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Old 09-17-2008, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Richmond
395 posts, read 518,927 times
Reputation: 63

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Im just curious. I believe that a false picture is being painted about Richmond- and outsiders and visitors may never know THE REAL Richmond.

Let me tell Y'all about MY RICHMOND. My Richmond is a city that is full of potential and opportunity, and has come along way in many years. The expanision of the VCU campus to an otherwise dead W. Broad St- has increased businesses, decreased crime, and had more creative outlets such as Art Walk Fridays and live music venues.

The National which just opened up on Broad Street too- is Richmond's first nice music venue since The Mosque (oh, excuse me, "Landmark Theater") The people in Richmond while not perfect, are much friendlier than most parts of the country. The weather here is great- you dont get all that much snow in the winter. You have nice long hot summers. You have BEAUTIFUL AND STUNNING architecture. The houses in The Fan are without match


The beauty of Monument Ave with its dogwoods and magnolia trees and statues of Lee, Stuart, Jackson, and all the rest. The great MANY restaurants we have- Southern favorites right next to Thai Food. Where else can you get that?

Yes, Richmond is not without its faults, but its nowhere near the Hell-Hole that some people have made it out to be. We are within easy driving distance to the Deeper South- and large Northeast Cities (if you must) And the beaches, mountains, all within easy reach.

Richmond is A-OKAY!

 
Old 09-18-2008, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Richmond VA metro area
383 posts, read 1,012,019 times
Reputation: 106
Right On, Blue!

Richmond is an incredible venue. Pure and Simply!

All cities have short comings - Richmond is no exception. BUT and its a big but, we are in change and with that change there are many opportunities for all people to live in and enjoy the offerings of our town.
 
Old 09-18-2008, 03:21 PM
 
1 posts, read 8,546 times
Reputation: 12
Depends on who you ask, I am a s/b/f and have lived here most of my life. Why do I bash Richmond. Seems that if you are an outdoors person or a person in to the Art scene, you are good to go. Other than that, nothing (oh yeah, you can eat and drink up a storm). People here are very clickist, it has the good old boy network, it is not DIVERSE by any means..... u still can walk into a resturant where the majority of people is of one color and they look at you like "what the hell are you doing here" dare I say the FAN or Saks. Remember this is the place where they paved over a burial site, making it a parking lot and the only thing they will do is probably put a sign up about it.

So again I say it depends on WHO you ask.
 
Old 09-18-2008, 04:00 PM
CNI
 
194 posts, read 576,368 times
Reputation: 63
Why do people constantly bash X on here?

IMO the answer is generic. People bash people, places, things that they are not happy with. That do not meet their needs. That disappoint and underwhelm them.

For some reason Richmond fits these categories for a sizeable # of people.
That's not to say that those who love Richmond are wrong or those who despise it are right.
Richmond is just very POLARIZING. Very polarizing for lifelong, multi-generational residents, newcomers, visitors.
There seems to be an implication that those who are not pro-Richmond are fabricating lies ("false picture").
That's where IMO you are not accepting that different people are entitled to reach different conclusions.
And I'd go so far as to speculate that much of the "potential and opportunity" and the fact that Richmond "has come along way in many years" was do in part to the prodding of those unhappy Richmonders and critics.
 
Old 09-23-2008, 03:13 AM
 
Location: The Semi-South
13 posts, read 46,299 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by awms View Post
Depends on who you ask, I am a s/b/f and have lived here most of my life. Why do I bash Richmond. Seems that if you are an outdoors person or a person in to the Art scene, you are good to go. Other than that, nothing (oh yeah, you can eat and drink up a storm). People here are very clickist, it has the good old boy network, it is not DIVERSE by any means..... u still can walk into a resturant where the majority of people is of one color and they look at you like "what the hell are you doing here" dare I say the FAN or Saks. Remember this is the place where they paved over a burial site, making it a parking lot and the only thing they will do is probably put a sign up about it.

So again I say it depends on WHO you ask.
Like awms said, it depends on who you ask!

And by the way, awms is speaking of the slave burial site that was PAVED OVER and virtually unacknowleged, to make way for (yet another) parking lot! Richmond is quick to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, honoring our "forefathers" (again, depending on who you ask), but will hardly mention the chronological events or the ill effects of institutionalized slavery for those 400 years. Richmond is majority black, but is very exclusive and readily caters to the whims of wealthy, old, white guys. LOTS of racial tension in this town, amongst other problematic social issues.

I am also black, and (in 2008!) continue to receive stares from well-meaning white people *mid-chew* whenever I step into a restaurant, especially in the suburbs. It blows me away every time. Even the Jewish population has been heavily discriminated against here until fairly recently (two words: country club). Diversity is still a notion that hasn't quite been fully embraced in Central VA, although it is beginning to change, albeit very slowly. Not to make sweeping generalizations, but most native (white) Richmonders under, say 40, and western/northern transplants don't really care who you are/where you come from/what you look like. But "old school" Richmonders are very judgemental when it comes to ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, gender, family name, etc. It can feel like a time warp sometimes. I remember when the Arthur Ashe statue incident was a big deal back in '97: 'How dare the figure of a black man grace the same avenue as our great, white Confederate war heroes?' This (racist) mentality still prevails today, to some extent.

