and the third best city to visit is ....

[awesome guy]

http://wtvr.com/2015/12/01/travel-leisu ... to-travel/

RVA! I hope someone is filming IPs head exploding. While I enjoy this city, I can think of several cities that are better to visit in the US alone. Though it is a unique setting and the city easily masquerades as many other large cities. Areas look like Chicago, some like the Bronx, DC, etc. If they would finish the canal walk then it could be really great, something to rival the riverwalk of San Antonio. While the new Stone's Brewery Pub is crimping my style by being built on a cat fishing hole (really drinking and BSing spot, but anyway), I think it's going to be the cornerstone of turning Dock Street into something nice. There's already a couple nice restaurants in the old tobacco warehouses, building out Dock Street would put everything in walking distance in what could be a very scenic route. They're also putting in a canoe/kayak launch right by one of my primo catfishing holes on Dock Street. Not sure how I feel about that because as of right now, it's only really accessible by boat or carefully throwing a long bombed bait to a tight spot from the bank(something only a handful of us can do), though it's close to the shore. The new launch is going to open that up big time and with it, more pressure and likely the ghetto card game will move down to that. If I want to catch a 60-70 pound catfish outside of the shad and herring run, that's the only place I'd hit upriver from Dutch Gap. And now that will be wide open. I'm betting too that the police will run off the card games and other crap that would take up all the parking with people there just drinking. The cops are going make them go to Stone's or move along to somewhere else. But it's going to be a battle as the cops run them off and they come back 15 minutes later.

If I were in charge of development, I would complete Dock Street as an extension of the canal walk. I would also buy Mayo island and turn that into into a combination bazaar/gastrotent. It's too low to build much of anything permanent in the event of the 20 or 50 year flood. So that's why everything will be semi-permanent. The bazaar would have merchant vendors and farmers market type of stuff. The gastotent would be like a gastropub, but under a tent. So the place could reorganize into something new every month or however long. The idea is it's a place for things that change a lot. Change the menu, feature different ethnic foods each month, etc. And then in the spring, they all get out because I'm fishing their for stripers.

Richmond is always kinda of the cusp of being something, it looks like it may have finally pushed over the edge. It would have taken the development that Charlotte experienced if not for the idiots that used to be on city council. Back in the 80s, right when US Airways was looking for a hub, they really wanted to come to Richmond. But the idiots running city council shot it down, saying it would be too much noise for their ghetto constituents. So US Air went to Charlotte and that's what started their development as having a hub is a giant draw to large companies because their are direct flights to pretty much everywhere. So Richmond would have likely grown into a city with professional sports, like Charlotte did. Instead, RVA is 20-30 years behind them now whereas they used to be comparable.

[133743Hokie]

Nothing in Richmond looks like the Bronx or Chicago.

[133743Hokie]

USAir was never coming to Richmond as a hub. Too close to Dulles and national. And Charlotte development was a function of all of the banks moving there, and that WAS something that Richmond could have stopped.

There is so much about Richmond that you are clueless about

[awesome guy]

USAir was never coming to Richmond as a hub. Too close to Dulles and national. And Charlotte development was a function of all of the banks moving there, and that WAS something that Richmond could have stopped.

There is so much about Richmond that you are clueless about

You're ignorant. USAir was considering Richmond for the hub and city council shot it down. Yes, proximity to National was an issue, but if I remember correctly, National didn't want to expand or couldn't expand so they overlooked the close geographical overlap because RVA is a great hub to service both the North and South. Having a hub is a large part of what made Charlotte desirable to banking headquarters. Even as First Union was expanding and gobbling up VA banks and financial institutions, Richmond was heavily considered for the headquarters because of the workforce and favorable taxes. It was desirable enough that Wachovia Securities stayed in VA from their Wheat First Securities interest.

Major hubs certainly build cities as they have with Charlotte. Having great airline access is certainly a major factor for a corporate headquarters as executives don't want to drive 3 hours to get on a connecting flight. Or pay for their employees to drive and then get a hotel unless they have too. Of course airlines also factor in city size when choosing hubs. But with smaller cities like Charlotte was, airlines certainly helped fuel their growth. Not just from the companies headquartered their, but the cottage industries that spring up to support them. Richmond had it's shot and was short sighted.

[awesome guy]

Nothing in Richmond looks like the Bronx or Chicago.

Downtown and the parts of the fan easily masquerade as the Bronx. The area under 95 Bridge by Mainstreet station can resemble areas of Chicago. It's part of why Richmond has a budding movie industry as it can be made to resemble a lot of other major cities.

[133743Hokie]

USAir was never coming to Richmond as a hub. Too close to Dulles and national. And Charlotte development was a function of all of the banks moving there, and that WAS something that Richmond could have stopped.

There is so much about Richmond that you are clueless about

You're ignorant. USAir was considering Richmond for the hub and city council shot it down. Yes, proximity to National was an issue, but if I remember correctly, National didn't want to expand or couldn't expand so they overlooked the close geographical overlap because RVA is a great hub to service both the North and South. Having a hub is a large part of what made Charlotte desirable to banking headquarters. Even as First Union was expanding and gobbling up VA banks and financial institutions, Richmond was heavily considered for the headquarters because of the workforce and favorable taxes. It was desirable enough that Wachovia Securities stayed in VA from their Wheat First Securities interest.

