Richmond off-topic postings

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, metalman said:

Hey all,

Me and my fam. Just visited Richmond last weekend for GalaxyCon.  Great time, good AirBB in Monroe Ward, walkable to the con.   Great restaurants we found in Wong Gonzales (killer tacos), Secret Sandwich Society, an ok slice in Valentino’s pizza.  Went to the Poe museum and St. John’s Church (Site Patrick Henry…you know). Great breakfast burritos at Liberty Pub out there.

   I do have one honest question that left me puzzled when I was there.  Why is there so much dog crap on the sidewalks and the landscaping medians around the sidewalks.  Up and around Grace st, Monroe, etc.  I noticed not only the dog crap, some more fresh, some crusty and very old; but people walking there dogs, letting them crap on the side wall or up in the landscaping without picking it up.  Is that a thing?

Hey @metalman! Welcome to RVA! SO glad you had a great time and found some great places to eat. Don't be a stranger! Plenty of fun stuff to see & do in Richmond - stuff you & your entire family are sure to enjoy. C'mon back and stay a while.  ALSO - welcome to our little online community here! (And it's not so little any more, which is a very good thing!)

Man - I'm so sorry you had that experience with doggie-doodle. The only answer I can come up with is lazy dog owners - which sucks. 

[metalman]

I’m just in Virginia Beach so my home and my general forum isn’t too far away.  We made it up last Friday in 1 1/2hrs flat.  Great timing when there’s no tunnel traffic.

   We had a great time.  A much bigger urban core than i thought.  I love the beautiful rows of old/historic homes and businesses we passed in in Monroe and Downtown.  We stay in a old brownstone near the Jefferson Hotel which was amazing looking!!! Absolutely gorgeous.  Reminds me of a Richmond’s version of Virginia Beach’s Cavalier Hotel.  Not that they look alike…just the old beautiful architectural famous hotel.

     While we were their, we went to church at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.  The seat of the Catholic diocese.  I’ve only been there once before…again absolutely gorgeous.  I tried to walk around the Capitol but with all that renovation going on there I couldn’t squeeze in around there.  Next time.  A co-worker told me to try some pulled pork nachos at Iron and wood out in Scott’s Addition.  We found time to get out there before leaving.  It was very good .  The pulled pork did not disappoint.

    I noticed quite a number of closed/derelict shops along Broad St.  Id think with it being the main drag, city council or real estate owners would give some priority to filling in those businesses and cleaning up some of that graffiti and store frontage.

It’s an easy drive from the Beach.  There’s certainly more to explore for us there.  We’ll be back.

Edited March 29, 2023 by metalman

[Icetera]

18 minutes ago, metalman said:

I noticed quite a number of closed/derelict shops along Broad St.  Id think with it being the main drag, city council or real estate owners would give some priority to filling in those businesses and cleaning up some of that graffiti and store frontage.

I imagine a lot of what you saw were some of the blocks currently being sat on for years by a big name D.C. developer.  There has been some movement as of late, so hopefully these will see new life sooner rather than later.

[I miss RVA]

3 minutes ago, Icetera said:

I imagine a lot of what you saw were some of the blocks currently being sat on by a big D.C. developer.  There has been some movement as of late, so hopefully these will see new life sooner rather than later.

I know who you're talking about but am drawing a blank on the developer's name. Help me remember...

[Icetera]

17 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

I know who you're talking about but am drawing a blank on the developer's name. Help me remember...

Douglas Jemal.

[I miss RVA]

2 minutes ago, Icetera said:

Douglas Jemal.

YES!! Thank you, Ice! It was on the tip of my tongue but my brain just wouldn't latch on.

Whatever happened to all of his plans in the Art District?

[wrldcoupe4]

They are renovating the corner buildings at 2nd and Broad right now. That 3 block stretch near the convention center is the last stretch to fill in. It will happen, just wish they were done with it already. Just goes to show it isn’t always the big out of town developer that is the savior. 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

They are renovating the corner buildings at 2nd and Broad right now. That 3 block stretch near the convention center is the last stretch to fill in. It will happen, just wish they were done with it already. Just goes to show it isn’t always the big out of town developer that is the savior. 

Is Douglas Jemel considered a "big" out-of-town developer? When I mention wanting those kinds of developers, I'm talking more the Greystar, Crescent, Avery Hall , Hourigan - the heavy-hitters with a ton of money who are used to doing big projects in markets larger than Richmond. THOSE are the "savior" types of developers I see - because they come here thinking big and they come with enough money to build big. Does that make sense?

[wrldcoupe4]

It does. I wouldn’t call Douglas Development small time though. They are building a new 1. 2M SF HQ for the Securities and Exchange Commission in DC, for example. 

[I miss RVA]

19 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

It does. I wouldn’t call Douglas Development small time though. They are building a new 1. 2M SF HQ for the Securities and Exchange Commission in DC, for example. 

Thanks, Coupe. Good to know they do have some bona fides. 

Still - it ties to the comparison to other out-of-town heavyweights who come here thinking big with enough money to build big. Douglas comes here thinking small and building small. I don't see any other way to describe it.

