Comparing Richmond: London, Barcelona, and Athens

I recently made my first trip outside of the country to Europe. The main reason I made the voyage was to witness the marriage of my best friend, Danny O'Hanley, to his now wife, Lena, on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini. Secondary to that, I wanted to learn more about European culture. Before arriving in Santorini, I visited London, Barcelona, and Athens. It was in all four destinations that I learned so much and gained knowledge of so many great European ideas.

As I entered the Richmond International Airport on Monday, May 12th, I was very excited for the voyage to come. After a fun layover in Philadelphia, I was off to London. After seven hours with US Airways (now 11:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 13th), I was in London. Another hour, and I was through Customs, where I then found the London Underground, aka "The Tube". I took The Tube from Heathrow to Chelsea where I was staying with family that evening. After dropping my backs off, I headed to the Borough of Richmond. It was here that I found the view of the Thames River that is similar to the view of the James River from Libby Hill.

View of the Thames River from Richmond Hill.

On my way to find this view, I passed by many historic buildings with apartments, retail, and restaurants. There were quite a few options in the Borough of Richmond. After taking the picture above, I checked the Roebuck Pub which was located immediately behind me. I enjoyed some fine British beers, not chilled of course, and the Roebuck's hamburger. I was informed that I could enjoy the view of the Thames more by taking my pint with me, so I did. I quickly learned that Europeans love to enjoy themselves and don't make laws that keep people from doing so. Needless to say, I took advantage of this liberal European mindset quite often. 

It was short trip in London (just about 18 hours), so unfortunately I only had time to check out the view that named our city. The next morning, I took the Gatwick Express to the Gatwick Airport, where I boarded my Vueling flight to Barcelona. 

Upon arrival to the Barcelona Airport on Wednesday, May 14th, I hailed a taxi and made my way to meet up with Danny and Lena, who were there studying at the IESE Business School (they graduated that Friday). After taking me up to his apartment to drop my bags off, Danny took me on a hike up to the most amazing view of the city from Parc Guell. 

View of Barcelona from Parc Guell.

It was here that he oriented me with the city of Barcelona. Barcelona has a metro system, has a universal taxi system, bike and pedestrian lanes of travel (more than just sidewalks) adjacent to major avenues (sometimes in the middle of them, like a median), there were many pedestrian malls with restaurants that featured al fresca dining and excellent shopping options (Las Rambas was one of the most popular), the Mediterranean Sea front had an amazing beach with beachfront bars that served you on the beach, the nightlife was an all-night affair with most clubs opening at 11pm and staying open until sunrise (the most popular drink was Gin & Tonic), and so many more things were learned in Barcelona. 

The first night (Wednesday), after adventures to Parc Guell, we went had Sirloin Steak burgers from Nello's Bar, then drinks at a place called Dow Jones. Yes, like the stock market. What made this place unique was their way of setting the prices for all the drinks. Every hour they changed based on the supply and demand from the previous hour. So, if everyone is buying a lot of one drink, the price of that drink goes up, if no one is buying something, that price goes down or is unchanged. Pretty cool concept. Budweiser was pretty cheap. 

On Thursday, we went to the beach to enjoy some great burgers at Makamaka Beach Burger Cafe accompanied by Bloody Mary's in a can. Good stuff. Then we hit the beach which I quickly discovered was a topless beach. I'm not going to elaborate on that. There are some pretty funny stories I have from this day at the beach, they involve mojitos and awkward massages. After our day at the beach, we all went to the Placa d'Espayna to check out the Magic Fountain, then to the Alaire Terrace Bar where we enjoyed some great tapas. After that, we went to the clubs where I was somewhat shocked to find them playing only American music. I also found it interesting that more people actually go to the clubs, unlike here, where most people go to bars. Again, people like to have a good time in Europe. 

The final day (Friday), before flying to Athens (on Saturday morning), the best men and the groom went on a little shopping excursion, then had some excellent Spanish pizza from Pizza Que?. After that, I went on a downhill run to Las Rambas, took the metro back where I then had to quickly get ready for Danny and Lena's graduation. The best part of this graduation was the speech by the class Vice President. After his introduction, he mentioned he was going to highlight a few things from his experiences in school, but interrupted by saying, "but first, let me take a selfie", where he then turned his back to the audience and proceeded in taking a selfie. Perhaps one of the most hilarious things I witnessed. After graduation festivities, which included a cocktail reception and four course meal, we went back out to the clubs to meet up with some of Danny and Lena's classmates. It was a very surreal experience and I very much so enjoyed meeting such great people. 

The next morning, after about 2 hours of sleep, we boarded our plane for Athens. Once we landed in Athens, we took a Taxi to our hotel, which wasn't that great (I booked everything in March, and Athens was on a budget). Our first impression of Athens wasn't all that great, but that quickly changed.

Athens has a world-class Metro system that was basically free (they don't enforce the tickets), wonderful little restaurant, art, and shopping districts that surrounded the Acropolis, the entertainment district of Gazi which was a mere 10 minute walk from the Acropolis or a quick ride on the Metro, and then there was the suburban district of Glyfada which took a trip via the Tram. Oh and then the food. So amazing. I'll never eat a Gyro in the US again. 

