It's not comparable to neighborhoods like the French Quarter (New Orleans), Beacon Hill (Boston),…read moreor the Jersey Shore, but who woulda thunk MY neighborhood here in Richland, WA was a "Historic District". But my neighborhood of Alphabet Houses surely has a history tied to this country, and it is kind of cool to put your residence in a historical context. Now, what drove me to write this Yelp was my noticing of historic signs popping up on Van Giesen during my drives to work in the morn. One by one, I started to see little black signs magically appear on the corners of various streets: McPherson Ave, Marshall Ave, Warren Ct, Mahan Ave, etc. Now these signs are due to the effort of a local group honoring veterans, so isn't totally Historic District-related, but it certainly helps for telling the stories history. As for the Alphabet housing. During the war effort of World War II, the small farming of town transformed from a small farming town to a metropolis of secrecy (fuel for the first atomic bombs were built on the Hanford Site). Richland Population: 1943: 500 1945: 25,000 (!!) The huge change in population needed to be handled quickly. Yes, many soldiers were housed in tents and temporary barracks, but scientists, technicians, and management (along with their families), needed honest to goodness homes. An architect from Spokane was given 90 days to design homes and neighborhoods for the huge influx of people: enter the alphabet houses (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/z_1wFu2h3fGTsjBo6jfv2A?select=TfltN_vfiTmYtBImYep2tg). Each home design was assigned a letter (hence the term "alphabet houses"). The houses range from tiny 1-bedroom houses to huge two-story duplexes. (for the record, I live in a 2-story 3bedroom, home known affectionately as an F-House). It's over a half century later, and many of these houses are still around and generally in their original state. Some areas of the district are quaint and DO look historical, but other neighborhoods do look a wee bit ghetto (like my 'hood!). This is home, and it's nice to know the history behind the area. If you ever get the chance, you should drop by the CREHST Museum (http://www.yelp.com/biz/crehst-museum-richland). There's a cool exhibit about the Alphabet Houses.

The alphabet housing "district" in Richland is interesting to say the least - the new small metal…read moresigns giving some history about the street names are neat, but unless you go on a walking tour of the area I can't see how you would read them. This part of town is probably the least expensive part of northern Richland, the houses have been remodeled and modified, a least most of them have, but the area still retains its unique vibe.

What an amazing studio for kids and adults. I loved all the different pieces that came home from…read morethe spring break class!

My daughter had the opportunity to come here with her youth group for a painting night. She had a…read moreton of fun and very much enjoyed the freedom to paint as she wished (with glitter even!). Highly recommended!

We came to have dinner and saw the American flag waving in the night. This flag is posted on top…read moreof steel support beams from the WTC building. The site pays tribute to the men and women who died, and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on 9-11-01.

Interesting memorial and a good picture spot. Some general info about 9/11, but no information…read moreabout the structure itself, how it got there, or it's tie in to the area.

I Like the ï service this Represents has got great coustomer service and Catering services I would…read moreLike to try the food also has a great location in Richland wa And has five stars for the review

Drove 1/2 hr to try them out for the first time as we've heard such good things. Yelp shows open…read moreMon til 9PM. Was closed at 6:30.

The service here is wonderful. Each person we came into contact with were kind and respectful. The…read moregentleman who served us really knew the wines as well. I'm picky with wine so I felt ridiculous asking for the sweetest wine lol but he knew exactly which one I'd like! The food was also amazing and I highly recommend the creme brûlée cheesecake! It's not rich and heavy so it's easy to eat. Perfect date night restaurant!

I would say, as Italian goes, this was better than fast food places, but I was left with wanting…read moresomething more. Either a little more variety or different signature dishes. What I head was good. Can't complain. I liked the Italian-based wine selection. If I were from the Tri Cities, I would go again.