Carver, and its neighbor to the east, Jackson Ward (and perhaps Oregon Hill as well) represent the neighborhoods most affected by the exploding economic engine known as VCU. Located west of Belvidere and north of Broad Street, Carver is now home to some of the largest structures on VCU Monroe Park campus.
Much of the neighborhood’s warehouse stock was converted in the 2000’s to apartments and condos that primarily house students. Likewise, the corner of Lombardy and Broad on the north side is one of the only locations in the City where suburban ‘Big Box Retail’ exists. The Seigel Center (VCU’s home for basketball) and ‘School of the Arts’ Building both reside within the Carver neighborhood along with several large-scale apartment complexes.
While the aggressive expansion of VCU in the 1990’s (and still continuing today) largely revived the neighborhoods all around the campus, it did so at the expense of many residents and against their objections. The anti-student sentiment is shared by many of the long time residents and despite a dramatic recovery of values, they still view their large neighbor as a bully and nuisance. It is a constant battle between the University’s need for space and protection of individual’s rights.
Carver generally offers a pre-1930’s rowhouse styled home, similar to what can be found in Jackson Ward and the Fan District, but at a price well below neighborhoods south of Broad and West of VCU. Carver, with its seemingly endless demand for student housing, has become a favorite of property investors as the homes are a good value and the rental market is the healthiest in the entire Metro.
