Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the  of the, in the. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an and not part of any  ( is unrelated, and located more than 53 miles (85 km) away in the northeast region of the ). Richmond is the center of the Richmond (MSA) and the  area. Surrounded by and, the city is located at the intersections of  and  in central Virginia. As of 2006, the city's estimated population is 192,913, with a metro area population of approximately 1.2 million.

The site of Richmond, at the of the  in the  region of, was briefly settled by English settlers from  in 1607, near the site of a significant native settlement. The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737. It became the capital of the in 1780. During the period, several notable events occurred in the city, including 's, "," speech in 1775 at St. John's Church, and the  in 1779; the latter of which was written by  in the city. During the, Richmond served as the capital of the , and many important civil war landmarks remain in the city today.

Richmond's economy is primarily driven by, , and with several notable legal and banking firms, as well as federal, state, and local governmental agenices, located in the downtown area. The Richmond area was ranked 3rd best city for business by in 2007. Richmond is one of twelve cities in the United States to be home to a Bank. There are also nine, and thirteen companies, in the city. Richmond is also home to several smaller companies which contribute to its small town, friendly, southern atmosphere.

Residents of the city are commonly referred to as Richmonders, and they may refer to their city in everyday language as, RVA, RIC, (its ) or The 804 (its ).

History
In 1606, granted a  to the  to settle colonists in. After the first permanent settlement was established in April, 1607, at,  and  led explorers northwest up the , and on , , erected a cross on one of the small islands in the middle of the part of the river that runs through today's downtown area. The first permanent settlement within the present limits of the city was made in 1609 in the district known as Rockett's. Before 1607, Indian tribes of the had lived in the region. For centuries, the tribe recognized the value of this site, rich in natural beauty. They knew it as a place to hunt, fish, play, and trade, and they called it "Shocquohocan,", or Shockoe.

Later the same year, Captain Smith bought a tract of land on the east bank of the river from the Indians, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the initial settlement. He named this tract, "Nonesuch," and attempted to establish a small garrison, which was later abandoned due to ongoing attacks by the Indians. In 1645, Fort Charles was erected at the falls of the James – the highest navigable point of the James River – as a frontier defense. New settlers moved in, and the community grew into a bustling trading post for furs, hides, and tobacco.

In 1673, was granted lands on the James River that included the area around Falls that would become Richmond and already included small settlements. Byrd was a well-connected Indian trader in the area and established a fort on the site. inherited his father's land in 1704, and in 1737 founded the town of Richmond at the Falls of the James and commissioned to lay out the original town grid. Byrd named the city Richmond after the town of in England (a suburb of London) because the view of the James River was strikingly similar to the view of the  from Richmond, England, where he had spent time during his youth. The settlement was laid out in April, 1737, and was incorporated as a town in 1742.

Revolutionary War
In 1775, delivered his famous, "," speech in  in Richmond that was crucial for deciding Virginia's (then the largest of the 13 colonies) participation in the  and setting the course for revolution and independence. , who would soon write the, and , who would soon command the ,and Ajoya Speight were in attendance at this critical moment on the path to the.

On, , as Virginia’s population moves further west, the state capital was moved from the colonial capital of to Richmond, to provide a more centralized location for commerce, as well as to isolate the capital from British attack. In 1781, under the command of, Richmond was burned by British troops causing Governor Thomas Jefferson to flee the city. Yet Richmond shortly recovered and, by 1782, Richmond was once again a thriving city.

In 1786, one of the most important and influential passages of legislation in American history was passed at the temporary state capital in Richmond, the. Written by and sponsored by, the statute was the basis for the separation of church and state, and led to  for all Americans as protected in the religion clause in the 's. Its importance is recognized annually by the President of The United States, with January 16 established as.

The building, designed by  and, was completed in 1788. It is the second-oldest US statehouse in continuous use (Maryland's is the oldest) and was the first US government building built in the Roman style of architecture, setting the trend for other state houses and the federal government buildings (including the  and ) in. The state capitol is one of thirteen in the without a dome and underwent a complete renovation which was completed in May 2007.

After the revolutionary war, Richmond emerged an important industrial center; it also became a crossroads of transportation and commerce, much of this tied to its role as a major hub in the. proposed and received the support of the Virginia legislature for the establishment of the, the first system to be established in the U.S. The canal allowed goods and services coming up the James River to be navigated around the falls at Richmond and connect Richmond and the eastern part of Virginia with the west. As a result Richmond became home to some of the largest manufacturing facilities in the country, including iron works and flour mills, the largest facilities of their kind in the south. Canal traffic peaked in the 1860s and slowly gave way to railroads, allowing Richmond to become a major railroad crossroads, eventually including the site of the world's first triple railroad crossing. The Canal officially ceased operations in the 1880s, although portions of the canal have been preserved and rebuilt by 1998–1999, spurring tourism and economic development along the old canal route in downtown Richmond.

