I LOVE RVA

I’m not originally from Richmond. I was born in Upstate NY, and then because of my dad’s job, lived in many countries all over the world. I’m definitely aware that I had a very fortunate upbringing. After I graduated from college, I landed a job in NYC at a photography company. It was fast paced and fun. We got to look at pictures of celebrities all day. But most importantly, I got to spend my days in the epicenter of the world.

After about 2 ½ years, I started to grow restless, though. My boyfriend (now my husband) and I started discussing where we could move next. Oregon? No, too far away from family. Maine? Too cold! Hey, what about Richmond, Virginia? My best friend had just moved down there and Jay and I always liked going to Richmond to see her. Things were cheaper in Richmond, there was hardly any traffic, and hell, people were way nicer than in the Tristate area. I remember one of the first times I visited her—we were walking down her street, a few people passed us and she made eye contact with each one, greeting them like friends. After asking how they were enjoying this warm spell, we’d move on down the block. At one point, I said to her, “Man, you know a lot of people.” She looked at me funny and laughed. She told me that no, she didn’t know any of those people. People in Richmond were just way friendlier. I couldn’t believe it! Back up north, I still hadn’t even met my next-door neighbor, and I’d lived next to her for over 2 years!

So, Jay and I packed our bags and moved on down south like the carpetbaggers that native Richmonders like to call us. And, we’ve been here for over 9 years now. We don’t plan on moving anytime soon. I can’t believe it. I’ve lived in Egypt, Senegal, and the Philippines, and out of all the places I could choose to bring my daughter up, I choose the old capital of the Confederacy. Why?

Plain and simple, Richmond is an awesome city. The James River, which I can walk to from my house and job in less than 15 minutes, is considered part of the city’s parks system. You can kayak, white water raft, fish, and even swim in it (we do, some don’t). The mountains of Shenandoah National Park are about an hour and a half drive to the west, and Virginia Beach is equally as far away to the east. The large student population from Virginia Commonwealth University ensures that we have a decent nightlife (so I’ve heard). We have state-of-the-art museums. It rarely drops below 30 degrees in the winter.  I can bring my dogs to the dog park and my daughter to a museum that caters to her one-year-old self!

As you can see, I’m smitten with my adopted home, this fair River City. If you ever happen to be visiting Richmond, look me up. I’d be happy to take you to the best vegetarian restaurant in town, for a walk along the Canal near our office, or even to view the Civil War-era medical instruments in the Valentine…errr…I might be too busy organizing my email to go on that outing.