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RICHMOND, VA

It may be famous for its historical sights, but Richmond's arts, shopping and cuisine are also well worth your time.
January 2008

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10 Fun Things to do in Richmond Virginia

... AND NOT A CIVIL WAR SITE AMONG THEM!

DIANE BAIR & PAMELA WRIGHT

If you want to see a faux Patrick Henry declare, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Richmond is the place. Ditto if you want to check out Civil War artifacts or visit a plantation built by Thomas Jefferson’s brother-in-law. But what if your interest in US history peaked sometime in the fourth grade and you don’t even know what number to click for The History Channel?

Fortunately for you, this Virginia burg has other charms, like vibrant shopping (the city has one of the highest amounts of retail space per person in the US), a fascinating cemetery, delicious neo-Southern cuisine, a whitewater river that runs right through the center of town and… Fabergé eggs. No kidding.

With a blossoming arts district and a brand-new performing arts center being built as you read this, Richmond is getting hipper by the minute. Here’s a fun-filled tour—minus the Civil War relics.

1: Tackle an urban adventure.

Richmond is the only American city where you can ride a series of rollicking Class IV whitewater rapids without leaving town. The James River snakes and splashes through Richmond with a backdrop of skyscrapers. The full, paddle-like-heck-on-a-rubber-raft tour takes two to three hours. This is crazy-fun, especially as you see folks in suits walking to work while you play. “The thrill of whitewater in the heart of downtown makes this a rafting experience like no other,” says Joni Johnson, a local rafting enthusiast and tour manager for the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Riverside Outfitters (www.riversideoutfitters.net) offers guided raft, kayak and canoe tours down the river; the season generally runs from April to October.

2: Tour a cemetery.

Some of Richmond’s choicest real estate is claimed by Hollywood Cemetery (www.hollywoodcemetery.org), a garden-like space with rolling hills and heirloom roses that serves as a final resting place for two US presidents: James Monroe (who has a wrought-iron gate around his tomb) and John Tyler. The mausoleum of Lewis Ginter, who financed the building of the Jefferson Hotel, features windows made of Tiffany glass. The cemetery is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm; maps are available at the office, or take a guided tour of the grounds through The Valentine Richmond History Center (www.richmondhistorycenter.com).

3: Breakfast with the locals.

Every town has “the” place for breakfast. In Richmond, that would be Perly’s (804-649-2779), where the killer nosh includes—if you order properly—stewed apples, biscuits, grits and Virginia ham. And did we mention it serves breakfast all day on weekends?

4: Ogle the eggs at the VMFA.

Considered one of the top 15 art museums in the country, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (www.vmfa. museum) is a fine place to admire Easter eggs—as in, imperial Easter eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé. With five examples, the VMFA is home to the largest public collection of Fabergé eggs outside Russia. Additionally, the museum features more than 150 exquisite creations—including picture frames and other decorative items—from the Fabergé workshops.

5: Wander an urban island.

Stroll over the footbridge to Belle Isle, an oasis in the city that has served as a Powhatan Indian fishing village, Colonial-era horse track and 20th-century iron foundry. You’ll see interpretive signage as you walk the trails at river’s edge, but the real draw of this 54-acre island is its burst of wilderness. Sprawl out on a flat slab of river rock (Mother Nature’s lawn chairs), and watch Canada geese swim in little pools between the boulders.

6: Sleuth out flea market finds on 17th Street. “It isn’t really shopping

it’s digging for treasure,” a Richmond resident told us as we pawed through a collection of old 45s at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market (www.17thstreetfarmersmarket.com), which runs from May through October. Dozens of dealers set up shop at 17th and Main streets, with tables of classic toys, military regalia, old books and bottles, and other ephemera. Thursdays and Saturdays feature the Growers’ and Bakers’ Market, which, according to its website, sells items “homegrown, homemade and handmade,” while the Sunday Open Heirloom Market is chock-full of antiques, vintage items and collectibles.

7: Take an artsy ramble.