Civil War and Reconstruction


The resistance to the slave trade was growing by the mid-nineteenth century; in one famous case in 1848, made history by having himself nailed into a small box and shipped from Richmond to abolitionists in, escaping slavery.

At the outbreak of the in 1861, the strategic location of the  was one of the primary factors in the decision to make Richmond the Capital of the Confederacy. From this arsenal came the 723 tons of armor plating that covered the, the world’s first used in war, as well as much of the Confederates' heavy  machinery. In February, 1861, was inaugurated as  of the  in, the first Confederate capital. In the early morning of, , the Confederate army fired on in , and the Civil War had begun. On, , Virginia seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States, and soon thereafter the Confederate government moved its capital to Richmond.

The Seven Days Battle, in which Union General McClellan threatened Richmond and came very near but ultimately failed to take the city, followed in late June and early July of 1862. Three years later on, , and the Union Army captured Richmond, and the state capital was then relocated to. Six days later, 's retreating surrendered to Grant at, symbolically ending the war. On, , about 25% of the city's buildings were destroyed in a fire set by retreating Confederate soldiers. Union soldiers put out the fires as they entered the city.

After the Civil War, Richmond entered a phase of recovery and reconstruction. was laid out in 1887, with a series of monuments at various intersections honoring the city's Confederate heroes, included (east to west), , , , and. Richmond's is the final resting place of both Stuart and Davis.

Contributing to Richmond's industrial reconstruction was the first successful electrically-powered system in the United States, the. Designed by electric power pioneer, the trolley system opened its first line in 1888, and electric streetcar lines rapidly spread to other cities. Sprague's system used an overhead wire and trolley pole to collect current, with electric motors on the car's trucks.

Twentieth Century
By the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the city's population had reached 85,050 in 5 square miles, making it the most densely populated city in the southern United States.

In 1903, African-American businesswoman and financier chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, and served as its first president, as well as the first female bank president in the United States. Today, the bank is called the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, and it is the oldest surviving African-American bank in the U.S. The Governor's School in Richmond City is also dedicated to her name.

In 1910, the former city of was consolidated with the city of Richmond, and in 1914, the city annexed the Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park areas of.

In May of 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the. It was selected due to the city's geographic location, its importance as a commercial and financial center, its transportation and communications facilities, as well as Virginia's leading regional role in the banking business. The bank was originally located near the federal courts downtown and moved to a new headquarters building near the Capitol in 1922, and finally to its present location overlooking the James River in 1978. Richmond's business and industrial development continued throughout the decade, and in 1929,, which began as a British company about 100 years earlier, opened its first US factory in the city. Richmond was chosen because the town's rich tobacco history.

Richmond entered the broadcasting era in late 1925 when, originally known as the Edgeworth Tobacco Station and owned by Larus & Brothers, went on the air. The white ballad singers and black gospel quartets that were popular on the radio at the time were often urban and sometimes even professional men. At the time, Richmond was particularly self-conscious with its southern roots, and such music was seen as culturally inferior.

Several performing arts venues were constructed during the 1920s. In 1926, The Mosque (now called the ) was constructed by the as their Acca Temple Shrine, and since then, many of America's greatest entertainers have appeared on its stage beneath its towering minarets and desert murals. Loew's Theater was built in 1927, and was described as, "the ultimate in 1920s movie palace fantasy design." It later suffered a decline in popularity as the movie-going population moved to the suburbs, but was restored during the 1980s and renamed as the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. In 1928, the was built by local  Fred Bishop on Westhampton Avenue (now called Cary Street) in a residential area of the city. To this day, the Byrd remains in operation as one of the last of the great movie palaces of the 1920s and 1930s.

In his autobiography, "The Moon's A Balloon". Academy award winning actor described how he was on a trip from New York to Florida in the  late 1930s when he decided to spend the night at Richmond's famous, located in downtown Richmond. Niven stated that as he was signing the guest registry at the Jefferson, his eyes snapped open with amazement when he noticed a full sized alligator swimming in a small pool located six feet from the reception desk. Alligators at The Jefferson would become world famous, and the last alligator living in the marble pools of the Jefferson's Palm Court, named Old Pompey, remained there until he died in 1948.

Between 1963 and 1965, there was a, "downtown boom," that led to the construction of more than 700 buildings in the city. In 1968, was created by the merger of the  with the. In 1970, Richmond's borders expanded by an additional 27 square miles (69 km²) on the south. After several years of court cases in which fought annexation, more than 47,000 people who once were Chesterfield County residents found themselves in the city’s perimeters on,.

