If you go to Richmond, don’t miss these wonders
I OWE Richmond an apology. Countless times, I’ve zipped past the exits for this capital city, a place not quite far enough from Washington, D.C., for a pit stop on a road trip, and not quite close enough for a meal.
Last month, I ran out of excuses. I pulled off Interstate 95 and entered Richmond, Virginia, for the first time.
Only 100 miles south of the District, this former Confederate capital felt, at times, decidedly Southern, with greyback statues lining a celebrated avenue and shopkeepers offering customers an unhurried welcome. But other times, I felt like Richmond was plucked out of the Rockies, with its steep hills, dozens of breweries and outdoorsy residents. The Richmonders I know and met enjoy “RVA” for its arts, food scene and - above all - its river.
The James River Park System is unequaled, and not only for the Class III and IV white-water rapids within the city limits.
The riverfront and islands are the city’s centerpiece, home to an annual folk festival that attracts more than 200,000 people, not to mention their notable cycling trails and secluded bathing spots.
I criss- crossed Richmond many times during my visit, and oddly, didn’t once see the Thomas Jefferson- designed Virginia State Capitol building. But I was too charmed by the rest of the city to care.
Thirty- six hours after I arrived, I drove home to Washington thinking about returning to RVA with my bike and paddleboard, grinning like I had a crush on a new neighbour who had been there all along.
At lunch one day, a Richmonder commandeered my map and drew an “X” in the middle of the James River. “This is where I hang out in the summer,” he said. “It’s kind of magical.” Short of climbing onto mid-river boulders, strolling over the new, ADA- compliant T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge is one of the best ways to be close to the James. Step onto the smartly designed boardwalk, and you’re enveloped by the calming sounds of white water.
Cross the one-third-mile pedestrian bridge to the Manchester neighbourhood, look down onto paddlers and tubers in the rapids, gaze east to Belle Isle, a former prison for Union soldiers, and spot picnickers drinking PBR, a.k.a. the “People’s Beer of Richmond.”
Nestled among the city’s largest concentration of craft breweries, in the Scott’s Addition neighbourhood, is Blue Bee Cider. Housed in an old city stable, Blue Bee makes artisanal ciders and offers tours, tastings and events on the dog-friendly patio.
Apr 28 is the annual Spring Invitational, which features berry-infused ciders this year. Founder Courtney Mailey gets fired up re- creating 300-year- old libations.
Her single varietal Hewe’s Crab is akin to the cider our Founding Fathers enjoyed. She asked, “Don’t you want to know what George Washington was over the moon about?”
The highly anticipated Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University is a triumph for the city and the downtown university, which already is regarded as one of the top art schools in the country.
The US$ 41 million ( RM156 million), Steven Holl- designed structure is a striking zinc, concrete and glass building full of natural light. During a sneak peek, I saw many gathering spots for visitors to discuss the controversial art - in the opening exhibition, “Declaration,” for instance, one piece is a giant, tar- covered ball of bedsheets from a penitentiary; another is a tiny diorama called, “The Execution of Unarmed Blacks.” For additional contemporary works, head to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. Both museums are free.
The Monument Avenue Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, includes the tree-lined roadway near Richmond’s museum district with statues of Confederate figures. Last summer, the mayor formed a commission that is considering whether to remove them. But the beautiful avenue also celebrates humanitarian and tennis champion Arthur Ashe, whose statue was placed in 1996.
Ashe and two US presidents are buried at nearby Hollywood Cemetery.
If you have time, head east to the statue of business executive and trailblazer Maggie Walker, which was unveiled last summer on Broad Street. She’s buried at Evergreen Cemetery, and her house is open for tours.
“If you ever wonder why the outcome of the Civil War mattered,” a park ranger at her house told me, “just look here.”
Residents confess to buying bread intended for friends at Sub Rosa Bakery, where the proprietors stone-mill their own wheat and rye, and eating it themselves.
Stop in early for the best assortment of loaves and pastries - pains au chocolat and fig and manchego pastries daily, and cherry and pistachio croissants on the weekends - and stroll through Church Hill, where Patrick Henry proclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Picnic at Libby Hill Park for a river view or at Jefferson Park for a city vista.
The Fan district felt like home. No surprise, because it looks enough like Capitol Hill that part of “Homeland” was filmed here. Several friends recommended Kuba Kuba Restaurante y Bodega, a small, bustling spot serving Cuban fare in portions large enough to be called family style.
Regulars sit at tight tables or on red bar stools, drinking Lilliputian beers ( US$ 1 Miller High Life ponies), and they know not to ask about seating incomplete parties or splitting the check.
Draughts are half price from 4pm to 6pm, Spanish music dances from overhead speakers, breakfast is served all day, and the tres leches cake is legendary.
Recently named Southern Living’s top restaurant in the South, L’opossum is David Shannon’s four-year- old house of whimsy in Oregon Hill.
The Richmond native is meticulous in everything, including his French- style comfort food and the nightly playlist.
At the bar, as I savoured trumpet mushrooms impersonating scallops, I was just as taken by the witty, naughty menu and the playful, eclectic art, all from Shannon’s personal collection. Vintage decorative plates emblazoned with images of Bruce Lee and Liberace adorn the walls, “Flintstones” pillows embellish a sofa, and a terrarium with a plastic Jesus and dinosaurs is on display in the bathroom. But the food’s no joke. Tip: If you can’t get a reservation, eat at the bar before 6pm or after 9pm, or try Mama Zu’s up the block -
Confederate capital felt, at times, decidedly Southern, with greyback statues lining a celebrated avenue and shopkeepers offering customers an unhurried welcome.
with excellent fare, despite the prisonesque appearance of its building.
For many Richmonders, weekend worship means brunch. The Fancy Biscuit is one of many spots where you can join the crowds for colossal portions of Southern fare, pared with a Bloody Mary or mimosa. Order off the menu or build your own buttery biscuit dish with favourites such as pimento cheese and shiitake mushroom gravy. Sister business Shyndigz Market shares the space, tempting customers with house-made cakes, ice cream and caramel sauce. — WPBloomberg