After traveling the World for the last 5 years and visiting 35 out of the 50 states, people have been asking me - why did you choose Richmond, Virginia to live?
If you'd like to watch the video of the Top 5 Reasons I moved to Richmond, Virginia, you can here:👇
1.The Outdoors:
Richmond has 175 parks. And the All Trails app lists 30+ scenic hiking trails - in the city.
One of my favorites is the Virginia Capital Trail, which is a 52 mile trail that follows the James River for hiking & biking and it goes through the city.
This is a huge contrast to my 9 years of living in LA. We lived in a concrete jungle with no green spaces, I mean it is a desert. We even used to grill in our parking spot.
2. Architecture:
The historical Neocolonial architecture is insanely gorgeous.
You’ll see red brick, cobblestones, columns, arches, ornate ironwork detailing and more. It’s a walkable city, and there’s plenty to see on your walks. I mean, it even makes driving fun because there is so much to see.
3. The Food:
The food here is also amazing. There are so many different types of food and such variety. There is always something new to try.
One of our favorites is the Proper Pie Shop, which serves New Zealand hand pies. They have both sweet and savory pies - including tons of vegan options. Their flavors rotate weekly.
4. The Coffee:
We love how Richmond has so many local coffee shops, there's always someplace new to try. Some of the places we've been to are Blanchards, Grit Coffee, Black Hand, Ironclad, Riverbend and Roastology.
5. Things to Do:
There is so much to do here. And such unique activities too.
Some things we’ve done so far include:
The Byrd Theatre , a 1928 opulent movie palace from where this guy Bob Gulledge rises from the pit playing the Wurlitzer organ before weekend showings
Saw a re-enactment of the famous give me liberty or give me death speech Patrick Henry gave in the church he gave it in in 1775
Attended sports games like the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game, the Richmond Kickers soccer team - which at the game they were flying a rainbow flag, which is another reason I love Richmond.
Had a picnic while during history museum member Mondays were you listening to live jazz while sipping local ciders.
Went to Virginia Beach
These are just a few reasons why I moved to Richmond and I am discovering more daily.
I’ve really only scratched the surface, so I will definitely keep doing blogs of things to do here.
I hope you found this helpful! There are more blogs on my website about other spots around Virginia, as well as Richmond tips. You can also follow me on YouTube for my travel videos or Instagram for daily updates. Feel free to DM me with any questions!
💚Lauren Z Ray