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I'm registering today because this was my first complete day in my new city, my new home: Richmond, Virginia.
I came here from a very large city. I've relocated due to an employment opportunity and I decided to go for it, to start a new life, halfway across the USA, in an entirely new place. The choice was simple. Stay home and be jobless or take a chance and maybe have a halfway decent life.
Before anyone thinks that I'm doing the wrong thing by taking a job away that someone here could have, let me say that in my city, we have at least 3 million (or more) people that did that, from all over. There are 50 stars on the flag last time I checked and we're all Americans no matter what state we're from. Unfortunately, at least half of those 3 million transplants in my former home weren't exactly "Americans" if you know what I mean. It turns my stomach that we're doing nothing about it, and that when anyone tries to solve the issue they're labled as being a bigot. Just look at what's going on in Arizona right now.
The neighborhood where I was raised was pretty much invaded and taken over about 25 years ago. It has gotten worse as the years have gone by. There came a point when I was the foreigner, in my own city. I'm not leaving my home, my home left me many years ago.
Where I'm from, the urban sprawl reaches out for many many miles, over several counties. You could literally drive nearly 50 miles and still be in the metropolitan area. A true concrete mess of trash. Dirty, unbearably hot and humid in the summers and a job market that pays about 50% less than it should, when you can get a job at all.
Sure, these guys come up and make 8 dollars an hour for a 15 dollar an hour job. They can afford to do that when they live 8 to a house and split the bills 8 times. Not to mention all of the government assistance that they seem to acquire with ease, while Americans suffer and struggle to pay for it all. Free medical, free food, assistance with rent. I struggle to buy 40 dollars in worth of beans, rice and raman noodles while they fill 2 carts with premium groceries and pay with their govt issued food cards that I'm paying for. Then they go and load it in their brand new cars that they can afford because of their tax free and government assisted lifestyle. While I'm driving a 10 year old vehicle. It just ain't right.
Not to mention the obligatory taco stand every 50 yards or so. Half of them have to be laundering drug money or something.
So all the people with money there move far out to the suburbs and build neighborhoods where they can price people out. The people without money are stuck without hope of ever breaking away. I got my chance and I took it. And btw, nobody gave me this opportunity, I've earned it.
(sorry for the rant, back on subject now)
I spent the first half of the day browsing Craigslist for a cheap apartment. I am confident that soon I will find a place suitable to my liking in a decent area. I've decided that I will take my time before committing to anything because I don't want to live in a bad neighborhood ever again.
After that, I decided to "get lost". I knew a bit about Richmond from all of the intensive internet research I've been doing over the past few weeks, and it helped some but.... there is nothing like being in a place to get a true feel of what it is like there. SO I kinda knew about where NOT to go. All one has to do is check out a Richmond crime map and all the places that are covered with icons are bad areas.
So without a map, and purposely leaving my GPS in my room, I took out in my car. First I circled the blocks around my current location and got to know it very quickly. How to get on and off the freeway with ease, where my workplace is and where several places of interest are. Supermarkets etc. I found the roads around here easy to navagate and learn. Then I got brave and went downtown ........
I entered town from the eastern side...hopped onto 95S and I took an exit that said "5th street" and coluseum. Cool.. easy to remember. I just stayed on it all the way down. I seen some signs on the way saying "riverwalk" so I decided to go check it out. At the dead end I made a right and parked where everyone else seemed to be parking and walked where they seemed to be walking to (and from).
I took the footbridge across to the island and explored it a bit. Looks like a nice place for bike riding. I'll add that to my things to do list. After about an hour or so I crossed back over and just drove back the way I came, going generally NW. I knew from my research that the fan etc was that direction... I was looking for a place to have lunch.
After an incountable amount of left and right turns, I ended up around the VCU campus. I could telll by the VCU cops, and all of the people milling about. I drove around the neighborhood a bit and while I didn't know exactly where I was, I didn't feel too lost. From my map studying, I knew Monument Ave., and Grace, Broad St etc... It's a bit different being there as opposed to looking at a map.
So after several trips cruising the area I decided to park and grab some food. I found a place that looked pretty hip and cool so I dropped in and I must say that the food was delicious.
Everyone that I've talked to over the past 42 hours or so that I've been here has been reasonably friendly, some even more so. Including the guy I asked for directions to the freeway. It was incredibly simple and easy to remember.
The downtown area is a bit confusing because of the way the roads seem to go one way for part and the other way for part etc. I'm sure that over time I will learn them but I learned how to get to two really cool areas today and can't wait to explore more of the city and area as time and finances permit me to do so.
I will say that this is a very beautiful state that has a lot to offer. Richmond itself is truly fascinating to me, I love the old buildings. It's too bad my hometown went out with the old and in with the new, destroying our history and culture all in the same stroke. I hope Richmond never changes. I like it just the way it is. The architecture is out of this world historic. It's too bad they build such comparatively ugly buildings now. And we're supposed to be progressing. If that's progress, I'll stay in the stone age, tyvm.
I start my new job tomorrow. It's something I'm experienced in, so I'm not really nervous or anything. It should go pretty smoothly, I seem to be acclimating quite well to the area and the culture shock of being in a place I actually like. Eventually I'll begin to meet people, and before long it will seem more and more like home, and I can leave all of my bad memories far behind for good.
Welcome to Richmond and thanks for sharing your thoughts and first day adventures. As much as some like to kvetch about it, Richmond really is a cool little City. Have fun with future explorations!
I know what to make of this post. Welcome to Richmond!! You kind of took us on a trip and the places you described driving downtown and whatnot it felt like i was there because i've driven them same routes daily and I can only imagine how it feels to explore and see those buildings for the first time as a new comer. Trust me when I say you'll begin to enjoy and love more of what you see.
