Rate This City: Day 58 - Richmond VA

[TheYoungPolitician]

It’s a city that really should be a town. Downtown area can be seen in a quick 20 min drive. The rest of the “city” ain’t nothing like a real city. No good transportation system. No real clubs (va doesn’t allow club only venues). Strip joints have pasties. Only a few bars.


What is amazing is the food, art and live music scene. Also a lot of history here. But if you’re down to find the local spots or the hidden gems, it’ll be a waste of time to come...


Location wise, being 90 mins from DC, Va beach, and NC is good. But still. I’d rather be in DC

This has become the consensus for the city. It's seen better days entertainment-wise, no real venues for tours/concerts hurts (757 also lacks a modern arena, but at least has an up-to-date amphitheater to attract the summer tours), once-heralded upscale malls failing...but hey, at least they're about to get a casino.

 

[mrfortune]

moving to richmond next week from los angeles. i need some friends

 

[TheYoungPolitician]

If I could compare Richmond, VA to another metro of its size it would be Louisville, KY.

Louisville has more of a big city feel only because it consolidated with Jefferson County about 15 years ago (they also built a nice arena for UofL downtown on the riverfront, Richmond lost an arena being the City Council-controlled city that it is which allows for wild infighting and bickering over small BS). If Richmond were to do the same with Henrico & Chesterfield Counties, the population would be over 800k. So, Richmond is a smaller city with large suburbs, while Louisville is a larger city with less surrounding suburbs. Virginia is the only state in the country that doesn't allow for cities and counties to consolidate, all its cities and counties are separate.

Richmond is where the Northeast meets the South, Louisville is where the Midwest meets the South. Speaking for Richmond, it's way more of a Dutch Masters city than it is a Swisher Sweets city, which should tell you everything you need to know.

Both cities have historical neighborhoods (The Fan vs. Old Louisville), I think the biggest thing Richmond has over Louisville is that it has way more Black people in the metro (about 400k vs. about 200k), but both cities are strategically located as gateways to regions north or south depending on direction.

On a music front, I think Louisville is ahead of Richmond on the rap map (especially now) because there is more of a "city" vibe to it. They have a weekend event every year (Derby Weekend) that attracts celebrities and out-of-towners alike, Richmond severely lacks in that department. More than ever, Richmonders travel out of town to attend concerts/parties/etc.

 

[TheYoungPolitician]

Nah!

There's nothing in Woodbridge and Arlington is just an office park lol...

1 Richmond
2 Virginia Beach
3 Alexandria
4 Norfolk
5 Roanoke

That 5 spot up for debate but the Top 4 are solid...

Right, and technically Arlington is a county, it's just super developed and has the best skyline in the state. But you can somewhat compare VA to Ohio:


Cleveland-NE Ohio/757 -- When people think Ohio Black or pop culture, they think Cleveland. Same with VA & 757.

Columbus/Richmond -- Both the Capitol Regions of each state, diverse, plenty colleges

Cincinnati-Dayton/Roanoke-Lynchburg -- Both off on a whole 'nother tangent from the rest of the state

NOVA/Toledo -- Lmao this the biggest stretch but only connection I'm making is Toledo's somewhat its own thing but really just in the shadow of Detroit, same as NOVA's DC suburbs

 

[staticshock]

Visiting for the first time this week & I like it so far. I had the best tacos I’ve ever had last night from this place called Tacos Mexico. It’s an old run down place that looks it’s stuck in the 80s or 90s but the food is A1. Gonna explore the city more the next few days.


Idk what I always pictured Richmond looking like but I’ve seen parts so far that remind me of videos I’ve seen of Chicago & Philly with a little bit of southern mixed in.

 

[Apprentice]

Visiting for the first time this week & I like it so far. I had the best tacos I’ve ever had last night from this place called Tacos Mexico. It’s an old run down place that looks it’s stuck in the 80s or 90s but the food is A1. Gonna explore the city more the next few days.


Idk what I always pictured Richmond looking like but I’ve seen parts so far that remind me of videos I’ve seen of Chicago & Philly with a little bit of southern mixed in.

Lls pull up to my flag football game tonight

 

[murksiderock]

Visiting for the first time this week & I like it so far. I had the best tacos I’ve ever had last night from this place called Tacos Mexico. It’s an old run down place that looks it’s stuck in the 80s or 90s but the food is A1. Gonna explore the city more the next few days.


