Why You Should Get Married in Richmond.

Virginia is for Lovers. Us Richmonders know and love the phrase. But how much is Richmond itself for lovers? Well, I'm here to tell you that it is certainly the 'heart' of Virginia.

As a local DJ, I have had my share of experiences witnessing love at it's best. I am here to tell you about the best places in downtown Richmond to walk down the aisle, celebrate your marriage with friends and family, and a few unique vendors to add to your special day. With all the history and art culture here in downtown Richmond, there is a little something for everyone, in all three categories.

First up, Best Places for Ceremonies:

St. John's Episcopal Church in Church Hill is perhaps on Richmond's most iconic churches and most historical landmarks. As many know, it is here where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Liberty or Death" speech that sparked the Revolution in Virginia. Something old, right?

Monumental Church. Is one of Richmond most gorgeous churches as it was designed in traditional Greek Rival architecture by Thomas Jefferson's only pupil, Robert Mills. It is a beautiful octagonal shaped building and is non-denominational, so you can bring an officiant of your choosing.

Church Hill Lookout. Perhaps one of the most majestic views of our city's skyline is seen just west of 22nd Street on Grace Street. What used to be home to the WRVA radio station, the overlook from Church Hill is a magnificent place for a ceremony.








Riverfront Plaza. This place may be a bit of a surprise to some of you, but they have a secret courtyard behind the two buildings with a beautiful gazebo. Great place for a ceremony with an urban feel.

St Paul's Episcopal Church at Capitol Square is the church for the true Southerner. It is the church that both Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee attended during the Civil War. It also is a quick walk to the Capitol steps for gorgeous pictures in front of Thomas Jefferson's beautifully designed building.

Next up, Best Places for Receptions:

Tredegar Iron Works. This is by far one of Richmond's most well-kept landmarks to it's industrial past. For those who love history and views of the river, this is  a great place to throw down with friends and family.

Brown's Island. For a place that is already home to many festivals year round, it is no stranger to parties. Why not make your wedding a private festival of your own? This place is perfect for those looking for a ceremony and reception combo. With views of the skyline and the river, the scenery is never ending. You will want to contact Venture Richmond to work out these details.

Main Street Station. For those who love taking a trip through time, or just on a train, this should be your last stop before departing for your honeymoon. And it's in the heart of Shockoe, just in case your bridal party isn't done after the reception.





Center Stage. The newly renovated Carpenter Theater is a Richmond masterpiece. The Rhythm Hall at Center Stage and it's staff is ready for your swanky wedding reception, especially if you are looking to make it a theatrical one.

Jefferson Hotel. There is no hotel in Richmond that is more iconic than the one that bares our third president's name. It's one of the East Coast's few five star hotels, it is conveniently located, and your guests will have a place to stay right upstairs after the you toss the bouquet.

Being a wedding DJ, I have had the joy of entertaining in some of these spaces. Rockin' music and a bow tie since 2003, I like to bring a certain Richmond charm to the weddings I entertain. For me, it's all about adhering to Southern elegance all while rocking the house like your alma mater just won the National Championship game in Football. This brings me to my spitfire list of unique vendors that can bring a little taste of Richmond to your wedding, other than it taking place here. Instead of a wedding cake, switch it up with a tasty treat from Pearl's Cupcakes, you won't regret it. Mosaic Catering and Events, they are foodies just like the rest of us here in Richmond and they not only have food, but also offer decor for your fancy shindig. Richmond was the first city in America to rock the street car; why not ask Richmond Trolley Company to give you and your bridal party a lift from say, Monumental Church to Main Street Station.

There is so much Richmond has to offer 'lovers' looking for a place to tie the knot and there is more than what is just listed here. For more ideas, follow DJ mFace on social media. Thank you for reading!

Three Districts, One City

When traveling across the country, you start to pick up on development trends that work. You begin to realize that visitors flock to certain things and locals flock to other things. One thing I noticed greatly is that these three places are generally different. Locals want a place that isn't too busy, but provides all the accommodations they need like shopping, housing, and dining, all in the same neighborhood. Maybe the younger folks want a small neighborhood they can walk from bar to bar in a residential neighborhood. On the other side, visitors tend to flock to a downtown riverfront where they can venture from restaurant to restaurant, shop to shop, while having the opportunity to get some entertainment in the evening. All of this is done in many cities that I have visited in the past year and half, but none better than Kansas City which has an established downtown entertainment district, a midtown bar scene for locals, and a midtown shopping district, we could learn a lot from them.