They're doing a 1.2M SF development in D.C (yes, I get it - for Uncle Sam - apples and papayas comparison). - and yet they're doing small-scale "historic" conversions here. How about they step up their game and do something NON-preservation-centric here? Something with some real teeth in it? And yes - I understand renovations and conversion in the Arts District are important - but you get my point.

Edited March 30, 2023 by I miss RVA

[asies]

US Census 2022 Population estimates are out today for independent cities and counties.  The Census Bureau estimates that Richmond's population grew 2,777 people from April 2020 to July 2022 going from 226,618 to 229,395 residents. In comparison, during that same timeframe the CB estimates that Norfolk lost around 5,000 people and VA Beach lost around 4,000 residents. Only Chesapeake (net 3,000 people) and Suffolk (net 4,000 people) had comparable population growth among independent cities. For the counties the CB estimates that Chesterfield added around 12,000 residents, Hanover around 3,000, Goochland about 1,400 and surprisingly the CB estimates that Henrico's population shrunk by about 400 people between 2020 and 2022. Overall it looks like Richmond is still enjoying steady growth especially in comparison to most of the state. The Nova independent cities saw literally no growth.
 

co-est2022-pop-51.xlsx

[wrldcoupe4]

I never really imagined Richmond outgrowing Norfolk, but the gap is estimated at only 3,600 when it was over 11,000 in 2020 and nearly 39,000 in 2010. We all know Richmond is growing but it doesn't seem like Norfolk would be shrinking. By way of example, Henrico doesn't seem like it's growth is flat either, so perhaps there is an issue with the estimating.

[asies]

Norfolk isn't building a lot of new housing so as families move away and their housing units are replaced by singles or childless couples, the population shrinks. That could explain Henrico's stagnate growth, larger families moving to Chesterfield while smaller families/single adults move into Henrico. Estimates lean heavily into the birth/death rate and new building permits. While they aren't entirely reliable, especially when a city's official population was undercounted (as I think was the case with Richmond in 2020), estimates usually mirror how a city is growing, or not growing.

[I miss RVA]

4 minutes ago, asies said:

Norfolk isn't building a lot of new housing so as families move away and their housing units are replaced by singles or childless couples, the population shrinks. That could explain Henrico's stagnate growth, larger families moving to Chesterfield while smaller families/single adults move into Henrico. Estimates lean heavily into the birth/death rate and new building permits. While they aren't entirely reliable, especially when a city's official population was undercounted (as I think was the case with Richmond in 2020), estimates usually mirror how a city is growing, or not growing.

Good points. And indeed, I think there was potentially a sizeable undercount in Richmond's population - estimates had us running at 233K prior to the census - so it really stood out and was a shock to the system to see the number checking in at only 226K. There really was the thought that perhaps we'd have been closer to 235K based on pre-census estimates.

[upzoningisgood]

Interesting nugget is that domestic migration is apparently slightly negative (-300) but international migration is strongly positive (+1100) with natural growth making up the rest. That seems wrong? But maybe families are moving out and DINKS are moving in? I don't know, but important to mention. ACS estimates that domestic migration is actually at -1700 since 2020. Something to keep in mind going forward. 

[I miss RVA]

15 minutes ago, upzoningisgood said:

Interesting nugget is that domestic migration is apparently slightly negative (-300) but international migration is strongly positive (+1100) with natural growth making up the rest. That seems wrong? But maybe families are moving out and DINKS are moving in? I don't know, but important to mention. ACS estimates that domestic migration is actually at -1700 since 2020. Something to keep in mind going forward. 

Interesting analysis, to be sure. Still - the net positive of 2,000ish from 2021 to 2022 definitely has me exhaling! Stalled population growth had me panicking just a bit - glad to see it appears to be back on track.

[whw53]

Are we still on for April 22nd?

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[eandslee]

8 hours ago, whw53 said:

Are we still on for April 22nd?

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Yes.  Still on. Will be making final plans in the next week or so. Stay tuned….

[Downtowner]

On 4/7/2023 at 6:44 AM, eandslee said:

Yes.  Still on. Will be making final plans in the next week or so. Stay tuned….

would of loved to of made it. My wife daughter and I had to put our move up to Winchester into warp speed. Moved up here on March 29th. I will love and watch Richmond from afar but I will still get down there quite a bit.

[eandslee]

Okay, just wanted to provide an update to our very first Richmond UP meet-up on Saturday, 22 April.  So far, I'm tracking that the following will be in attendance:

Who:

@Hike

@Shakman

@whw53 (maybe?)

@Icetera

@georgeglass

@Brent114

@Downtowner (maybe)

@eandslee 

Am I missing anyone?  Has anyone's status changed?

More details:

Where:  We will be meeting at the Panera Bread at Willow Lawn (1601 Willow Lawn Dr. Richmond).  **Please note**  - if you are driving to our meeting spot, it is NOT recommended to park in the Willow Lawn parking lot since we will be riding the Pulse.  Please look for legal street parking nearby so that your vehicle is not at risk of being towed.  Also note:  This is the same day as the Monument Ave 10K.  It is recommended that you avoid that area, if possible, so that you don't get caught up in the crowds.