Here are a few pictures from Athens:

Tram to Glyfada. 

One of the many Pedestrian Malls near the Acropolis.

Club called Why Sleep? in Gazi.

A few things to know about Athens: Everything is fairly cheap in price, but excellent in quality (except for the one hotel I stayed in the first night), you can walk every where with alcohol (this is pretty much all of Europe), make sure you have cash before you land (the ATMs don't work for American credit cards and most restaurants only accept cash), they don't keep regular business hours, and there is a lot of history (obviously). I could probably go on and on about Athens, but I should probably move on.

The culmination of our trip was on the Greek island of Santorini, also known as Thira. After landing that Sunday evening at the Airport, I was greeted by a man holding a sign with our name on it. He then took us, compliments of our hotel, to the Aigialos Resort. This is the view we were greeted with upon arrival:

The Aigialos Resort in the town of Fira.

From here on out, I quickly realized that the people of Santorini make Southern Hospitality look like a joke. That night, we had dinner at the Argos Restaurant. After finishing a bit of my food, I had ventured off to step out for a smoke. Before I could make my way for the stairs, the manager, Constantinos, stopped and asked that I remain inside, where he then scurried off to bring me a drink. He quickly came back with a shot of Mastica from the island of Hios. He informed me that I should sip the Mastica (and it was one of the most amazing drinks I have ever had). I quickly thanked him for his generosity and offered him an American cigarette from the city of Richmond, Virginia. Constantinos and I quickly became friends. I asked for a place to take the groom the next day and he had mentioned a place near the small town of Kamari. We had to go up a mountain on a switchback road, and just before the top, we needed to take a path which would lead us to a cave. The next day (Danny and Lena's wedding day), this is what we found: 

After adventures on the island, we had to go put our suits on. With the private nature of the wedding, I will not share too much, but I will say as someone that has attended and entertained countless weddings, it was the most intimate and beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. Congrats to my friends Danny and Lena O'Hanley!

The next day, I went on a solo adventure where I explored the towns of Perissa, Fira (the capitol of Santorini), and Oio, where I found more shops, restaurants, and beaches. Below are pictures from the town of Kamari where I found quite a wonderful boardwalk and Black Sand beaches: 

The next day, I flew back to Athens, had a layover in Istanbul, then back to the States via Dulles International Airport. The journey I had just completed was one that I will remember forever. I must thank Danny and Lena for the honor of having me be apart of two great and important milestones in their lives. It truly was an honor and I learned so much in the process. 

For more information or pictures, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @MatthewBDavey or shoot me an email at mdavey@historicshockoe.org. Thank you for reading! 

Moving Richmond forward with Tourism!

When I traveled to sixteen cities last July, I was on a mission. My goal was to find some great entertainment districts that possessed a thriving tourism industry. Every city I went to had an entertainment district adjacent to their downtown, was along their riverfront, and was heavily populated with restaurants and attractions, often times including a sporting facility. 

When I think about what district describes that best in our city, I think Shockoe.

Now before we dive into this whole discussion, we must first look at the big picture. The city of Richmond only has but so much land it can develop. Unfortunately, we cannot annex eastern Henrico, so we have to make due with what we have. 

Our land area is extremely small in comparison to the cities with which we aim to compete. As we move forward, we have to develop our land areas as densely as possible while creating the most revenue, attracting companies to move here, and fight to alleviate poverty with the revenue created to fund schools, transportation, and public safety. We must do what is best for our city now, by developing our city the best way possible, by creating the best and most possible sources of revenue, and get people shopping and visiting in our City. 

Economically, we have to think about our city's demands.

Right now, it needs a flourishing entertainment district and a tax-generating retail district. We must first develop Shockoe in such a way that tourism can thrive and create new opportunities. Should the city purchase a municipal bond to pay for flood mitigation and a stadium, that flood mitigation and stadium attracts development. 

Keep that point in mind, developers see the stadium as an attraction around which they would like to invest their money. That development is then taxed, which in turn pays off the municipal bond. 

It is the same concept as a small business receiving a loan and then that small business paying off that loan with the returns that invested loan created. Needless to say, this plan pays for itself. This plan establishes Shockoe as Richmond's entertainment district, a district which could in turn see growth in the tourism industry. 

With the stadium in Shockoe, that leaves 60 acres of land on the Boulevard available for retail development. Developing the Boulevard with retail fosters competition with the counties (probably why they don't support a stadium in Shockoe) and gives the city tax revenue that the counties right now have to spend on their schools, their roads, and their public safety. 

Leaving the Stadium on the Boulevard means there is not 60 acres for development, it means Shockoe gets left the way it is because developers no longer have the attraction they want to develop around, and then businesses will close down because they will finally lose their hope for a revitalized Shockoe. Furthermore, the fabled idea of developing Shockoe as a Jamestown-like tourist destination in a city of our size does not create the revenue or development we need. Shockoe is also not big enough for the type of retail development that could go on the Boulevard. 