First, before we jump right in, I think it's important to note the demographics of Richmond and Kansas City, based solely on population. The City of Richmond by itself has a land area of 54 square miles, which is tiny compared to many cities. However, if you add the county of Henrico, that levels the playing field to 307 square miles with a combined population of 531,000 people. Comparatively, the City of Kansas City is 319 square miles with population of 467,000 people. This brings me to my first comparison.

Kansas City has a focused downtown entertainment destination with the Power & Light District located immediately adjacent to their convention center, their indoor arena (built with the Power & Light), and downtown offices. Within the Kansas City Power & Light District there are several restaurants, shops, a grocery store, a couple theaters, and a rooftop swimming pool. Before 2007, this area was nothing but parking lots. Now the area is expanding by adding high rise apartments, more shops, and more restaurants. When Kansas City hired the Cordish Companies to develop this area, they had a vision to revitalize downtown in such a way to entertain out-of-town guests and give downtown employees a place to unwind. They accomplished this mission with a very vibrant and very busy entertainment district. You may have seen pictures from the KC Live! Block during the World Cup:

This is what Shockoe could be on so many levels. Just imagine this on 17th Street in 4 years (except with the existing restaurants we already have and the pedestrian mall) and how much business it would bring to all the existing restaurants and potential shops in Shockoe. Shockoe could be the place hotels point their guests when they are asking for a place to go. It could be THE place for festivals, sports, sports bars, fun restaurants, fine dining, museums, attractions, canal cruises, guided tours, trolleys, segways, and more. Even Kansas City couldn't offer all these amenities, but we can, if we focus all these ideas in one place. Unfortunately, many West End and Southside residents don't care about tourism and don't care to see Shockoe become this kind of place. Well, this is why we elect leaders to see the big picture for us.

Moving just a few minutes outside of Downtown Kansas City, you come across Westport, which is a lot like the Fan. It is a small little area densely populated with bars and restaurants, and nearby apartments. It also has a little bit of shopping. For the idea of offering young locals a small bar scene, Richmond has this covered in the Fan. In fact, I really couldn't find a better place in other cities that could really compete with the Fan in terms of assortment or abundance of concepts. So, we have that going for us. The Fan is the perfect quiet neighborhood for those who want to escape the traditional downtown scene of tourists. And if you don't think the Fan is quiet, go to New York City's Midtown, your opinion will change.

The next thing Kansas City has is Country Club Plaza which is like a urban shopping and residential neighborhood as seen below:

It's like a blend of Carytown and Short Pump, all inside the City. What our city doesn't have and needs, in order to grow and bring in more taxes to pay for education and mass transit, we need a dense shopping neighborhood inside the City limits that can compete with Short Pump, Willow Lawn, Virginia Center Commons, White Oak, and other Henrico shopping centers. Sure, we have Carytown, but it's not enough to compete, nor does it offer anything that is in Henrico. The Boulevard could be this new shopping district for the West End, Northside, The Fan, and Downtown. However, it could be built as it's own town center with high rise condominiums, stacked retail, ground-level boutique shops, some fine dining, a bridge to the existing Bow-Tie Cinemas, and more. At the same time, you could make Carytown a pedestrian mall and create a shuttle service to and from Midtown Boulevard.

The makes everything west of Downtown a great place for locals and everything downtown and east, a great place for entertainment and tourism. Kansas City focuses their districts in such a way as to maximize each neighborhoods potential. In Richmond, we are all spread out and it's unorganized. We also are very limited on space, so we have to do as much as possible with what we already have.

Some folks say Shockoe doesn't have to be an entertainment district or that it doesn't need a stadium to be one. Well, that just not logical. Richmond needs a downtown location near the high rise offices, near the river, near the hotels, and a place already populated with restaurants. We just need to build on this in such a way as to make it more attractive by renovating the Farmer's Market and the Train Shed, by connecting Rockett's Landing to Brown's Island with the Riverfront plan, and by bringing people to Shockoe with attractions like the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, the Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site, the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the Riverfront Canal Cruises, The Richmond Trolley Tours, and the RVA Segway tours. All these things will bring small numbers of people to the area at different times. Two things will bring large amounts of people at one time, festivals in the Farmer's Market and sports in Shockoe Stadium. These large crowds, as it does in every other city that have similar concepts, will trickle to the other attractions, as well as the existing restaurants and potential retail shops (which we need desperately in Shockoe).

