Healthy eating in Richmond – Go Green, Eat Green

Living in a downtown Richmond apartment (or anywhere else in the area) with a gourmet kitchen gives rise to good eating habits. The cleaner and more updated the kitchen, the more apt you’ll use it to prepare healthful meals. In Richmond, there is no shortage of resources for organic and local produce, meats, and dairy to supplement your diet.

The “local food” movement encourages residents to shop farmers’ markets and stores specializing in locally or regionally grown products – not just for the health benefits they provide, but also to better sustain our natural resources. The more people buy from their immediate area, the less transportation is involved in shipping food. This cuts down on gas and exhaust pollution.

If you are interested in feeling healthier and helping the environment improve as well, be sure to check out these great resources for your next meal, and many more to come.

17th Street Farmers Market (100 N. 17th St.) – You’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and coffee here four days a week during the season. Various food-centric festivals are hosted here year-round, including July’s Shockoe Tomato Festival and November’s Brunswick Stew fest.

Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market (4 N. Thomspon St.) – Considered by Richmond residents as the place to shop for organic produce and cheese, Ellwood Thompson’s specializes in quality organic food from family-owned farms, including wine and beer. Pick up strawberries grown in Nelson County, crabs from the Chesapeake Bay, or a hot meal to go.

Good Foods Grocery (3062 Stony Point Road) – All-natural products are found here, everything from organic milk to biodegradable toilet paper. Good Foods specializes in gluten-free and wheat-free products for people with allergies, and hosts a number of monthly events and lectures on nutrition and wellness.

Buy local, eat local, and savor the taste of Richmond.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on travel and tourism.

Celebrate the 4th of July with Richmond Events

Have you made your Fourth of July plans yet? Anybody living in downtown Richmond apartments don't have to go too far for the action, but if you're coming to the city to celebrate the nation's independence you'll find a wealth of fun and educational events!

History Repeats Itself: St. John's Church will host a special reenactment featuring performances of our colonial founders debating the fate of our young nation. You'll hear Patrick Henry utter his immortal proclamation to "Give me liberty or give me death!" Admission is free, and the line for tickets queues at 1PM.

Ride Back in Time: Where are the landmarks that shaped our nation's history? You'll be surprised to know the role Richmond has played in our nation's formative years. Take the Let Freedom Ring Bus Tour to learn more about the city's ongoing theme of independence and civil rights. Contact the Richmond History Center for more information.

Pay Your Respects: Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place of two US Presidents, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and other important figures in early American history. This fascinating walking tour is a trip through time as learn more about the people who defined our nation. Contact the Richmond History Center for more information.

Watch the Fireworks: It just wouldn't be the Fourth without an amazing light display, and the Dogwood Dell is the place to be. Enjoy live music and great food as the night sky is set ablaze with an incredible fireworks celebration.

Check out Richmond events for more ideas on how to celebrate the Fourth in town.

Celebrate Father's Day in Richmond

Richmond dads, your day is filled with options for relaxation and fun, whatever you desire. Look around town and you'll find many activities designed to celebrate your day with your family. If you're looking for something to do after you've unwrapped that new necktie and enjoyed breakfast in bed, why not take in these events:

Father's Day in the Garden - Come to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for a free concert and classic car and motorcycle show. Sunday, June 21, 1P - 4PM - admission required.

Father's Day Brunch - Enjoy delicious lobster and scrambled eggs with cheese over puff pastry with hollandaise sauce, grilled prime rib, southern style BBQ and other tasty dishes at Millie's Diner for Father's Day. No reservations are needed.

...aaaand, if you're thinking of searching for a new home in the area, remember that there are only four units left at Nolde Condos. If the idea of living in an affordable, luxury Richmond apartment for rent appeals to you, why not take Dad on a free tour?

Only Four Units Left! Luxury Richmond Apartment Rentals

It's true! There are four vacancies left at Nolde Condos, affordable luxury Richmond apartments for rent in the Church Hill district. This is your chance to experience comfortable urban living and enjoy easy access to downtown restaurants and shops...perfect for VCU students! Visit NoldeCondos.com today to schedule your free tour.

Letterboxing Opportunities Abound in Richmond

Locals and visitors alike know that Richmond is a popular destination for American history enthusiasts. Racing fans flock to the area twice a year to take in big events at the Richmond International Speedway, and various summer concerts and festivals keep everybody entertained. For hobbyists interested in letterboxing, Richmond is rich with several opportunities to add timeless souvenirs to your collection, and memories to treasure.

A Brief Letterboxing Primer

For the benefit of readers new to this centuries-old practice of “treasure hunting,” letterboxing is similar to the “geocaching” trend gaining popularity among GPS users. Letterboxing has its origins in the mid 19th century in England, where secret boxes storing letters and other communications were happened upon or hunted. Visitors would leave something in return. In recent years, enthusiasts will hide letterboxes (usually a plastic, sealed container) containing rubber stamps and a guestbook in various places outdoors, and hunters will use the stamp for their own notebooks, while stamping the letterbox book to let the owner know it has been found. An Internet search for popular letterbox sites Letterboxing and Atlasquest will yield hundreds of such boxes hidden around the world.

Letterboxing in Richmond

One can find several letterboxes in the metropolitan Richmond area, in urban and rural locales. Traditionally, a hunter will check Internet sites for clues on where to find the boxes – some may give precise directions, while others may present a puzzle to decode in order reach the goal. For an idea of what to expect in Richmond letterboxes, here are a few select ones available for search:

• An Irish Lass in Hollywood – hidden in the Hollywood Cemetery
  
• The Siren’s Song – hidden on the campus of the University of Richmond
  
• Deep Run School – hidden near Short Pump Park
  
• The Carillon – hidden near a war monument
  
• Slippery Rock – hidden in Deep Run Park
  

Rules of Letterboxing

Some things to remember when going on a letterboxing expedition:

• Make sure you have directions in hand. You won’t need a compass unless searching for a challenging box, but it’s good to print the directions from the letterboxing websites so you don’t get lost.
  
• Be discreet when you find a letterbox. Some letterboxes hidden in parks and landmarks may be removed by staff or stolen, so if you find a box be careful with it and make sure it is hidden where you found it, so others can find it later.
  
• Plan your route. There may be a number of different letterboxes hidden within a few miles of each other. Do your research and you can make a whole day of the search.
  
• Have fun! Letterboxing with your kids is a great way to encourage their orienteering skills.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on downtown Richmond apartments and Richmond website design.

Monuments of Richmond, Virginia

Along with the generals there is room for memorials to a sailor and chart maker, and a tennis player.

Traffic streams past along Monument Avenue and most of the monuments are big enough to get a look at while stopped at a light, or driving by.

The memorials for Matthew Fontaine Maury and Arthur Ashe, however, are worth the effort to park, wait for the lights to cross into the wide grassy median, and have a closer look.

Read more from "A sailor and a tennis player on Monument Avenue Richmond, Virginia Part Three."

Living in a downtown Richmond condo has many advantages, in particular the opportunity to enjoy the city's rich, diverse history. If you are looking for a one or two-bedroom loft or apartment to rent in the area, consider the proximity to great shops and points of historical interest you can enjoy on a daily basis.