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5 Places To Eat, Shop, And See In Richmond, VA

Today’s a cool day – it’s 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.

Riverrock City Suping

But enough about our back story (you can read more about that here), let’s talk about Richmond. We often get asked for recommendations for what to see, where to shop, and what to eat when in Richmond. So we’re taking this 5th anniversary occasion to share five “Top 5” lists about some of our favorite things in RVA. Are you sensing a “five” theme here? Here’s what we’ve covered:

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

***5 FAVORITE PLACES TO CHOW DOWN***

Sherry and I aren’t “foodies” by any means, but we definitely love finding an excuse to eat out for those special occasions. Here are a handful of quintessential Richmond restaurants where we love 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’s 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’s 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 great, but the views of the James River and the expansive city skyline are our favorite part (see the picture below). In fact we took Sherry’s mom and stepdad here last night. Here’s 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 love all of the fresh bread options that you get before the meal arrives. Carbs. Yum. Here’s 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 always fun. Plus, where else can you order “Sticky Balls” and not get a weird look? Here’s the Sticky Rice website.

Richmond Boathouse Rocketts

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

We don’t have a Statue of Liberty or an Eiffel Tower, but these Richmond “landmarks” should be on your list when you’re in town:

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

Richmond Hollywood Cemetary

***5 FAVORITE WAYS TO ENJOY A GORGEOUS DAY***

We think Richmond truly shines when it’s nice out, so here are some of our favorite places to soak up a beautiful day:

  1. Pony Pasture: This horse-y name actually belongs to an area of the James River Park System with great nature trails for walking, gentle currents for swimming, and exposed rocks for sunning in the hot months. We always 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 favorite spots to take visitors. Why? Tons of paved paths, beautiful 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’s free – even the zoo and the petting farm. Here’s 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 great 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’s Belle Isle on Wikipedia.
  4. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: Call it nature in a more controlled setting, but the admission price is definitely 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 great way to spend the day outside strolling through scenic settings. Here’s 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’s Stony Point’s website & Short Pump’s website.

Richmond Pony Pasture

***5 FAVORITE PLACE TO SCORE HOME DEALS***

We couldn’t survive in this town if we couldn’t find awesome deals for our house, so here are some local haunts that we love (besides the national chain stores like Tar-jay):

  1. Diversity Thrift: We’ve found lots of great 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 love it in this post.
  2. Love of Jesus Thrift: This is another go-to thrifting spot, especially if we’re on the hunt for furniture. My sister scored the amazing 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 recently 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’ve been going to buy items like the rug and the capiz light fixture in Clara’s room on the cheap. Here’s the Decorating Outlet website.
  5. U-fab: This discount fabric store is always on our list when we’re hunting for textiles or patterns to bring home. Their selection is more stylish than the big chains tend to be, but they’re cheaper than the fancy designer places. Here’s the U-fab website.

Loveofjesusemilysconsole

***5 FAVORITE SWANKY & INSPIRING HOME STORES***

On the opposite end of thrifting and discounts are some of Richmond’s most gorgeous and inspirational home stores. Be sure to bring a tissue to wipe the drool from your chin when you visit (even if you don’t 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’ll be fancy enough to actually buy something. Sigh. More on them here. And here’s the Williams & Sherrill website.
  2. Ruth & Ollie: This shop in Carytown is smaller yet a bit more contemporary than Williams & Sherrill. We especially love the furniture and art that abounds. Check out a few ideas that we got from them in this post. Here’s the Ruth & Ollie website.
  3. LaDifférence: Located in Shockoe Bottom, LaDiff is a huge store filled with modern furniture, accessories, lighting – basically, the works. You may remember them from this oft-referenced wallflowers giveaway post. Here’s the LaDiff website.
  4. Shades of Light: Yes, they’re a sponsor of our site, but we couldn’t not include them on this list of go-to home stores in Richmond that we love, especially when it comes to gorgeous lighting (we’ve been obsessed with them since way before their sponsorship started). Here’s the Shades of Light website.
  5. Caravati’s: Unlike the others on this list, you won’t find anything new or pristine at Caravati’s. It’s an architectural salvage warehouse that is loaded with once-loved items for any remodel, restoration, or craft project with a historic and authentic twist. See some more in this old post.

Williamssherrill2

So there you have it, five “Top 5” lists to celebrate our 5th anniversary of moving to Richmond. Obviously in five years we can’t claim to be Richmond experts, so we invite everyone else who lives here in RIC (or have visited) to chime in with their favorites in these categories (or others). And while we’re 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.

Comments

  2. Rachael says

    I LOVE YALL…I LOVED BOTTOMS UP PIZZA…and for the life of me could not remember the name…Kuba Kuba I had my going away party there when I moved from Richmond. Thank you for this list…more reasons why I loved and miss Richmond SO MUCH!!! This brought back such good memories…I need to plan a visit there soon! Great list as a former Richmond (West End & Forest Hill area) resident…I 100% agree!!!

