Charlottesville with dog and 1 year old (Blue Ridge: university, live, mall)

[nich617]

Hi all,

My husband and I are stopping in Charlottesville for a night or two on the way to OH and want to check the area out for a possible relocation in a few years. My question is what are some areas to check out to give us a feel for life in the city in the limited time that we are there. We are traveling with our lab and 1 year old son as well so we would need most suggestions to be dog friendly. Thanks!

Nichole

[Nebat]

I reccomend the downtown mall. It's an outdoor pedestrian mall that is dog friendly. It also gives you an idea of the demographic that lives in the area as everyone of different backgrounds from uber yuppie to homeless to street performers to students all congregate there. From I-64 take the 5th St. exit and head toward downtown and hang a right on Water St and park at one of the garages and you're there!

[Pavel]

Excellent suggestion, Nebat. Also, for your 1-year old, the discovery museum is on the mall and even though your child is little too young now check it out while you're here.

[Stpattylady]

As Nebat suggested, the downtown mall would be fun. It's a great place to people watch, too. If you enjoy wine, there are two particularly nice vineyards - Kings Family and Veritas. Kings Family has a lovely patio with a picturesque view of the Blue Ridge Moutains. Both do tastings and tours. If you want a fun place to eat with a nice view, there's Blue Mountain Brewery just over the Albemarle Co. line in Nelson County. There's what they call the "corner" strip, which are a bunch of neat eating places near the University. Carter's Mountain has a cool apple orchard; it's nice and it's apple season soon I think. If you are into hiking, there are lots of trails. A popular one is Humpback Rock. Just some suggestions.

[niklex]

If you'll be in town on a Saturday morning, definitely check out the Charlottesville (Farmer's) Market which is only a block away from the downtown mall. It is truly a reflection of the vibrant culture in the area and you will see that many, many C'villians come out to the market. It is much more than produce - there are lots of flowers, foods, and handmade items. 100% of items sold must be homegrown or homemade. I used to work in the market and I chalk it up to one of the richest experiences of my life. I did not have a reserved space for every week, so I bounced around and met "goat cheese" guy, "Dahlia" guy, "French crepes" lady, salsa lady, dog collar lady, and so on...eventually I was known around C'ville as the "ribbon lady" because I sold ribbon accessories. If you can see it you won't regret it! I've visited Markets in many other locales and none other measure up to it.