When:  Please meet promptly at 10:00am at Panera (any later and you might get left behind).  We will go until whenever on Saturday, 22 April 2023 (feel free to show up a little early if you want to get a snack, coffee, etc. at Panera before we get started).

What:  Plan to do a bit of walking (bring your walking shoes, your phone/camera, maybe some water, and plan for the weather).  We plan to take the Pulse (it's free) and hit some stops along the ~7-mile corridor and check out some of the development sites, take photos, check construction status, etc.  Required:  we MUST get a photo of all of us in front of a blue port-a- potty!  We would also like to hit up Scotts Addition and Manchester.  For Manchester, we will have to jump on a GRTC bus to take us across the river.  If any of you have the bus app or know their way around the GRTC bus network, we will be calling on you to lead the way.  When we want to take a break for lunch, we can hit up a local establishment of choice (to be decided by all when we meet).  Afterwards, we can go back out and sightsee some more for a little bit longer.  I don't anticipate us being out later than 3:00pm (and we may be done earlier unless we're just having a blast and want to continue).   Flexibility is the rule, so if you need to break off early to comply with other personal commitments, please feel free to do so.  Don't feel obligated to stick around. 

If one of you wants to draft up an itinerary (ie - a list of sites that would be worthy of stopping to look at/take photos of during our tour),  that would be great!  Please post your list of sites to see here.

Why:  Because we can and we've never (in the ENTIRE history of Richmond UP) met each other in person.  Some of you might want to remain anonymous and that's okay - I respect that.  For the rest of us though, let's just have fun meeting one another, enjoying each other's company,  and touring our favorite city together because we all have something in common - our love for Richmond and her economic growth & success!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them here (don't be shy - others may have the same question)...or you can private message me if you're really just too shy. 

I'm really looking forward to this and hope you all are too!  I'll post again to finalize any loose ends just before Saturday, 22 April (Friday night) to make sure we are all still good to go!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, eandslee said:

For Manchester, we will have to jump on a GRTC bus to take us across the river.  If any of you have the bus app or know their way around the GRTC bus network, we will be calling on you to lead the way.

Gents,

Getting to Manchester from downtown on GRTC is easy.  Take ANY of the following:

1A - Hull/Midlothian - via Southside Plaza

1B - Hull/Warwick - via Southside Plaza

1C - Hull/Elkhardt - via Southside Plaza

All three follow the same route through downtown and into/through Manchester proper. All three routes ORIGINATE SOUTHBOUND AT THE TRANSFER PLAZA BAY B (though it's kinda in flux there right now, so be aware). Each route runs every 30 minutes on Saturday, and since it's the exact same core route with different end points in South Richmond, GRTC staggers them so that you shouldn't have to wait more than between roughly 8 and 12 minutes for any one of the three to come along.

GOING TO MANCHESTER: (SOUTHBOUND)

My best suggestion would be either grab the bus at the TRANSFER PLAZA - OR - catch it at any of the following stops:

8th and CLAY (west side of the street) (this one is kinda out of the way - but I threw it in just in case you were looking at blocks in City Center)

SOUTH SIDE OF BROAD STREET BETWEEN 8TH and 9TH STREETS (this would be my choice unless you're in Shockoe Slip, or visiting the Canal or are in the Bottom)

14th and FRANKLIN (west side of the street)

14th and MAIN (west side of the street)

14th and DOCK (west side of the street)

The bus goes to Manchester via the 14th Street Bridge (sorry, I'm old school) - and goes straight up Hull Street. There are stops on HULL at 3rd, 5th & 7th streets in lower Manchester.

IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU DECIDE TO GO DIRECTLY TO MANCHESTER FIRST AFTER TAKING THE PULSE LINE IN FROM THE WEST END - GET OFF THE PULSE AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER STATION (EAST) AT 9th & BROAD and get the 1A, 1B or 1C AT THE STOP ON BROAD BETWEEN 8th & 9th - (south side of Broad Street).

GOING BACK TO DOWNTOWN:

Just reverse the process. Catch one of the three routes (NORTHBOUND) on Hull Street (bus stops are at 3rd, 5th or 7th streets) and get off wherever you want downtown.  There's even a stop on Mayo Island!

Really easy.

Screenshots from GRTC's online bus tracker - in order - 

1.) Downtown   2.) Dock Street to 3rd & Hull (14th Street Bridge/Mayo Island) 3.) Hull Street/Manchester 4.)PULSE LINE - downtown - GOVERNMENT CENTER STATION (EAST)

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by I miss RVA

[marinog711]

I am planning on coming to the meet up  as well 

[eandslee]

3 hours ago, marinog711 said:

I am planning on coming to the meet up  as well 

Thanks!  I’ll add you to the list of attendees. 

[whw53]

@eandslee yes! Take this as my confirmation. RVA YIMBY is having their 2nd meeting same day at Benchtop Brewing on Hull st in Manchester so I will be going over there after.

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[Brent114]

See y’all Saturday!