Visitors are simple. They want a place they can point to on a map, see that it has a lot to offer, park their car at their hotel, then walk the streets to find something to do. Shockoe is the most logical place to direct visitors with its existing hotels and restaurants. We just have to make it the vibrant neighborhood that it can potentially be by bringing in as much to do as possible. If there is a concert, sporting event, or festival, at least 5 nights a week, year-round, in Shockoe, than it has become Richmond's entertainment district, because that's what entertainment districts do. And this is what we need to offer both our visitors and our residents.

Shockoe already has a great reputation for festivals with Shockoe Fest, the Bacon Festival, Shockoe on the Half Shell, the Brunswick Stew Festival, and more. It already has many great restaurants with the Tobacco Company, Sam Miller's, Sine Irish Pub, Southern Railway Taphouse, Haxall Point, Casa Del Barco, Halligan's, Havana 59, Rosie Connolly's, On the Rox, Margarita's Cantina, Station 2, and so many more. It has the Riverfront Canal Cruises, the Ghost Tours, the Segway Tours, the Richmond Trolley Tours, and moer. The sad thing is, none of these restaurants or tours are "tourist-destination" busy unless there is a festival in Shockoe. So how do you fix that issue? Make Shockoe a festival all the time!

Shockoe can be a place for tourists and visitors, the Fan and the Boulevard can be (slash already is) a place for locals. This is how we must focus our city plan moving forward.

UPDATE:

When I visited Kansas City in July of 2013, I got a lot of insight from the civic leaders and from the Cordish Companies who developed the Power & Light District. It may be important to go into detail of what encompasses the Power & Light District, especially after a few comments I have received. The Power & Light District does in fact include a 20,000 person arena known as the Sprint Center which is often used for basketball tournaments like the NCAA Tournament in March. It is also used for concerts and other events. It is most certainly a economic driver for the Power & Light District as it bring people to the area, then those people have something to do before and after events in the Sprint Center. Sure, some can argue that the Major League sports facilities are in the suburbs, but they provide no economic impact to the surrounding neighborhoods as they are stand-alone facilities that are not built in an entertainment district. Below is a map of the Power & Light District as well as a few pictures I took while I was in Kansas City.

Click on the map to see the legend.

KC Live! Block before opening. Think 17th Street! 

Power & Light model. 

Sprint Center is the cornerstone of the revitalization and renaissance of 

downtown Kansas City

In addition to the arena, the area features condominiums, restaurants, themed bars, movie and live entertainment theaters and mixed retail. Sprint Center is listed among the finest arenas in the country and has become Kansas City’s home for basketball, hockey, concerts, family shows and special events. A public / private partnership between the City of Kansas City and AEG, the $276 million Sprint Center has helped change the face of downtown Kansas City and will be the destination place for sports and live entertainment for many years to come.

Since Opening on Oct. 10, 2007, Sprint Center has exceeded all expectations having hosted more than 750 events and 7 million guests. Having exceeded attendance and financial projections in each year since opening in 2007, AEG/Sprint Center has provided nearly $9.3 million in unanticipated revenue to the City of Kansas City, Mo. through a revenue sharing provision in the arena management agreement.

Anchor to more than $6 billion of reinvestment in a revitalized downtown Kansas City, Mo., Sprint Center is a unique public/private partnership between the city of Kansas City and AEG.

Ariel Shot of the Power & Light from the Cordish offices.

Rooftop park on top of a parking deck.

Rooftop pool on top of a grocery store. 

Typical Thursday night in the Power & Light.

As you can see, the Power & Light District in Kansas City has a lot to offer visitors and residents. Kansas City spent $276 million on an arena that is the anchor to an entertainment district that brings millions of dollars in revenue annually, and we are crying about $79 million? It's an investment we need to make. Shockoe could offer a lot of the same amenities that are offered in the Power & Light District, if not more if we execute on bringing a sporting facility to the neighborhood that can be a venue for not only sports, but also other events as well. It would bring thousands of people to Shockoe on a regular basis and create a vibrancy that would domino into attracting more businesses, more festivals, and more tourists. This is the Shockoe that we need to strive to build!

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!