Between the 1984 and 1985 seasons, the city completed construction of the Diamond, a new  for the, a AAA baseball team in the  minor league system. The park opened on, , replacing the old Parker Field, which previously occupied the same site. Also in 1985, Richmond saw the opening of, a downtown festival marketplace, which was envisioned as a solution to the downtown areas urban erosion. The project ultimately failed, and the shopping center was closed and demolished in 2004.

A multi-million dollar flood wall was completed in 1995, in order to protect the city and the Shockoe Bottom businesses from the rising waters of the James River. After the flood wall was completed, the River District businesses grew rapidly, and today the area is home to much of Richmond's entertainment, dining and nightlife activity.

In 1996, a reminder of Richmond's Confederate history arose amid controversy involved in placing a statue of Richmond native and  star  to the famed series of statues of Confederate heroes of the Civil War on. After several months of controversy, the bronze statue of Ashe was finally completed on Monument Avenue on,.

Twenty-first century
Richmond entered the twenty-first century in the process of undergoing several redevelopment initiatives. The city completed a $52 million restoration of the s, as well as the Haxall Canal, in 1999, which included a Canal Walk, designed to attract businesses such as restaurants and nightclubs to the area. The riverfront project has brought the 1.25-mile corridor back to life, with trendy loft apartments, restaurants, shops and hotels winding along the Canal Walk, along with canal boat cruises and walking tours. Riverfront development continued in April 2003 with the start of construction of Riverside on the James, a 720,000 square foot (66,890 sq m) residential and office complex near Brown's Island between 10th and 12th Streets downtown. The project, costing $90 million, was completed in July 2005, and is expected to attract even more commercial development to the downtown area.

On, , despite 's sustained winds of 40–60 mph (64–96 km/h) the day before, as well as major power outages in the area, the city saw the opening of its first open air shopping center,. The 690,000 square foot (64,103 sq m) center is located off of Stony Point Parkway just south of the James River, and saw the arrival of 45 new stores to the area, including, Galyen's Sporting Goods, and. , a similar shopping center, opened later in the fall in the nearby suburb of.

The next year, in September 2004, swept through the area, bringing with it intense rain, causing severe flooding in the Shockoe Bottom business district, as well as major electrical outages throughout the metropolitan area.

Geography


Richmond is located at 37.53835°N, -77.46151°W (37.538346, -77.461507). According to the, the city has a total area of 62.5 (162.0 ). 60.1 mi² (155.6 km²) of it is land and 2.5 mi² (6.4 km²) of it (3.96%) is water. The city is located in the region of, at the highest navigable point of the James River. The Piedmont region is categorized by relatively low, rolling hills, and lies between the low, sea level region and the. Significant bodies of water in the region include the, the , and the.

The  (MSA), the  in the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond,, , and , as well as the counties of , , , , , , , , and. As of, , the total population of the Richmond&mdash;Petersburg is 1,194,008.

Cityscape


Richmond's original street grid, laid out in 1737, included the area between what are now Broad, 17th, and 25th Streets and the James River. Modern is located slightly farther west, on the slopes of Shockoe Hill. Nearby neighborhoods include, the historically significant and low-lying area between Shockoe Hill and , , a historic neighborhood rich in history and once called, "The Wall Street of Black America," and Monroe Ward, which contains the. Richmond's East End includes neighborhoods like rapidly gentrifying, home to , as well as poorer areas like , Union Hill, and Fairmont, and public housing projects like Mosby Court, Whitcomb Court, Fairfield Court, and Creighton Court closer to.

The area between Belvidere Street,, , and the river, which includes , is socioeconomically and architecturally diverse. North of Broad Street, the Carver and Newtowne West neighborhoods are demographically similar to neighboring, with Carver experiencing some gentrification due to its proximity to VCU. The affluent area between the, Main Street, Broad Street, and VCU, known as the , is home to , an outstanding collection of , and many students. West of the is the Museum District, the location of the  and the. South of the are, , , the predominantly black working class Randolph neighborhood, and white working class. Cary Street between and the  is a popular commercial area called.

Further to the west is the affluent, suburban. There are three major neighborhoods in the West End: Westhampton, Windsor Farms, and Sauer's Gardens. The and the Country Club of Virginia can also be found here.

The portion of the city south of the James River is known as the Southside. Neighborhoods in the city's Southside area range from affluent and middle class suburban neighborhoods like Westover Hills, Southampton, Stratford Hills, Oxford, Huguenot Hills, Hobby Hill, and Woodland Heights to the impoverished and Blackwell areas, the Hillside Court housing projects, and the ailing Jefferson Davis Highway commercial corridor. Other Southside neighborhoods include Fawnbrook, Broad Rock, Cherry Gardens, Cullenwood, and Beaufont Hills. Much of Southside developed a suburban character as part of before being annexed by Richmond, most notably in 1970.

