Columbus
Axios Richmond
New restaurants are flocking to Richmond's suburbs
The counties around Richmond are seeing a post-pandemic surge in restaurant openings that in some years has outpaced new eateries opening in the city, VCU's Capital News Service reports.Why it matters: Richmond has historically been the region's dining center (as are most cities everywhere), but COVID changed nearly everything about the world, including where we eat.The big picture: The pandemic made local restaurant owners reconsider their city-centric business strategies. That's motivated some to follow their clientele out of the city and into the suburbs to meet new hybrid-work lifestyles, writes CNS.Downtown parking concerns and Richmond's 7.5% meals tax —...
Report: Most Richmond neighborhoods are unaffordable for six-figure buyers
More than half of Richmond neighborhoods are unaffordable for a two-income couples making more than $100,000 a year looking to buy a home, according to a new study.Why it matters: The study ranks Richmond as the nation's 10th least affordable city for homebuyers and one of 12 metros where the average couple is priced out of half or more of the local neighborhoods. The top-10 list includes California's largest metros, New York and Boston.The big picture: The report from Credit News used data from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Census Bureau and Zillow to determine how affordable homes...
Where to get a cronut in Richmond
Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I just found out that cronuts exist.Why it matters: If you can't find joy in a croissant-doughnut combo, there's no hope left for you.The best part: You can find them at multiple farmers markets in Richmond thanks to JC Desserts, a local dessert shop who makes the fried doughy goodness, being posted up at three of them weekly.Wednesdays: Scott's Addition Market (which started this week) from 3-7pm.Saturdays: RVA Big Market at Bryan Park from 8am-noon.Sundays: South of the James Market at Forest Hill Park from 10am-1pm.If you go: Flavors change seasonally, but the house cinnamon sugar and vanilla glaze are usually available and $6.Pro tip: If you go during the weekend, I recommend a pit stop at mobile coffee truck Parousia Coffee. The cronut-coffee mashup is *chef's kiss*.
12 things to do in Richmond this Mother's Day weekend
I don't know about you, but Richmond weekend's forecast is looking like "hot summer nights, mid-July" energy.Thursday🎤 The first night of the Summer Sounds Concert Series at Stony Point includes KOS Band, an art walk and lawn games. 5-7pm.🎶 Another first: Music at Main Street Station concert kicks off with the Brencore All-Stars, who will perform a tribute to Frankie Beverly and Maze. 5:30-8pm. Free.🛼 Ever wanted to watch some River City roller derby? There's a home team re-match at the Rollerdome (4902 Williamsburg Road) from 7-9pm. $7 at the door.Friday🏝️ Friday Cheers on Brown's Island has Mackenzie Roark &...
Experts wants Virginians to say no to "No Mow May"
If you're thinking about jumping on the #NoMowMay bandwagon this year, you may want to think again. The big picture: The campaign has spread widely on social media in recent years, urging people to stop cutting their grass for the month in an effort to boost habitat and food for bees and other pollinators.Why it matters: Now some experts say the mowing hiatus doesn't actually help bees all that much and could ruin your lawn.State of play: An academic study supporting the theory that a month off from mowing helps bees was retracted in 2022.Cities are backing away from the...
Chesterfield jail's battery-powered opioid withdrawal treatment
Chesterfield County Jail is reportedly the first in the U.S. to use a device on incarcerated people that sends electrical pulses through the brain to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms.Why it matters: It's another example of how, as the addiction crisis gets worse, jails and prisons have become de facto substance use treatment providers — which they were never meant to be.The big picture: The FDA-approved device, nicknamed the Bridge, has previously faced criticism from some advocates and providers who say there is limited evidence showing it works.The studies available have small sample sizes, including the clinical study the FDA reviewed...
A flying giant
The Science Museum of Virginia last week unveiled a 750-pound sculpture of a Quetzalcoatlus that's now hanging from the ceiling.Why it matters: The prehistoric reptile that lived among dinosaurs — but wasn't actually a dinosaur — is the largest flying animal known to exist.Zoom (way) in: The Quetzalcoatlus (pronounced ket-zel-co-WAT-luss) lived between 70 and 66 million years ago and weighed around 500 pounds. The stuff of nightmares. Image: Courtesy of the Science Museum of VirginiaTo celebrate the massive addition, the museum is hosting a family-friendly Science After Dark: Prehistoric Party on Friday from 5-8pm.Adult tickets are $17.50, and the event includes hands-on, prehistoric-themed activities.
