Is Richmond Moving Too Slow? (Poquoson: neighborhoods, to live, best place)

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by tony1965

If you were to put Baltimore and Richmond side by side you wouldn't be able to compare the two. They both have the exact same skyline. People c'mon and if you just look at the two cities they are pretty
much identical. Now Charlotte is another story.

Baltimore and Richmond aren't identical. Baltimore's skyline is bigger, The city the bigger, The housing stock is quiet different (Richmond looks more like DC in that sense), Baltimore is more active. It does have an industrial feel like Baltimore, however.

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by bmorefella

Don't insult Baltimore like that, I like richmind but in my opinion it has one of the least impressive skylines i have ever seen, and Baltimore on the other hand I think has a very impressive skyline for a city it's size!

Baltimore's skyline is weak for a city its size, no tall buildings. Until recently, when Harbor East's Skyline matured, Baltimore's skyline was almost laughable. And this is coming from a Baltimore native.

[richmondpics]

Originally Posted by KodeBlue

Baltimore and Richmond aren't identical. Baltimore's skyline is bigger, The city the bigger, The housing stock is quiet different (Richmond looks more like DC in that sense), Baltimore is more active. It does have an industrial feel like Baltimore, however.

Baltimore's population is triple that of Richmond, so the skyline should be bigger.

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by richmondpics

Baltimore's population is triple that of Richmond, so the skyline should be bigger.

Population doesn't always reflect the siz of a city's skyline. Example: Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country, but it barely has a skyline. Meanwhile, Miami has a little over 300k, but their skyline is huge.

[Octa]

I once cared about skylines, but since then I've learned to see past it. I care more about what I can do in a city then how many pretty pictures I can look at. I'd much rather spend a day in DC, a city that has no skyline, than Phoenix or Atlanta for example. I don't know if it's an American thing, but I notice we tend to brag about skylines a lot lol.

[richmondpics]

Originally Posted by KodeBlue

Population doesn't always reflect the siz of a city's skyline. Example: Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country, but it barely has a skyline. Meanwhile, Miami has a little over 300k, but their skyline is huge.

I'm well aware... the continent of Europe is an example. While it isn't always the case, my point was that we shouldn't be surprised that Bmore's skyline is bigger than RVA's. I agree w/ Octa's assessment that activity is more important than skyline.

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by richmondpics

I'm well aware... the continent of Europe is an example. While it isn't always the case, my point was that we shouldn't be surprised that Bmore's skyline is bigger than RVA's. I agree w/ Octa's assessment that activity is more important than skyline.

I agree also. We're all on the same page.

[bsox2222]

For someone to say Richmond has no life doesn't really go out. Now if your comparing it to dc, Miami, or other major cities then you are just down right stupid. Richmond could never compete with those cities for 2 main reasons, Richmond does not have the income nor the amount of people. Do I think it could be better in Richmond ofcourse. I know as a person that like to go out and that has lived in Miami I think Richmond needs a place that can attract all crowds and also make you wanting to come back just on the simple fact its a new vibe everytime. i believe if someone was to open a place similar but on a lot smaller scale of echo stage in DC it would do very well. if you look at the line ups its always a well known dj or artist playing always selling out but most of all its always something dif so your not catering to one crowd every that's the key to successful night life

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by bsox2222

For someone to say Richmond has no life doesn't really go out. Now if your comparing it to dc, Miami, or other major cities then you are just down right stupid. Richmond could never compete with those cities for 2 main reasons, Richmond does not have the income nor the amount of people. Do I think it could be better in Richmond ofcourse. I know as a person that like to go out and that has lived in Miami I think Richmond needs a place that can attract all crowds and also make you wanting to come back just on the simple fact its a new vibe everytime. i believe if someone was to open a place similar but on a lot smaller scale of echo stage in DC it would do very well. if you look at the line ups its always a well known dj or artist playing always selling out but most of all its always something dif so your not catering to one crowd every that's the key to successful night life

But DC has a somewhat prominent Edm/techno scene in within the cities and its surrounding suburbs that go to echostage. That's not the case for richmond

[NJRAMAL]

I sat and read every post in this thread. Good read. I share a lot of the opinions of Richmond. I came of age in 89/90 in Richmond but traveled to NYC and Philly frequently. I always felt that Richmond was not that far removed from those north east cities both in distance and in the "urban experience" as I have seen it referred to in this thread.

One very important fact that has impacted the city of Richmond and it's development that I did not see discussed is the "Independent City" structure. No city in Virginia lies within a county. Thus isolating Virginia's cities from the surrounding tax base that could catapult growth. Annexation has also been eliminated further crippling the economic growth of cities in the state specifically Richmond. Who knows how large Richmond could have grown had it always been able to tap into the resources of a county? Like Raleigh being the seat of wake county and having access to resources and being allowed to annex surrounding areas and the population and tax base that comes with it.

So yes Richmond's population has teetered around 200,000 since the 80's, but that's because everyone lives in the surrounding counties while Richmond remains perpetually land locked by those counties. The metro area has a sizeable population of 1.2 million of which a lot would be included in the city's population had the state been structured differently but is not. This government structure has stifled Virginia's cities and retarded growth. Richmond will never be more than a 200k city because it will only be 62 square miles for the rest of eternity. And since the surrounding counties have no interest in supporting the anchor of the area, Richmond will eventually dissolve into the surrounding counties. RIP.