archives asked: Tell me about Richmond! VCU is looking like a top candidate for me to transfer to (top rated art school within a public u. has a fibers program) and Richmond seems like a nice place to spend the rest of my undergraduate. It seems cheap? Talked to a teacher that grew up there and he told me it was "sleepy" but every place is sleepy compared to Chicago except forNew York. I don't mind sleepy but boring would be no good. I work at a company I can transfer to, but I'm worried about needing a car.
This is going to be pretty biased on both the pros and the cons:
Richmond is great and you will have fun. VCU’s art programs draws in / churns out some wonderful talent. Every August Richmond hosts Best Friends Day, which is comparable to taking Gainesville Fest and putting it in a BYOB water park.
The city is a cheap bus ride away from major cities on the eastern seaboard, and with all the historic preservation and restoration, you’re always just a few steps away from feeling like you took a time machine to the Civil War era.
In my time there, I was not a student. However, I was decently involved in the city’s creative community and with graduates from VCU’s art programs via editing for RVA magazine, volunteering at Gallery5, and performing in a dance company.
It is relatively inexpensive to live in Richmond, but there are sneaky holes that it’ll put in your wallet:
That said, prices are reasonable on amazing food, and drinks are mixed strong. Last call is pretty strict and it’s common for bar employees to be pulling drinks from your hands at 1:45 a.m. But… you will have fun.
In general, income rates and employment rates are low. The job market is a bit sluggish. On one side of the coin, it’s a college town populated with more talent than it can employ. On the other side of the coin, it’s a post-industrial city gaining momentum in the tech world. Old manufacturing warehouses are now loft apartments and homes to businesses like Tumblr’s support branch. It seems to be a pretty interesting era for the city.
You will not need a car, especially if you have a bike. I highly recommend going carless there. Peter and I took the Chinatown bus from NY in August and brought bikes on board, and that’s how we got around during our three-day visit. It’s a fun and beautiful town for biking.
Richmond can sort of be seen as sleepy, depending… but it’s also progressive. I’d say it’s it’s more like a sleeper hit in that it’s underestimated by people who think America = Miami, New York Chicago, and Los Angeles and everything else = the sticks. Those people are missing out.
Old money and ALL OF THE HISTORY keeps Richmond beautiful, unsuspecting and charming. The people with the money backing the city never seem to be fans of change or progress. On some days, that is what’s charming. On others, that is what’s frustrating. For the most part, that seems to be a strong common thread binding the town’s creative community and motivating it to push forward.
All-in-all, I’d say don’t think twice, and get yourself there. I’m assuming your other considerations are RISD, MICA and SCAD. Based on stories exchanged with friends who have attended those schools and lived in those cities (and on what I know about you), I think you’ll get the most out of Richmond.
