I was born in Richmond You could say I was created from scratch as a gift to the people. Three Letters. All Caps. No rules.

I am more than just a brand or a logo or an icon. I am a unifying, open-source force for good. I represent the innovation, vitality, and creative spirit of the city. I am an extraordinary adhesive that bonds together every artist, musician, writer, chef, designer, student, doctor, athlete, professional, business owner, inventor, entrepreneur, and citizen. They recognize themselves in me. They share me. They put me on their stuff. Look around. You’ll see me on bumpers and ball caps, coasters and coffee cups, scooters and signposts. I have been tattooed, etched, sculpted, and fused into every corner of the city. Like Richmond’s knack for creativity, I am everywhere. But this is not about me. I’m just the big red “S” on the uniform.

It’s the creative people of Richmond who are the real superheroes. They have the power to leap the James Center in a single bound, move faster than a speeding CSX locomotive, and fly higher than the Friday night fireworks over the Diamond. The people who live and work and create in Richmond are talented and smart enough that they could do anything, anytime, anywhere. Yet they choose to do it here. Why? Because this city is the center of the action. Big things are happening here and they show no signs of slowing down. This is a city caught in the midst of a creative wave. It’s a tsunami of non-conformity and inspired, independent thought backed by a flash flood of follow-through and get-er-done.

Richmond’s renaissance of reinvention is the result of good, old-fashioned hard work and talent, but there is also a certain magic to its momentum. Don’t take my word for it. Ask around. Anybody will tell you. Richmond has a not-so-secret superpower. Okay, make that two not-so-secret superpowers. Creativity and innovation are the one-two punch that keeps the city hurling forward. Richmond is addicted to thinking and doing things differently. We cre- ate and recreate. We make and remake. We build and rebuild. We play and then play harder. Occasionally, we sleep. You don’t have to hang around long to see that Richmond is a city of verbs and the folks who live, work and play here are all action stars. They paint, write, cook and compose music. They design, innovate, produce and build. All this creative chaos happens on the streets and inside studios, but you’ll also find it in boardrooms and classrooms, laboratories and locker rooms. Richmonders are in love with the idea that anything is possible (don’t bother trying to talk them out of it). And they prove it every day, in ways both big and small.

If you give a chef an order, they will cook you a dinner to remember. Give them a restaurant and suddenly the entire mid-Atlantic wants a bite. Get a few musicians together and they’ll make beautiful music to- gether. Sit them down with community leaders and they’ll organize the Richmond Folk Festival. Give filmmakers 48 hours and they can deliver an award-winning short film. Introduce them to Steven Spielberg and they’ll help create Lincoln. Richmonders love a challenge. They’ll chase a crazy idea down streets and alleys and when they catch up, they give it a great big bear hug. They paint murals and publish independent magazines. They brew dark coffee and even darker craft beer. Inside impossibly tiny food trucks they concoct fantastic fusions of international cuisine that will leave you dreaming of kimchi tofu tacos and banana peanut butter crepes. They transform cookie factories and tobacco warehouses into lofts. They reinvent historic buildings as savory pie shops, vinyl record stores and independent FM radio stations. And all of this creativity is contagious. Richmonders aren’t content to let nature exist as a piece of scenery.

Yes, parks are places for biking, hiking and picnic lunches. But they are also home to frisbee golf courses, farmer’s markets, and free festivals. They are bona fide experts at creating excuses for getting together with a few thousand friends on any given weekend. They love a good party. And as long as there are blank spaces on the calendar, they’ll invent a reason to fill it. The James River? That’s a place to chill out on the rocks or engage in some heated competition on the rapids. But it is also the ultimate backyard playground and a constant source of inspiration and creativ- ity. It is never static and that motion is what inspires. Richmond has a steady beat that you can feel. It is the rhythm of a city reinventing itself every day. It is the beautiful noise of creation. We mash-up history, remix it with a new beat and layer it with samples from all over the world. Block by block and day by day, the city is reborn.

PLACES AT PLAY:
Downtown is an ecosystem of activity, ingenuity,and playful creativity. It is where great ideas are born and plans are made and the future is built one conversation at a time. It’s where people work, play, and live. Downtown is Richmond’s nucleus of creative vitality. It has a pull, a magnetic force that attracts and invites and beckons. But again, please don’t take our word for it. You should see for yourself. Walk the streets and look in the windows and meet the people. It won’t be long before they invite you inside and mix you their favorite cocktail. Pure creativity and genuine innovation. Shaken (not stirred) and served on the rocks with a splash of southern hospitality. We guarantee you’ve never tasted anything quite like it.

ORGANIZATIONS AT PLAY:
Venture Richmond is a non-profit organization formed to engage business and community leaders in partnering with the City to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy, and events. Venture Richmond also produces such long-standing and signature community events as Friday Cheers, the 2nd Street Festival, and the Richmond Folk Festival, and partners with the Richmond Sports Backers to co-produce Dominion Riverrock. For more information, visit www.venturerichmond.com.

EVENTS AT PLAY:
RVA Streets Alive!, hosted earlier this summer, proved to be the perfect place for Richmonders to play. The event consisted of a 2.5-mile loop in Richmond that was bounded by the 14th Street and Manchester bridges on the east and west, and by Byrd Street and Commerce Road on the north and south. Inspired by open streets projects all over the world, this event closed the streets to cars and opened them to the public—for one day—to create a whole new healthy, sustainable and playful city street experience. Free and open to everyone, the event attracted runners, walkers, bikers, and more.