Thanks everyone for all of the well wishes I have received here and in PMs.
The place I ate at yesterday was the "Village Cafe". I have since found out that it is a well known Richmond icon and that I did the right thing by ordering the onion rings. They were really, really good. Probably the best I've ever had, anyplace. Everything I had there was exceptional and I will be going back, especially when my friends from back home visit. I just found the place by blind luck and instinct I guess.
Today I had the pleasure of dining at Carytown Burgers for lunch. From what I understand, it too is a Richmond icon.
Both of these places have character. It adds so much to the experience. There are places in my hometown that attempt to recreate character like this. and they fail miserably. It's similar to being in a place like New Orleans drinking and listening to live bands play blues, jazz or ragtime. It just doesn't feel the same anyplace else.
On the way back to work, I noticed the stadium, where the Flying Squirrels play. Long ago, for many reasons, I lost interest in baseball. All of the big contracts, the steroids, the strikes. Teams like the Yankees who spend their way to success year after year while other teams never do much.
I almost never went to a baseball game in my old city, and we had a professional team. A relatively new downtown stadium which is actually not a bad place. It's looks nice and is a good place to watch a game, but it just didn't appeal to me.
But being here.. and driving by the stadium today made me really want to go a game. A much smaller crowd and stadium than I'm accustomed to. I haven't done any research on the Flying Squirrels yet but I'm guessing they must be a minor league team. I'll be sure to check out a game someday.
After more exploration, I'm appreciating the architecture here more and more, especially in the fan and Carytown etc. It truly is my type of place. I can't wait until my bicycle gets here in a few days and I can explore more in depth. I think I will buy a bike chain and lock though, seeing how I will need to leave it unattended occassionally. I never left it unattended in my own city, or I'd already have one.
And I just want to mention, I'm pretty experienced in urban style bike riding. I use common sense, obey all laws, stop at intersections with red lights or stop signs, ALWAYS stay alert, signal when appropriate and run with my lights on at night or in poor visabilty conditions. I also recognize the fact that cars probably outweigh me by 2 tons and that they could literally drag me for miles without the driver even knowing. I'm totally extra careful at all times.
And I agree with you ric75, it really is a cool little city. There's good and bad everywhere and some people's experiences shape their outlook and perspectives.
While I have said mostly bad things about my former city, and there is plenty more there that is bad I haven't mentioned, there are a lot of good things about it too. I don't ignore that fact and it's those good things and people that I will eventually come to miss from time to time. But I will visit there occasionally, and it will be great because I can enjoy the good things and go to my fave places while I'm there.
Va4Ever..
I kinda cheated because I seen alot of the buildings before thru pictures and by using the street view on google maps, but pictures never do provide complete justice since they're only 2 dimensional. Seeing them up close first hand is definetely a great experience. What makes them so special is the amount of them and the uniqueness of some of them.
Just in time for Confederate History Month, lucky you!
Even though you're being sarcastic, I agree that I'm lucky. Like many people, I had relatives that fought in that war on the Confederate side. Besides, I'm a history buff and this city and area is just drenching in it. I will be spending a lot of time in the museums, and at the battlefield sites etc in the coming months/years.
Like it or not, this city of all cities should continue to embrace it's heritage. I'm all for that and I hope it never changes.
Too many cities lose their identities as it is. Richmond shouldn't be one of them.
It's nice to see some people actually appreciating Richmond. As I've said before, it really is an underrated place. Welcome! And out of curiosity, what city did you move from? I'm picturing Texas or Arizona for some reason.
I hope you won't mind that I posted this, I thought it might be helpful to others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fchelmow
Since we may be relocating to Richmond, I appreciated reading your post. Please keep posting! You write very well and seem to have a balanced perspective.
My biggest apprehension is the sky high crime rates. But it sounds like you didn't at all feel unsafe (so far) in your travels; and it sounds like you have a lot of city/street savvy. Did you move from a place with similar crime stats?
Any advice to a nervous nelly like me who is coming from a northern city that is considered one of the safest places to live in the nation? Standard procedure in Richmond involves assigning armed police officers to the public schools to maintain the peace. Yikes.
At your convenience, thank you in advance!
Hi.. thanks for your nice response to my post. Here is my input and advice to your questions.
You are correct, I haven't felt unsafe at all since I got here. I have avoided the worst areas of town though, I don't tempt fate unnecessarily. I also haven't been out much at all after dark yet. I'm developing the lifestyle of going and and doing things in the day and staying home after dark anyway for the most part. I'm sure that I'll do it sometimes, but right now I simply don't feel the need. Plus I'd like to wait until I know the area much better than to go out driving around at night unless I have a specific destination in mind. Right now I'm still an explorer and will be for quite some time.
You have to remember too, that if you must be in an area with high crime to do your best to not look like a target. Leave the flash at home. Don't show money or jewelry etc.. Save it for the nicer areas and the special occasions etc.
The city I'm from has good areas and bad areas. Richmond in that aspect isn't much different. In the school district where I lived, there is a police officer at the schools all the time. There are other places there where crime is practically unheard of.
My suggestion is to live on the outskirts of the city and visit it for the entertainment and resources it offers. I'd give that advice about any city. The problem with that is, of course, being able to afford to do so.
Fortunately, Richmond has a lot of affordable places in the city itself that seem to be reasonably safe. In my former home, you would pay dearly for that priveledge, and you would have to deal with the urban jungle/traffic/crime etc. Richmond really has a small town feel, but then again, my city had 5 million plus people so it may feel like "big city" to you.
I can't answer anything about schools here because I don't have children and I haven't bothered to research it. My instinct tells me that you would do best outside of the city though, to be sure. And that goes for nearly any city in America.
Keep on doing research and it will greatly enhance your life here.
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