Happy Tails
Good ol’ fashioned nature is a beautiful thing, bearing no boundaries and offering experiences that no man-made object could ever top. Being outside brings about a sense of freedom and excitement. Nobody or no being understands this more than our friend “the dog.” Some dogs are inside all day while their owners are working or […]
Chiocca’s Downstairs Deli
Writer’s block is the bane of my existence. How do I spell relief? A trip to Chiocca’s Downstairs Deli, an antediluvian throwback in the Museum District. Subterranean and hidden beneath a corner of Kensington and Belmont, this six-decades-old bar and sandwich dive has it all: torn seats, fading signs from defunct local bars and publications, […]
Raised On Adventure
When you venture deep into the wilderness, far from Richmond, it’s good to surround yourself with individuals who are mentally tough. A few summers ago, Joey Parent, an assistant director at VCU’s Outdoor Adventure Program, and I were picking our way down an isolated creek not far from Durango, Colorado. The setting was spectacular – […]
Dream Nation Project
About 10 years ago, longtime friends Shane Patrick Crews and Sam Anderson started talking about their childhood dreams. Crews had wanted to be a magician and Anderson, who came from a blue-collar family, had dreamt of being able to wear a suit to work every day. Both had followed their dreams, with Crews working as […]
Hammer and Anvil
The art and tradition of good blacksmithing – shaping, pointing, bending, splitting, and joining. These are some of the topics you might hear discussed at the Central Virginia Blacksmith Guild. Forging metal to create everything from furniture and sculpture to light fixtures and tools, blacksmiths in our area represent the self-sufficiency and do-it-yourself nature of […]
Riverside Outpost on Brown’s Island Expands
By Andy Thompson Around the same time Outside Magazine named Richmond its “Best River Town” in September 2012, Matt Perry and his crew at Riverside Outfitters were wrapping up their first season operating the Brown’s Island Outpost. Rentals of kayaks, standup paddleboards, and mountain bikes from the island better known as a music venue had […]
An Instrument Built to Last
By Davy Jones Many would consider metal to be Richmond’s main musical export, but an instrument with a slightly more dulcet tone is bringing our city’s creativity and ingenuity to households all over the globe—the ukulele. From the Richmond office of Hohner, the storied German instrument manufacturing company, Leon Lewis heads up Lanikai, which has […]
Party Bike Comes to Richmond
By Corinne Cordasco What do you do when you want to spend a few hours exploring Richmond’s burgeoning food and beer scene without taking a car? Hop on a 14-seat, music-blasting, eco-friendly party bike and pedal your way through the city. Seating 14 passengers, Groovin’ Gears uses up to 10 pedaling passengers as its primary […]
A Town that Prints Together
Climbing into the driver’s seat of a bright-green steamroller, Ashley Hawkins starts the engine and engages the clutch. With a singlewide roll at the front, Hawkins moves the heavy equipment forward with a cheer from onlookers. This was the scene on September 13, 2013 as Hawkins hauled her first steamroller off the lot of Sunbelt […]
Art Happens Here
Change is constant at 2016 Staples Mill Road. It was once Colonial Grocery. Then it was a beauty school. And from there, a mixed-use building that peddled everything from mattresses to flooring. For the past 13 years, the property, however, has served one purpose: the home base for Crossroads Art Center, a growing clearinghouse for […]