For the love of Yelp, how do you evaluate a CITY?…read more Since yelp seems targeted at exposing folks to new things, I guess I will evaluate Richmond with a focus on what a visitor would want to know. But what do you include in Richmond? Just the city, or the metro? Again, I am going broadly as tourists do not limit themselves to boundary lines. So Richmond. Richmond is a small city with a struggling downtown. Major industries have left, including a thriving banking hub and industry. In that way it is like many towns in the south that failed to adapt to new realities. There is limited evening activity downtown, although every good restaurant is a nice island of activity. Broad Street is mostly derelict downtown, with some shops and a few brave restaurants open. There is a convention center that was erected with a "If you build it they will come" attitude. If it is well traveled there is little to no publicity. There are several nice hotels downtown and several national tour type theaters. Ballet, opera, etc. Again, islands. In the center of downtown there is an abandoned coliseum, vintage late 1960s I think, that has barbed wire around it. The state government is centered in downtown Richmond, but even this is being pushed gradually into the burbs. And in any case the government does not drive life after dark here. The drivers of economic activity includes the VCU campuses, both academic and teaching hospital complexes. Schools are bad in the city, both in quality and in the condition of the buildings. With the exception of the neighborhoods and similar that I mention below, poverty is common. But the city is to some extent re-gentrifying. So there is hope. But the things that are necessary to make a city liveable -- grocery stores, dry cleaners, day care, retail shops, drug stores, even parking -- are very few and far between. As you move outside of the central downtown area but stay within city limits there are some beautiful and thriving areas. The Fan district, Scott's Edition, Carytown, and the Avenues area in the far reaches of the city are all beautiful and different and the hope of the city. Beautiful but not thriving is Church Hill, which abuts several high crime neighborhoods. Throughout the city there are nice parks, some semi neglected (Bryan, Forest Hill) and some self sustaining (the areas around the James river.) City government cannot decide what they want to do with these I think. The riverfront is a constant focus for potential economic development but there is no real plan despite dreams of being the next San Antonio. Across the area there are several great museums and numerous local theaters. There are outdoor music venues that get national acts. And a minor league baseball team that is terrible but entertaining (and at 34 and 55 as of today, they need to be.) In Virginia, cities cannot annex neighboring counties. So there is a different local government for Henrico County to the north and Chesterfield County to the south. Like any locality there are good areas and bad areas. Schools are generally better in the burbs. But in the sprawling burbs you will find decent home prices and easy commutes. (Sorry Richmonders I have lived in northern VA and what we deal with is nothing.) The food and drink scene in Richmond is spread out everywhere, not in one or more concentrated districts (there are exceptions.) This means everywhere you go you might be passing an excellent "find." I recommend you keep an eye on Yelp and on Style Magazine for hidden gems and the latest pop up. The nightlife and beverage programs in the metro have been noted by publications in NY and Washington. Several restaurants in the metro have been named "Best in the South" over the years by Southern Living. We love the metro. For all its problems at the center, there is room for growth and exploration.

This city is packed with history, some of which it is not very proud of. But you cannot change the…read morepast and history, is history. It was incorporated in 1742. I though that being the Commonwealth's 4th most populous city (100th in the US), that it would have a lot more going on. Don't get me wrong, it does have activities and events, it is just a slower pace. Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is home to southern charm and really nice people. There are tons of parks here and you can find some good eateries. Richmond does not have any professional sports teams and its airport is about 20 minutes from downtown. The city has a moderate climate with all four seasons. It is somewhat of a college town, serving as home to many higher learning universities including Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Richmond. I do not consider it a very safe place. I may be biased by the double homicide that I witnessed after a graduation that made national news. The Altria Group, the parent company of Philip Morris USA, is based out of Richmond and is one of the city's biggest employers. The downtown area is serviced by the ride share scooters. I used them to trek about the city. Some of the city's attractions include: The Richmond Slave Trail, the Civil War Museum, the Canal Walk, the James River, and The State Capitol building. I was surprised to see, but Richmond was packed with public art. There are some amazing sculptures there and there are tons of murals to see. This city is above average for me, and I have been to many cities. I enjoyed my stay, exploring its history and tasting its great eats. I recommend visiting this city, especially if you are a history buff.