A new pocket park is popping up in Richmond this week
A temporary pocket park is popping up Wednesday off Broad and will stay up for two weeks in the Museum District.Why it matters: It'll close a sliver of Cutshaw Avenue between Wayne and Sheppard streets for a few weeks as an affordable way to test the community and infrastructure needs for a permanent park.Zoom in: The city and the Scott's Addition neighborhood association are collaborating on the temporary park as an extension of the existing Broad Street Pollinator Park to create a larger recreation space for locals.As part of the pop-up, the city and SA are hosting a community block party Saturday from noon-5pm with food trucks, live music and more. A rendering of the what the park could look like. Image: Courtesy of Richmond What we're watching: The city is soliciting online feedback about the pop-up park here. The Scott's Addition association is looking for volunteers to collect traffic data here.
How Virginia's population is changing
Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Chart: Axios VisualsMore people are moving to the Richmond area, according to new estimates from the Census Bureau.Why it matters: It's driving population growth and possibly your road rage.By the numbers: Richmond's metro area grew 2.5% between July 2020 and July 2023, with more than 33,000 new people calling the River City region home.That's a greater change than major metro areas like Denver (1.2%) Miami (0.81%) and San Francisco (-3.7%) and the 1% population increase nationwide.And most importantly, Arlington (0.99%) and D.C. (0.71%).The big picture: It's a continuation of a trend that's seen Richmond become the...
Why Richmonders are probably seeing higher car tax bills this year
Some Richmonders are experiencing sticker shock when opening their annual car tax bills, which started hitting local mail and inboxes last week.Why it matters: The tax break locals have been getting on their personal property bills since 2022 dropped significantly this year.The big picture: Each year, every Virginia locality get state funds to offer residents personal property tax relief on the first $20,000 of their car's assessed value.Due to COVID-era surges in car values, Richmond City Council approved in 2022 a stair-step approach to how much car tax relief it would offer over the next three years.In 2022, the city...
Report: Trump thinks he can win Virginia
Former President Trump's campaign believes he could flip Virginia in November's presidential election, reports NBC News.Why it matters: A Republican presidential candidate hasn't won the state since 2004.The big picture: Top Trump advisers showed donors internal surveys suggesting a tight race between him and President Biden in a closed door meeting at the Republican National Committee retreat this weekend.The polling, which Trump aides declined to share in its entirety with NBC News, had Biden leading Trump 48% to 44% in a head-to-head matchup in Virginia.That's similar to recent numbers from Roanoke College, which has Biden winning 47% to Trump's 43%. About 8% were unsure or refused.Yes, but: Top strategists in both parties told Axios' Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei that the Biden-Trump election will likely be decided in six swing states — and Virginia is not one of them.Biden has also been outpacing Trump in Virginia presidential campaign contributions.And in 2020, Biden beat Trump by 10 percentage points, or 54% to 44%.
What to know about the safety of Virginia's bridges
Data: Federal Highway Administration; Map: Will Chase and Kavya Beheraj/AxiosDrivers cross Virginia bridges in "poor" or worse condition more than 2.2 million times a day, according to a report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.Why it matters: Baltimore's fatal bridge collapse has put a renewed focus on the vulnerability of bridges across the U.S.The big picture: The Department of Transportation considers 3.5% — or 498 — of Virginia's 14,000-plus bridges to be poor, a rate that's better than 39 other states.Nationwide, 6.8% of bridges are in poor shape. West Virginia has the highest rate at nearly 20% of...
Out-of-state abortion patients are flocking to Virginia after Florida's 6-week ban
Data: KFF, Guttmacher Institute, Axios research; Map: Simran Parwani/Axios VisualsFlorida's six-week abortion ban, which went into effect on Wednesday, has Virginia's abortion providers bracing for more out-of-state patients.Why it matters: Virginia is the only state in the South without a post-Roe abortion ban or a waiting period, making an increase all but inevitable.State of play: After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Virginia's abortion rate went up because it was one of the few access points for people in nearby states with strict bans.Since the fall of Roe, Virginia has been in the top 10 nationwide...
