Nearly two-thirds of the 6 million visitors to Greater Richmond each year are here to visit friends and family. And when tourism officials talk to visitors about the their plans, most can’t give an answer because they are reliant on friends or family as the plans-makers. So Grid asked some well-known local voices: How do you recommend Richmond?

Maya Smart
Writer and Camp Director for the Shaka Smart Basketball Camp

If she’s feeling fancy, Maya Smart’s top restaurant pick is The Roosevelt in Church Hill. “Their cheeseburger with bacon onion jam and rooster sauce is an experience,” she says. “And don’t even get me started on the peanut butter pie.” But for everyday sustenance, Strawberry Street Café’s bathtub salad bar is a twice-weekly occurrence. Must-visit spots include the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (the region’s top tourist destination, per Richmond Region Tourism) and the Stuart C. Siegel Center on a VCU men’s basketball game day. But enough of being active, let’s back to food: don’t leave town without eating Pizzookies (chocolate chip cookie dough with ice cream) at the Boathouse and taking in the skyline view.

Mark Holmberg
Reporter, WTVR CBS6

Never one to mince words, Mark Holmberg has thought-provoking opinions on a myriad of topics, regularly expounded upon during his news segments on WTVR CBS6. Holmberg, who names the city’s tobacco heritage as one of the more significant aspects of its past, recalls fondly the smell of what he calls the city’s “legal weed” undergoing the drying process in downtown warehouses during the summer. But it’s the James River that he sees as the city’s lifeblood, past and present. “We have this grand river and park system that anchors one of the most diverse cities in the land in terms of architecture, history, humanity, food, art and music. Every neighborhood has its own distinct flavor.” His perfect night with an out of town guest would include a walk along the river by the Intermediate Terminal, sun setting on the city skyline, followed by a French press coffee with a shot of Jameson at The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing.

Erin R. Freeman
Conductor, Richmond Symphony

If you ever see Erin Freeman out at night, it’s likely she’ll have a baton in her hand. “I work at night, and we have rehearsals at night,” says Freeman, conductor of the Richmond Symphony. And her choice for nightlife when she’s able to hang loose? “Either sit on my back porch or go to Legend’s and drink beer,” the Forest Hill resident recommends. For dinner out, it’s Blue Goat “hands down,” and order the Bulleit Bourbon concoction Perfection Takes Thyme. When her sister comes to town from Massachusetts, they’ll do Maymont or the trails in Forest Hill Park. As for the arts? “I’d like to think the symphony is a good place to go because we have such a real vision of being a leader of the artistic community,” she says.

Tory Bell
Director of Marketing, Richmond International Airport

One of Richmond’s mobile power users, Troy Bell points to his Foursquare page as evidence of his favorite local haunts: Aziza’s on Main (“I found it kind of by mistake,” he says of the stellar but oft-overlooked Lebanese food spot, pointing to the lentil soup “and maybe a cream puff”), the American Civil War Center at Tredegar Iron Works, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Bell isn’t picky on coffee and is a regular at the airport Wawa – which, for plane enthusiasts, sits directly under the approach to the 9,000-foot Runway 16 and guarantees some big underbelly sightings. Bell is also an avid driver and enjoys tracking his Volkswagen’s gas mileage, so for a relaxing Sunday drive, “go to River Road. Either direction. But you gotta watch your speed.”

Karri Peifer
Editor, Richmond.com

The only thing Richmond.com editor and senior food writer Karri Peifer loves more than a great local meal is a killer happy hour. Her top picks include On the ROX, Pasture, Lemaire, Water Grill, and Saison. When it comes to dining suggestions, Peifer would recommend visitors enjoy a progressive dinner of sorts, split between multiple establishments. “I think it’s best to see the best of different neighborhoods,” she says, mentioning the likes of The Roosevelt in Church Hill, Pasture downtown, Saison in Jackson Ward, Heritage in The Fan, and Secco in Carytown.

Duron Chavis
Coordinator at McDonough Community Garden, Executive Director at Happily Natural Day, and Benefit Program Specialist at Department of Social Services

“I bring a lot of folks into Richmond when I do Happily Natural Day and related events,” says Duron Chavis. “So I try to connect them to the culture that is often overlooked. Folks that are looking for the black culture in the city I try to connect them to several spots and some places to eat at the same time.” He says that some of the best places to learn about African American culture in RVA is Elegba Folklore Society and the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia. For urban agriculture and horticultural, Chavis recommends Tricycle Gardens Urban Farm and Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. He insists that locals and visitors alike never miss an opportunity to get outside in RVA. Some of his must do outdoor activities include hiking the Trail of Enslaved Africans from Ancarrows Landing to the 17th Street Market, then Lumpkins Jail, and then the African Burial Ground. He adds, “One of the best sunset I ever had in life — sitting on the banks of the James at one of the coves at the Great Shipyard Park.” When it comes time for good eats, Chavis recommends Goree Restaurant, Nile Richmond, Casa Del Barco, and Selba.

