Richmond Life: Street Scenes

Speaking of Richmond night life (and day life, for that matter), a robust street scene occurs on the blocks near Lombardy and Main.

The attractions include galleries displaying art from some of Richmond's finest painters, as well as places to eat, drink, meet, trade stories, and do all the things social beings do.

We visited the neighborhood last Friday and enjoyed the festive air. And when we mentioned the experience to friends, we often discovered that they, too, had frequented the zone and already had favorite spots. This weekend we might return for a beer and an argument about the baseball playoffs.

Central Virginia knows how to throw festivals, as the Richmond Folk Festival will attest. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts shares considerable credit for the trend, as its various evening series of tunes and swoons reminded residents of the joys of city life. Jumpin' in July gave the culture scene a jump start.

Organic development such as that along West Main and East Broad recalls the urban vision expressed by Jane Jacobs in The Death and Life of Great American Cities. But there is no need to commit sociology or to succumb to academic planning. Just pick your own scene among Richmond's many, go, and thrive.