Another Richmond landmark church. This one is famous for its Tiffany windows, so if you are a…read morestained glass or Tiffany fan, this is the place to see. As Paul M noted in his review, this church is also famous as being the place where Jefferson Davis learned the he had lost the Civil War from Robert E. Lee. The church is also famous for being built by legendary Greek Revival Architect Thomas S Stewart and was completed in 1845. . A massive entrance portico of eight columns with ornate Corinthian capitals dominates the exterior of the building. An octagonal dome replaced the original 225 foot-high spire, long since removed due to fear of its instability. This church is an excellent example of Greek Revival church architecture.

I go down to Richmond about once or twice a month for work, and when I have some time I come in…read morehere for some reflection. I admire the history, the windows, the tombs and the monuments inside the Church. I like the flags, the silence, the solitude. I love the smell. But most of all I come here to marvel at the fact that this Church is where President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis got the message from Robert E. Lee that the South had lost the Civil War. On Sunday April 2nd 1865, whilst attending this Church, Jefferson Davis got a message from Lee stating that he was withdrawing from Petersburg - that the 10 month siege was over - and thus he could no longer defend Richmond. General Grant and the Union army were on their way. Davis evacuated the Confederate Government from the city and then Lee surrendered at Appomattox exactly one week later. Can you imagine this? You can sit in the same pew that Davis sat in when he was given that message. 10 months earlier Lee had been thwarting Grant, Sherman was getting stuck in Tennessee and Lincoln's re-election looked impossible. For a few horrible months it actually looked as if the South would win. But then Atlanta falls, Lincoln is re-elected, Lee gives in at Petersburg and the nation's long nightmare has ended. And in this Church, in a pew near the front, is where they finally realized that it was over.

BBQ, Sun, Music, Beer and its FREE to get it!! Hogtober Fest got it right!…read more This year for me there was a surprise in P&T Kitchen. You also had Halligan's, Buzz & Ned, Mosaic Food Truck, Extra Billy's and Alamo BBQ. For me the winner in 2013 will be Alamo BBQ (won it last two years). The fest also had a wine tent and very good beer selection to go along with the food options. My one advice is only buy 1 set of tasting tickets. Give everyone a go and use your money to get a real meal directly from the best (we chose Alamo BBQ). Overall great local neighborhood festival. Its a must go.

Hogtober 2014--Though it was a great turnout, the super long lines made this event pretty…read morefrustrating for a lot of people, including my group. I know the vendors were doing their best and I really felt bad for how overwhelmed they were! Coming super hungry wasn't the best idea either, so we decided to leave while waiting in our first line to go down the road to the Alamo. With no line and their full menu, we were very happy with our decision.

This pretty red sculpture dominates the plaza in front of the Bank of America tower in downtown…read moreRichmond. Made with aluminum and painted a bright red, it's hard to miss at 18 feet high, 22 feet deep and 23 feet wide. It was installed in 1973. The artist is James Rosati and he's known for similar designs in North America. http://jamesrosati.org/artwork/monumental/monumental.htm If you're in downtown Richmond, stop by and take a look. There's an unrelated fountain in the neighboring plaza. [Review 11957 overall, 1739 of 2019.]

Cute, cute, cuuuuute!…read more Carytown is by far one of my favorite places I've visited in Virginia! Gives me that small town vibe I love so much. There are so many local shops and everyone is so friendly. If you find yourself visiting Virginia make Carytown a must-go!

