Best & Worst 2008: Debating the Issues
Point, