"Richmond (A city of diverse history) " a Richmond Travel Page by gipper84

Richmond is a city with a long history, and a diverse background. Richmond was once the capital of the Confederacy, and was also once described as a 2nd Harlem. A drive thru downtown Richmond will reveal the different eras of Richmond. You start on Broad Street and head down through the roaring 60's and 70's seeing old buildings like Miller and Rhodes and the Central National Bank. As you get further down Broad you notice the busy 20's with street shops lined up and mostly remodeled. As you head further down Broad you pass the Capitol, and the Old Courthouse, a symbol of Virginia's governing history. As you head further east down Broad you come to Richmond's real history, and what I consider it's real beauty. In Shockhoe Bottom you find the Canal Walk which is a great idea for a cool day with someone special. As you head further east you come to Churchill where the 1800's bites you big. You have St. John's church, the infamous church where Patrick Henry gave his "Give me liberty or give me Death" speech. Along the way you pass the White House of the Confederacy, or the John Marshall House, America's first Chief Justice. On Adam's street you find dedications to Bojangles who frequented Richmond. A trip down Monument avenue will reveal all the past generals of the Confederacy. Carytown a popular area in Richmond, will give you a greater understanding of Richmond's artistic appeal. You will find a very Modern appeal to this area with French Bistro's and high end clothing stores. One thing few know about Richmond is its appealing international menu. Richmond caters to over 15 different types of international food including: Ethiopian, Cuban, Jamacan, Thai, Indian, Filipino, Salvadorian, Colombian, Brazilian, Greek, Lebanese, Irish, Spanish, West African, Vietnamese, British, French, and the typical three Chinese, Mexican, and Italian. Richmond also has a very energetic night life. Richmond has a number of bars and clubs to find local live bands. Places like Emilio's and Cafe Diem hold live bands every night for your viewing pleasure. The last and most riveting part of Richmond to me is the architecture. Richmond basically has every era of architecture covered that you could possibly imagine. The Capitol with its magnificent greek columns and arches, the cathedrals with their gothic romanticism, and parts of chruchill with their victorian and modern era homes. You cannot visit Richmond without checking out the architecture or the Canal Walk, which is the real beauty of the James River. Don't stop here for a great idea of places to visit, check out my different pages.