5 Places To Eat, Shop, And See In Richmond, VA, gathered in one list

Today’s a cool day – it is marks our 5th anniversary of living in Richmond.

On this date in 2006, Sherry and I woke up on an air mattress in my Upper West Side apartment (she had already moved all of her stuff out of her Soho studio and turned in the keys) to greet my dad, who had driven up in the mini-van that would move us and all of our worldly belongings (hence the air mattress – we had sold our mattresses) to the River City. Seven hours and one stop at Ikea later we arrived at our new apartment in Richmond – unemployed, unwed, and uncontrollably excited about the life ahead of us.

But sufficient about our back story (you can read more about that here), let us talk about Richmond. We frequently get asked for recommendations for what to see, where to shop, and what to eat when in Richmond. So we are taking this 5th anniversary occasion to share five “Top 5” lists about some of our go-to things in RVA. Are you sensing a “five” theme here? Here is what we have covered:

• 5 Go-to Places to Chow Down
• 5 Go-to Tourist-y Things To Do
• 5 Go-to Ways to Enjoy a Vivid Day
• 5 Go-to Places to Score Home Deals
• 5 Go-to Swanky & Inspiring Home Stores

***5 GO-TO PLACES TO CHOW DOWN***

Sherry and I are not “foodies” by any means, but we certainly enjoy finding an excuse to eat out for those special occasions. Here are a handful of quintessential Richmond restaurants where we enjoy to dine:

1. Kuba Kuba: A cozy, casual, and colorful spot in The Fan for Cuban food. Sound “in the know” by pronouncing it “Coo-ba Coo-ba” and not “Kyoo-bah Kyoo-bah.” Here is the Kuba Kuba website.
2. Bottom’s Up: We took the Bowers to this pizza spot in Shockoe Bottom during their visit last year. Be sure to check out the 6 foot high water marks from when it flooded during Hurricane Gaston in 2004. Here is the Bottom’s Up website.
3. The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing: We celebrated the news of Sherry’s pregnancy at this new-ish riverfront restaurant. The food’s strong, but the views of the James River and the expansive city skyline are our go-to part (see the picture below). In fact we took Sherry’s mom and stepdad here last night. Here is the Boathouse website.
4. Crab Louie’s Tavern: Technically in Midlothian, this seafood restaurant sits in a historic house older than the USA. Among other reasons, we enjoy all of the fresh bread options that you get before the meal arrives. Carbs. Yum. Here is Crab Louie’s website.
5. Sticky Rice: We loves us some sushi (read about our sushi tradition here), so this somewhat American hipster twist on it is consistently lively. Plus, where else can you order “Sticky Balls” and not get a weird look? Here is the Sticky Rice website.

***5 GO-TO TOURIST-Y THINGS TO DO***

We do not have a Statue of Liberty or an Eiffel Tower, but these Richmond “landmarks” should be on your list when you are in town:

1. Browse the VMFA: Lately renovated, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts building and the art within it is pure eye candy. And with the exception of special exhibits (right now it is Mr. Picasso), it is all totally free to see. Here is the VMFA website.
2. See a movie at The Byrd Theatre: This vivid movie palace built in 1928 still shows second-run movies for simply $2. It is lively to grab some popcorn, squeeze your legs into the old school seats, and enjoy the cinema in style. Here is the Byrd Theatre website.
3. Stroll around Hollywood Cemetery: It sounds weird, but this cemetery makes for a vivid afternoon walk. Striking views and famous headstones (including two US presidents) totally negate the creepy factor – especially in the fall (pictured below). Here is the Hollywood Cemetery website.
4. Shop Carytown: Loads of local shops and restaurants line Cary Street to create Richmond’s iconic and colorful shopping district. You will even hit up a few other items on these lists in the process of visiting. Here is the Carytown website.
5. Walk (or run!) to and around “The Fan”: these downtown streets are lined with stunning historic row homes that boast plenty of inspiration. It is strong for walking or running on a pleasant day, especially if you have time to stop in a neighborhood restaurant or park. Here is The Fan district association website.