I'll elaborate on that later.

There is a demand for retail in our city and there are retail businesses that want a place to open up shop in the city to tap into that demand. For those of us that live in the city, we must often travel to the counties to shop for basic needs. 

For instance, when it's time to do my Christmas shopping, I make the dreaded trek to Short Pump because it has the best and most options. The city needs something that competes with Short Pump's retail. Desperately!

Developing the Boulevard without retail would not create the revenue our City needs nor does it fill our demand for shopping. Trying to develop retail around the Diamond does not create enough revenue that our City needs and again leaves Shockoe behind. Basically, the two ideas go hand in hand.

Back to Shockoe. With a stadium and it's accompanying development, the area becomes more valuable for future development and businesses. Storefronts that are currently empty will see more businesses move in. All of these businesses would then have to pay taxes, in turn growing the tax revenue of the city even more, revenue that could also be spent on new schools and light rail. 

More family-friendly restaurants will move in to replace the select few failing nightclubs that aren't even open during daytime festivals. The over exaggerated stigma about crime in Shockoe will be replaced with an excitingly safe environment because the dark parking lots will be replaced with a Stadium, Kroger, Hyatt, and apartments. 

All of sudden, because of this new boom in business growth, you see companies moving in who want to conduct family friendly tours of the area, ideas like year-round carriage rides and walking tours, ideas that you might see in cities like Charleston or Savannah. The story of Shockoe's history could be told to a newly excited visitor. With the Slavery and Freedom Museum and Heritage Site, the story of Shockoe's dark past and bright future can be told. At two other museums, the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and Virginia's Holocaust survivors are already being told. Another museum could open up to highlight the contributions of William Byrd (the founder of Richmond) and William Mayo (who laid out Richmond's original street grid in Shockoe). 

Then, you could start connecting with attractions in Church Hill and Capitol Hill. All of this would make the Canal Walk and Riverfront more valuable. You could then see hotels and restaurants popping up along the Canal and a riverfront trail from Rockett's Landing to Brown's Island. You could see major improvements to Chapel Island. You could see an Arena go in the old Fulton Gas Works, which would then entice development to connect Tobacco Row with Rockett's Landing. The Coliseum could then be sold to a BioTech company. City Stadium could be turned into mixed-use residential. So on and so forth. 

By doing all of this, Shockoe becomes Richmond's place for fun and tourism.

You see, the master plan of Richmond should not be viewed as each project individually, you have to think about multiple individual projects working together to better our city. The real question here is, are you for or against a vibrant downtown? Our motto moving forward should be this: Protect History and Promote Progress!

Shockoe Valley Redevelopment

This one will be brief. Just want to share with you my "design" for a new Shockoe Valley.

This design will foster a tourism industry that will compete with cities like Memphis, Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, and others. All of these cities have thriving entertainment districts and thriving tourism industries.

I know, I just visited them.

To get a better understanding of the design, read the "Comparing Richmond" articles I wrote for Richmond.com while I was on my travels. Also, feel free to read the previous blogs that talk more in-depth about the overall idea.

If you like these concepts, check out these Facebook pages:

RVA Regulated Entertainment District
Historic Shockoe Valley Entertainment District
Midtown Boulevard Retail District

If you have done similar research, feel free to comment on your thoughts. Thanks!

Comparing Richmond: RVA vs 11 River Cities

The fourth and final week of #SGT26 was a short drive home for me and Traveller. We had just two stops in Charleston and Wilmington, before bringing the party home to the Capital Ale House Music Hall, which by the way, was a great time. 

Thank you to all those that came to support the Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity!

Back to Charleston and Wilmington. When it came to their entertainment districts, Charleston and Wilmington were very similar to River Street in Savannah. Charleston has East Bay Street and Wilmington has Front Street. Very active riverfront entertainment districts. Both very fun and very beautiful. 

Now, for those of you that have been following along this past month, I have traveled to some pretty great cities and I have researched a lot for Richmond. Brace yourself, cause here comes the summary!

Week One brought me to two great Cordish properties inLouisville and Kansas City. Their "Live!" concept and knack for developing entertainment districts is impeccable. Using Cordish to redevelop the four blocks that intersect at 18th and Main would be a great way to "restart" and re-brand the Historic Shockoe Valley District. 

With the two blocks west of 18th, you could have the actual "RVA Live!" concept that surrounds bars around an open air courtyard. Walnut Alley could extend from 17th Street to 19th Street. Everything between it and Main Street would be torn down, aside from the restaurants that have store fronts on 17th Street. 

New store fronts would then be zoned and built for restaurants along 17th Street between Cary and Main, following the north end of Cary Street to 18th Street, then along 18th Street to Walnut Alley. 

This gives "RVA Live!" a "horseshoe" shape with a courtyard in the middle. You would then build the "RVA Live!" stage behind the store fronts facing Cary Street. Being that most Cordish properties are two stories, you would connect the second story with two pedestrian bridges across Main Street. 

