted a quiet and peaceful place,” Motto says. “The only thing I wanted was to see the water between the trees. The view sold it.”
Enormous windows facing east on the rear of Motto’s home and a wide porch along the length of her house offer many places to soak in the vista. “The sunrises are spectacular,” Motto says. “They’re peach and orange. The sky looks turquoise. At night the lake is pretty with the house lights across the lake or the moon reflected on the water. I like windows. I like plants, and I need light.”
Motto jokingly says her home is on her “fake lake,” because it is man-made and off limits to swimmers and boaters. With no walking paths around the lake or through her yard, it’s a private and tranquil property, conducive to quiet moments of reflection for the retired occupational therapist. It’s also a perfect place to watch the wildlife, which includes great blue herons, bald eagles, geese, ducks, turtles and swans.
The cozy living room with a large hearth was designed to give the feel of a vacation house, with the views of water and nature bringing Motto, who regularly practices yoga in a lake-facing studio, closer to nature. “It’s just so relaxing,” she says. “It chills you out. It helps you get away from stress. It keeps you peaceful and centered.”
