Richmond for a day by train?
 

Hi - my Dutch au pair is thinking about taking the train from Williamsburg to Richmond for the day. I've spent lots of time in Richmond, but not in years (just moved back to the area) and never by train. I see that the station is on Staples Mill Road. Where is that and what area of the city should I send her to? If i were going I would head to Carytown. How close is Carytown to the art museum? Are there any other neat museums / galleries? Is it possible to walk from Carytown to the fan area? Forgive me if I am asking silly questions - it really has been a long time. What about Shacko? (I know I'm butchering the spelling). She's an urban girl from Amsterdam and loves to explore, but not go to big malls or anything like that. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Many thanks

You'll hopefully get better responses than this but:

I would send her to Carytown as there is plenty to walk around and do and she can shop and eat there. It is not close to Shockoe but I prefer Shockoe as a place to go for restaurants, not for exploring. Not sure why she would want to walk around the fan district...?

Don't know about any museums or art galleries--sorry. Hopefully others will help (I don't live in Richmond, just visit it often).

Since she is taking the train, she will not have a car and Staples Mill Rd puts her in the middle of nowhere. She will need to take a taxi. The only place I would recommend would be Carytown for cute shops and some lunch places. There is an art museum near Carytown. I just can't remember what street it is on and if it is walkable. We went on a school bus with a class trip. If she needs a taxi for a return trip, than she will have to call them.They don't drive around.
Everything in Richmond is spread out and there is not that much to see unless you have a car to take you around town.
Shockoe Bottom is just some restaurants down by the financial district not near Carytown at all. It would be a long walk to the fan from the top of Cary where the shops are. The neigborhood gradually changes as you get closer to the city. It is not really bad, but not as nice as the top part where the cute shops are. There are some shady characters hanging around as you head downtown on Cary.

Hey there Wees! Your au pair needs to take the train to the Main Street Station which is MUCH closer to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts than Staples Mill Rd.. The VMFA is still a couple of miles away on Boulevard. I'd probably take a cab but if interested she could walk west on Main Street through the campus of VCU and the Fan until she hits Boulevard. Turn right (direction north) and the musuem is a couple of blocks away.

Cary Street is a five minute walk from the VMFA south on Boulevard. When she gets to Cary Street she should turn right (west) which is where all the shops and galleries are located. I agree with girlonthego that Cary St. gets run down the further east you go back toward downtown.

If she chooses to spend the day in Carytown she can easily get to the art museum. It is on Boulevard north of Cary Street - on the corner of Grove and Boulevard. It is technically in the Fan, as is the part of Cary Street where she would likely be spending her time - these would be considered the upper fan (the wide part of the fan as it extends out from VCU). When I lived there years ago, I considered most of the central fan to be "walkable", but it really depends on how much you are used to walking. Shockoe Slip/Bottom would be quite a hike - especially in Richmond's summer weather!!

I live in Richmond. If she takes the train to Staples Mill Road she is in the West End of town. Carytown is about 10 miles away. I think this would be her best place to go if she is looking for shopping/museums. The Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum are located on The Boulevard very near Carytown (as Cary street crosses over The Boulevard) It will not be a bad walk, except for the heat! Carytown has many, many ecclectic shopping experiences, great food choices and is near the museums. If she is simply looking for shopping, I'd send her to one our new malls, Short Pump Mall, or Stony Point. Both malls would require a taxi trip, however. Not close in to the city. Shockoe Slip does not have a lot of shopping, mostly has bars and restaurants and office buildings. Since Gaston hit last year, that area has been rebuilding, and I would think it would be a less desirable place for a single, young female to spend the day. Good luck.

There's bus service too, which shares the Amtrak Station in Williamsburg, but is a few miles from the RVR train station. One thing good about the bus is that it is also served by better local buslines than the Staples Mills station is.

There are many more buses to choose from than trains each day. I do agree that if using train, go to the new (actually, much OLDER!) Main Street station.

I've driven, walked, and taken the local bus in Richmond. Check the site at
http://www.ridegrtc.com

Also amtrak.com and greyhound.com

Richmond is a beautiful city and I could kick myself for not spending more time there when I'm in Virginia.

The Richmond newspaper came out with a great directory on getting around Richmond by foot. Check out www.discoverrichmond.com. Note that Richmond is not a city easily traveled by foot. You can expore within neighborhoods by foot but will need a taxi to get from one part to another. You will definitely need a taxi to get to and from the train station.

HI! I work downtown Richmond. If your au pair comes to the Main Street train station instead of the Staples Mill station, she can easily pick up a bus to different areas of the city. The bus web site is www.ridegrtc.com Just a few blocks from the Main Street Station is: Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Shockoe Bottom, Farmer's Market, Canal Walk, and Tredegar Iron Works - National Park headquarters. Up the hill is state Capitol, Museum and White House of Confederacy, Valentine Museum, and the state library is at Broad and 7th. The Capitol is undergoing extensive renovation and most of the art works and statues are being housed in the State Library for the next year. Here are some links:
http://www.nps.gov/rich/
http://www.moc.org/
http://www.richmondhistorycenter.com/
http://www.poemuseum.org/
http://www.richmondriverfront.com/
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/events/index.asp
Hope she has a fun day!