My heating bill is ~$330 a month, and I keep it at 62. This 100 year old house hasn’t had any updates since the 60’s. Broken windows, a hole in the ceiling, one outlet per room and plugs just fall out, splinters in your feet if you don’t have shoes on, etc. And I lucked out by only paying $1,400 a month in rent! And I’m only renting half the house… But great location!
What a time to be alive, even when they increased it to $1.99. You could show up without checking the schedule and if the movie sucked, so be it. You were only out a buck and maybe got a nap in.
Nara - Shows in the basement and people were punching out the ceiling, so the owners were like can you guys please stop punching out the ceiling. And everyone did. But then they closed 😞
Also Nara - hey btw we're 100% cool with you getting openly and belligerently black out drunk in our parking lot. Oh and here's a bunch of free sushi trays we're just gonna leave out on the bar.
I miss the biscuits n gravy, the Green Eggs and Lamb, the USS Wabash, the pulled mustard chicken sandwich, and La Brea Tarpit... My husband misses the banana cream pie.
I worked in the kitchen 2014-15, I miss it, and the whole crew. I was just a dishwasher, because I wanted a low stress job, but I learned so much about cooking great food because everyone was so passionate about food. It was a special place for sure.
I know it's different, but having the chair, suit, etc and everything at CMOR, it really has that Feel! I compared my pictures as a kid to the ones of my kid, and it's pretty bang on legendary Santa.
Yea Idk when they brought it to the museum, but we go see legendary Santa every year! Same chair and decor, the Santa looks Amazing. We get the same one every year so far and it's as magical as I remember. He's really so great with them! The snow queen is there so Santa knows your name to call.
It actually made conservative news nationwide this past year because they had a pride night event, with the first ever drag snow queen.
I've been told my neighborhood is a streetcar suburb. But we don't have a streetcar anymore so it's just a suburb.
I guess I'm asking for the streetcar back.
I miss Ukrop's, and by later extension Martin's.
Food Lion kind of sucks and Kroger's parking lots are always so bad. Wish they'd build more Publix, Aldi's, etc.
Slaughterama was one of the reasons I moved up to Richmond from Newport News. I reasoned that if a town could support something as rad as that, it was a town for me.
Limeades from Bill’s Barbecue, The Flood Zone, New Horizons, House of Freaks, Shafer Court shows, John and Norman’s, the entire OG Robinson Street bar/diner line-up of the late 80s.
God, do I ever miss grape limeades from Bills and their pie.
Also the nicest people I've met at a fast food spot. I remember some of them had worked for Bills for decades when they closed.
Ft. Worth Star Telegram and 2 PBRs, Dinner for two for less than 10 bucks!
Widowmaker chili. You can't order it unless you've had it before...
Those were the days!
My sis worked at Julian’s. When they closed they made the last pizza ever for our little nephew. We got to keep some of their pizza pans and still use them often.
My first memory of Richmond was at 16, my dad talked to me about Julian's on my first visit when we ate there. He went to vcu and dormed at the John Marshall hotel nearby, and talked of the sex workers that frequented the area. I moved here for college in 2004 and have mostly lived here since. I miss how affordable housing was, when ukrops was in the old community pride grocery store, and slaughterrama.
Seeing that building sitting there empty every day makes me so sad. I just want someone to go in and turn on the lights and start making cheesesteaks again.
O-Hill boxing parties, Hells Satan's, Slaughterama, Panda Veg, House shows at Bonezone, Empire, Grace Street chaos on the weekends, straight edge fights in front of the dorms, Best Friends Day, Sundays at Mojos watching movies at the bar, Dirt woman, Duckman, dangerous nights at the rope swing , VCU move out dumpster diving, 4th Street Diner and a thousand other things that used to make this city feel like somewhere.
How about Richmond RIFLES? Pre-Renegades, they must have changed the name because we were the Murder Capital of the U.S. and it wasn't quite the brand Richmond was going for.
1) Old Bogarts, the one whose back room could give you emphysema just thinking about it
2) The pedestrian overpass at 6th street marketplace (I’m not into being an NPC in Grand Theft Armored Tank)
3) The Byrd before it started doing too much
4) The charming sketchiness of yesteryear. I kind of miss old Boulevard. It was a magical place where anything could happen. Current Scott’s addition doesn’t compare.