    Reply

  3. Molly P-H says

    THANKS to you and all the comments for these great tips!! I really hope to visit Richmond this year — we have friends who moved there (live in The Fan, work at St. Paul’s Episcopal) and everything they describe about it is just AWESOME!! THANKS AGAIN!!

    Reply

  4. Lara says

    THANK YOU for this post, and congrats! Besides my High Fidelity-loving self geeking out at all the great Top 5 lists, my husband and I have saved all our old Richmond magazines in excitement about moving there…eventually. This post might get printed out and added to the stack, especially as we try to visit there yearly.

    Reply

  5. Sheri says

    Kuba Kuba has the most delicious brunch. We can be found there almost every Sunday morning, big smiles on our faces as we sip their delicious cortaditos!
    Thanks for the great thrift store ideas. I didn’t know about most of them. I go to Habitat Restore, Diversity, & Fantastic Thrift. Another great spot for wonderful pre-used stuff is Shepard Street Antiques in Carytown.

    Reply

  6. MIndy says

    Like many others, this post makes me homesick for Richmond! I moved to S. America 2.5 years ago and make short (an too infrequent) trips home. I definitely miss all the ethnic food in Richmond like Curry House in Innsbrook, Tip Thai Restaurant on Staples Mill and the Ethiopian place across from the Seventh Street Market.

    Reply

  8. Kelli T. says

    Just had to thank you for this great post! My family and I are here for a couple months while my husband completes some Army training and your list was just what we needed! We’ve already done a couple things you’ve mentioned and plan on doing a few more before we head home. We’re looking forward to Maymont with our two little ones sometime this week. Thanks again!

    Reply

  9. Noel says

    Love this post! I was in Richmond a few weeks ago, and fell in love with Belle Isle. I can’t wait to try your other suggestions! My fiance and I are relocating to Richmond from NJ and one of the apartment complexes we are considering reminds me a lot of your first apartment together (at least from your video tour). I won’t say the name because I want to protect your privacy if it is in fact the same one, but I was wondering, would you recommend it? I know you only lived there for 3 months, but were you happy while you were there? We’ve had some crazy experiences in complexes, and I’m so worried about things going wrong since this is such a big move. But that complex gave me a good “vibe” when we looked at it, if that makes sense, haha.

    Do you have any advice, as you made a similar move from NYC? It’s kind of scary, but exciting, and it’s so nice to see how far you’ve come and how happy you are in Richmond. Especially since I’m also a short Italian girl from Jersey!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, we loved it there! We got a top floor apartment so we would have high ceilings and wouldn’t hear anyone clopping around on top of us and we really liked it! We even used the tennis courts and the gym from time to time. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Noel says

      Thanks for the response, that’s so great to hear! And I just have to say how much I love your blog. I admire you guys so much, and appreciate the way you communicate with your readers. You’ve inspired me to get creative with my current rental, and even attempt to “go green” (I’m working on it, slowly but surely!). I came across your site when someone posted a link in a DIY wedding forum on http://www.theknot.com and I’ve been hooked ever since!

  10. Erica says

    Just passed this along to my friend and her husband who are moving to Richmond next month. Can’t wait to visit her when she moves and we’ll be stopping at multiple locations on your lists. Thanks, Sherry and John!

    Reply

  11. Angie says

    I’m so excited about this list! My husband and I (and our new baby) are moving to Richmond this fall. A friend told me about your blog and I was so excited to see this post. And I love the weekly pics of your daughter. we are doing daily pics with our son (for his first year) next to a white board that lists his age in days and something we/he did that day.

    I can’t wait to read more and find inspiration among your posts.

    Reply

  12. Becky @ Farmgirl Paints says

    thank you so much for this list!! kind of lost and trying to find my place here. one more question…we are looking for a large spirit filled church. if you know of a good place to worship we would love a little direction. just email me. thanks:)

    Reply

  13. Stephanie says

    Hello! I’ve been reading your blog for awhile now and I wasn’t sure where to post this question. I assumed that since this is a post on Richmond, I should ask it here. Anyway, my fiance and I were born and raised in NYC. We wondering how diverse Richmond is. You guys make it sound so awesome, but would a young American/Hispanic couple fit in down there? We would definitely visit before making any hasty decisions. Just wondering what your opinion was on this. Thanks alot!

    Reply

  14. Wendy says

    I’m a long time reader headed to Richmond for the first time for the marathon next month. Can you recommend a good restaurant for a standard pasta dinner the night before (nothing too fancy – basic food is best)?

    Reply

  15. Jessica says

    This is amazing! We just moved to Richmond from DC, and I’m going through some MAJOR re-adjusting, and really missing DC. I was looking through your old posts and saw this and was so excited! I can’t wait to try some of these out! And it’s good to know that you two, both coming from a city, love it here now!

    Also – I have to admit, when we decided to move to Richmond, my first response was “GASP! John and Sherry live there!!!! We could be best friends!!!” :) Love you guys!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Welcome to RVA! You’ll love it here… especially once spring hits and the city and the river really liven up. Hopefully we’ll bump into you sometime!

