WEEKEND

Virginia Is for Hipsters

By Judith Ritter

Richmond has plenty for the history buff and just as much for the hipster. The former capital of the Confederacy is now one of the coolest cities south of the Mason-Dixon.

Historic hospitality

Any visit to Richmond should start with an urban stroll. In fact, the city built the beautiful statue-lined Monument Avenue in 1890 for precisely this purpose. Today, the grand boulevard is a designated historic landmark. This bustling promenade boasts leafy oaks, graceful wisteria, neo-colonial mansions and a host of statues honouring Virginians from Stonewall Jackson to Wimbledon winner and civil rights activist Arthur Ashe.

Continuing along the boulevard, past the imposing equestrian statue of General Lee and down Franklin Avenue, you’ll find the luxe Jefferson Hotel, Richmond’s locus of living history. Having recently been restored to the standard of 19th-century elegance that attracted F. Scott Fitzgerald, Elvis and a parade of presidents, it is the perfect place to rest your feet over afternoon tea. Step inside and you’ll notice a sweeping staircase, a soaring rotunda and period furniture evoking the world of Rhett and Scarlett. Everything (save the alligators that once inhabited the decorative pools) has been preserved, fuelling an enduring myth that Gone with the Wind was shot in the lobby and making this the best place to experience the majesty of the Old South.

History buffs will find something different to check out around every corner in Richmond, but to really understand this city’s significance, head to the high-tech American Civil War Center, which interprets the conflict from the disparate perspectives of Northern, Southern and African-American histories. Also worth a visit is the brand new Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, which honours the courage of Richmond’s young African-Americans who fought racism in the 1950s.

Eat your heart out

Any trip to Richmond should include a soul food lunch at Woolfolk & Sons Seafood Restaurant, an unpretentious mecca for ribs, collards and sweet potato pie – you are in the South, after all. Theresa Woolfolk has been serving up her mother’s dishes for three decades, but don’t ask her for the barbecue sauce recipe. “Now that is a family secret,” she chuckles.

If you’re looking for a little less homestyle and a little more hip, visit Michelle’s at Hanover Tavern for dinner. The eatery showcases the work of Michelle Williams, who is updating Southern classics with contemporary sophistication, using only local ingredients. Try the fried green tomatoes from the kitchen’s own garden.

New groove

From boutique shopping to gallery-hopping, Richmond’s vibrant new cultural scene is starting to attract as many visitors as its historical landmarks and monuments. For proof, spend an afternoon browsing the racks in Carytown. Though gentrifying fast, the area’s boho cred is preserved by eclectic boutiques like Soak for fizzy bath bombs, Plan 9 for independent music and Eurotrash for eco-designer fashion from Kersh and Covet. If you’re not convinced, check out Page Bond and ADA, two of the boldest contemporary galleries in the South.

Once you’ve soaked up enough of Richmond’s new Southern style, try extending the old-to-new theme into cocktail hour in the Shockoe Bottom nightlife district. Here you’ll find classic Southern libations served in former tobacco warehouses that now house chic lounges. And for an edgier scene, there’s Stuart Circle, where counterculture haunts like the Artist Underground Café provide live music and support local talent with a modest gallery space. Whatever venue you choose, you’ll be surrounded by Richmond’s unique charm: that a city so permeated with history can show even the most urbane visitor a thing or two about 21st-century cool.

(Judith Ritter is a Montreal-based writer and a frequent contributor to public radio in the U.S.)

Useful Information

Woolfolk & Sons Seafood Restaurant, 1627 Mechanicsville Turnpike, 804-644-7564

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