August 6, 2007
What is it about this place?
or…Why did you move to Petersburg/What is so sweet about the ‘burg? Since I haven’t yet laid my hands on a copy of the August issue of 50 Plus (which I understand was supposed to cover, among other things, the questions above), I thought it might be fun to open the question up to the community. So, what’s it about this place that drew you/keeps you?
I’ll start: Wabi-Sabi — where bands thank the audience for making it so fun to perform (or: where the-audience-entertains-the-entertainers-who-entertain-the-audience sort of feedback loop is alive and well).
I came because I couldn’t afford Charleston or Savannah. But once here, discovered a unique community, much like the Greenwich Village I lived in back in the beatnik days.
Sometimes the light in Petersburg, especially toward evening, is comparable to the renowned & magical light of Santa Fe. Then, a dinner at Alexander’s or Maria’s and an hour or two at the Brickhouse for good conversation and a couple of pints of Guinness can be soul-satisfying. The beautiful old buildings also uplift our spirits — particularly those we have seen near ruin but now transformed by restoration.
On the other hand, the trash, the filth, the crime, the utter lack of care & concern by so many in Petersburg makes us want to flee and never return…. until, one day, that magical light returns and we have a great dinner and good talk with a few friends in the midst of those wonderful buildings….
I’ll expand:
* Sycamore Rouge — everything from Tango to the Circus within 5 minutes of my house
* Brickhouse — Cheers, Petersburg style
* The architecture!
* Many people are from somewhere else, which makes for interesting conversations
* A hamburger with ham and gouda at Longstreet’s
* A robustly attended Farmer’s Market on Saturday a.m.
* Great jogging/biking/horse trails at Petersburg Natl Park within 5 minutes of my house
Permit me to also commend the addition of the newer store, Rivers’ Edge, on Old Street. Where else can I find a Deux Cheveax parked on the street except in Petersburg! Mon Dieu! And the things are inside are better than Cary Street and less expensive to boot.
We keep telling people….”Ginter Park house without the Ginter Park Price.”
Came for that and found oh so much more.
The people here make the difference and we are trying to do our part.
We came for several reasons-
Architecture
Small Town
Art
Music
Great Deal on Real Estate
The People
Most importantly THE VIBE!
You can feel the buzz, and I am feeling SUPER lucky to be a part of it!
We all should-
oops forgot! The Petersburg National Park!!! It is Gorgeous! Blanford Church /Cemetery
Re: Blandford — I’ve not been yet, but I understand that it is one of a handful of churches in the US that has Tiffany windows that have some sort of 3-D effect that suggests movement as one walks past? And has more of these windows than any of the other churches? Quite suggestive of Petersburg’s stature once upon a time. (Another piece of historical trivia shared at a tourism talk: Petersburg was the 2nd city in the world to get gas lamps, after Paris.)
Regarding Petersburg’s stature, once upon a time: there is an historical marker beside the old, famous Pohick Church in Fairfax county. The Telegraph Road intersection is nearby. This marker commemorates Telegraph Road and its origin, stating that the road follows the first American telegraph line laid out to New Orleans, the original segment of which was completed between Washington City and Petersburg in 1847. No mention of Richmond!
I moved to Petersburg when I was 3 years old(am now 43)so have watched the city thrive, thirst and now slowly start to thrive again! I had the pleasure of owning a clothing business in “Old Towne” and being a part of some great works in the city!
Not only is there great architecture, the history of the entire city is so rich!
Main reason I moved here and have remained for 27 years (while working in Richmond for 20 of that) — Walnut Hill is small town America. It’s a time capsule (or maybe just stuck in a time warp); houses from the 20s to the 60s mingle comfortably. The neighborhood embraces a variety of people of all ages, races, orientations, and backgrounds. Yuppie and Buppie strivers can have their tiny, barren lots, shiny boxes/crap houses, and restrictive covenants (elsewhere).
And downtown has an amazing,beautiful diversity of architectural styles on display–props to all of you involved in restoring/preserving these gems! For a long time, Old Town has been one step forward, two steps back, but seems to be really turning around this time.
Though I don’t spend much time in them, we have an amazing wealth of churches of all types. Does this speak to hopefulness of obtaining God’s favor or excessive obeisance?
You can drive to downtown Richmond in 25 minutes. The suburbanites in western Chesterfield and Henrico should be so lucky.
In addition to the archaeological finds in all our backyards (Civil War treasure hunting, anyone?), we have a wealth of marine fossils in the many ravines cutting the city. Okay, I’m kind of a geology nerd. On the subject of history, Petersburg was a national pioneer in establishing municipal public health.
And, health care providers who care about you more than your insurance company and about the community we all live in, and pharmacies that deliver.
Oh, and last but not least, 5 minute drives to 2 Walmart Supercenters.
Architecture, real estate prices were the motivating factors–the enabler was no school age kids.
For those who have not seen the magazine or article, I have plenty of them in my shop (1 East Old St.). There have been so many kind comments. A few of the dates in the article are incorrect, but the editor was generous to allow 4 pages on Petersburg. This magazine is also at CVS, and Urops. It is free.
re: the farmer’s market, which I listed above — the P-I has a nice article on the market. It notes that the market averages about 20 vendors and 400 customers each week, and that the Petersburg location offers great parking relative to other farmer’s markets in the region. :-)