      -John

  17. Alison says

    I know this post is way old but we moved to the area 1 1/2 years ago and trying to see all the fun things this area has to offer and you list still helps! We went to Carytown and Bottom’s up for the first time this weekend! Love it! One of the reasons I love your blog is that you are local!

    Reply

  19. Lauren says

    Do you have any updates to your favorite spots in Richmond since you posted this last year? We’re planning a long weekend trip for October and we might visit Richmond.

    Reply

    • Lauren says

      Great, thanks! I’m a little ashamed to admit that although I’ve lived in Virginia for 5 years now, I still haven’t been to the state capitol! Need to make my way down there and check out some of these places.

  20. Lakeya Moore says

    If you are a big fan of calamari, Water Grill in Carytown is amazing! They have this amazing sriracha sauce with it that is just perfect! You guys did a great job summing it up!

    Reply

  21. Samantha says

    Thanks so much for sharing some awesome stuff about Richmond. As a newlywed that just moved to Richmond, this post is very helpful. We have actually been to some of these places already. LOVE the VMFA and Carytown :) Please feel free to check out my design blog!

    Reply

  22. Silvana says

    Reading posts like this make me feel like a creepy stalker. I have spent so much time in Richmond. Belle Isle, The Byrd, DIVERSITY THRIFT. I got the best ever gold sequin pumps there when I was in college.
    Richmond is the best.

    Reply

  23. Rosheen says

    We live in Charlotte and were in Baltimore for the weekend. On the drive home we were looking for a good place to eat on our way home. Because i “know” you guys from your blog I asked my husband to google young house love richmond restaurants. This post came up, and we decided to try Kooba Kooba–it was delicious thanks for the recommendation!

    Reply

  24. Joanna Banana says

    We got a LIving Social deal to Richmond’s Linden Row Inn. Would’ve never thought of a mini vacation to RIchmond, but you guys have inspired us! We will use this post to plan part of our weekend. Thnx!

    Reply

  25. Rachel says

    We will be in town next weekend for our cousin’s wedding and will use this guide during our free time! Since the wedding is at the botanical gardens, one thing is already crossed off the list! Our family, bride included, are all fans! You have inspired me to take some risks in decorating, like my coral stenciled half bath with turqouise accents and painting a huge magnetic chalkboard in our kitchen! Keep up the good work ;-)

    Reply

    • Rachel says

      Question – do you know if you can access the pedestrian footbridge to Belle Isle from Tredegar Street? We plan on walking from our downtown hotel to belle isle and then on to Maymont Park and would love to walk along the water when possible. Our almost 2 year old son will be with us – can a stroller go to Belle Isle? Thanks!

  27. Dell Servisi says

    Its like you read my thoughts! You appear to grasp a lot approximately this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something. I believe that you simply can do with some percent to pressure the message house a bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.

    Reply

  28. Jacqueline R says

    I know this post is an old one…but I have been doing some searching to find out more info about Richmond. We just found out that my husband has a job interview at VCU next month. Which is incredibly exciting, but also a little overwhelming. We are currently in Tallahassee, FL…so, it would be a big move for us. I will be traveling with him to take a look at the area. I am wondering if there is any other info you could share about living in Richmond…traffic, weather, best areas to buy/rent in, good schools, etc…essentially anything at all would be helpful. We are trying to get an idea of what to see while in town to get an idea of what living in Richmond would look like. Thanks for any help you can give!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Let’s see… we love it here! Traffic isn’t bad (much better than DC or NYC) and home prices are also extremely modest compared to those markets. The weather is pretty great (much milder than NYC – it’s usually cold from late Nov – Jan and starts warming up by Feb). As for areas, we loved Bon Air (we lived there for our first and second house) and don’t reveal where our third house is, but it’s in the Richmond suburbs as well. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  29. Sydnie F says

    Would you ever consider doing an update to this post, especially now that you’ve explored so much with a toddler/preschooler? Our family lives in Baltimore and want to check out RVA and I would love more of your recommendations, though I know you’re crazy busy so no pressure. Keep up the great work!

    Reply

  30. Katie says

    I’m from the future (aka was directed to this post from your 8 year anniversary post this morning). The one thing that stuck out to me in this post is that Nona is married?! Never realized Sherry has a stepdad! It’s like finding out something new about one of your favorite characters on a TV show. :)

    Reply

  31. sabrina says

    I checked you guys out first for ideas. We are coming to Richmond this month and do you guys have any new things to do for kids around Clara’s age that you recommend. We are thinking about relocating and this is our first visit!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, Maymont is always fun (pet the animals, walk around, etc) and Lewis Ginter is fun (not free though, but it’s a fun arboretum that has kid areas like a big sandbox and wet zone and other stuff). There are also indoor things like Jumpology (not free, but it’s an indoor trampoline park) and there’s also The Children’s Museum (Clara loves that).

      xo
      s

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