The other side of the city, the Northside, began to develop at the end of the 19th century when the new streetcar system made it possible for people to live on the outskirts of town and still commute to jobs downtown. Several neighborhoods developed here: Ginter Park, Bellevue, Barton Heights, Highland Park, Azalea and Chamberlayne among others.

Climate
Richmond has a with moderate changes of seasons. arrives in March with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. Summer temperatures can be unpleasantly hot, often topping 90 °F with high humidity. On average, July is the warmest month of the year, with the maximum average precipitation. Days stay warm to mild until October, and is marked by nights once again becoming cooler. Winter is usually mild in Richmond, with the coldest days featuring lows in the mid-upper 20s and highs in the mid 40s. The highest temperature ever recorded was 107 °F in 1918, and the lowest temperature ever recorded was -12 °F in 1940. On average, the coolest month of the year is January. Snow falls every winter, averaging 12 inches per season.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families residing in the city. The estimated population for 2006 is 192,913. The was 1,271.3/km² (3,292.6/mi²). There were 92,282 housing units at an average density of 593.1/km² (1,536.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.30%, 57.19% , 0.24% , 1.25% , 0.08% , 1.49% from , and 1.46% from two or more races. or of any race were 2.57% of the population.

There were 84,549 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,121, and the median income for a family was $38,348. Males had a median income of $30,874 versus $25,880 for females. The for the city was $20,337. About 17.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Due to being home to many institutions of higher education, the Richmond area boasts a college student population of over 43,000 (not including the two large community colleges and many technical schools in the area). Many of these students, especially those living in dormitories, are not included in the official population count.

Historic development as a commercial center
Richmond's strategic location on the James River, built on undulating hills at the rocky fall line separating the and  regions of  provided a natural site for the development of commerce.

The first an explorers came in 1607, from the of. They discovered a fragrant weed grown by the natives, and became a lucrative commodity in the area. The trading post developed into a village, and by 1733 a town was laid out by and. Its early buildings were clustered around the Farmers' Market, existing today at 17th Street.

Early trade grew rapidly, primarily in the agriculture sector, but also in the. Slaves were imported to Richmond's Manchester docks from Africa, and were bought and sold at the same market.

To facilitate the transfer of cargo from the flat-bottomed above the  to the ocean-faring ships below,  helped design the  in the 1700s to bypass Richmond's rapids. The canal was later superseded by rail in the 1800s, and the railroads were laid on the original canal towpaths. In the 1900s highways were constructed in the air over the same area.

Throughout these three centuries and three modes of transportation, downtown has always been a hub, with the Great Turning Basin for boats, the world's only triple crossing of rail lines, and the intersection of two major interstates.

Industries that defined Richmond
Richmond emerged from the smoldering rubble of the as an economic powerhouse, with iron front buildings and massive brick factories. Innovations of this era included the world's first cigarette-rolling machine, invented by of  in 1880/81, and the world's first successful.

Freed slaves and their descendants created a thriving business community, led by such influential people as  (first woman to charter a bank in the U.S.) and  The city's historic  became known as the "Wall Street of Black America."

Law and finance have long been driving forces in the economy. Because the city is home to both a and a, as well as offices for international firms such as Hunton & Williams LLP, McGuireWoods LLP, Troutman Sanders LLP, , , and numerous other banks and brokerages, Richmond was cited  as having minimal evidence of being a.

Since the 1960s Richmond has been a prominent hub for advertising agencies and advertising related businesses, including. As a result of local advertising agency support, 's graduate advertising school (VCU AdCenter) is consistently ranked the #1 advertising graduate program in the country.

Fortune 500 Companies and other large corporations
The Greater Richmond area was named the third best city for business by in September of 2007; ranking only behind the Minneapolis and Denver areas and just above Boston. The area is home to nine companies, including electric utility ; consumer electronics retailer, which also spun off the used car retailer , now a separate  company; ; ; ; , a security services outfit; , the former  arm of  and the recently relocated , a leading global producer of packaging, coated and specialty papers, consumer and office products and specialty chemicals.

Other companies, while not headquartered in the area, do have a major presence here. These include headquarters (a subsidiary of -based ),  (based in ), credit card agency  (officially based in, but founded in Richmond with its operations center and most employees in the Richmond area), the medical and pharmaceutical giant,  (based in ). (a division of ), one of the world's largest, , and companies, maintains their corporate headquarters in  just outside the city, and has several other facilities in the area. , also in the industry, has its corporate headquarters here as well. Capital One and Phillip Morris USA are two of the largest private Richmond-area employers.

also maintains a production facility known as the Spruance Plant, and Qimonda, formerly, has a facility located at (a former  airfield and ) near , and produces  computer memory in the area.

