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101 Reasons to Love Living in Richmond __________ Liz Moore 101 REASONS TO LOVE LIVING IN RICHMOND Copyright © 2017 by Lynette Tully All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author. Printed in USA by 48HrBooks (www.48HrBooks.com) 2 Dedication This book is dedicated to my son, Grayson, who enthusiastically researched all of the reasons to love living in RVA to put together this book, and to our amazing REALTOR team in Richmond, for sharing their wealth of experiences. A special shout out goes to Karen Haywood, our amazing RVA Office Admin, for her eagle eye proof reading and invaluable editing. 3 Foreword As you might imagine, at Liz Moore & Associates we are enthusiastic advocates of living in Richmond and its surrounding communities. We have the best of all worlds: four distinct seasons with just enough snow in the winter to have fun; long, lazy summers, and SPECTACULAR springs and falls. We have great schools, plenty of history and culture, and are convenient to just about everything…the beach, the mountains, Washington DC, and much more. When I opened my own real estate brokerage in 2003, it was very important to me that our role as agents be about considerably more than helping people buy and sell houses. One of my agents uses the tagline, “selling homes, not houses, and understanding the difference.” That pretty much sums up what we’re all about! Our mission from the beginning at Liz Moore & Associates has been to deliver an exceptional client experience. We recognize that for our buyer clients, that goes far beyond helping them find the perfect house. It’s about helping them decide on a community, and then a neighborhood, that matches the lifestyle they’re looking for. It means being a resource, whether someone is relocating with their job or seeking the best place to retire. Then, after they move in, being a resource for the best handymen, painters and plumbers! Everyone’s needs and wants are different, which means there is not a “one size fits all” approach to real estate. Our job is to understand what’s important to our clients, and to make that our 4 mission in finding their dream home. One of the perks of being a REALTOR is that over the years, we are able to build an incredible repertoire of shared experiences about the communities in which we live. The hard part of writing this book was to narrow it down to 101 reasons to love living here. It would be impossible to include everything, and so we tried to stick to our favorite things. I’ve we’ve missed something, please don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected], and we’ll consider adding it to the next edition. Thank you for choosing this book, and entrusting us to be your guide through the myriad of wonderful things to do in Richmond! Now, grab a highlighter, and pick out some fun things to do this weekend! 5 6 101 Reasons to Love Living in Richmond 1. James River Park System: The heart of Richmond is the James River which provides spectacular views, activities including kayaking, tubing, and even class 3 and 4 white water rafting! The James River Park System provides access to acres of shoreline, rocks, rapids, and islands along the Falls of the James River. http://www.jamesriverpark.org • Mountain bike from Riverbed Trail to Buttermilk Trail. • Walk across pedestrian footbridge to Belle Isle to hike, mountain bike, fish, rock climb, or sunbathe on the flat rocks in the river. • Sunbathe on a granite boulder or swim in the rapids at Pony Pasture. • Look for wildlife and go bird watching at The Wetlands. • Launch your canoe, kayak, or tube to Huguenot Flatwater. • Enjoy sandy beach areas at Texas Beach. • Check out the Pipeline Rapids at Pipeline or Trestle Trail. • Visit the Manchester Climbing Wall under the Manchester Bridge. This is a series of abandoned train trestles that have been rigged for climbing! 2. Children’s Museum of Richmond: This is a popular destination for visitors and locals alike and features three convenient locations in Richmond, Short Pump, and Chesterfield. Kids can sift through sand in the Dino Dig Pit, 7 create a masterpiece at the Art Studio, or examine x-rays in the Hospital and Ambulance Exhibit. http://www.c-mor.org 3. Legendary Santa: This Richmond tradition started at Miller & Rhoads in 1936 and continues today at the Children’s Museum of Richmond! Enjoy sunrise, sunset or tea with Santa, visit Genworth Foundation’s Holiday Village, and let the kids do their holiday shopping at the Fawn Shop! Check website for dates and times. http://www.c-mor.org/full- menu/legendary-santa 4. Carytown: Take the whole family to locally-owned award-winning businesses and see why Carytown was voted “Best Shopping Neighborhood in Virginia” by Southern Living magazine and “One of the Best Shopping Districts” by