For a city with a population of 200,000, Richmond is too large to remain so stuck in its past -- that's the main problem! It's resistant to diversity, going "green", taking off its proverbial white gloves, and ultimately aligning itself with other major global cities. And as long as Richmond continues to honor its Confederate roots and simultaneously disregard the other cultural fibers of its richly woven history, our city will never succeed.

Anyway, to answer the original poster's question: Hence said bashing

Last edited by n8vRVAer; 09-23-2008 at 03:49 AM..
 
Old 09-23-2008, 11:37 AM
 
Location: Richmond
395 posts, read 518,927 times
Reputation: 63
Quote:
Originally Posted by n8vRVAer View Post
Like awms said, it depends on who you ask!

And by the way, awms is speaking of the slave burial site that was PAVED OVER and virtually unacknowleged, to make way for (yet another) parking lot! Richmond is quick to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, honoring our "forefathers" (again, depending on who you ask), but will hardly mention the chronological events or the ill effects of institutionalized slavery for those 400 years. Richmond is majority black, but is very exclusive and readily caters to the whims of wealthy, old, white guys. LOTS of racial tension in this town, amongst other problematic social issues.

I am also black, and (in 2008!) continue to receive stares from well-meaning white people *mid-chew* whenever I step into a restaurant, especially in the suburbs. It blows me away every time. Even the Jewish population has been heavily discriminated against here until fairly recently (two words: country club). Diversity is still a notion that hasn't quite been fully embraced in Central VA, although it is beginning to change, albeit very slowly. Not to make sweeping generalizations, but most native (white) Richmonders under, say 40, and western/northern transplants don't really care who you are/where you come from/what you look like. But "old school" Richmonders are very judgemental when it comes to ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, gender, family name, etc. It can feel like a time warp sometimes. I remember when the Arthur Ashe statue incident was a big deal back in '97: 'How dare the figure of a black man grace the same avenue as our great, white Confederate war heroes?' This (racist) mentality still prevails today, to some extent.

For a city with a population of 200,000, Richmond is too large to remain so stuck in its past -- that's the main problem! It's resistant to diversity, going "green", taking off its proverbial white gloves, and ultimately aligning itself with other major global cities. And as long as Richmond continues to honor its Confederate roots and simultaneously disregard the other cultural fibers of its richly woven history, our city will never succeed.

Anyway, to answer the original poster's question: Hence said bashing
Im sorry but I find that hard to believe. I feel that race relations in Richmond are very good compared to most cities. And in Richmond black people are certainly not a minority- they are the majority! At work I work with a lot of black people. I dont care if they're black, and they dont see to care if Im white. I think its just silly

As far as "stuck in the past"- Richmond is one of the very few cities left that actually admires and respects its pasts and its traditions, but it also has a foot in the future too. Richmond has really improved in the last 10 years in terms of crime , growth, and renewel. I am especially liking what VCU has done and made a strong presence on W. Broad St. That area was almost in urban decay 10 years ago. Now its bustling and people come downtown on First Fridays for the Arts and many Art galleries and new restaurants have opened on Broad St.

The Arthur Ashe statue thing was in '94, I believe - and my feeling was that most people felt it was out of place because his statue would have worked better at the Arthur Ashe center on Boulevard. C'mon admit it- hes standing there with a tennis raquet in his and, while all the others are on horses or something. It does look a little.... odd

But anyways, I have no problem with it. Its a shame he died so young. There's also a nice statue of Bill Bojangles Robinson in Jackson Ward.
 
Old 09-23-2008, 12:30 PM
 
Location: The Semi-South
13 posts, read 46,299 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueva View Post
Im sorry but I find that hard to believe. I feel that race relations in Richmond are very good compared to most cities.
"Race relations in Richmond are 'very good' "? You must be joking! Amongst the diversity-friendly VCU students of course, but I haven't seen much racial mingling elsewhere in this town. I personally have a close-knit group of friends from different ethnic backgrounds, but I realize that people like me are somewhat of an anomaly here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by blueva View Post
And in Richmond black people are certainly not a minority- they are the majority! At work I work with a lot of black people. I dont care if they're black, and they dont see to care if Im white. I think its just silly
If you re-read my post, blueva, you'll see that I already noted that Richmond is majority black (about 58%, to be exact). Sure, you may work with black people, yellow people, and brown people, but at your choosing, how many of them (or others outside of your job) do you foster a close relationship with?

