36 hours in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond has traditionally had a genteel, understated nature. More recently, a new Richmond has emerged, with ambitious college students and diverse residents moving into historic spaces; a restaurant scene that gets better every month; and the elevation of hometown U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. With the James River as an anchor, Richmond reveals a stark natural beauty that, no matter the season, offers a distinctive urban charm and vibrancy.
Situated in the historically African-American Jackson Ward Historic District, the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia reopened last May in the First Battalion Virginia Volunteers Armoury, known as the Leigh Street Armoury, after an extensive renovation. The red brick, twostory building was constructed in 1895 and was the only armoury built in the city for an AfricanAmerican militia unit. The more than 12,000-square-foot museum is a trove of African-American milestones. Interactive touch screens chronicle such events as the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867 and 1868 and the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Other highlights include replicas of luncheonette tables and stools from segregation sit-ins at a Woolworth department store and a statue of the Richmond native and tennis great Arthur Ashe.
For a quick snack, stop at the original Sugar Shack Donuts, in the Carver neighbourhood. Sugar Shack opened in 2013 and proved so popular that it has already expanded outside Virginia. The first location, on the site of a former used-car lot, has a cozy wood-andbrick charm. Delectable creations include blueberry-glazed, bacon maple, sea salt caramel and vanilla chocolate doughnuts; prices from $1.25 for a house doughnut to $3 for a monster version. Pair it with an espresso or a Boylan soda.
The most recent expansion at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts added over 165,000 square feet to its 380,000-square-foot space. The museum now houses Art Deco and Art Nouveau collections, a library and an art education center. On the first floor, the sun-soaked Best Café is named for the now-defunct Best Products catalog showroom department store, which was based in Richmond from 1957 until 1997. Admission is free to permanent collections; costs vary for special exhibitions. Every Friday, there is a happy hour from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with free half-hour gallery tours at 7 and 7:30. A coming exhibition will showcase works by Jasper Johns and Edvard Munch.
For an outstanding Greek dining experience, Stella’s delivers a first-rate, refreshingly casual experience. Pottery lines the upper walls near the bar and there is a lively communal table. The menu is a Mediterranean medley of fresh food. Try the keftedes, panfried beef and lamb meatballs and saganaki, kefalograviera cheese that is flaming when it comes to your table. Entree options recently included shrimp santorini and rockfish with lima bean succotash. The room fills up quickly, so reserve a table in advance. In 2015, Stella Dikos, a co-owner, opened Stella’s Grocery across the street, where ingredients and prepared meals can be purchased.
Created in 1851, Libby Hill Park is one of the first parks established in Richmond. On a high bluff in the Church Hill neighbourhood, the park is surrounded by beautiful Italianate, Federal, Greek Revival and Queen Anne houses situated on many of Richmond’s original blocks. First called Marshall Square, the park was renamed for the influential landowner Luther Libby. The view of the James River from Libby Hill Park is said to have inspired the city’s founder, William Byrd II, to name the city Richmond, since it reminded him of the view from the Thames River in Richmond Hill in London. An ornamental fountain at the park is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.
Pop’s Market on Grace, in a former Cokesbury bookstore location, is a great example of how urban spaces can be re-imagined as successful purveyors of food. The interior is cozy, with a generous amount of seating, a chalkboard menu and a lounge area with a piano. Breakfast selections recently included plain and everything bagels, sage sausage, egg and cheese biscuits and French toast rounds with maple syrup. The biscuits are flaky and delicious, and are great with jam. You can also grab a slice of banana nut bread. Various wines and sauces line the shelves, along with crackers and other assorted snacks.
For most of the 20th century, Broad Street downtown was an economic powerhouse, with the Thalhimers and Miller & Rhoads department stores dominating the landscape. Smaller stores nearby catered to the thousands of people on foot. By the late 1990s, most of the downtown stores were gone and the pulse in this area was barely noticeable. But Steady Sounds, a vinyl records store with a diverse selection that buys and sells records, along with Blue Bones Vintage, a vintage clothing and accessories store, have breathed new retail life into the area. Both stores share space, so you can combine your hunt for that elusive soul or punk record with a shopping spree that might include a Converse sweater. The upscale shirt-maker Ledbury recently moved its headquarters from the city’s Shockoe Bottom neighbourhood to a space across the street. The Ledbury space features a retail store and madeto-measure lounge on the first floor. Regular dress shirt prices are generally $125 to $185.
The Manchester neighbourhood has many attributes, including an abundance of old factory buildings that have become housing and offices, and a budding sense of community. Brewer’s Café, opened in 2015 by Michelle Cosely and A. J. Brewer attracts new and existing residents. The interior is bright and welcoming. Hearty sandwiches, like their specialty, the Brewer’s Club with turkey, Virginia ham, bacon and sriracha mayonnaise ($8.50) - and the roast beef sandwich on marble rye ($8.50) are nice choices. The iced green tea ($2) or a cappuccino would go well with anything here.
To know Richmond well, you need to know the James River. Among several vantage points within the James River Park System, three stand out. Belle Isle has a multitude of rocks where you can view the river and its rapids. The island has biking and running trails and is a hot spot for nature lovers. In the warmer months, Pony Pasture Rapids Park is an excellent area for swimming, canoeing and inner tubing. Exercise caution, as there can be slippery spots. Huguenot Flatwater Park, the westernmost park in the system, is one of the best launching areas for paddling.
The craft beer scene has grown rapidly, especially in Scott’s Addition, a former industrial area now brimming with residents. One of its newest occupants is the Veil Brewing Co. With a modern interior, it specializes in hopforward ales and spontaneous fermentation, and brews IPAs like the Master Shredder and Lil’ Kitty Boi!
Now it’s time for Supper, which has an adjoining twin restaurant, Lunch. Opened in 2012, Supper serves eclectic Southern fare, with antler chandeliers to boot. Recent selections included the “monument” shrimp and grits, blackened shrimp topped with bacon and served over cheese grits ($21), and the braised boneless short ribs, topped with au jus over brussels sprouts.
The old Tarrant Drug Company building now houses Tarrant’s Cafe, a gem of a brunch spot. The atmosphere is nostalgic, with the original stained-glass signs and attractive wooden booths. Recent selections included the French toast Foster, with cinnamon-vanilla egg batter, bananas, strawberries and bourbon sauce and crab cakes Benedict.
Built in 1790, the Federal-style John Marshall House was the main residence for John Marshall, the longest-serving Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Throughout the 45-minute tour, you will learn about landmark judicial cases like Marbury v. Madison, and view family heirlooms. The house, in the Court End neighbourhood, is open for tours from March through December.