« Radio Silence | Main | Crisis!!! »

January 21, 2007

The Museum District

I've started to adjust to the reality that my commute will feature statues of Confederate Generals unless I find another route. I've completed the move to Richmond, and have started the new job. I can't help be struck by what I would almost call a "European" feel to the part of the city in which I live. Victorian Row Houses, close up to the street. Cars parked along already narrow roads that seem to curve with indifference to sight lines or logic. Statues of figures revered by some of the locals, but completely foreign to me. I live a mere block from where my father spent the first year of his life, a mile from where my grandfather owned his own pharmacy.

I never envisioned myself living in the south again, let alone where this side of my family originates. I'd thought that I was going to make a move to Massachusetts. Or New York. Or somewhere with a subway and a professional baseball team.

My father talks about how when he grew up here, Richmond had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. But the decline of Tobacco had the same effect on this city that the departure of the Auto industry had on Detroit. You can drive through many parts of this city and see what can best be described as "ruins". Buildings that have been, for all intents and purposes, abandoned. There are parts of the city that have rebounded in the last few years - I live in one of them.

A lot has been made recently in the press, especially The Post, about the differences between "NoVA" and "RoVA" and some of it is definitely true. I'm not going to get in the middle of this debate - I have my love for Washington, and there is no secret about that. My initial reaction to Richmond was to note the similarities to Orlando - a location of previous residence. This analysis was not unfounded - lots of wideish roads with big box retail, strip malls, and a complete absence of viable public transportation. However, digging a little deeper has turned up some gems. I spent Friday eating fantastic Sushi, drinking Pabst Blue Ribbons, and hanging out with a good friend as Spinal Tap played on the TVs. Yes - I went to Sticky Rice. At the Cary Court shopping center where 50+ years ago my Grandfather had a Pharmacy, I went into Carytown Beer & Wine where I procured Fuller's London Pride. Caliente, one of the bars behind my apartment, had Bells on tap! I admittedly do judge the quality of life based upon the availability of good beer. Some might consider this a character flaw.

Richmonders don't seem to understand the concept of real traffic. I've driven in that Sunday-afternoon environment they mistake for "rush hour". I've gotten across town on both city streets & using the Downtown expressway very quickly. My only traffic snafu was the inability to turn left off of Broad Street during daylight hours - I always get upset if I can't go left. But if I hear anyone in Richmond complain about traffic, I will cordially invite them to come to the DC Metro area or Hampton Roads sometime to see real traffic.

One thing I will never adjust to is the presence of the Confederate flag. I know if I lived in Germany and I saw people flying the Swastika under the false pretense of "German Pride" I would be very angry. What the Confederate flag represents is the same thing the Nazi flag represents - oppression of a group of people. We cannot ignore our past, or pretend that just because we weren't there we don't have a responsibility to address these issues. But I don't think I'm going to see that happen anytime soon - especially when there were a group of people flying confederate flags at the base of the statue of Robert E. Lee on Friday night.

This Richmond experiment is just getting underway. Will I start eating Krispy Kremes instead of Dunkin Donuts? Grits instead of Frosted Flakes? Sweet Potatoes instead of Sour Potatoes? Pepsi instead of Coke? Or will I run back north while blasting The Standells' Dirty Water?

Posted by MikeSager at January 21, 2007 1:00 AM

Trackback Pings

To send a Trackback, please use:
http://www.carpetblogger.com/cgi-bin/mt-whattocheck.cgi/279

Comments

Posted by: the claw at January 21, 2007 9:39 AM

Posted by: the claw at January 21, 2007 9:45 AM

Posted by: Mike at January 21, 2007 10:27 AM

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

To prevent spam, which city is the home of the Boston Red Sox? (required):

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: