Deni,
No, I'm from Halifax County, but moved here years ago. I lived in the Fan for a long time, even before attending VCU. I loved it, but when DH and I decided to buy, we moved to the Bellevue area...it has the old houses but it's not as expensive as the Fan. I love our neighborhood.
I have friends who live in Mechanicsville: two in Kings Charter and one in Ash Creek.