Richmond is also home to the rapidly developing Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, which opened in 1995 as an incubator facility for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Located adjacent to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus of, the park currently has more than 575,000 square feet (53,000 m²) of research, laboratory and office space for a diverse tenant mix of companies, research institutes, government laboratories and non-profit organizations. The, which maintains the nation's waiting list, occupies one building in the park. also recently announced their plans to build a $350 million research and development facility in the park as well. Once fully developed in the next five to 10 years, park officials expect the site to employ roughly 3,000 scientists, technicians and engineers. Philip Morris will add roughly 600 employees once it opens in 2007.

Richmond is also the home of the, a regional, family-owned chain of , known for its remarkable customer service and friendly employees, as well as its closed-on-Sundays and no-alcohol-on-the-shelves policies. Ukrops is a high-profile sponsor of community events like the 10K, Easter on Parade, and the Ukrop's Christmas Parade.

Recent economic developments
In recent years, Richmond has been attempting to revive its downtown. Recent downtown initiatives include the Canal Walk, a new Greater Richmond Convention Center, and expansion on both campuses. Despite numerous controversies related to excessive employee salaries and wasteful spending of public tax money, a new performing arts center, , will reportedly open in 2009. The complex will include a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store. As planned by the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation (VAPAF), the publicly-funded arts center project now known as CenterStage has been mired in controversy, poor planning and questionable spending of money raised from a special citywide meals tax hike.

The center is set to receive $25 million in 'City of the Future' funds from Mayor Doug Wilder even though the current planners of CenterStage have yet to disclose annual administrative and operating expenses or initiate an artists endowment. There are also few representatives from the area's performing arts community in key positions of authority within the project, leading critics to speculate that CenterStage is more of a real estate deal designed to prop up a failing convention center expansion than a worthwhile arts venture. The city has entertained multiple proposals for a new baseball stadium for the AAA Class in recent years, but none has yet advanced beyond initial planning.

In February, 2006, announced that they would move from, to Richmond in 2008. The company is planning an 8-10 story office building downtown, near the building.

Museums and art galleries
Richmond has a significant art community, and the School of the Arts is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. In addition to many art venues associated with the university, there are also several attractions nearby, including the, the Valentine Richmond History Center, the , the , the Richmond Symphony, and the Richmond Ballet. The in Carytown is a classical movie theater from the 1920s era that still features second-run movies on a regular basis, and is popular among the college student population, particularly because of its low ticket price of $1.99.

The, is also located on Broad Street near the Fan district. It is housed in the Union Station, designed by -trained  in 1919. Adjacent to the Science Museum is the Richmond Children's Museum, a fun-filled museum with many hands-on activities.

As the former Capital of the Confederate States of America, Richmond is home to many museums and battlefields of the. The, located near the and the MCV Campus of , is in Court End along with the Davis Mansion, also known as the White House of the Confederacy; both today feature a wide variety of objects and material from the era. Near the riverfront is the and Civil War Battlefields National Park Visitors Center. There is a former slave trail along the river as well. The dome-like structure to commemorate the Centennial Exhibition of the American Civil War now serves as a cafeteria on the MCV Campus of VCU. The 's Richmond Civil War Visitor Center, in the, has three floors of exhibits and artifacts, films, a bookstore, picnic areas and more.

Other historical points of interest include, the site of famous, "" speech, and the , features many of his writings and other artifacts of his life, particularly when he lived in the city as a child, a student, and a successful writer. The House, the home of the former, is also located downtown and features many of his writings and objects from his life. is also the burial grounds of two as well as many other civil war officers and soldiers. The home of former Confederate General Robert E. Lee still stands on Franklin Street in downtown Richmond.

The city is also home to many monuments, most notably several along in the. Other monuments of interest in the city include the monument, the  monument, the  monument, and the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Dedicated in 1956, the is also located on Belvedere near the riverfront, and is a monument to Virginians who died in battle in, the , the , and the. Located near Byrd Park is the famous, a 56 bell tower.

Performing arts

 * - Founded in 1957. Current artistic director is Stoner Winslet.
 * - Current music director is Mark Russell Smith.
 * - The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, founded in 1974. Current artistic director is . Presents eight mainstage performances every year at the.
 * - Founded in 1953, originally as the Hanover Tavern. Created the nation's first dinner theatre. The Barksdale was Virginia’s first performing arts organization to open its doors to integrated audiences. Continues today as The Hanover Tavern, in Hanover Virginia, Barksdale Theatre in Richmond.
 * Theatre IV- founded in 1975 by Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway and is one of the largest running theatres in Virginia. Tours children's shows all over the country.  Now a family playhouse after Bruce and Phil took over Barksdale Theatre in Willow Lawn in 2001.
 * - School Of The Performing Arts in the Richmond Community. SPARC was founded in 1981, and trained children to become "triple threats", meaning they were equally versed in singing, acting, and dancing. SPARC has become the largest community-based theater arts education program in Virginia and it offers classes to every age group, during the summer and throughout the year.
 * Recently, the has drawn high-profile acts such as,  and ,  and.
 * , a new performing arts center planned to open in Downtown Richmond in 2009. The complex will reportedly include a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store.

