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Is Richmond dying?

Beauty is Only

By Beauty is Only
in The Tailgate

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Gibbs=ROTK

Gibbs=ROTK

Posted
Posted

The State of Richmond (2008):

VCU (President Eugene P. Trani) is credited for much of the renovation of the city, creating more housing, jobs, commercial and educational opportunities. Almost any part of the city that VCU builds around turns to gold (safer & economically better areas)

Crime has gone down substantially compared to a few years ago. But the rise in crime usually comes in waves and it's hard to tell if the low crime is a trend or not. Most homicides do tend to come from small specific regions of the city.

Richmond like, Northern Virginia, has quickly established a reputation of being "business-friendly," and the city has a lower unemployment rate than most U.S. Cities.

Housing prices are much more affordable. Many Northern Virginians and VCU students from (No. VA.) have taken advantage of the lower cost of living (more bang for your buck)

The City Council and School Board continue to clash and have definitely had a negative impact for years on City Schools and the full potential of the medium-sized Southern City. Change must come immediately to help out these kids and improving the city.

Many parts of the city have really cleaned up and it's lost the "same ol' poor, small, racist, incompetent" reputation Richmond had in the 1990's. While it can't compare to D.C., Richmond does have enough to offer in terms of nightlife, food variety and a diverse number of things to do that would please many.

Richmond does still have a bad reputation for overall sports fans. The area continues to sellout races twice a year for the Nascar Nextel Cup Races. But that's about all the success it has. Richmond has The Kickers for a soccer team, The Braves for a AAA baseball team ( although only for one more season), and then they have college basketball (VCU Rams, UR Spiders, VUU Panthers)

During a weeknight game, you will only get a couple of hundred (if that) come out to see a Braves game. While this year at VCU's Siegel Center, 6-7,000 were coming out on Wednesday nights to see a Rams Basketball game.

That stat alone will tell you why Braves would want to leave Richmond.

While Richmond, like most cities could use more improvements--

Don't worry, I'd say most Richmonders still like The Redskins more than the Cowboys!!

HTTR

(p.s I was born in Richmond, raised outside of Richmond in Chesterfield, have lived in Fairfax, SW D.C. and currently reside in downtown Richmond)

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APBT

APBT

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Posted
And apparently less to do.

Yeah, they have no sports team, but just about everyone there is a Redskin fan so....

The state of Virginia has alot to do. One could head to the beach or Kings Dominion. Its more to do in Richmond than it is to do in Maryland.

If people from Richmond get bored, I assume they would leave. :ciao:

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McMetal

McMetal

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My bike got stolen. I hate Richmond now :mad:.

Coming from McLean VA to attended VCU Richmind is pretty damn ghetto. The outlying suburbs are nice but there are areas I wouldn't think of going to even during the day. I live in the Fan which is supposed to be a safe place but I really don't feel comfortable. But I guess my prospective is skewed considering where I moved from.

People that think the Fan is safe are kidding themselves. That poor VCU student who got shot in Byrd Park last week should have had more sense than to set foot in that area after dark.

VCU is close to a lot of crappy areas that don't exactly represent the breadth and depth of the entire city.

I live in the suburbs and we have never had a problem with crime.

That said, my wife hates it here and it begging to move back closer to DC. Trouble is, I have a good job here and am not interested in looking around.

Richmond has a lot to offer but it's not for everyone. Losing the Braves is a heartbreaker.

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HokieJ

HokieJ

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Actually the overall crime issues in Richmond have gone down significantly the last 3-4 years.

I feel terrible for the kid that got killed in Byrd Park, but you just cannot be out in that area at 1 AM. Something will usually happen.

I've lived in Richmond all my life, and there is a lot of good stuff going on in the city. VCU is taking over the down town (good thing) and knocking down old buildings that nobody was in to put in dorms, new classes etc.

The canalwalk was added, and there are several condo complexes right on the river that are done, or being built right now. The new Federal court building down town, Philip Morris built a large research facility right next to the coliseum.

The National theater just re-opened as a concert venue and they have several shows a week.

If we can just get a new baseball stadium and new coliseum the city would be in the best shape it's been in my lifetime.