I love Carytown located on Cary Street in Richmond, VA…read more My first visit was almost 10 years ago when my cousin was debuting a movie at the historic Byrd theater. It's very charming with tons of shops and old buildings with storefronts inside. I love all the restaurants including Mellow Mushroom, The Daily, Carytown Cupcakes, CanCan and tons of others. There is thai food, indian, fast food, etc. You name it, it's here. Plenty of antique and consignment shops also sell eclectic and vintage clothing and beautiful dresses. I've found some gorgeous and unique home decor items here as well. It's a must stop when I'm in town. Walking along the streets is fun and parking is fairly easy with the public access lots just off the main street. There is also a lot of street parking. It can get crowded on weekends and special days but it's worth it to be able to walk around.

I've been to Riverrock the past two years, and they've been enjoyable experiences. It's a festival…read moreon the river that has really anything you could possibly be interested in, from musical acts (SNACKTIME! this year), to food vendors, shops, and plenty of adventurous activities. I primarily enjoy the dog jumping, bouldering (watching, not doing ha), and the music. Dominion otherwise sucks so it's nice they put this event on each year for the community.

Welcome to one of the East Coast's largest outdoor festival. This event lives up to most of the…read morehype and I've been several times in the past 5 or so years. It's a great event to be outdoors and spectate. Three days of crazy outdoor fun, hanging out and people watching. Best of all, it's located along Richmond's very own James River. There's a wide range of people that come to this event which include kids, teens, parents, college students/grads, and professionals all come together to enjoy what RVA has to offer. Events include: trail running, kayaking, biking, bouldering, slacklining, stand up paddleboarding, and dog jumping. I am not sure if it was new this year or not but you could sign up to do trails of some of the events and I tried out paddleboarding for the first time which was quite fun. it was my first time in the canal! Only fear was falling in that amazing brown water.. Parking can always be a hassle for events down in this area but I always suggest parking on side streets several blocks away to avoid parking costs. The food lines were insanely long even at hours way after lunch or hours before dinner. This year Matisyahu performed on Saturday Night and his performance and vibe was amazing. Great traditional RVA event each year.

Owned by J. G. Pemberton, Saguaro Hill is a little piece of Arizona right here in Richmond!~…read more Anyone who has driven by this place has probably wondered what it is... apparently the back story is that after retiring a local Richmond citizen has actually set out to recreate a desert locale with his property. Having only seen it from the street I can't comment on the inside, but it's worth driving visitors by to gawk... there are a million kinds of cactii visible from the street and it looks like a theme park of sorts... I read up on it at the link below... This is definitely one of the quirkier aspects of Richmond, worth a drive by and maybe a tour if you can get one... http://books.google.com/books?id=-Uc5yO1eLe0C&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=saguaro+hill+pemberton&source=bl&ots=lOZk9N_9iB&sig=03moZ025xBeKjIUUX_IP7hzsfz4&hl=en&ei=TgoVTNauK8P7lwezxumPDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=saguaro%20hill%20pemberton&f=false

This is a neat distraction that catches your eye while driving down the road. It looks like a…read moreranch that is in a desert...cacti and everything! Fun to see.

Carytown is one of the most charming areas in RVA! There's parking scattered throughout the…read moredifferent shops and along the streets. Wall murals cover any free wall space & the business are diverse! Highly recommend checking this area of Richmond out. Plan to spend a few hours strolling the streets, taking in the art, browsing the many unique stores, grabbing a cupcake & taking in the sights!

Why do I love Carytown?…read more This is a great spot shopping district to walk around, to see people from all over (and their dogs!), and shop! For the Love of Chocolate is one of the best - I'm allergic to chocolate so I can only spend so much time in there due to the smell, but the candy selection makes up for it! The Byrd Theater, and a variety of restaurants are amazing! What don't I like? It's mostly minor things. The stores don't have a uniform hours: there will be some open at 8 or 9, most open at 10, but others will open at 11 or even 12. For restaurants this makes sense, but I'm just referring to retail/service right now. A lot of the resale shops have either gone downhill, or been replaced with lesser versions. Overall: I still go, but only when I need something. I still enjoy it, but it comes with a bittersweet aftertaste of what I miss.