Sports
Richmond does not have any major league professional sports teams. However, there are several minor league teams, and excellent extreme sports. The city's professional baseball team is the, a AAA team (the farm team of the ). The Braves play at. The Richmond Lions, a Division 2  team, play at Dorey Park. The, a soccer team, play at the.

The, a 13,000 plus seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Richmond, is the home of a large number of sporting events, concerts, festivals, and trade shows. The has hosted its annual men's basketball tournament at the Coliseum since 1990. The Coliseum has played host as a men's basketball tournament site and in 1994 played host to the women's basketball. In December 2006, WWE's Armageddon Live Pay-Per-View was held at the Coliseum.

Th, on the campus of in downtown Richmond, is the 7,500 plus seat home multi-purpose arena of the. The area also plays host to concerts and local and state high school basketball games and tournaments as well as several high school graduations in the surrounding area.

The, a 9,071-seat multi-purpose arena, is home to the University of Richmond Spiders basketball.

Auto racing is also very popular in the area, and the also hosts two annual   races, the Suntrust Indy Challenge, as well as the  and other community and sporting events. also sits just southwest of Richmond in Chesterfield County, and is a .33 mile oval short-track that features weekly stock car racing on Friday nights. Southside Speedway has acted as the breeding grounds for many past NASCAR legends including, and , and claims to be the home track of current NASCAR superstar. Richmond was considered as one of the possible resting places for the future, but it was ultimately awarded to.

is a horse racing track in New Kent, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, approximately 20 miles east of Richmond's city limits. The track plays host to the Virginia Derby each July.

Richmond has played host to the Xterra (off-road triathlon) East Championship since 2000. Mountain bikers and Triathletes alike revel in the incredible trail system of the James River Park. Each June the best off-road Triathletes in the world converge on Richmond for the Xterra East Regional Championship bringing with them the Xterra Triathlon festival, including family events, athletic competitions, and a twilight concert.

Richmond is also the home of the, a rookie league for the ,and of Richmond Lucha Libre, a popular local independent wrestling group.

and former  resides in Richmond, Virginia.

Parks and outdoor recreation
The city operates one of the oldest municipal park systems in the country. The park system began when the city council voted in 1851 to acquire 7.5 acres (3 hectares), now known as Monroe Park. Today, Monroe Park sits adjacent to the campus and is one of more than 40 parks comprising a total of more than 1,500 acres (610 hectares).

Several parks are located along the James River, and the James River Parks System offers bike trails, hiking and nature trails, and many scenic overlooks along the river's route through the city. The mountain bike trail system in James River and Forest Hill parks is considered by professional riders to be one of the best urban trail systems in the country. The trails are used as part of the Xterra East Championship course for both the running and mountain biking portions of the off-road triathlon.

There are also parks on two major islands in the river: and Brown's Island. Belle Isle, at various former times a Powhatan fishing village, colonial-era horse race track, and Civil War prison camp, is the larger of the two, and contains many bike trails as well as a small cliff that is used for instruction. One can walk the island and still see many of the remains of the Civil War prison camp, such as an arms storage room and a gun emplacement that was used to quell prisoner riots. Brown's Island is a smaller island and a popular venue of a large number of free outdoor concerts and festivals in the and summer, such as the weekly Friday Cheers concert series or the James River Beer and Seafood Festival.

Two other major parks in the city are and, located near the fan district of Richmond. Byrd Park features a one mile running track, with exercise stops, a public, and a number of small lakes for small , as well as two monuments and an amphitheatre. Prominently featured in the park is the, built in 1926 as a memorial to those that died in the war. Maymont, located adjacent to Byrd Park, is a 100-acre (40-hectare) estate with a, formal s, native wildlife exhibits, nature center,  collection, and children's farm. is also located in the city.

Other parks in the city include, Forest Hill Park (former site of the Forest Hill Amusement Park), Chimborazo Park (site of the National Battlefield Headquarters), among others.

Several s are also located near the city, including to the north, and  to the east, near. -based will soon begin construction of a construction-themed park planned to open in 2007.

Media and popular culture
The  is the local daily in Richmond, with a Sunday circulation of 215,000.  is an alternative weekly publication covering popular culture, arts, and entertainment. City Edition is a weekly news magazine distributed throughout Richmond that focuses on city government and civic life in the city. The Richmond Free Press and the Voice cover the news from a predominantly perspective. Spanish-language publications in the city include the magazine  and the newspaper, Centro.