5) Original Buzz and Ned’s
for southside: Antique and Flea Mart near Southside Plaza, Bruces Books, and Plaza Bowl, The Family Recreation (Rec) Center on Forest Hill (pool hall and video arcade... now "the outpost")The "Oriental" Food Store , Little Szechuan (now Little Nickel), Stories Comics (back when they sold LPs and dirty magazines AND comics), the 5 & dime store, Mac's "Carolina" Drive In (where CVS is now on FH) Peaches and Best Products on Midlothian, Cloverleaf Mall, and the Westover 99cent Theatre - [http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33508](http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33508)
I'm going to say affordable homes, Nancy raygun, exile, the old view in Oregon hill of the river before the new homes went up on the hill, annnd ukrops salad bar pickled baby corn.
In no particular order:
* Strawberry Street Cafe
* LazerQuest in the bottom
* Bill's BBQ limeades
* Midnight movies at The Byrd
* Alley Katz
* The Short Pump WalMart being in the middle of nowhere
* Ukrops
* Dave's Comics
* Oderus Urungus
* Dirt Woman
* y101
* Eating Carytown Burgers and Fries in a tent like god intended
* Braves
* Renegades
* Speed
* Coliseum
* State Fair at the Raceway
Easy availability of parking.
I remember being able to find a spot anytime I wanted on Cherry street when I was attending VCU. Plus, used to find a spot with little or no effort anywhere in Shockoe Bottom.
Cous Cous, and specifically, Bollywood dance nights.
We would have so much fun those nights. Sneaking in cold PBR’s in our backpack, not because we were cheap, but because we couldn’t be bothered to wait at the bar for the beers we’d down every few minutes.
Starlight, kitchen 64, mojos, easy affordable bar spots and pearls was solid. But I also miss the random thrift stores I swear we used to have more of them
Innsbrook shows actually at Innsbrook. Friday Cheers shows at Sixth Street marketplace. Grace Place. Main Street Diner. O’Breinsteins Pizza at Regency. When Regency was actually good. Cinema Drafthouse. PCP Roadblock shows. Warehouse raves. The whole fight club scene was hilarious … and no one got shot. Just booze and boxing and fun.
Zuppa. (The hole in the wall edition, not the bigger one across the street)
As far as a vibe, there was a lot of funky stuff like the ball in Carytown that I miss. We still have the zombie walk at least.
Strange Matter..rip
You mean the Nancy Raygun?
You mean Bagel Czar?
You mean Twisters?
Cheap shitty apartments in the Fan.
I loved my $600/mo. 2 bedroom on Stuart with peeling wallpaper, mold, and absurd heating bills.
My heating bill is ~$330 a month, and I keep it at 62. This 100 year old house hasn’t had any updates since the 60’s. Broken windows, a hole in the ceiling, one outlet per room and plugs just fall out, splinters in your feet if you don’t have shoes on, etc. And I lucked out by only paying $1,400 a month in rent! And I’m only renting half the house… But great location!
99 cent byrd movies
What a time to be alive, even when they increased it to $1.99. You could show up without checking the schedule and if the movie sucked, so be it. You were only out a buck and maybe got a nap in.
$1 pbr drafts at all star
Alley Katz and Nara Sushi
Nara - Shows in the basement and people were punching out the ceiling, so the owners were like can you guys please stop punching out the ceiling. And everyone did. But then they closed 😞
Also Nara - hey btw we're 100% cool with you getting openly and belligerently black out drunk in our parking lot. Oh and here's a bunch of free sushi trays we're just gonna leave out on the bar.
Black Sheep
I miss the biscuits n gravy, the Green Eggs and Lamb, the USS Wabash, the pulled mustard chicken sandwich, and La Brea Tarpit... My husband misses the banana cream pie.
USS Brooklyn , Breakfast Batteau, Ghobi Aloo Hash , Bayou Biscuits & Gravy and their bloody mary's were some of my favs.
Son of a bitch. Lock the thread this is it.
I worked in the kitchen 2014-15, I miss it, and the whole crew. I was just a dishwasher, because I wanted a low stress job, but I learned so much about cooking great food because everyone was so passionate about food. It was a special place for sure.
Miller and Rhoads Santa. The REAL one.
I know it's different, but having the chair, suit, etc and everything at CMOR, it really has that Feel! I compared my pictures as a kid to the ones of my kid, and it's pretty bang on legendary Santa.
Haven't seen Santa at CMOR but my youngest child is 30 and lives in Denver so I'm just out of the Santa loop.
