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I think the bottom line is why go to Richmond when you can stay right here and accomplish anything you want or need to (and if not go to Charlotte). Aside from historical interests, there is simply no reason to.
I enjoy that stretch of I-85 BECAUSE it's full of trees and boring. It's always so nice to hit that section after coming off a long, stressful trip on 95. The only parts of Richmond I've ever seen have been while avoiding catastrophes on that horrendous, winding stretch of 95 they decided to put through the middle of the city and everyone thinks is a racetrack. I wasn't impressed by what I saw, but I was already in a bad mood.
I'm no more drawn to Richmond than any city in North Carolina. I think I've been to downtown Greensboro and Winston-Salem once each. Charlotte maybe two or three times. Heck, I live in Raleigh and only go downtown maybe a couple of times a year (does Krispy Kreme count?).
My first awareness of Richmond was as a pit stop on the way to DC. I've been to the city twice.
I see Richmond as a "one and done" destination for a long weekend, but that's it. Once you've done the museums and seen the Confederate stuff, there's no compelling reason to keep going back. Richmond is cool. but not a place to keep spending my money.
I agree that Richmond is a more interesting day trip destination than Charlotte.
Aside from professional sports, a "bigger city" atmosphere, and Carowinds, I don't think Charlotte offers anything that the Triangle doesn't already have. In the grand scheme of things, both areas are quite similar. The only major difference is that Charlotte is a bigger city than Raleigh or Durham.
On the contrary, Richmond does feel different. Richmond is much older than any North Carolina major city. It has walkable neighborhoods that are urban and compact, many historic sites (especially related to the Civil War, American Revolution, etc.), and an art museum that feels like a museum you'd encounter in a larger city (VMFA). It also has the James River flowing through the heart of the city, which offers outdoor opportunities.
I'll admit that the drive from the Triangle to Richmond via I-85 is eerie at night (Southside Virginia is very rural), but I find it far more relaxing than the congested route between the Triangle and Charlotte.
I have never been but planning to check it out after the pandemic. I like cities that have some interesting geographic feature, I think that's something Raleigh-Durham lacks in a way. Richmond having James river flow through it seems pretty cool. I am hoping it has cool river walks like other cities that are built on/around rivers do, such as Portland, San Antonio, Columbus OH, etc.
it sounds like it just comes down to personal preferences in terms of Charlotte vs. Richmond and that's totally fine - I'm glad there's a wide variety of destinations within a 4 hour drive of the Triangle
I have never been but planning to check it out after the pandemic. I like cities that have some interesting geographic feature, I think that's something Raleigh-Durham lacks in a way. Richmond having James river flow through it seems pretty cool. I am hoping it has cool river walks like other cities that are built on/around rivers do, such as Portland, San Antonio, Columbus OH, etc.
Make sure to go to Belle Isle in Richmond if you want to take in the Falls of the James. Walk across the suspension bridge too (and the T. Potterfield bridge too, I believe). You can also cross over to Manchester and walk along the trail to watch climbers scale a repurposed rock climbing wall. Pony Pasture in the James river park system is another highlight if you like the outdoors. There is also the buttermilk trail on the southside -- that doubles as a mountain bike trail -- that is up on a cliff overlooking the river. Really cool.
During the early Spring, the fall line in Richmond offers some of the best Striper and River Herring fishing on the East Coast or South Atlantic. You should get into a kayak right below the 14th st bridge and fish at the bottom of the rapids. You can also fish on the other side of the river at the floodwall.
The Canal walk in Richmond is not as spectacular as the falls are. The James is a raging river (during high flows especially), therefore Richmond has a more "wild" riverfront than the placid river fronts in the abovementioned cities.
Robious Landing Park and Pocahontas State Park are also just outside the city ... worth checking out as well.
I'm surprised people don't think Richmond is worth going back to. It's one of the most fun small cities in the area with beautiful nature; the Maymont nursey there is really nice too.
Probably the nicest city in Virginia, then Williamsburg.
That is interesting, especially the phone data. The Where's George thing should be thrown out, though. I've done that before and the goal of the whole thing is sort of to see how far you can get George to go, not to circulate it nearby. The researchers started with a bad assumption there, but the phone data is much more likely to be about people and places you have connections with. I'm not sure how that plays into whether Richmond is a good place to visit, though. I think Raleigh and Richmond get a lot of the same or similar events, concerts, etc.
I’d like to go to Raleigh more (it grows quickly so there’s always new stuff to see) but psychologically it seems like a world away. Like others have said, the uninterrupted forests between route 1 and Petersburg makes the trip feel much longer than it is. I can get to Baltimore in the same amount of time (and while I love it there, I only go once every 3-4 years). Washington is the big draw here for that urban experience and VA Beach/Norfolk and the wine and hiking country just 70 miles west of Richmond are the day trip destinations.
Raleigh is a lovely city, so is Richmond. I don’t really think either city is missing out on the other though. NC has so many neat cities and beaches and mountains that I’d expect most people to stay in or near the state.
Richmond is much older than any North Carolina major city.
According to the Googles, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Richmond were all founded in the 1700s — 1792, 1768, and 1737 respectively. Fayetteville was actually founded a year before Richmond in 1736. Wilmington was founded in 1739. Salem (of Winston-Salem) was founded in 1766. You could certainly argue that Richmond has cherished and held onto its history better than many cities in NC, but it's not "much older".
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