Why just walk when you can gallery hop? On the first Friday of each month, Richmond’s galleries unveil new exhibitions featuring national and local artists. This year, 14 galleries along Broad Street will stay open late on First Fridays (www.firstfridaysrichmond.com) for people to meet, buy artwork, and talk shop from 6pm to 10pm, rain or shine. There are also a few cultural venues in the mix, like the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia (www..blackhistorymuseum.org) and Theatre IV (www.theatreiv.org).

Make a night of it and snag a table at Chef Carlos Silva’s Bistro Twenty Seven (www.bistrotwentyseven.com; 804-780-0086). Start with chorizo de conejo—grilled rabbit-and-ginger sausage over saffron potato pancakes topped with Manchego cheese, a zesty combination of flavors and textures—and definitely order the locally caught rockfish if it’s available.

8: Take tea at a posh hotel.

Recently refurbished, the AAA Five-Diamond and Mobil Five-Star Jeff erson Hotel (www.jeff.ersonhotel.com; 800-424-8014) has been one of the region’s grandest properties since 1895. Th ere’s no better place for tea than this marble-columned, stained-glass-accented masterpiece. Aft ernoon tea is delicious, with finger sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves, pastries and many kinds of tea. Try the Richmond Blend, based on a recipe from Colonial Williamsburg, a mixture of black tea, cinnamon oil, orange peel and cloves. Relax with the sounds of a harpist in the background. Th is is the life, eh?

9: Shop for cool vintage duds.

Greater Richmond has approximately 68 square feet of retail space per resident—and the national average is about 30 square feet, according to Bill Baxter of the Retail Merchants Association of Greater Richmond.

Th at makes this city a stellar place to burn through your credit limit. Th ere are a couple of high-end malls with the usual retail suspects, but you can do better than that.

Head to Carytown, home to gems like Bygones Vintage Clothing (www.bygonesvintage.com), which sports an awesome assortment of Rat Pack-worthy tuxedoes; Clementine (804-358-2357), home to trendy, high-end consignment cast-off s; and Second Debut by Goodwill (804-254-7623), which stocks the stuff Goodwill deemed too high-falutin’ for its regular stores.

Another unique shopping zone is at Libbie and Grove avenues, where fun finds include Monkeys (804-288-3131), which sells women’s clothing and jewelry by local designers, and Hampton House Gift s (www..hamptonhousegift s.com), where you’ll find antiques and nift y mementos, like charm bracelets bearing tiny Fabergé-style eggs.

10: Sample some New Southern cuisine.

The oldest commercial building in Richmond just happens to house one of the city’s freshest, most happening restaurants, Julep’s New Southern Cuisine (www.juleps.net; 804-377-3968). This raw-beamed, circa-1817 space in Shockoe Bottom has housed a cigar-box maker, a soap-and-candle factory and a brewery. Now, Chef Eric Cohen fills it with the yummy aromas of Southern standards with a modern edge. Yes, he does fried green tomatoes, but he pairs them with house-made pimento cheese. He does grits, too, but his are stone-ground and updated by mixing in andouille sausage and served with Creole spiced prawns.

An extra tip: Have a late dinner, and hit Shockoe Bottom’s clubs and live music venues afterward. “Downtown Richmond’s

nightlife is bursting at the seams these days,” says Erika Gay of Venture Richmond. “Toad’s Place (www.toadsplacerva.com; 804-648-8623) brings nationally known bands to the city, and Tiki Bob’s Cantina (804-644-9091) is the place to go if you’re really looking to have a good time and mingle with locals.”

With a full itinerary of bar-hopping, shopping and adventure sports, you might feel a twinge of guilt for not paying more attention to the city’s historic past. But surely the Founding Fathers—who enshrined the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence—would not object to having a bit of fun. So shop, dine, play and live it up. Richmond’s historical landmarks will still be waiting for you on your next visit.

A MONUMENTAL DRIVE

You’ll be forgiven for cruising slowly down Monument Avenue. This residential street is home to a series of statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and other heroes of the Confederacy. In 1996, a monument to tennis legend (and Richmond native) Arthur Ashe was unveiled. Who’s next? Perhaps it will be the city’s newest star, the “American Idol” Season Five second runner-up Elliott Yamin, who moved to Richmond at age 11.

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