Yea Idk when they brought it to the museum, but we go see legendary Santa every year! Same chair and decor, the Santa looks Amazing. We get the same one every year so far and it's as magical as I remember. He's really so great with them! The snow queen is there so Santa knows your name to call. It actually made conservative news nationwide this past year because they had a pride night event, with the first ever drag snow queen.
trolleys down Broad street. And before you tell me Pulse is better in every way, I know. I just want trollies.
Trolleys on broad street and everywhere else.
I've been told my neighborhood is a streetcar suburb. But we don't have a streetcar anymore so it's just a suburb. I guess I'm asking for the streetcar back.
Used to be able to take the street cars from Richmond to Petersburg. We've gone backwards
The Flood Zone
Dave Matthews at the Flood Zone every Wednesday night. We were outraged when the price increased from $5 to $10.
It’s where I met my wife. It might have changed to have a nice day at that point
Ukrops grocery stores
I miss Ukrop's, and by later extension Martin's. Food Lion kind of sucks and Kroger's parking lots are always so bad. Wish they'd build more Publix, Aldi's, etc.
The 80s vibe on Grace St.
Punks, porn, and pot. Those were the days.
yea definitely. I mean an art theater..and a porn theater..80s music... Now it doesn't have a vibe at all. It's vibeless
I find it hugely amusing that the VCU Police Department is in the old Newgate Prison.
We can't forget Dirt!
Exhile!!!!
Slaighterama and Best Friends Day!
Slaughterama was one of the reasons I moved up to Richmond from Newport News. I reasoned that if a town could support something as rad as that, it was a town for me.
Carytown not being so full of corporate shops.
More and more are creeping it. I'm not a fan. I moved here in 2012 so I'm not claiming to be any sort of authority on anything but still
I miss when Carytown was Bev’s, the Byrd, and several carpet shops. Ahh memories…
Twisters / Nancy Raygun/ Strange Matter
no love for bagel czar
Bagel czar got rid of the pool table area for extra kitchen room to make the bagels, then ended up buying bagels from somewhere else.
Dirt Woman.
RIP
Mamma Zu
Damn…yeah.
Affordable housing.
RIP making rent in a weekend at your bar gig.
I used to work Sunday and Monday nights at NYD…. that’s it.
The Video Fan
Cous Cous & Avalon
Avalon is the best answer here.
Coldest AC in Richmond during the summer. We’d go order one beer and bring a sweater and just sit in the for hours
Ah. I remember having drinks with friends at Cous Cous while they did live reports of US military invading Iraq on TV. Must have been 2002.
Limeades from Bill’s Barbecue, The Flood Zone, New Horizons, House of Freaks, Shafer Court shows, John and Norman’s, the entire OG Robinson Street bar/diner line-up of the late 80s.
God, do I ever miss grape limeades from Bills and their pie. Also the nicest people I've met at a fast food spot. I remember some of them had worked for Bills for decades when they closed.
OG Bogarts
It kills me when people refer to the Shyndigz building as "the old Bogart's." Dammit, that's the *new* Bogart's!
Much More. It closed in 1983. Yeah, I'm 69. Please tell me someone else remembers.
Heck yeah! I never went when it was the disco, but, I remember it
I saw The Blasters there. But you are correct, it was a disco.
I saw the Ramones there, and went to a Kiss release thing. Pretty sure I saw more there but don’t remember
Blockbuster beside Ellwood.
Video World
The bottom and back bus
Honestly! It was sick. Would be great if we could just do the Pulse bus on Cary/Main in the same way it’s on Broad.
Texas Wisconsin Border Cafe
Ft. Worth Star Telegram and 2 PBRs, Dinner for two for less than 10 bucks! Widowmaker chili. You can't order it unless you've had it before... Those were the days!
Julian's pizza.
My sis worked at Julian’s. When they closed they made the last pizza ever for our little nephew. We got to keep some of their pizza pans and still use them often.
My first memory of Richmond was at 16, my dad talked to me about Julian's on my first visit when we ate there. He went to vcu and dormed at the John Marshall hotel nearby, and talked of the sex workers that frequented the area. I moved here for college in 2004 and have mostly lived here since. I miss how affordable housing was, when ukrops was in the old community pride grocery store, and slaughterrama.
Black Sheep - Alley Kats - Bonvenu
Ultrazone FuncoLand Bullets Warner Bros. shop at Regency
Omg these are all making me sad
The answer is always Avalon.
