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Now, that makes sense…a reason to go there maybe more than once every 5 years or so. Because, even RDU has “colorful” places if there is a reason to meet up for out of towners. I think some people actually miss the entire point, Richmond isn’t a major city and you can practically do everything here that you can do there, and maybe more. And probably in terms of family and friends, there is a greater connection between RDU and DC; than with Richmond.
I don’t care what anyone says, that stretch from South Hill to Petersburg is rough! Sure, no traffic but it’s tree lined boring hour or so. 64 from Raleigh to Charlotte is indeed more interesting.
Richmond beats the Triangle in a few categories, and vice versa. Richmond actually has a river flowing through the heart of the city with rapids, there's nothing like that in the Triangle. A large river helps or some kind of body of water. For history buffs, Richmond beats Raleigh and Durham by far, not only Civil War-related history but practically all aspects of American history in general. There are tons of historic sites and museums throughout Richmond. We have that around here but to a lesser extent.
I'd say the Triangle beats Richmond regarding universities, sports (college basketball, Hurricanes hockey), and an economy with a brighter future.
Richmond beats the Triangle in a few categories, and vice versa. Richmond actually has a river flowing through the heart of the city with rapids, there's nothing like that in the Triangle. A large river helps or some kind of body of water. For history buffs, Richmond beats Raleigh and Durham by far, not only Civil War-related history but practically all aspects of American history in general. There are tons of historic sites and museums throughout Richmond. We have that around here but to a lesser extent.
I'd say the Triangle beats Richmond regarding universities, sports (college basketball, Hurricanes hockey), and an economy with a brighter future.
I don't think anyone is trying to say that Richmond is some soulless hellscape not worth ever seeing. Just that there is really nothing so magical about it as to make it a "go-to" destination for people around here. Re; the original question poised in this thread.
There is a strange band of "Richmond insecurity" I've noticed on these forums in the past few months. I'm very surprised another Richmond native poster who claims to currently live in "South Raleigh Areas" is not having a field day with this particular thread.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Originally Posted by TarHeelNick
I don't think anyone is trying to say that Richmond is some soulless hellscape not worth ever seeing. Just that there is really nothing so magical about it as to make it a "go-to" destination for people around here. Re; the original question poised in this thread.
There is a strange band of "Richmond insecurity" I've noticed on these forums in the past few months. I'm very surprised another Richmond native poster who claims to currently live in "South Raleigh Areas" is not having a field day with this particular thread.
Well, there's nothing magical about Charlotte or Winston-Salem or Wilmington either. But they are all 2 1/2 hours or less away which make them good day trips from the Triangle. Sometimes it's fun just to check out a new place that's different than where you live. And I don't think it's an either/or of choosing Charlotte versus Richmond as some people upthread discussed. There are 52 weekends in the year. I've lived here for 10 years, and many of you have lived here longer than that. We've done a lot of day and overnight trips in those 520 weekends. Richmond is just one of many that we have done. Would I travel from California to go to Richmond? No. But it's a great small city with a lot to do that is a manageable drive away.
To answer the OP's question, I think there is less connection between Richmond and Raleigh because they are in two different states in two different metro areas. I don't know the answer to this, but is there a strong connection between Charlotte and Columbia, SC? They are even closer to each other than Richmond and Raleigh, but are also in two different states and metros.
Richmond has a ton of historic sites compared to the Triangle. There are no neighborhoods similar to the Fan (Monument Ave, etc.) in the Triangle, for example. Also, Richmond's art museum (VMFA) is really underrated.
Richmond's Lewis Botanical Garden is a must see, as are the James River Plantations nearby. Richmond has a lot to explore!
I don't think anyone is trying to say that Richmond is some soulless hellscape not worth ever seeing. Just that there is really nothing so magical about it as to make it a "go-to" destination for people around here. Re; the original question poised in this thread.
There is a strange band of "Richmond insecurity" I've noticed on these forums in the past few months. I'm very surprised another Richmond native poster who claims to currently live in "South Raleigh Areas" is not having a field day with this particular thread.
Why would you be surprised? You are such a weird poster...
There used to be a stronger connection. And there still is among the old timers and natives who once went/moved to Richmond when it was the bigger city.
Today NC has grown and many of the newcomers to the area have stronger ties to places further north, like D.C. or NYC, etc., than Richmond, so it isn't much on their radar. The local southern/colonial era history and culture of a place like Richmond doesn't interest as many from outside the area as the history and culture of a place like Washington does. It just is what it is.
