Richmond, VA

I moved from New Jersey to Richmond in 1995, when I was 14 years old. Throughout high school, the city (considering it's small size--as I grew up between Philly and NYC) was fairly interesting: a decent art scene, a decent music scene, and a few cool places to hang out. Ever since I can remember, the general feeling was "Richmond COULD be really coo." Well, it's been 15 years. Richmond still has the potential to be cool--but that's never going to happen. The art scene has become pompous & the music scene has been completely dead since at least 2005. Whoever said the only thing to do is drink is absolutely right--which is completely mind-numbing considering that Richmond, while being a fairly small city, IS nonetheless a city and not some college town out in the middle of nowhere. As for the people... There are really awesome people in Richmond--and I know every single one of them. There's around 100. This sounds like a lot, but considering that the population is aro... Read more

I lived in Richmond. What a waste. Very provincial and bigoted people. If you "ain't from 'roun' here" then you are most definitely not welcome there. Based on my experience, people who say that Richmond is wonderful and full of friendly people are not being completely truthful. People who like Richmond wax romantically about "history" and "architecture" and that the bright future is right around the corner but the brutal reality is that the people are closed and backwards. Richmond helped solidify, for me, the entire stereotype of the deep south.

Richmond is pathetic. People pay you lip service which is often mistaken for friendliness. People are essentially small minded bigots, and this applies across social/class and racial boundaries. The half baked hipster/art/music scene in Richmond is a closed, cliquish, and behind the times emulation of Portland, Brooklyn, Silver Lake. Fake bohemians abound. Then there are the Virginia white guys/gals that pay lots of lip service but are uterly one dimensional charachtatures of "Southern White Wealthy" men and women. Then there is the repressive poverty in the ghetto which is really sad to see when poor and mainly black people are waiting for long periods of time in the 95 degree/100% humidity of the brutal summers here. You see these 15 year old black kids with nothing but hate in their eyes and guns in their waistbands. The art scene is like everyone saw a Terry Winters show and started copying. I realized that Terry Winters/80's abstraction is the predominant style that they... Read more

I spent a day walking around here. It is poised to have better days ahead. I figure the prosperity from DC will find it's way here eventually as it's very close to Washington. With a dense downtown core, very nice architecture, and a lot of history it has the potential to be a cool and trendy city. Unfortunately it's not. It's pretty unkept, dilapitated and ghetto. I can remember being charmed by maybe 2-3 blocks. With that being said Richmond is a dream for an urban planner with gentrifcation in mind. Perhaps it will live up to it's potential one day but there is alot of work to do. Calling all gays, artists, and 20 something singles, move to Richmond!

Richmond sucks, bad. I wasted 7 years of my life there, and will never go back. Reading these forums, the positive reviews mention the nice statues, architecture and history, but the problem is that Richmond is full of assholes. A big social game of losers who are happy to believe they are big fish in a small pond, and seem to be satisfied with that. Richmond is nice if your visiting for a few days to absorb some history and look around, just be happy you don't have to stay there. The residents are happy in their tiny social bubble, and don't like outsiders. Their city council form of government is a complete mess of corruption and scandal. Lots of debate about pointless topics, such as "should they move the diamond to shockoe bottom"? But the truth is that it won't make any difference if they do or don't, because noboby wants to go downtown anyway.

i moved to richmond about 17 years ago and i will never leave. the city is a little conservative, especially with building codes and transportation, but it is a wonderful city to live in. The out door possibilities are far superior to those of other cities, even central park. GRTC is great but people are usually to conservative to drive. As for racism, that is preposterous. The divides between black and white are 99.9% socio-economic. Furthermore, there is a good music scene (NO BS, gwar, Duchess of york, etc) with good venues (alley cats, the national, etc.). Night life is mostly relegated to shockoe slip, but this problem is being slowly but surely rectified. Neighborhoods like the fan are truly national treasures and are a shining example of how urban planning should be, incorporation beautiful residential, parks, schools, reastraunts, and retail in one. Downtown is gaining more density and finally opening up the door for continuous blocks of retail and office space. I also apprecia... Read more

lost the braves; losing the diamond. no professional sports venue. old white guys run the place (go visit ukrops) one place to see 4th of july fireworks (dogwood dell) slashed "up & coming" musical scene (toad's place closed) uppity white southside and west end young rich kids (= college tuition paid & new DUIs) last big industry was phillip morris where is richmond going? nowhere. i'm getting out of here as soon as i can.