Karen Coltrane
President and CEO, Children’s Museum of Richmond

If you’re in town to visit Karen Coltrane, you’ll spend a lot of time in the near West End – and may even peek into a few of the city’s homes. “We go into open houses even though we don’t plan to buy. We’re voyeurs,” she says. Lunch at Mosaic (“beautiful but not opulent, and quirky…it just kind of defines for me what I think about Richmond”), shopping at Libbie and Grove avenues, a walk around the lake at the University of Richmond, and in the springtime, free baseball games there. “The UR campus has been our outdoor playground,” she says. As for a favorite local product? Coltrane makes “a shameless promotion for the museum:” the Ellwood Thompson collaboration cookie, available in different flavors at CMoR’s three Greater Richmond locations.

Jorge Salgado
Partner/Event Management Team at E² Events

A partner at E² Events, Salgado is the guy you want when it comes to organizing anything related to RVA. For out of town guests and people new to the region, he’s quick to point to the trails along the Northbank and Texas Beach as “the insider’s river experience.” After doing some rock hopping and checking out the abandoned power plant on Belle Isle, Salgado says that a stop at Crossroads Coffee & Ice Cream on the Southside is mandatory. When finished, he recommends “some beer and cider goodness at Hardywood, Center of the Universe, and Blue Bee Cidery, along with Strangeways coming soon.” As dinner rolls around, he points to an old standby, Edo’s Squid on N. Harrison St. “Last but not least, a drive through Monument Avenue and ending at Maymont for an afternoon at the park. Kinda touristy, but a Richmond must.”

Conaway Haskins
Executive Director, Government Relations, Virginia State University

Conaway Haskins’ 2-year-old can’t stop saying “Barbeque” these days, and that’s fine with the resident of Chesterfield County. “Richmond is one of the better barbeque towns,” he says, pointing specifically to Alamo in Church Hill, which he’ll order then eat down the street in Jefferson Park, his favorite panorama of downtown. “Never a bad meal” is found at Pescados Midlothian location – order the Enchilada Acapulco. For the arts, he says, go off the beaten path to Petersburg’s Sycamore Rouge Theater. “They’re really cool and engaged, and it’s high quality acting. They’ll surprise you.” Mint Juleps at Lemaire, coffee at Lift in Richmond or Demolition in Petersburg, and kids outdoors at Maymont. And lest he forget the Richmond Folk Festival: “If you have to pick a time to come to Richmond, come the week before and go to the folk festival.”

Jennifer Rawlings
Roaster and Co-Owner of Lamplighter Roasting Company

Jennifer Rawlings, one of the area’s top roastmasters, knows RVA better than anyone. Often entertaining friends from New York and Philadelphia, Rawlings is known to gather fare from her coffee shop Lamplighter and head to Hollywood Cemetery for breakfast on the river and a stop at the Byrd House Market on the way back. When it comes time for dinner, she says that walking to Dutch and Co. in Churchill is always on the list. “I’m so proud to live in Richmond and be part of this evolution of food,” explains Rawlings. She has other favorite finds too. “The Magpie in Carver is where we take clients when we want to prove that the food scene has truly evolved into a regional attraction.”

Jason Roop
Editor, Style Weekly

A man about town, Style Weekly Editor Jason Roop can be found enjoying one of the city’s arts or cultural events any given night of the week. “Style readers enjoy larger places such as National, but also find jewels playing more intimate venues such as the Camel, Strange Matter, Gallery5, the Canal Club and Kingdom,” Roop says of Richmond’s music venues. As for the city itself, he says it basically sells itself as a tourism destination. “There’s no reason to serve up public-relations platitudes. So don’t worry about making a sale. The people and the unexpected moments and conversations–nothing you can plan–will create the most lasting impressions.”

Kristi Lane
Founder/Owner of Visible Proof

Kristi Lane knows how to design a perfect RVA experience for out-of-town guests. Her company, Visible Proof, is known for going to great lengths when it comes to interior design, interior architecture, and experience design. Lane says that when guests are in town she likes to start off the day at Can Can with a latte and homemade fragel (a bagel/baguette combined) in the front window while people watching. From there, Lane recommends skipping the malls and chain stores in favor of keeping it local. “Richmond has so many unique, locally owned design and home furnishing stores. I always start in Carytown with Ruth & Ollie, Hirsch Rugs, Mongrels, and work my way down Cary Street ending at Bohland & Graham at Cary and Robinson.” She says that if you time your day right, you can even end the shopping spree with cocktails at Acacia next door.

John Murden
Teacher & Community Blogger

As the founder of Church Hill People’s News, John Murden is one of Richmond’s original neighborhood bloggers and knows more than a few things about our fair city. “It’s a collection of neighborhoods,” Murden says about Richmond’s makeup. “We’re not that big: it’s only 5 miles from Carytown to Church Hill, but each area has their own thing and own history–a vibe.” Besides up-and-coming Church Hill favorites like The Roosevelt and Proper Pie Co., Murden enjoys taking a short bike ride to Mama Zu’s, Kuba Kuba, Commercial Taphouse, or Can Can when it’s time to grab a bite. When asked who’s best exuding the best RVA has to offer, Murden offers up Marc Cheatham of popular community blog “The Cheats Movement.” “He’s organizing real organic community in a way that we’ve never seen before.”