The southeast block of 18th and Main would be cleared to allow for a parking deck with a rooftop park like I saw in Kansas City. The northeast block would be torn down and made available for a large retail space like a grocery store or theater, with a rooftop pool, like I saw in Kansas City (The Jones Pool was actually on top of a Cosentino's Market). This completes my Cordish potential for influence in the Historic Shockoe Valley District. 

Then, finish the Main Street Corridor from 19th Street to Poe's Pub with restaurants and shops on both sides of the road to resemble Charleston and Wilmington's East Bay and Front Streets. 

Week Two took me to Oklahoma City and San Antonio, which have beautiful Canal and River Walks. Both of these cities have restaurants, hotels, and shops, lining their waterways. Our Canal Walk is currently vacant. There is absolutely no reason why restaurants and hotels can't straddle both sides of our Canal Walk from the flood wall opening near 17th Street to 12th Street. The Canal Walk should be one of the most vibrant areas in Downtown Richmond, well into the night. If it were, I'm sure Venture Richmond would leave the canal boats running well past 7pm.

Week Three took me to New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Savannah. These gave me a mixture of ideas. New Orleans really only gave me one idea: Walnut Alley be turned into a miniature Bourbon Street (minus the pure lawlessness). The north side of Walnut Alley could have a French Quarter feel with the narrow alley and second story balconies from restaurants and hotels. 

Jacksonville has a very unique River Walk that runs along the Jacksonville River on both sides. Now here in Richmond, we have the James River. There needs to be more emphasis on the north side of the James River. A River Walk should stretch from the moorings at Rockett's Landing, along the river (including Chapel Island, which is in the Riverfront Plan as a large park space), to Brown's Island. A loop could be created to include the Canal Walk with connection points at Great Shiplock Park and Haxall Point where the Christopher Newport Monument is currently located. This should be the most stressed portion of the City's Riverfront Plan. Get it done before 2015, when our city is on the world stage!

The other two parts of Jacksonville (I learned a few things there), are the downtown sports complex and thetransportation network. You may have seen this in the Week Three article. Main Street Station would be perfect as a transportation hub for light rail and bus rapid transit to connect with the soon to come, High Speed Rail. And the ever so controversial ballpark (which I believe should be mulit-purpose for baseball and football, should VCU finally create a football program) be placed where it has been proposed and then an arena just on the other side of Broad Street, with a parking deck placed just north of it right next to the interstate off-ramp. 

Traffic could be better regulated with lane control lights that can change the direction of traffic based on time of day or traffic volumes. 

And Savannah, beautiful Savannah. The Farmer's Market needs to copy the City Market in Savannah. It is pedestrian only with restaurants and shops on either side of the open air market that gives way for al fresco dining and outdoor festivals. Pretty sure we love our festivals. Tearing down the Farmer's Market would also make ideas like the Bacon Festival a lot more spacious. But let's be serious, the Bacon Festival needed to include all of Shockoe, cause that thing was huge. 

And finally, the ABC ordinances in Kansas City, San Antonio, and Savannah. This was a very large part of my research, and the reason why I chose those three cities to be my weekend cities, In these cities, I spent four days each and had meetings with several city officials. In all three cities, their ordinances that make their alcohol laws more liberal also give their municipalities more regulation power, making it easier for them to crack down on the knuckleheads. Their tourism industries thrive with sold out hotels, packed restaurants, and numerous touring concepts like carriage rides, walking tours, and well used trolleys (heck, bring back the street cars!). 

I would like to clarify that I don't drink, but I recognize the entertainment value that progressively liberal alcohol laws bring to the tourism industry. 

As I brought the tour home and toured my own city as if I had never been here before, there was one clear difference. I tried to go for a run along the James River, but could not do so without encountering multiple obstacles. In all 11 of these River Cities I visited, they all had easily accessible River Walks that were well-lit, paved with either concrete or asphalt, and right next to the river and the downtown entertainment district. This is something that needs to be severely stressed in our city. As active as we are with support from organizations like SportsBackers and the RVA Road Runners Club, this needs to happen, very soon! 

Feel free to learn more about all my proposals by checking out my blog at mrrvatourism.blogspot.com. You may find a few Facebook pages that have not at all been promoted, but surprise! Now you know about them.

Follow me on Instagram (DJmFace) and look for the hashtag #RVAred. Pay close attention to all pictures taken on August 1st. You will find that I took a few pictures of places around town, mostly Shockoe, and then referred to places in my travels. Go check it out and you will see what I mean. 

Over the course of the next couple days, weeks, months, years, I will be meeting with city officials and civic leaders. My goal will be to advocate for the changes I have described which will help us compete with the cities in my travels, by developing the Historic Shockoe Valley District as the city's tourism centerpiece. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at mdavey@thedaveycompany.com. Thank you for reading!

Comparing Richmond: RVA vs Houston, NOLA, JAX, and Savannah!

The third week of #SGT26 was a trip from Texas to the Atlantic Ocean. Traveller and I had some real bonding time as we spent a lot of time on the road. We even traveled through the night on one occasion. Good times. 