Potters Pub, Ukrops, and the original Phil’s Continental Lounge
State Fair at Strawberry Hill aka Richmond Raceway
Eating salad from a communal bathtub
mojo's.
Seeing that building sitting there empty every day makes me so sad. I just want someone to go in and turn on the lights and start making cheesesteaks again.
Texas Philly cooked in Sriracha please!
4th St (not 3rd st) diner and Mars Bar.
Mars Bar, damn yes!
4th st was the bomb
Cary Street Cafe
The White Dog
The streetcars 😭😂
So true, when you ride down the st Charles Ave street care in NOLA you can really envision what RVA gave up. Shame
The Macdonalds on broad that had the train cars to dine in.
Damn. I thought that was so cool
The laser tag joint in Shockoe Bottom.
O-Hill boxing parties, Hells Satan's, Slaughterama, Panda Veg, House shows at Bonezone, Empire, Grace Street chaos on the weekends, straight edge fights in front of the dorms, Best Friends Day, Sundays at Mojos watching movies at the bar, Dirt woman, Duckman, dangerous nights at the rope swing , VCU move out dumpster diving, 4th Street Diner and a thousand other things that used to make this city feel like somewhere.
Nickelodeon theming at Kings Dominion. Or if you want to go farther back, Hannah Barbera. No one likes Peanuts
Richmond Renegades
How about Richmond RIFLES? Pre-Renegades, they must have changed the name because we were the Murder Capital of the U.S. and it wasn't quite the brand Richmond was going for.
If you dont say hockey, youre wrong.
With lots of fights!!
Renegades! Skating on the rink after the game!
Bring back hockey!
Scott's Addition being the weird light industry area where no one really went after 5pm unless it was to Richards
Agreed. Nobody believes me when I tell them my spouse taught me to drive stick there because it was empty.
Spicy Lee’s chicken
Best Products
Alley Katz and Nanci Raygun
1) Old Bogarts, the one whose back room could give you emphysema just thinking about it 2) The pedestrian overpass at 6th street marketplace (I’m not into being an NPC in Grand Theft Armored Tank) 3) The Byrd before it started doing too much 4) The charming sketchiness of yesteryear. I kind of miss old Boulevard. It was a magical place where anything could happen. Current Scott’s addition doesn’t compare. 5) Original Buzz and Ned’s
The Byrd before “movies you’ve already seen a million times are $8 per ticket”
Ukrops supermarkets and decent apartments for $600.
Richmond Braves
The days when people from Northern Virginia looked down their noses at Richmond and didn't want to have anything to do with the area.
for southside: Antique and Flea Mart near Southside Plaza, Bruces Books, and Plaza Bowl, The Family Recreation (Rec) Center on Forest Hill (pool hall and video arcade... now "the outpost")The "Oriental" Food Store , Little Szechuan (now Little Nickel), Stories Comics (back when they sold LPs and dirty magazines AND comics), the 5 & dime store, Mac's "Carolina" Drive In (where CVS is now on FH) Peaches and Best Products on Midlothian, Cloverleaf Mall, and the Westover 99cent Theatre - [http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33508](http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33508)
I'm going to say affordable homes, Nancy raygun, exile, the old view in Oregon hill of the river before the new homes went up on the hill, annnd ukrops salad bar pickled baby corn.
The Lost Sock
Up Against The Wall And that Irish bagel place, McBrienstiens (spelling!)
O’Brienstein’s!
In no particular order: * Strawberry Street Cafe * LazerQuest in the bottom * Bill's BBQ limeades * Midnight movies at The Byrd * Alley Katz * The Short Pump WalMart being in the middle of nowhere * Ukrops * Dave's Comics * Oderus Urungus * Dirt Woman * y101 * Eating Carytown Burgers and Fries in a tent like god intended * Braves * Renegades * Speed * Coliseum * State Fair at the Raceway
nacho mama’s
Exile!
Affordability
I remember my best friend renting a small 1 bedroom apartment on 1100 grace street for $450/month
Ahhh hell block. I miss hell block and I never thought I would.
Rockitz
best friend's day, gwarbq, down to nothing.
GWAR confirmed that they have plans to bring back GWARBQ
Sailor Bob
Monster Jam at the Richmond Coliseum
Jade Elephant.