The Richmond metro area is served by many local television and radio stations. The Richmond-Petersburg  (DMA) is the 61st largest in the U.S. with 517,800 homes (0.46% of the total U.S.). The major network television affiliates are 6,  8 ,  12 ,  35 , and  65. stations include 23 and  57. There are also a wide variety of radio stations in the Richmond area, catering to many different interests, including, , and , as well as an eclectic mix of al interests.

Many s and s have been filmed, in whole or in part, in Richmond, including Finnegan Begin Again, ', ', ', ', ', ', and . Richmond's elite society has also been portrayed in various popular culture references, such as in 1920s s by and, or the 1990s  , which featured the character , an obnoxious and wealthy.

Several s were also formed in Richmond, including, , and. The is also often mistakenly associated with the city, as it was actually formed in, about 100 miles to the northwest.

Religion
Richmond has several historic churches. Because of its early English colonial history from the early 1600s to 1776, Richmond has a number of prominent Anglican/Episcopal churches including, and. Methodists and Baptists made up another section of early churches, and was the first of these, established in 1780. In the tradition, the first Presbyterian Church in the City of Richmond was First Presbyterian Church, organized on,. On, , Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond was founded, which was a historic church where attended and was the first  building and the first  church to be built in Richmond. Due to the influx of German immigrants in the 1840s, was formed in 1843. Richmond is also home to a prominent Greek-American community. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral held its first worship service in a rented room at 309 North 7th Street in 1917. The cathedral relocated to 30 Malvern Avenue in 1960 and is noted as one of two Eastern Orthodox churches in Richmond and home to the annual Richmond Greek Festival. There are two other Orthodox churches in the immediate Metropolitan area. The community which now comprises St Cyprian of Carthage Orthodox Church was begun in 1974 by Fr George and Mary Ann DeTrana prior to the formation of the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America. Services were held in two temporary locations until property was purchased in 1978 at 3820 Chamberlayne Ave on the Northside. From the outset, the purpose of the mission has been to bring the Orthodox Christian Church in English to the people of Central Virginia. The congregation currently represents a cross-section of Orthodoxy in America with members drawn from every major jurisdiction as well as a significant number of converts to the faith. St Cyprian of Carthage Orthodox Church is a parish of the Diocese of the South under the leadership of His Eminence, the Most Rev DMITRI, Archbishop of Dallas and the South. St. Andrew's Orthodox Church is located at 117 Linden St in Ashland, just a few miles north of Richmond on I-95. St. Andrew's is a small community that entered into canonical communion with the Orthodox Church within the last decade. Today, St. Andrew's is the spiritual home of a multi-ethnic congregation, composed of a diverse mixture of converts and "cradle" Orthodox. They offer a very rich and attractive cycle of services, and congregational singing. As the northernmost outpost of the Diocese of the South, they have drawn families from the Fredericksburg area as well. . Another Orthodox church in Richmond is St. James Armenian Church, located at 834 Pepper Avenue, established in the 1950s, and is the home to the annual Armenian Food Festival.

The first Jewish congregation in Richmond was Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalom. was the sixth in the United States and was the westernmost Jewish congregation in the United States at the time of its foundation. By 1822 K.K. Beth Shalom members worshipped in the first synagogue building in Virginia. They eventually merged with Congregation Beth Ahabah, an offshoot of Beth Shalom. Today there is a diverse Jewish community. There are three Orthodox Synagogues,, Keneseth Beth Israel, and Chabad of the Virginias. There is an Orthodox K-12 school system known as Rudlin Torah academy, with two locations (the boys high school being located further east). There are two Conservative synagogues, Beth El and Or Atid. There are two Reform synagogues, Beth Ahabah and Or Ami. The largest synagogue,, is located in Henrico County. Along with such religious congregations, there are a variety of other Jewish charitable, educational and social service institutions, each serving the Jewish and general communities. These include the Weinstein Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and.

Tikvat Israel Messianic Jewish Congregation is located on the corner of Boulevard and Grove Avenue in the Fan district. This building was originally constructed around 1915 as the home of Grace Baptist Church. In the 1940's the building experienced a devastating fire. At that time a former synagogue purchased it and renovated it, naming itself Kenneset Beth Israel. Beth Israel remained here until the mid-1970's when they moved to their current location about five miles west on Patterson Avenue. Since then the building changed hands a few times, with no regular residences, until December, 1990, when Tikvat Israel moved in and later purchased it.

There are several in Richmond. Three of these have banded together to become the. This consists of a theology school at, a Presbyterian seminary called  , and a Baptist seminary known as.

Two bishops sit in Richmond, those of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia (the denomination's largest) and the, which encompasses all of central and southern Virginia and its. The Presbytery of the James -- Presbyterian Church (USA) -- also is based in the Richmond area.