u thought u hated Richmond, this guy made a site dedicated to it. i40west.net

When I was young, I LOVED this place. Now it's just dumpy and never changes for the good. Maybe someday the folks will get off their butts and restore it to its original glory. They could start by bringing back trolleys. Apart from VCU, there's very little redeeming qualities for this place. I'm still looking for my home because this ain't it.

I'm shocked to hear people complaining about the people in Richmond. To me, the people make this city. Coming from the angry Northeast, I was blown away and frankly a little bit disconcerted by just how polite and friendly folks are in Richmond. Before living in Richmond for a summer, I had never chatted -- at length -- about movies with perfect strangers in the aisles of a Blockbuster before; nor had I been asked about how my weekend was going by passers-by on the street. When I first arrived, I found Richmond to be a brave new world of friendliness. I was a little worried that Richmond would be homogeneous, but it isn't at all. Yes, you will see some croakies in Richmond. But don't let that scare you away. VCU is home to one of the elite art programs in the country, and attracts interesting people from all over the world who don't fit the preppy / seersucker mold you might think of when you think of Richmond. And while there certainly are the "southern gentleman" and "good o... Read more

Living in the Hampton Roads area I don't think I could ever live in Richmond.  It seems to have some life at times though; shopping is better, and they have a serious concert scene everyone seems to go through Richmond, but other than that I think I'd be a lot happier than I'm at.  The city seems to be that quintessential Southern City, like a larger version of Charlottesville or another Charleston, though definitively smaller than Charlotte.  I don't know, I may be putting that unfair Northern spin on it but the few times I've stopped through there it doesn't seem like my type of town.

I recently moved to Richmond, and I can't wait to leave. People who are from the area love it because Richmond is like a huge high school - people in their late 20's and 30's still congregating in ridiculous "cliques" all around the city. This is the least friendly Southern city I've ever lived in. People seem to spend a lot of time pretending to be privileged quasi aristocracy...entertaining for about 2 weeks, but then the never-ending stream of people who are only discernable by the color of their croakies gets old. This is particularly true in the "Fan," which is a truly creepy example of the robotic spawn of this city. The city itself could be decent, if it were populated by other people.

Richmond is a very mediocre city. Housing is middle of the road, the entertainment middle of the road, the convenience (access to shopping, easy to get around, find basic necessities) like any other suburban nightmare. Nightlife and restaurants border on the low end, but you will pay high end for it. Richmond has an egregious tax on restaurants, and believe me they offer little in return. If you are looking for a suburb to raise your kids, this place is fine. Otherwise, your money is best spent elsewhere. After six years I still don't know one sole born and raised here. Those that I know like it here are those that are reproducing, buying homes and nesting. If that is what you are into, then Richmond is fine. If you are looking for some zest in life, keep on heading down the I95 or better yet, the I64 - west preferably for a few thousand miles.

I have made the mistake of thinking that Richmond would change...kinda of like a relationship with a woman,She will show you a good time maybe once a month and the rest you spend asking yourself what did I ever do to deserve this....The thing is people are aware of this great divide and yet do nothing to change this..We have the pretencious a holes and alot of woman that or way to up tight. Then you shoot all the way to the other side of the spectrum where there is nothing but rednecks and thugs or wannabee thugs which is insane. I quit drinking about six months ago...Now I realized why I drank so much ...there is nothing to do here ....I am moving the hell out of here

Richmond is a lost town. Citizens here do not embrace diversity and prefer to remain racist rather than educate themselves. Those who have lived here more than 3 years attempt to create an identity - by becoming self-obsessed with their own greatness and the proposed "rich" heritage of this city. I was raised here and came back in order to take care of aging parents. I can't wait to leave again.

I am a history buff and the reasons why I have made as many trips to Richmond as I have is primarily for that reason. I thoroughly enjoyed myself although I didn't have time to do much night life.