Leaving San Antonio, we ventured to the largest city in Texas, and the last city in Texas on the trip, Houston. It, along with the next three cities on the trip had a lot in common. They all had major league professional sports, with sport complexes, right in the heart of downtown. This is a concept that I think Richmond really needs to grasp. More on that later. 

Houston is a wonderful town. The first place I visited was Live! at Bayou Place. This is another Cordish property which was developed out of an old convention center. Unlike the other Cordish properties I had visited on the trip, this was all indoors. I maintain that the Power & Light District in Kansas City is my favorite. After Bayou Place, I headed over to Midtown, which is where my gig was that evening. Midtown Houston is a sprawling mixed-use development right next to downtown with apartments on top of shops and restaurants. It was kind of like an urban version of Short Pump, but not so far away. Urban Renewal at its best. It's time we tear down the Diamond and create the Boulevard Retail District with apartments, shops, and restaurants. 

There was one cool thing I found in Houston. While I was entertaining a crowd at the Front Porch Pub, about 10 people came in dressed in biking attire. I asked why they were all dressed like that and they answered, "Pedal Party!" What is a Pedal Party? I'll tell you. It is a bike contraption that seats about 10 people and it is considered a "mobile venue". Yes, that means it has its own alcohol license, thus the on-board keg. Though you cannot walk the streets of Houston with a drink in your hand, you are welcome to rent the Pedal Party (it's a thing) and bar hop via bike from one place to the next. Now, I don't know that the alcohol laws in Virginia would allow this, but I think with our active town and the World Cycling Championship coming in 2015, it would be cool to have.

On to the French Quarter! 

Now, I didn't have a lot of time in New Orleans, but one thing is for certain. The alcohol laws in Louisiana pretty much don't exist. The French Quarter is pure lawlessness. Its just nuts. Walking down Bourbon Street on a Tuesday night was like another country. That said, I think we could bring a taste of Bourbon Street to Shockoe, but in a small dose. Maybe we could turn the small alley where Alley Katz used to be into a miniature Bourbon Street, but it would have to be strictly regulated by City Council. Just a thought, but let's not get too crazy. I walked into a convenience store and yep, there is liquor next to the cigarettes. This is made possible through privatization of package stores (Still think Gov. McDonnell dropped the ball on this). So much change needs to happen to allow Virginia to compete. By no means do I propose that Shockoe be turned into the French Quarter and nor would I ever propose that Virginia just completely tear up the alcohol laws we have in place and adopt the Louisiana laws. It would never happen. I'll get more into what I do propose shortly.

Traveller and I left the French Quarter at 1am for a long drive toJacksonville, Florida. It was my one and only overnight drive. I got to the Mississippi border in an hour, then the Alabama border in an hour, then the Florida border in an hour. Maybe it was my timing, but there really wan't a whole lot going on at 5am on the Gulf Coast. After crossing back into the Eastern Time Zone and a few pit-stops, we finally made it to Jacksonville around 2pm.

Jacksonville is gorgeous and it was great to be back on the East Coast. Three key things I'm going to highlight about Jacksonville. They are an active town, they have a great transportation network, and they have a sports complex right next to downtown. 

First, they have a River Walk on both side of the Jacksonville River and two beautiful bridges that were pedestrian friendly. One of the bridges had blue lights on it, which was pretty cool. This made for an amazing night run. It's a street runner's paradise. So when Richmond finally joins the old pedestrian bridge from Brown's Island to Manchester, put some cool lights on it and call it a day. Thank you Kathleen Watkins! 

Second, they have light rail and it is connected with an inner-city Bus Rapid Transit depot. Hello Main Street Station. And the light rail is above ground held up by concrete posts that are probably no bigger that 8 feet in circumference. Why can we not at least have one track follow Broad Street from Church Hill to Short Pump, with Main Street Station being the central terminal for mass transit in the metropolitan area. At each stop, you could have mini bus terminals. And these systems would run all night so me and Tara McDermott don't have to be DD for everyone! 

Third, they have a sports complex right next to downtown. They have a minor league baseball stadium right next to an arena. Not only should the Diamond be torn down, but the Coliseum needs to go as well. Put a multi-purpose stadium south of Broad to Franklin Street between 18th and the Train Trestle; then put an arena north of Broad to Marshall Street between 18th and the Train Trestle. Parking decks north of the arena along Oliver Hill Way. Now for the arena, you might have to tear down a couple apartment buildings, but I'm sure there are a few empty warehouses that the current property owners and residents would find suitable for relocation reciprocity. Not to mention the money Richmond would make by selling the Coliseum property to a Bio-Tech company and the Diamond to a mixed-use property developer. Hello, Tax Revenue for Schools and Roads. And for you NASCAR Fans, lets throw up a NASCAR museum at the corner of 18th and Grace. There is an empty lot there. You're welcome Gonzalo Aida!

Whipping cross the border, Florida into Georgia. 

Next stop, Savannah. 

