Reviews & Comments
Richmond, VA
2015 - Negative vibes and a culture of mediocrity -
2/6/2016I've lived in Richmond for 7 months now after being forced to move here from Dallas-Fort Worth due to health issues. Before that, I lived in Los Angeles-Orange County for 5 years, and I was raised in southeast Michigan (Flint and Detroit).
I am trying to be fair with the following review, though it may not seem like it. I really wanted to like Richmond.
Within the first three days Richmond struck me as a southern Detroit without the cosmopolitan benefits and amenities of the Detroit metro area, and this view has only been solidified the longer I stay.
The impression I get is that the city feels like an old, run down dollar store where a couple aisles sell fine rugs and Patek Philippe watches on shelves made of oak and stone, and one aisle sells craft beer.
I wish I could say that the city was as vibrant or energetic as it is sometimes advertised to be, but it's not. There are fancy historical buildings and some new things, but I feel like there is a culture of mediocrity, complacency, and apathy. On top of this, the city is gritty, spooky, and tough feeling, and this provides some excitement for suburban young people who want to "make a difference."
The combination of complacency and toughness is very unnerving to me, and it reminds me of someone who is repressed -- someone who wants to just BUST OUT but feels trapped. I am generally a vibrant, outspoken person, but I feel like it's been beaten out of me here. It's hard to describe.