Surprising amount of culture for a city of its size but also a high crime rate.

I visit frequently and like what I see. Yes, there is a crime element but what big and medium-sized city doesn't have that? The James River is not the Potomac or Inner Harbor, but there are parts of Richmond that actually remind me of San Francisco....cobblestone streets near Shockoe Slip and the big hills rising from the banks of the James River. And there are fun bars and restaurants all over the place. As a DC-area resident, I find myself going down there to unwind all the time. The city has a vibe missing from its larger counterparts to the north--DC and Baltimore.

It saddens me to see so many viewers bashing Richmond. I have lived here for 22 years - except for 3 years when I ventured up to NYC for college. Because I have had experience living in the mecca of nightlife, sure, Richmond doesn't seem all that exciting but there is plenty to do here if you want to have a good time. No, contrary to the comments made,there are some great places to go out and being single in this city is fabulous. First the " west end" is made up of primarilly families and soccer moms and young well-to-do professionals. A very wonderful-and very safe- place to raise a family. The fan is a great area to go out in if you like the more laid-back,(flip flops on, collars popped)yuppie bar scene. It's similiar to adams morgan in georgetown in that on "Robinson street" there is a stretch of 6 really fun bars to visit-the crowd usually consists of well-to-do young professionals, UofR students,basically- check out bars in the fan if you're down to meet some nice,fun,laid... Read more

I use to think Richmond was just an exit for gas while driving on I95 going south. Then I ran the Richmond marathon last fall and was extremley impressed with the city. I got the chance to run through some very nice old historic neighborhoods and meet some great people. My family and I drove through downtown on a Friday night and couldn't belive how safe it was. College students from VCU were walking around at night with no problems. I thought overall the city was a very nice surprise. There were some very nice musuems and resturants that I didn't get a chance to visit put have ear marked for our next trip. Pull of the interstate and drive through town, you might just be suprised.

Richmond does have some decent things to offer-a very nice art museum and botanical gardens, a rising university with a beautiful campus(the University of Richmond), some attractive areas such as the Fan District and Shockoe Bottom, beautiful old homes in the West End, and friendly, gracious people. It also suffers from the "lost cause" mentality, high crime, and many decaying, shabby parts of the city. The weather for close to 6 months of the year is hot and humid, the James River is terribly polluted. The suburbs have decent schools and they probably are a good place to raise a family. But the good things about the area aren't anything you couldn't find in other places with far prettier natural settings and better weather.

Richmond reminded me of a miniature Washington D.C. or perhaps a miniature Baltimore without the waterfront. I like both of those cities, so Richmond isn't as bad as some of these comments suggest, in my opinion at least. The city definately has a tragic aura to it - Between being the hometown of Edgar Allan Poe, the Capitol of the Confederacy, and all the adandoned/vacant buildings. I liked Virginia Commonwealth University and the downtown are has some nice restaurants and walkways. Overall, Richmond is a decent mid-sized city that makes for a great stop on your way from D.C./Baltimore to Virginia Beach.

A classic rugged town that is the true begginning of the South as far as Im concerned.

I am giving this a five only because of the wonderful Monument avenue with the statues of the great Confederate patriots. The Statue of Robert. E. Lee is magnificant and the one of J.E.B. Stuart is heroic. Great, wonderful, place of great heros. There are some bad parts to Richmond (North Richmond) but take time to visit Jerferson Davis grave site, a shrine to a great American patriot.

Dirty, grungy, run-down feeling. Didn't like it

I have lived in the Richmond area for about 20 yrs now and I wish everyone who has just traveled through or has only lived here a few years would stop complaining. If you actually take awhile to look into things, Richmond is actually a decent place to live. And no, not everyone is snobby or redneck. Actually..Richmond is a far cry from both redneck and snobby. Not everything smells like tabacco and there is a night life in some parts or the city, you just have to know where they are. Richmond may not be for everyone, but I can tell you, it def. deserves a look at.

