Goodbye Richmond, It Was A Great Four Years.

It was August 2007 when I first came to Richmond, and now it is August 2011 and its time I move elsewhere. I just wanted to do a blogpost of my look back on my past four years living in RVA.

It all started at the Comfort Inn at 3200 West Broad St where Virginia Commonwealth University put me up since I applied to school late in the summer. That was a wild experience where I originally had a King bed in a suite, it was another world from the dorms on campus further downtown. That lasted about a month and a half before I decided to move to Floyd Ave where I made some of my best and probably most college-like memories. On to the "Floyd House". 

Oh, 1730 West Floyd, how I loved and hated thee. I lived on Floyd and Allen for about 2 years and I really loved and hated every minute of it. I made some of my closest friendships in that house and changed as a person dramatically over those two years. I got into biking while living in that house, and for that I am thankful. I built my first fixed gear bike in that house, got hit by a car and got my first nice bike. Later I found the best type of biking and got my first mountain bike. Built a Tall Bike with my friends, and then rode it al the time in front of the elementary school where all the hood kids would heckle.  I live with a cat for the first time, and turned into a bit of a cat person, but will always love living with a dog. I lived in a tiny room that was originally a wash room; possibly training for living in a NYC apartment. 

  

After that I moved to my Place on 411 North Allen (Corner of Allen and Monument). This was by far my favorite place that I lived at in Richmond. It was massive, massive rooms, massive hallway, and a massive front porch, it was great. It was there where my nerdy obsession really flourished. I got my Palm Pre (my second smartphone) and I really began my obsession with hacking phones.

After a year, I moved to Broad St. I love it here on Broad St, I constantly hear the busy street sounds an really get the city-life feeling. It was a quiet and focused year here here, finishing up my final school year and just focusing on lining up work for when I graduate.  Not much discovery here, but content with knowing my city; what I want to do and where the best place to do it.  

This is from the median right outside my front door. 

This post is coming to an end and now I really just want to go over a list of things I will miss about Richmond.

My Friends 

Brain Drain

534 Staff

New York Deli's bottled PBR

Helen's Thursday Special

Ipanema's Patio

Bogart's Tacos when they were on Lombardy

All-Star Market's Sandwiches  

Trolley Market and the owner's Ace of Base CD on Saturdays

Citgo on Broad and their staff

Starbuck's Baristas on Broad Street knowing my order daily

Geometry Park hangouts

Church Hill Lookout pictures

Belle Isle biking, walking, swimming. 

Texas Beach swimming

James River as a whole

Buttermilk Trail on my Mountain Bike

Monument Ave and the Monuments

Carytown and the shops

Monroe Park and the homeless

Late Night Drives to Sheets

Bike Snobs and their fixies

Garnette's Croque Sandwiches

Ronnie's Brisket

Weezie's Club and Fries

Joe's Inn Chicken Sandwich Delux and Breakfast

Louisiana Flair Catfish PoBoy

Vietnam 1's Pork BBQ Vermicelle

Tarrant's Fish Tacos

Sticky Rice's Spicy Tuna Rolls, Tots, and Blingo

Kuba Kuba's Cuban

Chiocca's Cold Cut Sandwich

Lees Fried Chicken

Galaxy Diner BBQ Bacon Burger

Mojo's Hoagie Cheesesteak 

and most of all

Piccola's Italian Sub

Richmond, I'm Out. 

Goodbye!

To Be Continued...

-Grant Heppes