***5 GO-TO WAYS TO ENJOY A VIVID DAY***

We think Richmond truly shines when it is pleasant out, so here are some of our go-to places to soak up a striking day:

1. Pony Pasture: This horse-y name in fact belongs to an area of the James River Park System with strong nature trails for walking, gentle currents for swimming, and exposed rocks for sunning in the hot months. We consistently describe Richmond as a beach town, but instead of having an actual beach, locals hang out at the river. (Check out Burger enjoying a hot rock and a long stick in the picture below). Here are directions to Pony Pasture.
2. Maymont: This park is one of our go-to spots to take visitors. Why? Tons of paved paths, striking gardens, a petting farm, historic buildings, a nature center, and even a zoo (sorta – there are bears, foxes, buffaloes, and bald eagles to name a few). And most of it is free – even the zoo and the petting farm. Here is the Maymont website.
3. Belle Isle: Kinda like Pony Pasture, but more island-y and closer to downtown, you can come here to enjoy nature and the city skyline in one vista. Plus it has strong trails for walking, running, or mountain biking. This is where Sherry and I went from liking to loving Richmond when we first moved here five years back. Here is Belle Isle on Wikipedia.
4. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: Call it nature in a more controlled setting, but the admission price is certainly worth the scenery (and the landscaping ideas you can bring back home). We took Sherry’s mom and stepdad here when they first visited – it was a strong way to spend the day outside strolling through scenic settings. Here is the Lewis Ginter website.
5. Stony Point Fashion Park or Short Pump Town Center: These are spots for a more traditional “mall” experience, but in an airy outdoor setting. So you can hit up Anthropologie or Crate & Barrel, but still get some sun and stroll along cobblestone paths. Stony Point’s even dog-friendly (Burger has visited every shop from Sur La Table to Banana Republic). Here is Stony Point’s website & Short Pump’s website.

***5 GO-TO PLACE TO SCORE HOME DEALS***

We could not survive in this town if we could not find excellent deals for our house, so here are some local haunts that we enjoy (besides the national chain stores like Tar-jay):

1. Diversity Thrift: We have found plenty of strong stuff here over the five years (including the base for our pedestal table in the sunroom and our glass coffee table in the old living room). You can read more about why we enjoy it in this post.
2. Enjoy of Jesus Thrift: This is another go-to thrifting spot, especially if we are on the hunt for furniture. My sister scored the remarkable console below a couple of years ago there. Read more about that in this old post.
3. Lakeside Avenue Thrift Stores: A more recent discovery of ours, the thrift and consignment stores along Lakeside Avenue (like Consignment Connection and Pass It On) are where we lately scored our beloved wooden goose.
4. The Decorating Outlet: This store is where items from local sponsor Shades of Light go to be discounted, and where we have been going to buy items like the rug and the capiz light fixture in Clara’s room on the low-cost. Here is the Decorating Outlet website.
5. U-fab: This discount fabric store is consistently on our list when we are hunting for textiles or patterns to bring home. Their selection is more stylish than the big chains tend to be, but they are cheaper than the fancy designer places. Here is the U-fab website.

***5 GO-TO SWANKY & INSPIRING HOME STORES***

On the opposite end of thrifting and discounts are some of Richmond’s most vivid and inspirational home stores. Be sure to bring a tissue to wipe the drool from your chin when you visit (even if you do not have the money in your wallet to buy something):

1. Williams & Sherrill: Half housewares, half fabric store, this place has more inspiration than we can handle on most occasions (see our photo below). Someday we will be fancy sufficient to in fact buy something. Sigh. More on them here. And here is the Williams & Sherrill website.
2. Ruth & Ollie: This shop in Carytown is smaller yet a bit more contemporary than Williams & Sherrill. We especially enjoy the furniture and art that abounds. Check out a few ideas that we got from them in this post. Here is the Ruth & Ollie website.
3. LaDifférence: Located in Shockoe Bottom, LaDiff is a large store filled with modern furniture, accessories, lighting – in short, the works. You may remember them from this oft-referenced wallflowers giveaway post. Here is the LaDiff website.
4. Shades of Light: Yes, they are a sponsor of our site, but we could not not include them on this list of go-to home stores in Richmond that we enjoy, especially when it comes to vivid lighting (we have been obsessed with them since way before their sponsorship began). Here is the Shades of Light website.
5. Caravati’s: Unlike the others on this list, you will not find anything new or pristine at Caravati’s. It is an architectural salvage warehouse that is loaded with once-enjoyed items for any remodel, restoration, or craft project with a historic and authentic twist. See some more in this old post.

So there you have it, five “Top 5” lists to celebrate our 5th anniversary of moving to Richmond. Obviously in five years we cannot claim to be Richmond experts, so we invite everyone else who lives here in RIC (or have visited) to chime in with their go-tos in these categories (or others). And while we are at it, those of you in other cities are welcome to comment with a “Top 5” list for your hometown too. Who knows if we might end up visiting someday!

Boathouse photo by Beth Furgurson found via Richmond Magazine.com, rest of images snapped by us.

Psst- We announced this weeks giveaway winners. Click here to see if one of them is you.