Really, I'm not trying to single you out or beat you up, here. But "Oh, this whole race thing is 'silly'" is a typical response from whites who don't understand the experience of being an "other." For your reading pleasure, here's a Q/A article that delves deeper into the topic: http://www.diversityinc.com/public/3672.cfm (broken link)

And like I said, Richmond is changing, but it is slow. But as we make way for "urban renewal," meanwhile, many blacks in Richmond, caught up in a vicious cycle of poverty and subsidized dependency, are displaced from areas like Cary & Meadow, in favor of $400K condos and posh boutiques. I'm all about downtown revitalization too, as long as EVERYONE can benefit from it -- not just the socially and financially privileged ones.

Quote:
Originally Posted by blueva View Post
The Arthur Ashe statue... my feeling was that most people felt it was out of place because his statue would have worked better at the Arthur Ashe center on Boulevard. C'mon admit it- hes standing there with a tennis raquet in his and, while all the others are on horses or something. It does look a little.... odd. But anyways, I have no problem with it. Its a shame he died so young. There's also a nice statue of Bill Bojangles Robinson in Jackson Ward.
Well, if you're using "the wrong era" as you're argument for Monument Ave, then where are the statues of Richmond natives/trailblazers like Maggie Walker and Thurgood Marshall? Bill Bojangles Robinson was hardly the all-encompassing picture of African-African history. He was a minstrel, for crying out loud -- offensive and dated on so many different levels. And why are Robinson's and Ashe's statues relegated to the "black neighborhood" and the run-down portion of Boulevard, and not on the stately Monument Ave, flanked by its multi-million dollar homes?

How can we celebrate diversity in Richmond when, to this day, it remains segregated and exclusive in so many ways?

No, Richmond isn't the worst city in the world, but it ain't exactly the best, either.

But I will say that (low-cost) events like the multi-ethnic Folk Festival are bringing in people from all walks of life into the city center, which is encouraging. Even Style called out the lack of diversity amongst its festival goers during its first year (2005), but the festival is now heavily marketed in black and Latino newspapers and venues, as well as other non-mainstream publications and outlets, hoping to draw in a much more colorful crowd. Hopefully, there are more things like this on the horizon

Last edited by n8vRVAer; 09-23-2008 at 12:49 PM..
 
Old 09-23-2008, 02:05 PM
 
Location: Richmond, VA
1,799 posts, read 6,292,232 times
Reputation: 673
Quote:
Originally Posted by n8vRVAer View Post
And like I said, Richmond is changing, but it is slow. But as we make way for "urban renewal," meanwhile, many blacks in Richmond, caught up in a vicious cycle of poverty and subsidized dependency, are displaced from areas like Cary & Meadow, in favor of $400K condos and posh boutiques. I'm all about downtown revitalization too, as long as EVERYONE can benefit from it -- not just the socially and financially privileged ones.
If I'm not mistaken, just west of where Cary Place begins (your reference to 400k condos and posh boutiques popping up from Meadow east to VCU), there is several blocks of subsidized low income/working class housing called Cary 2000, developed by the Better Housing Coalition (a fantastic organization btw). I was under the impression that an alternative to ending the vicious cycle of poverty and dependency was the development of mixed-income neighborhoods, which this seems to help induce at least on some level.

Regarding statues, I think it's fine that Arthur Ashe is on Monument Avenue, and I wouldn't be opposed to have additional worthy figures adorn its bricked streets either.

With regards to Maggie Walker, I believe the triangle at the corner of Broad, Brook, and Adams was intended to have a monument to her. As a focal point along the Broad Street corridor and one of the gateways to Jackson Ward, a community which she was so heavily involved in, I think this would be a fine location for her monument.

In lieu of Thurgood Marshall, why not a monument to Oliver Hill?
 
Old 09-23-2008, 02:11 PM
 
Location: The Semi-South
13 posts, read 46,299 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by richmondpics View Post
If I'm not mistaken, just west of where Cary Place begins (your reference to 400k condos and posh boutiques popping up from Meadow east to VCU), there is several blocks of subsidized low income/working class housing called Cary 2000, developed by the Better Housing Coalition (a fantastic organization btw). I was under the impression that an alternative to ending the vicious cycle of poverty and dependency was the development of mixed-income neighborhoods, which this seems to help induce at least on some level.
I totally agree with you, richmondpics. I'm just afraid that these subsidized-housing neighborhoods won't last for long, and that local communities in that area will be broken down over time as the new, upscale merchants move in. Mixed-use development is great, but it's better when everyone can afford to live/shop/eat there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by richmondpics View Post
In lieu of Thurgood Marshall, why not a monument to Oliver Hill?
I left out Oliver Hill... great suggestion!
 
Old 09-23-2008, 02:21 PM
 
105 posts, read 350,835 times
Reputation: 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by n8vRVAer View Post
I totally agree with you, richmondpics. I'm just afraid that these subsidized-housing neighborhoods won't last for long, and that local communities in that area will be broken down over time as the new, upscale merchants move in. Mixed-use development is great, but it's better when everyone can afford to live/shop/eat there.



I left out Oliver Hill... great suggestion!
I like Richmond, I would rather be there than here in NoVa. Richmond is an old city, it was the confederate capitol and change is difficult for historic cities.
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