UNIQUELY RICHMOND Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom Retailers including a bookstore and an antiques shop are found in Shockoe Slip. Adjacent Shockoe Bottom offers additional stores. shockoeslip.org
Short Pump A shoppers’ mecca featuring lodging, retail and dining at West Broad Village, plus dining and locally owned specialty stores such as Tweed and Fido Park Avenue at the Shoppes at Westgate. westbroadvillage.com; shoppesatwestgate.com
Carytown Arts District Find clothing shops, art galleries, Stretching along West Cary Street, the “Mile of Style” bustles with theaters, restaurants and a local dining, spas and unique boutique hotel along Broad Street shops. carytownrva.com downtown. richmondartsdistrict.org
Downtown Ashland Find a specialty grocer, niche boutiques, antique stores and restaurants along Ashland’s Center Street and Railroad Avenue. visitashlandva.com
FROM LEFT: GOOGLE MAPS; FEDERAL REALTY; DAVID CARRANZA
Lakeside Stores offer a mix of quirky home furnishings, antiques and gifts along Lakeside Avenue between Glenside Drive and Bryan Park.
Short Pump Town Center
Southpark Mall Serving the Tri-Cities area of Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell since 1989, Southpark Mall has a Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Regal Theatres and an extensive list of typical mall stores and dining options. Plans to redevelop the site of a shuttered Sears store into multifamily residential apartments won approval from Colonial Heights in January 2022. 230 Southpark Circle, Colonial Heights; southparkmall.com
Westhampton RVA In the Near West End, this area encompasses Patterson, Libbie and Grove avenues, with a variety of local boutiques and shops. westhamptonrva.com
Willow Lawn Richmond’s first shopping center offers Dick’s Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Michael’s, Buff City Soap, DSW and other larger chain stores, as well as a Kroger grocery store, Row House gym, spa, children’s play area and a number of local and national restaurants. The center is bordered by apartments with additional units in the works, and the 7.6-mile Pulse bus route currently ends at Willow Lawn. 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, willowlawn.com
Since the open-air mall opened in 2003, Short Pump Town Center has remained a key player in the transformation of the West End of Henrico County and the edge of Goochland County. The mall boasts 122 retailers, such as Apple, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel, Dick’s Sporting Goods and L.L. Bean, as well as restaurants including local favorites The Boathouse, Casa del Barco and Lehja plus national chains and fast casual options. 11800 W. Broad St., shortpumptowncenter.com
// Originally published February 2023 and updated for Welcome Inc.
The Shoppes at Bellgrade At the corner of Huguenot and Robious roads, enjoy a selection of clothing and other specialty stores. 11400 W. Huguenot Road
The Shops at White Oak Village Features national chain stores for apparel, entertainment and pet supplies. 4521-4571 S. Laburnum Ave.
Stony Point Shopping Center Gifts, stationery, children’s clothing, Trader Joe’s and more at the intersection of Huguenot Road and Forest Hill Avenue.
Sycamore Square This shopping center in the village of Midlothian has upscale consignment jewelry, clothing and dining. 1000 Sycamore Square Drive, shopsycamoresquare.com
Westchester Commons This retail development includes a movie theater, national chain stores and other shops and restaurants. 15786 WC Main St., shopwestchestercommons.com
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In the City 10: City of Richmond The city’s neighborhoods are walkable and bikeable, brimming with shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. You’ll find turn-of-thecentury rowhouses in the Fan, Carytown and the Museum District; a youthful, industrial vibe in Scott’s Addition; preCivil War homes in Church Hill and stunning river views in Union Hill.
20: Near West End, Westhampton, Tuckahoe A neighborhood that began in the years between the two world wars, the Near West End is a charming mishmash of architectural styles, with River Road’s grand homes sited just blocks from cottages. The University of Richmond is in the middle of it all, as are plentiful shopping and dining at Libbie and Grove, Patterson Avenue, and Willow Lawn.
22, 34: Far West End, Short Pump The western end of Henrico County is a mix of prestigious suburban communities and older developments containing smaller lots, with the benefit of easy interstate access to downtown Richmond and adjoining counties. Neighborhoods with rolling hills and charming gardens are as common here as luxury condos and townhouses. Mixed-use developments such as West Broad Village and GreenGate have created centers for living, shopping and dining.
Surrounding Areas
30, 32: North Side
62: Midlothian
Families flock to North Side areas such as Dumbarton to take advantage of the large yards and exceptional architecture. Long avenues with well-cared-for medians — including some resident-tended gardens — crisscross the area. Many retirees move here to live in one of the three senior communities. Lakeside has a bit of a throwback, retro feel.
One of the fastest growing regions of Chesterfield County, Midlothian offers suburban ease, planned-community convenience or a rural lifestyle, depending on how far past state Route 288 you’re willing to venture. Home styles range from contemporary in Brandermill and Woodlake to more traditional styles elsewhere. The far western section is sprouting suburban growth in an area that once featured only farmland and forests.
50, 60: Manchester, South Side South of the James, yet still in the city limits, is a mix of industry, arts and neighborhoods. Former factories and warehouses in artsy Manchester house lofts, technology companies, restaurants and art galleries. Development in the area has exploded in recent years, dominated by apartment buildings and mixeduse projects that include residences, restaurants and office space. Farther west, you’ll find Forest Hill Park and its surrounding neighborhoods including Woodland Heights and Westover Hills, where residents enjoy easy access to trails and the river.
64: Bon Air Abutting the western edge of the city, this area rolls along the James River to the border with Powhatan County. Single-family homes on wooded lots dominate, and classic neighborhoods such as Salisbury continue to attract newcomers. The Highland Hills neighborhood in Bon Air was developed in the 1950s and features midcentury modern homes designed by the architect Charles Goodman.