There are five s in the Greater Richmond area, accommodating the growing Muslim population. They are Islamic Center of Virginia (ICVA) in the south side, Islamic Society of Greater Richmond (ISGR) in the west end, Masjidullah in the north side, Masjid Bilal near downtown, and Masjid Ar-Rahman in the east end.

The was penned in Richmond by.

Government
Richmond city government consists of a with representatives from nine districts serving in a  and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large  serving as head of the. Citizens in each of the nine districts elect one council representative each to serve a two-year term. Beginning with the November 2008 election Council terms will be lengthened to 4 years. The city council elects from among its members one member to serve as Council President and one to serve as Council Vice President. The city council meets at City Hall (900 E. Broad St., 2nd Floor) on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, except August.

As of January, 2007, the Richmond City Council consists of: William (Bill) J. Pantele, 2nd District, President of Council; Rev. Delores L. McQuinn, 7th District, Vice-President of Council; Bruce Tyler, 1st District; Chris A. Hilbert, 3rd District; Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District; E. Martin (Marty) Jewell, 5th District; Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District; Reva M. Trammell, 8th District; and Douglas Conner Jr., 9th District.

Richmond's government changed in 2004 from a form of government to an at-large, popularly elected. In a landslide election, incumbent mayor Rudy McCollum was defeated by, who previously served as the first elected   in the United States since. The Mayor is not a part of the Richmond City Council.

Education
The city of Richmond operates 31 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and eight high schools, with a cosmopolitan student population of 25,000 students.

There are also many private, college preparatory schools in Richmond. Several of these, such as, , and  offer a full K-12 education. Other area prep schools include the, Trinity Episcopal School, and St. Gertrude High School. Richmond is also home to the, an esteemed public regional magnet high school.

The Richmond area has many major institutions of higher education, including the (private),  (public),  (private), and the  (private). Several community colleges are found in the metro area, including and. In addition, there are several Technical Colleges in Richmond including, ITT Technical Institute, and Beta Tech.

is located about 20 miles south of Richmond, in the suburb of, just outside of , and is located about 15 miles north of Richmond, in the incorporated town of.

Transportation


The Greater Richmond area is served by the, located in nearby , seven miles southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historic. Richmond International is now served by nine airlines with over 200 daily flights provide non-stop service to major destination markets and connecting flights to destinations worldwide. In 2004, the airport served approximately 2.5 million passengers. A record 3.3 million passengers used Richmond International Airport in 2006, a 13% increase over 2005.

Intercity service is provided by. Local and  bus service in Richmond,, and  counties is provided by the  (GRTC). The GRTC, however, serves only small parts of the suburban counties. The far West End (Innsbrook and Short Pump) and almost all of Chesterfield County have no public transportation despite dense housing, retail, and office development. Recent statistics in the Richmond Times-Dispatch have shown that the vast majority of GRTC riders ride the bus because they do not own a car and have no other choice.

Richmond also has two railroad stations served by. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond from, , and. The suburban Staples Mill Road Station is located on a major north-south freight line and receives all service to and from all points south including,, , , , and. The historic and recently renovated near downtown Richmond only receives trains bound for  and  at this time, due to its track layout. As a result, the Staples Mill Road station receives more service overall.

Richmond also benefits from an excellent position in reference to the state's transportation network, lying at the junction of east-west and north-south, two of the most heavily traveled highways in the state, as well as along several major rail lines. Other major highways passing through Richmond include U.S. Routes, , , , and.

Utilities
in the Richmond Metro area is provided by Dominion Virginia Power. The company, based in Richmond, is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, serving retail energy customers in nine states. Electricity is provided in the Richmond area primarily by the and, as well as a -fired station in. These three plants provide a total of 4,453 of power. Several other plants provide extra power during times of peak demand. These include a facility in, in , and two plants in Richmond (Gravel Neck and Darbytown).

is provided by the city's Department of Public Utilities, and is one of the largest water producers in, with a modern plant that can treat up to 132 million gallons of water a day from the.


 * The treatment plant and distribution system of water mains, pumping stations and storage facilities provide water to approximately 62,000 customers in the city. The facility also provides water to the surrounding area through wholesale contracts with, , and counties. Overall, this results in a facility that provides water for approximately 500,000 people. There is also a wastewater treatment plant located on the south bank of the James River. This plant can treat up to 70 million gallons of water per day of sanitary sewage and stormwater before returning it to the river. The wastewater utility also operates and maintains 1,500 miles of sanitary sewer, pumping stations, 38 miles of intercepting sewer lines, and the Shockoe Retention Basin, a 44-million-gallon stormwater reservoir used during heavy rains.

Sister cities
Richmond has six, as designated by the Sister Cities International, Inc.:


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