As the former capitol of the confederacy, you'd think this would be a backwards-ass, redneck, good ole boy town. It's not quite that. Richmond actually has life and has got a lil' something to it. Capital One Credit Card services has enabled many new people to come into the area and there are enough businesses around to make this more than a hick, Southern town. Richmond also seems like an affordable place to live and is more diverse than you'd imagine. Parts of the downtown look.....Urban....but the suburbs ( at lest Glen Allen) are nice. It's a big city in Virginia, but I dont get the sense it will become a Charlotte, Louisville or Nashville. Good thing, it's fine as is.

Awful place. Humid in the summer. Not to mention statues of their heros. God awful city.

I have lived in Richmond most of my life, but it is time to go. At one time this city had the potential to be unique; merging the old and the new, but that was in the 70's. Since then, urban sprawl, destruction of old buildings, failed mass transit, high crime and under it all they are still fighting the civil war. Black and white for the most part don't interact; hispanics are viewed with outright hatred; orientals as if they were from another planet. There are a few nice neighborhoods and museums, but a weekend is enough. But this is not unique to Richmond; it is true for many, not all, parts of Virginia.

A stupid southern city that boomed for about 4 months, and now really sucks, i drive through there a lot when traveling up and down the east coast. The most interesting thing there is a 30 foot tall cigarette. The whole place smells like old tobacco or something, it is horrible. I hate cigarettes to begin with.

I'll start with the people. There isn't much of a middle ground. You're either an uppity snob or an uppity redneck. Either way, you're uppity, and I don't even know why. This place is the sphincter of society, all crap passes through here. And half the Richmond men that just read that comment got excited at the word sphincter. Why is this place the gay capital of the east coast? Sure we can't hold a candle to NYC or Boston, since they have tons more people, but we've got just as much gay per capita as they do. A bunch of artsy fartsies, everyone here should die. Yeah, I'm here too, I went to VCU, big mistake. What to do at night? Drink...and then...drink some more? cuz wherever you go, that's about all there is to do. Options for an average weekend? Go to a club, drink. Go bowling, drink. Shoot pool, drink. Go to Laserquest, drink? Actually, after bowling, you don't drink, because you don't have any money after bowling. What else is there to do here? Nothing. The e... Read more

I moved to Richmond from Northern Virginal 15 years ago and I still hate it. (Wife wont ever leave, another annoying Richmond trait) It is not a city, but a large town. The city has tremendous potential, but the city council is a 12 ring circus. The citizens suffer from delusions of grandeur, unaware that they live in a cultural void. The DC metro area (except traffic & real estate prices) is a much better place. Richmond: If it ain't broke, don't fix it

I hate Richmond. I have been here two years now and it has not grown on me yet. The city is old,crusty, dirty and busy. It looks like an old shanti down. I must admit it's beautiful at night, but during the day light...stay away. People here drive like maniacs. they are always in a rush to go nowhere!!!...The people here are also quite fooled.

Only takes 35 minutes to drive-thru!

I've spent some time there and I found it to be very, very boring. Virtually no nightlife, and alot of the people I met there were so self-impressed. I couldn't figure out why, since they lived in such a cultural, social and economic backwater. In Richmond, I felt the first stirrings of "plantation mentality" I perceived in the Carolinas and Georgia. I guess this place would be OK if you were raising a family and were consigned to a dull life, but if you're single, I don't see why you would want to live there.

this place never really grew on me(i've been at VCU's art school for three years now). as it didn't really grow on most of my classmates. it does have an artsy feel to it, and a lot of history. but like some of my other classmates from northern virginia, we find it surprising that the different races are still afraid to mix together.

i have travelled pretty extensively and am now living in richmond. i have been for a year i do not like it. it is a half assed city. the radio stations are terrible as is the nightlife (what nightlife) there are no good concerts anymore and the shops suck too many snobs also

Richmond is nice, I'd give it 3-1/2 stars. Great historic buildings, churches, hotels. Chef Maxwell's has awesome food and atmosphere.

Great little neighborhoods; city smells like tobaccoo all the time; racism still prevalent

This city is highly UNDER-rated. It's a very charming city with a very artsy feel to it. Great micro-breweries everywhere and beautiful sightseeing inside and outside of the city, ranging from beautiful estates, museums, historical plantations, beatiful national parks, etc.