Now having said all that I don't live in the city limits :D

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Salty

Salty

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Richmond isn’t dying. If anything like some others have said it is growing. I lived in Richmond for 22 years and love it and miss it. Sure it has its bad sections but every mid to major city does. It has come a long way since its "murder capital" days. VCU has been a major boost for the city, tearing down old shady building and putting up new dorms and bringing in new businesses. The sketch sections actually around VCU have been cleaned up both the neighborhood behind the Siegel Center and Oregon Hill. I lived in the Fan while attending VCU and sure we had something’s stolen and broken into but that happens everywhere, especially when you have young drunk kids messing around. The loss of the Braves is Richmond’s own fault, they had 10 years to fix it and didn't, sports will never really have a place in Richmond people just don't seem to care and why would you when you can hop in a car and an hour and a half later is in DC for real pro sports. The "ghetto" Richmond so many talk about is long gone, either they haven’t visited in years or are coming from picket white fences. Go out and give it a chance, spend time in the Fan during the day checking out the sites or in Cary Town and then hang out in the vast number of bars down there. Go to the bottom and hit a club or hang out on the river walk. Go to any number of the parks on the river. People always talk about how bad Richmond is from their homes in Midlothian or Henrico but never actually make it into the city. Richmond isn't dying it is getting stronger than ever. I’ve lived in a number of places since I left Richmond and I still call it home and the most amazing place I have ever lived.

That being said Richmond does have some bad areas and they definitely shot themselves in the foot with not giving the Braves a new stadium and they need a new arena because the Coliseum SUCKS!

Ok sorry for the long post but I love Richmond and will defend it until I die.

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Fifty Gut

Fifty Gut

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I assume you're calling Richmond a "sleepy, southern city" because you've grown up and lived in one of the major metropolitan cities (DC?) in America all your life? I think Richmond has tons to do, and is definitely not the "slow life." The amount of culture and history that Richmond offers is pretty significant. There is also a pretty good night life with dance clubs, bars, and local music venues. I only wish Richmond would work on growing the local sports teams, besides VCU basketball.

Compared to southwest Virginia where I grew up and went to college, Richmond might as well be the hub of activity in the Commonwealth.

Yes, you are correct. I never said Richmond was boring. I've partied there more times than I can count. I'm just saying there's a huge difference in the culture and the people of NOVA vs. SOVA. I've also lived in Blacksburg for a year, so yes, all of SOVA is the same. Richmond = Blacksburg, just Richmond is an actual metropolitan city.

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Patrick86L

Patrick86L

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I didn't know there were alot of Redskins fans in Richmond until I joined this site. I use to get made fun of growing up as a kid for being a fan and my best friend is a Cowboys fan.

Losing the Braves is a heartbreaker.

you can say that again :(

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BAFGA

BAFGA

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There is no cooperation between the city and the surrounding counties. In fact, Henrico County is petitioning the post office to change all Richmond, VA addresses in the county to "Henrico, VA". They are doing this on the grounds of the need of getting their tax dollars that are mistakenly going to the city, but I think that's a bunch of crap.

If there had been an ounce of cooperation between the city and the counties, Richmond would rival Charlotte or Baltimore in scope. Now we can't even keep up with Greenville, SC in scope.

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Joe Sick

Joe Sick

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Richmond is far from dying. In fact, I would venture to say its in the best shape it has been since the 50s, when trolley cars roamed the streets and the West End was UR.

The city gained people for the first time in a while. Major legal and business hubs, including huge law firms LeClair Ryan and McGuireWoods, Dominion Power, Philip Morris and Altria HQ. The canal/waterfront/Shockoe Slip/Shockoe Bottom area is blowing up.

Has the same urban problems as most cities. Too many drugs, too many stupid deaths. We have a great Sheriff in there now. There are parts you just don't go, where most of the killings happen but there is still too much random violence.

A "traffic jam" is at most 30 minutes. Toll Roads to get to the Southside sucks. We've even got our own little beltway, though!

Mayor Wilder sucks. Him and the rest of the chipmunks need to leave town. (He reminds me of Theodore.)

/Boycotting the R-Braves final season (almost becoming a Nats fan)

/Looking for a job - I'm into graphic design / publishing / printing / marketing. Send me a PM!

:laugh:

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Joe Sick

Joe Sick

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There is no cooperation between the city and the surrounding counties. In fact, Henrico County is petitioning the post office to change all Richmond, VA addresses in the county to "Henrico, VA". They are doing this on the grounds of the need of getting their tax dollars that are mistakenly going to the city, but I think that's a bunch of crap.

If there had been an ounce of cooperation between the city and the counties, Richmond would rival Charlotte or Baltimore in scope. Now we can't even keep up with Greenville, SC in scope.

I'm hoping we are now making up for lost opportunities. VCU will continue to grow.

I got the thing from the county. It says that almost $5 million a year is lost to Richmond over taxes paid to the wrong place. I live in Varina in Henrico County, but the address still says Richmond, VA. They are going to mail out a one item questionnaire whether we want to change our name to Henrico, VA. The question is, do we ever get that money back from the city or is that what Mayor Wilder is using to rent moving trucks?

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