Gears in the Garden: Bike Gardens In Bloom At The Center of the Universe
A green bike with a yellow seat and an American flag sits in front of Cross Bros. Grocery with a country cured ham hanging from the handle bars. Nearby, two bikes – one baby blue and the other hot pink – sit atop the Ashland Theater marquee covered in lights. Decorated bikes sit in front […]
Exhibits, Helmets, and Community
With its knack for connecting the past with the future, The Valentine has launched “In Gear: Richmond Cycles,” a rich collection of photographs, bikes, and historical objects that span several centuries of cycling. Curated by David Voelkel, the exhibit celebrates all things cycling – from 19th century high wheel bikes to the local stories of […]
How We Roll: Richmond’s Inner-City Youth Cycling Program
By Craig Dodson What does cycling have to do with low-income kids from public housing? Nothing and everything. When I started Richmond Cycling Corps (RCC) in 2010, it was merely a project: a “let’s see what would happen if …” kind of thing. Well, in our first year, a group of four kids from Fairfield […]
Wheels of Change: The Library of Virginia and the Bicycle Boom
By Dana Puga The “Bicycle Boom” refers to a period during the 1890s when cycling was at its height. There seems, however, to be another bicycle boom taking place in Richmond these days. And the Library of Virginia is in the thick of the action. Located in the heart of downtown Richmond, the Library of […]
Cycles of Kindness
By Patience Salgado Between this boy and his bike, there was a deep love. I completely get it: the wind blowing on your face and going faster than your legs can take you. It is all of boyhood in its perfect freedom. Then it happened. Just one look and I knew it was gonna be […]
I Am Tourism
Seven million visitors, $2 billion pumped into the local economy, 22,000 jobs, and a savings of nearly $600 in taxes per household. That’s the impact of tourism in the Richmond region. We all benefit. And we all have opportunity to help grow these numbers. “Hotel occupancy in the Richmond region is shattering records,” says Jack […]
Beauty Matters
It was 5:30 a.m. and 88 oversized, cast stone planters had just been delivered to a stretch of Jackson Ward between 3rd and 5th Streets. Lucy Meade, executive director of Venture Richmond, and Sharon Baum of Kirby’s Landscaping walked the site with a long punch list in preparation for the day ahead. This was the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]