Savannah, believe it or not, is smaller than Richmond. It is very similar to us. Take Richmond, make it flat, cut out downtown, and then push Church Hill, the Fan, and Carytown together, and then you would have Savannah. It is a town that stayed true to it's history and decided not to develop into a larger city. The same Victorian style homes that litter Church Hill and the Fan, litter the Historic District of Savannah. One thing that Savannah has down a lot better than Richmond: A thriving Tourism industry. Historic Carriage Tours, Walking Tours, Trolley Tours, Ghost Tours, Bike Tours, Segway Tours, Riverboat Cruises, and more. The City of Savannah in fact has a test that every tour guide has to take in order to give a historic tour of Savannah. Sure Richmond has a few of these things, but not to the scale of Savannah. We have more history than Savannah and have a larger population! What's up with that!? 

Oh and then there is the Alcohol Ordinance. In 1998, the City of Savannah decided to write its own Alcohol Ordinance. In fact, the State of Georgia allows municipalities to regulate alcohol on a local level rather than making it just a state regulation. If you want to be a restaurant and sell alcohol in Savannah, you have to first get a license from the city, then you apply for a state license. Funny how that works right? Oh and the food to alcohol ratio thing? If you sell more than 50% alcohol, you are a bar and can only be open to those 21 and up, and you cannot be open on Sundays. If you sell more than 50% food, you are considered a restaurant and can be open to anybody and can be open on Sundays. Then they have a hybrid license and package store licenses. I could go on and on about this. 

Then there is this little idea that we have seen on my trip in a couple places. The idea that you can walk from bar to bar with a drink in hand. 

So I can take a carriage ride with a Bloody Mary? Yes. 

Can I walk from City Market (which is what the Farmer's Market could be) to River Street and hop on a Savannah Riverboat Cruise (Rockett's Landing could use these) with my beer? Yes. 

Can I act a fool and do something stupid because I'm intoxicated? No, that is still illegal. 

From Jones Street to River Street in the Historic District, you can walk from bar to bar with a drink in your hand as long as you do so in a responsible manner and your drink is in a plastic cup. The Savannah famous to-go cup law. Needless to say, I had a few meetings with city officials. 

So why does Savannah have a more thriving tourism industry when they have half our population and not quite as much history? My research boils down to more liberal alcohol laws with strict local regulation on establishments (restaurants and bars), better transportation systems, cleaner streets, prettier walk-ways, and a higher emphasis on tourism-related activities like Carriage Rides, the Old Towne Trolley Tours, and entertainment. Savannah is just more fun. Richmond can top that!

Here is what I propose: Shockoe be revamped into a Historic Entertainment District. The area would include Brown's Island, Shockoe Slip, Shockoe Bottom, Tobacco Row, and Rockett's Landing. Turn the Farmer's Market into an area similar to the City Market in Savannah. Turn Chapel Island into a large park. A River Walk from Rockett's Landing to Brown's Island. Finish the development of the Canal Walk. A Stadium and an Arena right in the heart of Shockoe. Create an RVA Live! concept that would encompass the four blocks intersecting at 18th and Main. And yes, an ordinance that would allow for to-go cups in this district alone. I think even my friend Shannon Crockett would like this new place in Richmond. The Historic Shockoe Valley District. The end. Thank you again, Katy Phillips. 

That just about does it for this segment. Oh and again, all of these cities have well-lit running trails along the riverfront. As a runner, I will keep stressing this. 

Look for my article next week as I bring the journey home and perhaps another article to summarize the whole trip. Follow my tour with #SGT26 and follow my research with #RVAred. I'm on all social media platforms as DJ mFace, so follow me to learn more and see more.

Don't forget! This Thursday (August 1st) is the Finale Show at the Capital Ale House Music Hall to support Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity. Tickets are on sale at sgt26.eventbrite.com for $10 until July 31st, then they are $15 at the door. Bring friends!

Comparing Richmond: RVA vs OKC, Austin, and San Antonio!

The second week of #SGT26, I traveled through Oklahoma City and a good portion of Texas. Richmond, I have seen a lot this week. There was a lot to be learned and there were a few surprises.

Departing Kansas City was a sad day for I had such a great time and I definitely plan on going back. As the tour continued, Traveller and I ventured through Kansas. Yes, it is as flat as they say and yes, it is quite gorgeous. However, if you plan on travelling on the interstate, make sure you bring lots of toll money, because it cost me $12 just to drive through Kansas, on top of however much it cost me in gas.

Upon my arrival in Oklahoma City, I went to the entertainment district known as Bricktown. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Oklahoma City has an entertainment district?" Why yes, yes it does. And a rather nice one at that. Bricktown is situated just east of downtown, just like Shockoe is in Richmond.

Bricktown also has a canal walk.

Now, their canal walk stretches for about 2 miles (I know because I ran on it) and it is a little more developed than ours with several restaurants and shops. Guess what else is in this little place they call Bricktown? Yes ladies and gentleman, there is a ballpark. So let's just make sure we are all on the same page, an entertainment district with a canal walk and a ballpark. Hmm, sounds like something familiar. Oh right, it’s what Shockoe could be once it hosts a ballpark.

