I wondered if the recovery was from covid? It was vague.

I don’t drink because of migraines so it sucks for me- bar food is the part I enjoy. Plus there are always sober people, DDs, etc that should be catered to too in my opinion

Edit: sober people deserve joy too :(

I echo Yu’s China Bistro for not only the General Tao Chicken, but also their House Lo Mein is amazing. Not to mention friendly, and courteous service.

hah, karma has a way!

But the deep dives on some local issues. If they want to spend the money they can but their revenue is down by 2/3 since 2006 and the Richmond local papers aren't laying some ground work for them in the same way.

The NYT has a dang good budget

BINGO

I could throw a rock in Brooklyn and hit someone from Virginia. A lot of people from York, PA too for some reason I never figured out.

And again — it depends on what you’re quality of life entails.

Different strokes for different folks but I find the prices not too bad, especially considering it's in Carytown where everything's more expensive. Pop in for happy hour and they have $6 classic cocktails and food. I like that they don't serve food, it keeps the tables turning over faster so you can usually walk in unless it's right after the peak wave.

Both CMoR and Science Museum used to have Noon events but not listed for this year? Stony Point mall has an event listed: Noon Year's Eve at Stony Point

Have a great visit with your family!

Exactly if Richmond is to small for people, they should leave, and move to a bigger city. i meet a lot more people moving from New York than people moving to new york from Richmond. Plus your the one commenting on my comment. I just wanted to express my personal opinion that Richmond offer a much better quality of life for Virginia than New york does for new yorkers….

Hey, man — people can have different opinions.

"I'm from NY and WFH and want to move somewhere I can buy an overpriced condo so I still feel like the city, does Richmond have that?"

I would say not really, but you believe what you want

Live here my whole life and the river can get fragrant but nothing compared to new york just general stench.

I have not, though I have considered it. Unfortunately I’m more a tamp-your-feelings-down kind of person (working on that). I volunteer with Fetch, as my cat was a Companions in Crisis recipient a few years ago, and everyone there is wonderful. The sessions are led by a psychologist experienced in pet loss and grief.

The smells you find in Shockhoe Bottom rival anything my nose encountered on a long July day in NYC.

No u shuts up!

Note to self, go by Lowe's and pay respects to cat next time I see y'all.

The Tony Horowitz book mentioned in the article was a great read 15 years ago and stands out in my memory as perhaps the funniest non-fiction book I’ve ever read.

Sounds like not a great person.

Yeah but 2007 isn’t today

I’m sure Charlottesville was all the much poorer for it.

The truth is: There isn't an excellent cocktail-first bar in Richmond. There are two major bars that focus primarily on cocktails, but both have problems. Then there are a ton of restaurants that usually have a few nice cocktails on the menu and a couple of bartenders who know what they're doing.

(This is partly due to Prohibition-era regulations requiring that a certain percentage of an establishment's sales come from food, rather than liquor.)

Grandstaff & Stein is the first cocktail-focused bar. It's okay, not great. The menu is too big. Most of the drinks on the menu are (1) straightforward, you-could-easily-make-this-at-home-and-have-had-it-a-thousand-times cocktails, (2) weird, unbalanced Prohibition-era drinks nobody likes, and (3) mediocre signature cocktails that never change.

The Jasper is the second cocktail-focused bar. It's pretty good, almost great. They do excellent renditions of the classics. Getting a Daiquiri for $6 at happy hour is awesome. The staff definitely know what they are doing. The menu is always interesting and inventive, and I have occasionally had some really excellent drinks. There are too many misses for me to say it's a great cocktail bar, though. I think they should pare down the menu and refine their recipes more. In my experience, it is not at all uncommon for 3 of a group of 4 people to not really enjoy their drink. That's not great! That said, while the Jasper would be a middle-of-the-road cocktail bar in a major city like DC or NY, it's probably the best in Richmond. Oh, and it is always packed.

I'll also throw in the Verdant Lady here. It's in the middle of nowhere and the one time I went, I did not think much of it. Oh, also, the Jungle Room, but I've never been. And the folks behind the Jasper are supposed to be opening up a Tiki-focused place in Church Hill. I'm looking forward to that.

Then we have the restaurants. The best bar program is probably at the Roosevelt. I have also enjoyed drinks at Stella's, Heritage, Restaurant Adarra, Laura Lee's, and Helen's.

In summary: In my opinion, the best cocktail bar in the city is the Jasper. The Roosevelt is not really a cocktail bar, but it has a good bar program.

Grew up in Richmond. Lived in NYC for 11 years. Moved back to Richmond 2 years ago. You put up with the prices and the smells and the noise and the crowds and the taxes because you have access to some of the best museums in the world, some of the best restaurants in the world, an unparalleled nightlife scene, vast public transit, and a well-paying job market.

With that said — if there comes a point where those things are no longer your primary wants in life, then yeah it becomes less worth it.