OPINION

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By Pearse Riendeau

When I think of Richmond, my mind is first drawn to the place where I spent my childhood and also live now. The Fan is where I was born and lived until I was eight years old, when I then moved away to the West End. Recently, when I moved back into the home I grew up in back in the city. Secondly, I think about the downtown area and the neighborhoods that surround where I live. While I do consider the West End and Goochland parts of the Richmond area, in my mind, the city and its surrounding neighborhoods are how I think of the actual city of Richmond. These neighborhoods are complemented by the Virginia State Capitol and the James River that runs right through the city, giving the city its character that I love so much. 

A friend enjoying the James River.

The city of Richmond has so much to offer to anyone lucky enough to live here. Moving back to The Fan has been one of the best things to happen to me. Coming home to my room tucked away on the third floor of the house is one of the things I look forward to each day. The sunsets overlooking the Virginia Museum of History and Culture are one of the things that make me enjoy the location of my house and my room so much.

Another thing I love about living in the city is all of the places within close walking distance to me. Just right down the road is the Diamond, which is home to both VCU baseball’s home games and also the Richmond Flying Squirrels, our Double-A affiliate for the San Francisco Giants. Museums such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture are both less than a block away from my house. Also, living in The Fan, I always have a the opportunity to try new food because of how many restaurants there are right near my house. Carytown is within walking distance, which offers countless restaurants and places to shop, and my favorite sandwich place, Chiocca’s, is a quick six-minute walk from my house. Their Reuben sandwich is one of the most praised sandwiches in the Richmond area. Factors like this make living in Richmond so special compared to other places.

Sunset over the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

I discussed city living with Collegiate students who live in Richmond to see what they enjoyed about the city lifestyle. Max McManus (‘22) lives on Monument Avenue and enjoys city life. McManus emphasized the importance of being so close to almost everything he could need, saying, “I live about five minutes from the VCU basketball arena, so before COVID times I would always go walk to watch the Rams play.” He said it is also “super convenient to be able to walk to the grocery store.” McManus says he feels like he is really not that far from anything. He said, “living near Powhite Parkway, 64 and other major highways has made it so I am not actually that far from most places.” 

Brent Hailes (‘22) lives right off of Monument Avenue, and he told me “in the mix of things, living way out in Lower Tuckahoe or Mooreland Farms would be nice at times, but living in the city is much more convenient in regards to social life.” He believes that the convenience of being in an area where there are so many things to do has been a great help to his social life. 

Grace Stefanovich (‘22) talked about how living in the city has been a large part of her life, and how she believes that city life has “shaped who I have grown up to become.” Stefanovich also touched on the accessibility of everything in the city, saying that “I love that I can walk, scooter, [or] bike anywhere.” Everyone I talked to loves having the ability to get almost anywhere they want to go by walking. Stefanovich mentioned how living in the city means that there is never a shortage of art in her area. She said “living in The Fan means I have been immersed in lots of art. Whether it’s the numerous art galleries, hundreds of murals, or even the sidewalk chalk, art and color surround my home.” This art that constantly surrounds the city allows for the city to never get old and always provide new perspectives.

Many people born in Richmond are very fond of their hometown and love the place where they live, including award-winning author Tom Wolfe, who once said, “I used to think of it every night. First, I thanked God for having been born in America, which was obviously the greatest country on earth. I was pretty dead right on that. And in what was obviously the greatest state, because more presidents came from Virginia than anywhere else. And from the greatest city in the greatest state in the greatest country, because it was the capital of Virginia. Just think of all the people not fortunate enough to be born in Richmond, VA.” Wolfe (1930-2018), was an acclaimed journalist and novelist who grew up in Richmond, attended St. Christopher’s School and Camp Virginia, and turned down a spot at Princeton University to study at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1947. Wolfe, among many others, was very open in his pride for his hometown. 

Steeple at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. 

Tennis great Arthur Ashe also had roots in the city of Richmond. Ashe is best known for being the first African American to win a major men’s singles tennis championship, at the US Open in 1968. As a result of his fame, Ashe is honored in the city with a statue on Monument Avenue, and the very street I live on is named after him. Ashe is another person who gained fame throughout his life and called Richmond his home.

Although I thoroughly enjoy city life, I’d be lying if I told you it was perfect. The 20-minute drive to school surely isn’t a benefit, and neither are the $30 parking tickets I sometimes find nestled under my windshield wiper, as I can never find a place to parallel park on the block in front of my house. This issue has caused me to buy a parking pass from the city, which allows me to park in the lot behind St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for $30 each month. In addition, I am constantly startled awake in the middle of the night when a fire truck rushes by my house or when someone drives down my street, blasting music with the bass all the way up. Driving through the city is also a consistent inconvenience, as the roads are never in good shape, and the confusing array of one-way streets is impossible to figure out.

Yet the colorful townhouses that line the streets always brighten my drives and are a pleasure to look at. The great factors of living in the city allow me to overlook any inconveniences and enjoy the beautiful city that I live in. 

All photos by Pearse Riendeau.

ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVE: Read Pender Bauhan’s opinion piece on living in the country.