The River City: Summarized

Richmond’s origins stretch back to 1609 when English settlers from Jamestown decided to get outta dodge. In 1780, the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, and it remains the capital to this day. Often referred to as The River City, Richmond is built on the shores of the James River, which is the 12th largest river in the U.S. that is in a single state.

In 1781, Benedict Arnold commanded that the Richmond be burned to the ground but by 1782, Richmond had risen from the ashes and has managed to thrive without a repeat of that disaster, thanks to the James and Richmond’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

Located in the center of the state, Richmond has, depending on traffic, relatively easy access to Virginia Beach, Washington, DC and whatever is located on the North Carolina border. Rightly considered to be a southern state, Virginia is still far enough north to offer both the pleasantries and the un-pleasantries of all four seasons. Summers, however, are hotter and often reach into the 90s while winters are mild wherein ice is prevalent and snow is rare—unless it’s 2010 and I feel like I’m living in Erie again. My snow brush is thrilled, though, as it’s usually stuck in the closet year after year. Richmond also sees the occasional hurricane.

This is a city rank with history. In 1775, in support of the American Revolution, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give Me Liberty or … Death” speech in the city’s St. John’s Church. As fate would have it, Henry saw both of his demands met as Americans defeated the British and became independent in 1783, and then in 1799 he died of stomach cancer. Forty years later, the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) was founded.

MCV is now the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), which is located downtown and joins Virginia Union University and The University of Richmond as the city’s biggest schools where thousands of students study each year. Some study to be doctors, some study to be lawyers, teachers or writers. Still others go on to attain degrees in travel and tourism, which makes it fortunate that Richmond has so much to offer in the lines of tourism. From the Edgar Allan Poe Museum to the Holywood Cemetery, Landmark Theatre and the Fan District, there’s something for tourists of all interests. Dining, nightlife and culture are abundant in Richmond as long as you don’t go too far east.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Richmond was elected the Capital of the Confederacy. In 1907, Monument Avenue, a popular west to far-enough-east thoroughfare, was designed to honor local Confederate heroes including J.E.B Stuart, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis. (Of these, Stonewall Jackson was the only one who didn’t survive the War.) Years later and amidst heated controversy, a statue of tennis great Arthur Ashe was commissioned and seemingly put an end to the commissioning of Monument Avenue statues.

Speaking of sports heroes, Richmond features no professional sporting teams. However, amateurs are welcome. The Richmond Renegades hockey team no longer exists, and there was an indoor football team here for a while, but they didn’t last long. Baseball is the local pastime of choice and the city recently lost our beloved Richmond Braves. They are being replaced this spring by the Richmond Flying Squirrels – a name that will inevitably inspire incapacitating fear in their opponents. Richmond International Raceway is a popular destination at least twice a year when NASCAR comes to town. Indy Racing also draws a smaller crowd, but either way traffic on race day is always impossible.

To get here, book your flight to RIC or make your way east to Washington, DC and head due south on Interstate 95. Don’t take the first I-295 exit because it bypasses the city and you’ll end up in Charlottesville, and it’ll take you at least an hour to get back. Lesson learned.

Bring your family, dress in layers and enjoy all that Richmond has to offer!