The Bricktown Canal Walk would be a great model for Venture Richmond, the nonprofit organization that runs the Canal Walk in Richmond, to learn from and grow our own Canal Walk. I think it is perfectly feasible for the Canal Walk in Richmond to have businesses on both sides, from Brown's Island to the Flood Wall near 17th Street. Oh and allow me to reiterate, there is a ballpark in this entertainment district. This is my call to action, let's make it happen!

Next stop was Dallas. I wasn't very impressed with Dallas as they did not have a clear entertainment district, which shocked me being that Dallas is a pretty large Southern city. I also like the Redskins, so saying anything nice about Dallas could be classified as treason. I will say they do have a nice running trail known as the Katy Trail. It is apparently a converted railroad bed that they paved over and made a nice 5-mile running trail in its place. Great concept. I'm sure there is somewhere in Richmond that has an unused railroad track.

On to Austin, Texas. I swear this is the sister city of Richmond. There are a lot of similarities. It’s the capitol city of Texas. It has a few major universities. There is a great music scene, there is your eclectic strip of bars, and then there is your hipster village. The end. Thank you, Katy Phillips.

Ok, so Richmond wants to develop Grace Street. I think they could take the model of Sixth Street and apply it to Grace. Here is the way Sixth Street flows: west of Congress you have your classier restaurants; east of Congress you have your more rambunctious bars and clubs, more of the younger crowd; then you go even further and you are in the hipster village complete with permanent food truck parks. Grace could follow the same model with west of Harrison: hipster village.

Harrison to Belvidere: rambunctious bars and clubs for the VCU kids. Belvidere to Sixth Street: classy restaurants for the Convention Center and downtown professionals. You're welcome, Grace Street!

And for the crown and jewel of the second week, San Antonio. My focal point: the San Antonio Riverwalk. This is what the Canal Walk dreams of becoming. I still think the Canal Walk in OKC is more realistic, but it's ok to dream. First off, the Riverwalk has been around for more than 50 years and has been an integral part of city planning. Just a block away from the Alamo Plaza, the San Antonio Riverwalk hosts countless restaurants, clubs, hotels, an outdoor theater, river cruises and water taxis. While I was on the Riverwalk, I had some great authentic Mexican food, I got a margarita to-go (only a couple places are allowed to do this with a very expensive license), walked on the Riverwalk with a beer (this is only allowed on the Riverwalk, but you can't take alcohol into bars like you can in Kansas City), took an hour-long and very entertaining river cruise, and I saw a couple get engaged (the Riverwalk is quite a romantic place). There is also a little place they call, "Marriage Island." That doesn't really need an explanation.

So what can Richmond learn? Well first, they could build more restaurants on the Canal Walk. They could also build hotels, allow alcohol on the Canal Walk in plastic cups or cans (apparently you can buy a six pack at the store and walk around with it), have enough restaurants and hotels on the Canal Walk to make it necessary to provide a water taxi service, and make a little island where couples can have a small wedding.

Spoiled by Kansas City, I did try and seek out a rooftop pool. I did find one, but it was part of a hotel and it was not quite as exciting. In fact, a lot of the hotels on the Riverwalk have rooftop pools, but they aren't nearly as fun as the Jones Pool in KC. It was, however, good to catch a few rays with a view.

Again, all of these cities have a river trail for running (except Dallas, which has the Katy Trail).

Alright, that just about does it for this week.

Look for my article next week as I head east to Savannah and hit up a few spots along the way. Follow my tour with #SGT26 and follow my research with #RVAred. I'm on all social media platforms as DJ mFace, so follow me to learn more and see more.

Don't forget to check out my Finale Show at the Capital Ale House Music Hall on Aug. 1 to support Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity. Tickets are on sale at sgt26.eventbrite.com for $10 until July 26th, after that they are $15 at the door. Bring friends!

Comparing Richmond: RVA vs Louisville, St. Louis, and Kansas City!

On July 8, I set out on a 26-day journey to 16 cities across the southeastern United States to support Habitat for Humanity affiliates and learn a few things from each city.

This first week was an adventure to Kansas City with three cities on the way. And I have already seen so much. Let's dive right into it, shall we?

Traveller (my car which is so cleverly named after Robert E. Lee's loyal horse) and I left Richmond a week ago and our first stop was Charleston, W.Va.

On the way there, we of course had to make a pit stop in Lexington, Va., to see the resting of place of the actual Traveller at Lee's Chapel. Continuing on, the ride through West Virginia was absolutely gorgeous with mountain views and river valleys, we (Yes, I am including Traveller) reached Charleston around 3 p.m. on a Monday.

I'm going to be honest. There is not a whole lot to do in Charleston on a Monday. It's kind of quiet. So, if that's what you are looking for, go to Charleston on Monday. I will say, the run along the Kanawha River was pretty awesome. As my stepmother would say, moving onward!

On Tuesday, the trip through Kentucky to Louisvillehosted amazing views of rolling hills and beautiful fields. Rolling into Louisville, you are greeted by the Ohio River on your right and the pretty skyline in front of you.