Idk what I always pictured Richmond looking like but I’ve seen parts so far that remind me of videos I’ve seen of Chicago & Philly with a little bit of southern mixed in.

Where are you staying at while you're there?

Virginia cities are some of the most unique in the nation; they are in a southern state but they aren't built/landscaped/developed like Southern cities. They all have an appearance that favors the Northeast/Midwest more. At the same time because it's Virginia they have southern influence in some respects, it wouldn't be true to say they aren't the South. But they are a different brand of South than you'll find from Carolina even one state away, much less when you travel further into the South...

I love Richmond, it's one of my favorite cities anywhere. Such a unique and special city, I used to stay on Jackson and St James in The Ward...

I don't know if you have time but there's so much to see and do there, The Canal, the museums, the parks, and the restaurants are fukking fire. The Village over in The Fan is one of the GOAT lunchtime spots. Richmond has a shytload of dope places to eat...

 

[murksiderock]

Lls pull up to my flag football game tonight

Where do yall play at?

 

[staticshock]

Lls pull up to my flag football game tonight

Might do that

Where are you staying at while you're there?

Virginia cities are some of the most unique in the nation; they are in a southern state but they aren't built/landscaped/developed like Southern cities. They all have an appearance that favors the Northeast/Midwest more. At the same time because it's Virginia they have southern influence in some respects, it wouldn't be true to say they aren't the South. But they are a different brand of South than you'll find from Carolina even one state away, much less when you travel further into the South...

I love Richmond, it's one of my favorite cities anywhere. Such a unique and special city, I used to stay on Jackson and St James in The Ward...

I don't know if you have time but there's so much to see and do there, The Canal, the museums, the parks, and the restaurants are fukking fire. The Village over in The Fan is one of the GOAT lunchtime spots. Richmond has a shytload of dope places to eat...

We staying outside of Richmond in a place called Innbrook I think. My girl gonna show me around later. She saying Broad street is the Main Street & she gonna show me some stuff around there

 

[murksiderock]

Might do that




We staying outside of Richmond in a place called Innbrook I think. My girl gonna show me around later. She saying Broad street is the Main Street & she gonna show me some stuff around there

Broad is popping but the thing with Richmond is it has real neighborhood culture, you can find shyt popping in the neighborhoods...

I don't know what all is still there now but Richmond's designer/luxury/boutique area is Carytown, which isn't far from you. Lotta traffic and shopping over there, if you've been to DC before think of it as Georgetown-lite...

The pubs, bars, bodegas/corner stores are basically anywhere. The lounges and rooftops and shyt like that are gonna all be Broad and surroundings downtown...

Gotdamn I miss Richmond! I got my youngest daughter today, my middle daughter's birthday is tomorrow, otherwise I'd drive up just because. I fukking love Rich...

 

[Pegasus Jackson]

All I know is that driving into that city there is a stench that wafts for miles. Outside of that.. I've only been a few times and have been underwhelmed. Kinda pointless to go out of the way when DC is only 2 hours down the road.

 

[Yagirlcheatinonus]

I don’t see Greensboro on that list

 

[staticshock]

Broad is popping but the thing with Richmond is it has real neighborhood culture, you can find shyt popping in the neighborhoods...

I don't know what all is still there now but Richmond's designer/luxury/boutique area is Carytown, which isn't far from you. Lotta traffic and shopping over there, if you've been to DC before think of it as Georgetown-lite...

The pubs, bars, bodegas/corner stores are basically anywhere. The lounges and rooftops and shyt like that are gonna all be Broad and surroundings downtown...

Gotdamn I miss Richmond! I got my youngest daughter today, my middle daughter's birthday is tomorrow, otherwise I'd drive up just because. I fukking love Rich...

I think we gonna check out Maymount and Belle Isle today. Only thing Richmond doesn’t have for my liking is an NBA team but this is definitely my type of vibe

All I know is that driving into that city there is a stench that wafts for miles. Outside of that.. I've only been a few times and have been underwhelmed. Kinda pointless to go out of the way when DC is only 2 hours down the road.

I haven’t noticed a smell yet bruh. New Orleans has a very distinctive smell to it. Haven’t encountered that yet.

 

[murksiderock]

All I know is that driving into that city there is a stench that wafts for miles. Outside of that.. I've only been a few times and have been underwhelmed. Kinda pointless to go out of the way when DC is only 2 hours down the road.

Underwhelmed how?

 

[Apprentice]

Where do yall play at?

Cary street field it’s a vcu tournament

Today the championship game