That said, my brother and his family live in Holly Springs, NC now and we get together often to take our kids fishing, swimming and stuff. I'm probably there once or twice a month and he comes here as well. So a connection still exists despite being in another state, it's just not as common as it used to be (though NC natives are more likely to have stronger ties to the Richmond-Petersburg area).
There's a guy I went to high school with who lives here in Raleigh, and there's a girl I grew up with, she grew up in the neighborhood across the boulevard from my neighborhood, she's still in VA but her younger sister has been here in Raleigh for a few years and shes here a few times a year visiting her sister (she was just here like 3 weeks ago)...
In the 3+ years I've lived here those are the only individuals from Central Virginia I can recall meeting off the top of my head, people I already know or were connected to...
Most Virginians I've met here are from the Southside (Lynchburg, Danville, Emporia, have met people specifically from those cities here). There's ~2.2 million people around the greater Triangle so I'm sure there's obviously more Virginians scattered about, but there aren't a ton of Virginians in general here, and from the ones I've met, the perception is that the pull to The Triangle is stronger for Southsiders than anywhere upstate...
There isn't a stronger connection I think simply because they are two regions that offer parallel experiences to each other on an overall scale. That, and Richmonders/Central Virginians by and large do not trip south, they trip north. Raleigh is more transplant heavy than Richmond, my experience here has been people here trip wherever they came from or are connected to, it's just that Richmond isn't a city that Triangle shares a ton of interchange with...
I don't think anyone is trying to say that Richmond is some soulless hellscape not worth ever seeing. Just that there is really nothing so magical about it as to make it a "go-to" destination for people around here. Re; the original question poised in this thread.
There is a strange band of "Richmond insecurity" I've noticed on these forums in the past few months. I'm very surprised another Richmond native poster who claims to currently live in "South Raleigh Areas" is not having a field day with this particular thread.
Why is it so hard for people to state the obvious. There is no real connection between the two areas because neither are tourist destinations or large urban metros. Plus, there is a huge civilization gap between the two unlike traveling to the Triad or Charlotte. There is absolutely no reason to go there just for the hell of it or vice versa, period.
There's a guy I went to high school with who lives here in Raleigh, and there's a girl I grew up with, she grew up in the neighborhood across the boulevard from my neighborhood, she's still in VA but her younger sister has been here in Raleigh for a few years and shes here a few times a year visiting her sister (she was just here like 3 weeks ago)...
In the 3+ years I've lived here those are the only individuals from Central Virginia I can recall meeting off the top of my head, people I already know or were connected to...
Most Virginians I've met here are from the Southside (Lynchburg, Danville, Emporia, have met people specifically from those cities here). There's ~2.2 million people around the greater Triangle so I'm sure there's obviously more Virginians scattered about, but there aren't a ton of Virginians in general here, and from the ones I've met, the perception is that the pull to The Triangle is stronger for Southsiders than anywhere upstate...
There isn't a stronger connection I think simply because they are two regions that offer parallel experiences to each other on an overall scale. That, and Richmonders/Central Virginians by and large do not trip south, they trip north. Raleigh is more transplant heavy than Richmond, my experience here has been people here trip wherever they came from or are connected to, it's just that Richmond isn't a city that Triangle shares a ton of interchange with...
Exactly, and when most people from here travel North, it’s at least to DC or bust. My experience is that people from Richmond more align to the NE. I have family in Tidewater who think RDU is “country”. I constantly explain, we are simply more Southern with less gold chains around our neck.
Well, there's nothing magical about Charlotte or Winston-Salem or Wilmington either. But they are all 2 1/2 hours or less away which make them good day trips from the Triangle. Sometimes it's fun just to check out a new place that's different than where you live. And I don't think it's an either/or of choosing Charlotte versus Richmond as some people upthread discussed. There are 52 weekends in the year. I've lived here for 10 years, and many of you have lived here longer than that. We've done a lot of day and overnight trips in those 520 weekends. Richmond is just one of many that we have done. Would I travel from California to go to Richmond? No. But it's a great small city with a lot to do that is a manageable drive away.
To answer the OP's question, I think there is less connection between Richmond and Raleigh because they are in two different states in two different metro areas. I don't know the answer to this, but is there a strong connection between Charlotte and Columbia, SC? They are even closer to each other than Richmond and Raleigh, but are also in two different states and metros.
Why is it so hard for people to state the obvious. There is no real connection between the two areas because neither are tourist destinations or large urban metros. Plus, there is a huge civilization gap between the two unlike traveling to the Triad or Charlotte. There is absolutely no reason to go there just for the hell of it or vice versa, period.
Correct. Again....I see no reason why someone from Richmond would make a daytrip out of visiting the Triangle either unless they had family/friends here and came for a visit.
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