Virginia Living magazine. Enjoy an assortment of restaurants including fine and casual dining, wine bars, pizzerias, and much more. http://www.carytownrva.com Richmond’s Annual Carytown Watermelon Festival in August transforms Cary Street into a street fair with five stages featuring live music by local musicians, festival faire, Carytown shopping, and, of course, watermelon! Check website for event date and times. http://www.carytownrva.com/watermelon-festival.html 5. The Byrd Theatre: Step back in history when you enter this state and national historic landmark in the heart of Carytown! The Byrd Theatre was built in 1928 as one of the nation’s 8 Grand Movie Palaces and remains largely unaltered in appearance or function. Showings daily but be sure to arrive early for Saturday evening showings to enjoy a live performance on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, installed when the theater was built! http://byrdtheatre.com 6. New Kent Winery: This beautiful winery nestled in the Virginia countryside produces eight hand-crafted wines. The family owned winery is environmentally sensitive and built from reclaimed materials from centuries-old buildings and structures. Enjoy a tour, wine tasting, and breath-taking view from the porch overlooking the 20+ acre vineyard. http://newkentwinery.com 7. Hollywood Cemetery: This 135-acre “garden cemetery” provides a place to explore natural and architectural beauty, visit the grave of a loved one, and see the final resting places of two American presidents, six Virginia governors, two Supreme Court justices, twenty-two confederate generals, and thousands of Confederate soldiers. This outdoor museum is the second most visited cemetery in the nation right behind Arlington National Cemetery. http://www.hollywoodcemetery.org 8. Broad Appetit: This annual food festival brings the best local restaurants to Broad Street between Henry and Adams Streets. Visitors enjoy savory dishes along with Virginia wine 9 and beers as well as vendors. Typically scheduled for early June. http://www.broadappetit.com 9. Brown’s Island: Looking for a beautiful sightseeing adventure on a historic island? Look no further than Brown’s Island! Formed in 1789 and settled by Elijah Brown, the island eventually became home to a Richmond Union Passenger Railway coal plant and a Dominion Virginia Power hydroelectric power plant. After hurricane Agnes hit in 1972, the plant was closed altogether by 1975. From the island, you can see Belle Isle, the Manchester Bridge and what is left of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. http://www.brownsisland.com Friday Cheers: Head down to Browns Island any Friday evening May through June for this popular outdoor concert series featuring local and national acts. http://www.venturerichmond.com/events/venture/cheers.html 10. Altria Theater: Originally and familiarly called The Mosque, Altria Theater was built as “an entertainment palace for the City of Richmond” and continues to live up to that description! Year-round performances include Broadway productions, The Richmond Forum, concerts, lectures, fashion shows, and more! http://www.altriatheater.com 11. Richmond Floodwall: This functioning floodwall can be explored by foot or on bike and offers one of the best views of The James River and Richmond’s skyline. Follow the path 10 under Manchester Bridge, take in scenic overlooks, do some birdwatching, and visit Diversity Park. https://www.visitrichmondva.com/listings/floodwall- park/3301 12. Innsbrook After Hours: Central Virginia’s longest-running mid-week concert series features twenty-two concerts annually by national acts May through October. The venue also hosts annual community events including St. Baldrick’s St. Patty’s Palooza and Taste of Virginia. http://innsbrookafterhours.com 13. Main Street Station: Driving along I-64/I-95, it’s hard to miss the beautiful clock tower which sits atop this National Historic Landmark. Opened in 1901 as Richmond’s official train station, the building has a storied past overcoming flooding and fire and once again servicing Amtrak. http://www.rmtaonline.org/main-street-station 14. Windy Hill Sports Complex: Take the family to Windy Hill for a fun-filled day of golf, go-karting, and baseball! This amazing 150-acre sports complex in Midlothian features a regulation nine-hole golf course, a lighted Par 3 course, two mini-golf courses, batting cages, and a quarter mile go kart track for both kids and adults. http://windyhillsports.com 15. Tuckahoe Plantation: Thomas Jefferson’s boyhood home has been a home and working farm for nearly three hundred years and is considered by architectural historians to have one of the most complete eighteenth-century plantation layouts in North America. Be sure to see the blooming of the rambling gardens from March through October.