Major hubs certainly build cities as they have with Charlotte. Having great airline access is certainly a major factor for a corporate headquarters as executives don't want to drive 3 hours to get on a connecting flight. Or pay for their employees to drive and then get a hotel unless they have too. Of course airlines also factor in city size when choosing hubs. But with smaller cities like Charlotte was, airlines certainly helped fuel their growth. Not just from the companies headquartered their, but the cottage industries that spring up to support them. Richmond had it's shot and was short sighted.

You're wrong about USAir, I don't know how else to say it. It was well publicized and discussed at the time and is well known in the airline industry.

[TheH2]

Nothing in Richmond looks like the Bronx or Chicago.

Downtown and the parts of the fan easily masquerade as the Bronx. The area under 95 Bridge by Mainstreet station can resemble areas of Chicago. It's part of why Richmond has a budding movie industry as it can be made to resemble a lot of other major cities.

When I've been in the city I've never thought that it resembled other cities (not to say that it doesn't). Regardless, I think Richmond is nice, the food is good and it even has maybe the best brewery in Virginia (Hardywood). I'm a little partial to Port City, but I like drinking Hardywood beers.

I would much rather visit NY or Chicago, but it is certainly a very livable city.

[awesome guy]

Nothing in Richmond looks like the Bronx or Chicago.

Downtown and the parts of the fan easily masquerade as the Bronx. The area under 95 Bridge by Mainstreet station can resemble areas of Chicago. It's part of why Richmond has a budding movie industry as it can be made to resemble a lot of other major cities.

When I've been in the city I've never thought that it resembled other cities (not to say that it doesn't). Regardless, I think Richmond is nice, the food is good and it even has maybe the best brewery in Virginia (Hardywood). I'm a little partial to Port City, but I like drinking Hardywood beers.

I would much rather visit NY or Chicago, but it is certainly a very livable city.

Of course the whole city doesn't resemble other cities, just blocks here and there, parts of neighborhoods, etc. For example, the Silence of the Lambs sequel filmed here used the Omni to replicate the FBI building in DC. The Tom Hanks movie used the fab for NYC.

[ip_law-hokie]

http://wtvr.com/2015/12/01/travel-leisu ... to-travel/

RVA! I hope someone is filming IPs head exploding. While I enjoy this city, I can think of several cities that are better to visit in the US alone. Though it is a unique setting and the city easily masquerades as many other large cities. Areas look like Chicago, some like the Bronx, DC, etc. If they would finish the canal walk then it could be really great, something to rival the riverwalk of San Antonio. While the new Stone's Brewery Pub is crimping my style by being built on a cat fishing hole (really drinking and BSing spot, but anyway), I think it's going to be the cornerstone of turning Dock Street into something nice. There's already a couple nice restaurants in the old tobacco warehouses, building out Dock Street would put everything in walking distance in what could be a very scenic route. They're also putting in a canoe/kayak launch right by one of my primo catfishing holes on Dock Street. Not sure how I feel about that because as of right now, it's only really accessible by boat or carefully throwing a long bombed bait to a tight spot from the bank(something only a handful of us can do), though it's close to the shore. The new launch is going to open that up big time and with it, more pressure and likely the ghetto card game will move down to that. If I want to catch a 60-70 pound catfish outside of the shad and herring run, that's the only place I'd hit upriver from Dutch Gap. And now that will be wide open. I'm betting too that the police will run off the card games and other crap that would take up all the parking with people there just drinking. The cops are going make them go to Stone's or move along to somewhere else. But it's going to be a battle as the cops run them off and they come back 15 minutes later.

If I were in charge of development, I would complete Dock Street as an extension of the canal walk. I would also buy Mayo island and turn that into into a combination bazaar/gastrotent. It's too low to build much of anything permanent in the event of the 20 or 50 year flood. So that's why everything will be semi-permanent. The bazaar would have merchant vendors and farmers market type of stuff. The gastotent would be like a gastropub, but under a tent. So the place could reorganize into something new every month or however long. The idea is it's a place for things that change a lot. Change the menu, feature different ethnic foods each month, etc. And then in the spring, they all get out because I'm fishing their for stripers.

Richmond is always kinda of the cusp of being something, it looks like it may have finally pushed over the edge. It would have taken the development that Charlotte experienced if not for the idiots that used to be on city council. Back in the 80s, right when US Airways was looking for a hub, they really wanted to come to Richmond. But the idiots running city council shot it down, saying it would be too much noise for their ghetto constituents. So US Air went to Charlotte and that's what started their development as having a hub is a giant draw to large companies because their are direct flights to pretty much everywhere. So Richmond would have likely grown into a city with professional sports, like Charlotte did. Instead, RVA is 20-30 years behind them now whereas they used to be comparable.

Cities I would place above Richmond:

1. Detroit (I can play poker)
2. Milwaukee (actually a fun town)
3. Fargo ND (you know)
4. Hartford, CT (great pizza and close to Mohegan Sun)
5. Baltimore, MD (good strip clubs)

I could go on.