24: Goochland County Rural life remains king out here, although development is quickly working its way into the county, one of the wealthiest per capita in the United States. There are a few charming established neighborhoods near Goochland Courthouse and Tuckahoe Plantation, as well as high-end developments such as Kinloch, on a lake near Route 288, that offer luxe amenities in elegant homes.
36, 39, 44: Hanover County Ashland, the self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe,” is a charming railroad town with trains rumbling through its center, Randolph-Macon College and Victorian homes. Others prefer simple country living out in Beaverdam or Montpelier. To the east, Hanover and Mechanicsville offer history, antiques and regionally famous tomatoes.
40, 42: Eastern Henrico County, Highland Springs, Varina The East End was once farmland, but after the Civil War, it became one of the city’s streetcar suburbs. Proximity to Richmond is still a plus. Highland Springs is a tight-knit community with a bit of a smalltown feel. Along the river in neighboring zone 40, Rocketts Landing has become a popular staging area for events.
52, 54: Chesterfield County Chester Village, just west of I-95, is an old railroad town that serves as the heart of the community. Much of the area is rural and developing, with housing and retail clustered around the Route 10 and 360 corridors. Once off those major arteries, winding rural roads veer off into the woods, or planned communities take advantage of the trees and rolling hills.
66: Powhatan Twenty miles from Richmond, much of the county is rural, with acres of farms and white fences meandering along rolling horse pastures. Powhatan features quaint antique stores, a winery, two breweries, a distillery, and a bevy of stables and farms.
55, 56, 57: TriCities — Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg Half an hour south of Richmond along the Appomattox River, Colonial Heights and Petersburg are historic areas with a smalltown feel. Ten miles northeast, the city of Hopewell is situated at the confluence of the James and Appomattox rivers, and it holds a family-oriented, waterfront charm.
// Originally published February 2023 and updated for Welcome Inc. WELCOME INC.
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THE RIGHT PATH When picking the perfect private school, evaluate what suits your child’s individual needs // BY PAULA PETERS CHAMBERS
R
ather than be overwhelmed by the range of private school options available in metro Richmond, parents should feel optimistic that they can find a good fit for their child and family. “Pretend you’re being investigators,” says Rachel Gladstone, an educational consultant with Westhampton Family Psychologists in Tuckahoe. “Try to see all the choices and options, and remember nothing is written in stone.” Gladstone says it’s common for parents who attended private schools themselves to seek a similar experience for their children. Other parents believe a private school would suit their child’s needs better than their assigned public school. It’s also possible that as a child progresses through their education, a different school setting might be more appropriate. “There’s so much variability, with so many different people with different needs and circumstances,” Gladstone notes. “It truly is so individual, which is why careful consideration and attention need to go into school choice.”
AN EARLY START
Courtney Rosenthal began evaluating private schools for her first child in summer 2021, with an anticipated enrollment in kindergarten in the 2023-24 school year. Their motivation to seek a private option for their daughter stemmed from a desire to find a place that would nurture her love of the arts. “Her life is a musical,” Rosenthal says. “She’s always singing.” The Rosenthals set parameters on their search: K-12 programming and coed instruction with no religious affiliation. “That really narrowed the scope,” Courtney Rosenthal says. She and her husband assembled a list of questions and sent it to admissions directors at their top two choices. The family secured a seat for their
daughter in the school of their choice — but in a junior kindergarten, or JK, classroom last fall, a full year earlier than they planned. “I realized that for many independent schools in Richmond, the admissions process really is for the JK year,” Rosenthal says. “Then there are only a handful of slots for kindergarten. We realized the numbers weren’t good if we waited because there wouldn’t be many slots available.” Margaret and Adam Preston had two children enrolled in their neighborhood public school when the COVID-19 pandemic began in spring 2020 — a daughter in second grade and a son in kindergarten. They had been considering moving their daughter to a private school, so they were ready to make the leap to virtual learning offered by the school they preferred. The couple’s process included gathering recommendations from friends and “being a little old school. Write it all down and see where you are: priorities, nonnegotiables, what do they have [to offer],” she says. “A mom has an intuition as to what her kids need.” Then they took general admissions tours. They paid attention to the academic “extras” not available at their public school and observed smaller class sizes. At the
It truly is so individual, which is why careful consideration and attention need to go into school choice.” —Rachel Gladstone, educational consultant
end of one tour, as Margaret Preston was asking questions, the admissions director suggested the couple meet with the head of school. “We felt like we were their priority, even with a slew of folks in the admissions process,” she says.
MAKING THE SWITCH
Educational consultant Lindsey Melvin says the pandemic motivated some parents to move their children from public to private settings. “The demand [for private schools] was much greater than I’ve seen in a long time,” she says. Most private schools require educational assessments, either administered by private psychologists or the schools themselves. A child may want an explanation about why that’s necessary. The child’s age also affects the role they will play. “It’s surprising how early the admissions process takes place,” she adds. “Some schools are zipped up and done by early March; others have rolling admissions into the summer. Some parents will want to wait to see how the school year finishes [to consider another placement] and then find that the door is closed, whether because of admissions numbers or financial aid has already been played out. If financial aid is something you think you need, the earlier [one starts the process], the better.” Melvin also advises parents to remember that the tuition price isn’t just for one year; it’s for multiple. “Ask yourself, ‘Can I afford that next year? Is this something I can bite off for four years of high school, or 13 years?’” she says. “You also have to have conversations with the schools about the costs beyond tuition, like sports, uniforms, clubs and activities. You want to understand what the total cost is and have a conversation about what financial aid is available.” // Originally published August 2023 and updated for Welcome Inc.
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