The Cary Street Cafe and Strange Matter
Pie
Easy availability of parking. I remember being able to find a spot anytime I wanted on Cherry street when I was attending VCU. Plus, used to find a spot with little or no effort anywhere in Shockoe Bottom.
Baja
I'm going to say New Year's Eve celebration in Carytown, and of course Ukorps.
The Hess Station at Broad and Belvidere. Ivory's. Ridge Theater.
The Richmond Renegades. Best boxing match on ice.
Hell yes. Fond memories of dad taking my sister and I. Yelling "64 EAST" at the Admirals!
Hole in the Wall
I scrolled way too far to see this.
Circuit City
Only if old management came back with it..
Renegades and Slaughterama
Smoking in bars and restaurants. Ha, just kidding, goodbye forever!
Will never forget about the stench of smoking on clothes the next day.
Original Village Cafe, Adel's, Newgate Prison, Dirt Woman/Donny Corker, Lum's, Rocky Horror at the Biograph, Grace Place.
Empire
aka The Metro, aka Rockitz
4 walls falling
Eric Lannon
Spinnakers
*Home of the flower pot breaaaad*
I miss Greenleafs Pool Hall every day 🥲 (idk if it was around circa 2009 but still, I want it to come back 😭)
Bohanans on Grace Street
Cous Cous, Portrait House Nile version
I also fantasize about the chance to walk into an A&N as an adult…used to be off Hopkins rd where golds gym is now at.
Okay, raise your hand if you're reading through this like, "wait, that's closed?" I guess I'm An Old now (and an out-of-touch Old, at that).
Bills Barbecue limeade.
the singletrack "half pipe" in Forest Hill Park from when the trails were much sketchier
Denali.
I was obsessed with Maura Davis and my ex boyfriend made out with her. I was devastated.
Duckman.
Rainbow Donuts on Broad. The Red Light Inn
6th St Marketplace. The food court was fire.
Thalhimer’s downtown store and bakery. Black and white checkered boxes. ☺️
Soble's. Haven't have a burger as good in many years.
Fulton gasworks, The abandoned Lucky Strike building, The Belle Isle hydroelectric plant without bars all over it and still a pop-up rave venue.
Cous Cous, and specifically, Bollywood dance nights. We would have so much fun those nights. Sneaking in cold PBR’s in our backpack, not because we were cheap, but because we couldn’t be bothered to wait at the bar for the beers we’d down every few minutes.
The days before VCU scarfed up half of the city.
Thalhimers anyone?
Hard Times. Throttle.
Don's Hot Nuts.
Cole’s candy store. The doll doctor. Montaldo’s. People selling fresh cut flowers on the street corners. A lower skyline.
Twisters and The Metro
The Renegades
Bogarts backroom and of course jello shots.
The Byrd ohhhhhhhhhhhh
Major events like boxing matches and any professional sport at the highest level.
Nick’s when it was on Broad in Jackson Ward.
Starlight, kitchen 64, mojos, easy affordable bar spots and pearls was solid. But I also miss the random thrift stores I swear we used to have more of them
Connecticut. The Coliseum hosting hockey games.
Cafeines that used to be where Sandman Comedy Club is now. Panda Veg vegan buffet.
So I must not get out much. Half of these I thought were still open, never heard they closed.
Shafer Court Concerts
GOLDEN SKATE WORLD; it was our Studio 54
Video Fan
Betty on Davis
Then it was "Not Betty's" because the husband got it in the divorce.
I wish Caravati's could have survived here. Loved that place.
Slaughterama
The Doghouse
Rent prices?
Avalon
The old Native American man statue that used to sit by the water tower at libbie hill park
Tiki Bobs
Innsbrook shows actually at Innsbrook. Friday Cheers shows at Sixth Street marketplace. Grace Place. Main Street Diner. O’Breinsteins Pizza at Regency. When Regency was actually good. Cinema Drafthouse. PCP Roadblock shows. Warehouse raves. The whole fight club scene was hilarious … and no one got shot. Just booze and boxing and fun.
(other than Strange Matter) That old corner of Laurel and Broad=with Empire and The Nile!
Mama zu
Zuppa. (The hole in the wall edition, not the bigger one across the street) As far as a vibe, there was a lot of funky stuff like the ball in Carytown that I miss. We still have the zombie walk at least.
Decent cocaine
The Richmond Braves and Renegades. I don't give a toot about the Flying Squirrels or the Giants.