I grew up in Mechanicsville and live there now, but spent 7 years in my young adult years in the city, mostly Bellevue.

I loved my house in Bellevue and the neighborhood, but I don’t miss the various old house issues I encountered. I think Bellevue and nearby Lakeside would fit the bill from what you described. City wise, the public utilities are super annoying to deal with if you ever have any issues, and many people end up with some sort of issue at some point. Gas and water are more expensive in the city than in the counties as well (though I think Henrico uses Richmond gas also).

I consider housing to be much more affordable for quality in the counties, but you may end up sacrificing some of the other amenities (walkability mainly). Mechanicsville is a good option for accessibility to downtown, though many here will badmouth for political reasons. I have never had trouble up here as a liberal minded person with established friendships, but if you are looking to make likeminded friends from scratch it might be more tricky. Unless of course you are more conservative leaning, then you will fit in fairly easily.