I parked Traveller on Main Street and walked to what I am came there for, Louisville Live! This is an entertainment district designed by the Cordish Companies (we will talk about them again later) complete with several entertaining bars, restaurants, and a street that easily converts into a stage.

Unfortunately, I was in town on a Tuesday and this place is only hopping on the weekends. Louisville Live! is an amazing concept, as are a lot of the Cordish properties. Another part of Louisville, and where my gig was, is called the Highlands.

If Carytown and the Fan had a baby, you would get the Highlands. It's two miles of bars, restaurants and shops. And just like Richmond, it hosts quite an eclectic mix of people and atmospheres. I would definitely come back to Louisville!

My next stop was St. Louis.

Rolling down the western portion of 64 (yes, it goes that far), I was welcomed to the STL by the oh-so-amazingGateway Arch. Of course I checked it out, calm down. I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you that it's 630 feet tall and wide, and it has an observation deck (great view!).

The next thing I saw was Busch Stadium, and baseball was in my face for the duration of my stay in St. Louis. They love the Cardinals. If you think we are crazy about the Squirrels, child please! Their stadium is also built downtown. There are a few advantages to this I noticed.

First, their traffic plan is well thought out with a good flow of one way streets. Two, parking is abundant. Three, if the stadium is full, you can just watch the game from the 360 Rooftop Bar.

This got me thinking. Wouldn't it be cool to watch a Squirrels game from the observation deck at City Hall or from one of the office buildings downtown. I think we should also recruit a rooftop bar as well (more on that later).

If we leave the stadium at the Boulevard, these ideas would not be possible. I was lucky enough to be in the STL on a game day, so I got to see what it’s like in a town with a ballpark in a downtown setting. People everywhere, the Gateway Arch was crawling with Cardinals fans, bars were busy, and then when it was game time everyone headed to Busch.

Bars were still somewhat busy, but when the game was over, bars were packed again! The lesson learned from this: Shockoe Bottom would benefit greatly from a stadium. PS, the Mississippi River is huge.

The week ended with amazement in Kansas City. I can't even begin to describe how awesome Kansas City is.

I know some of you are reading this like, "Really, Kansas City?” Yes, really! Remember how we talked about the Cordish Companies? They come into play here.

In 2006, people worked downtown, but after that, they went home. In 2007, that all changed. There was a wasting away area of town known as the Power & Light District, which was like an emptier version of Shockoe Bottom.

There was nothing there. But then, the mayor of Kansas City called on the Cordish Companies to fix it.

Today, the Power & Light District is a booming entertainment district that I can only briefly explain, or I could write a book, which ever you prefer.

It is anchored by the Sprint Center, which is a basketball arena that seats more than 18,000 people (Richmond needs this!). Right next to it is what is known as the KC Live! block.

Louisville Live! was pretty cool, but this blows it out of the water.

There are 16 bars that surround an open-air courtyard (with a roof in case it rains) that hosts its own bar known as the Living Room, and of course there is a full concert stage as well.

My favorite part: People can walk from bar to bar with a drink in their hand. How is this possible?

Well, the Cordish Companies got a special entertainment district permit passed through the Missouri General Assembly that allows patrons of the KC Live! block to go from bar to bar with a plastic cup filled with alcohol.

Unfortunately, you can't leave the KC Live! block with your drink like you might be able to do in Savannah. There are a couple more blocks of bars, restaurants, and shops in the P&L.

One more thing I need to highlight about this district. Across the street from the KC Live! block is a parking deck.

Now, this isn't your average parking deck. It shares space with a grocery store. Ok, that's kind of cool. Not done yet. Above the parking deck, there is a green space that is available for event rentals. Yeah, still not done yet. Above the grocery store, yep, rooftop pool with a bar and cabana beds. No big deal.

During the day on the weekends, this place, known as the Jones Pool, is like a daytime club filled with young and attractive people. Needless to say, I was there on Saturday and Sunday. See my Facebook page for photos. Whoever owns the 12th Street garage, take notes and get to work because this needs to happen in Richmond. Or we can just wait until RVA Live! is built right next to Shockoe Stadium?

Ok, so that is the main part of Kansas City that I visited, but I did want to touch on a few other places in the KC.

There is Country Club Plaza, which is what would happen if Carytown and Short Pump had a baby, and what I think would work perfectly for the Boulevard. Then there is Westport, which is like a condensed version of the Fan. Apparently, Kansas City doesn't like long walks on the sidewalk. Then there is the Riverfront.

Did I mention that all four of these cities have running trails along their riverfront? Like right next to it. Can't wait for Richmond to complete the Riverfront Plan!

Well, that covers a good amount of my travels this week.

Look for my article next week as I head south to San Antonio and hit up a few spots along the way.

Follow my tour with #SGT26 and follow my research with #RVAred. I'm on all social media platforms as DJ mFace, so follow me to learn more and see more. Don't forget to check out my Finale Show at the Capital Ale House Music Hall on Aug. 1 to support Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity. Bring friends!