Richmond barber's TikToks have people traveling hours for haircuts
People have viewed a Richmond barber's haircut transformations more than 85 million times on TikTok in the last month.The big picture: Thai Nguyen's daily videos are so popular that clients are traveling from across Virginia and North Carolina to see him.His platform has 490,000 followers on TikTok and 146,000 on Instagram.One of his cuts — a French crop — has nearly 16 million views on Instagram and 38 million on TikTok.Another TikTok from March featuring a textured fringe cut has over 22 million views.The intrigue: Besides the joy seen on clients, and the editing style that incorporates memes and R&B music, the comments about the customer's post-cut glow up are the best part. Here are some of our favorites."Bro went from double texting to sorry I fell asleep.""Dude went from 'I got time whenever' to 'I'll check my schedule.'""That's a Princess Diaries moment."
Slavery caused the Civil War
Slavery caused the Civil War — that is the bold, and factual, statement that opens the American Civil War Museum's latest exhibition, "The Impending Crisis: How Slavery Caused the Civil War."Why it matters: While historians have long agreed that the enslavement of people was the issue that drove the nation to splinter and go to war, some folks — especially in the South — continue to debate the cause. This exhibit aims to put other theories to rest.And the American Civil War Museum is in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy and the current state capital, which just four...
Richmond summer concert series 2024
Friday Cheers' 2024 season starts tonight — and that means it's officially outdoor spring and summer concert season in Richmond.Zoom in: Here is a taste of some of Richmond's biggest warm weather concert series. (Note: Ticket prices, dates and times vary.)Friday Cheers: Every Friday through June on Brown's Island; gates open at 6pm.Upcoming shows this season include Sir Chloe, Digable Planets and The Legendary Ingramettes.Live Loud: Richmond's other Brown's Island concert series kicked off Thursday, but don't worry if you missed it. There's more good stuff to come through September.Highlights this year include Chappell Roan, Faye Webster, Avail and Cake.Flowers...
Massive Richmond sinkhole swallows car
A Richmond sinkhole swallowed up a car face down, trunk up on Thursday.The big picture: The driver drove around a cone and what he thought was a puddle on Strawberry St. next to City Diner, according to WTVR.Next thing he knows, he's in a hole — which the Department of Public Utilities told NBC12 formed because of a water main break.City officials told WRIC that the unidentified driver ignored the traffic cones blocking off the area. Police are charging him with reckless driving.What they're saying: "Good ole Richmond," said a woman who's lived on West Grace Street since 1988 and went to check out the sinkhole.What's next: The part of Strawberry Street between West Broad and Grace streets is closed off while city workers (one of whom told Axios he's never seen something like this in Richmond) fix it.What we're watching: The ground, every time we walk or drive now.
Here are the Richmond ZIP codes with the biggest home appreciation in the past year
Data: Zillow; Note: Typical home value refers to the average of the middle third of Zillow home value estimates for every home in a given region with a county record, including single-family, condominium and co-operative homes; Table: Axios VisualsThe ZIP code that includes the Museum District, Windsor Farms, Carillon and part of the Near West End saw the metro's highest jump in typical home values compared to a year ago, per Zillow data shared with Axios.Why it matters: Fewer homes on the market kept prices growing in most areas, meaning affordability dwindled, according to Zillow chief economist Skylar Olsen.State of...
20 things to do on Richmond's most jam-packed weekend in a while
Concerts and festivals and derbies, oh my!Welcome to your breakdown of the most packed Richmond weekend in a while — perfect for breaking out of the winter blues.Thursday🏝 The LiveLoud concert series on Brown's Island is kicking off with the Wood Brothers and Lindsay Lou. Doors open at 6pm. Tickets start at $39.99.A Casa Del Barco fast pass lets you cut lines and is good for a free post-show taco at Casa.Friday🎸 The first Friday Cheers concert of the year is also at Brown's Island, starting with Bella White and Southwest Virginia native Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers...
Richmond struggles to staff mental health crisis response program
Richmond still does not have enough people to fully staff the Marcus Alert System, a program meant to limit police involvement in mental health crises, reports WRIC.Why it matters: "We have more calls than we can possibly handle," Paula Bartlett, the program's manager at the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, told WRIC.State of play: In 2020, former Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill to establish the Marcus Alert statewide.It was named after Marcus-David Peters, a teacher Richmond police killed during a mental health emergency in 2018.The law's intent was to reduce interactions like that by having behavioral health professionals respond to...
Axios Richmond
2K+
Posts
11M+
Views
Axios Richmond is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.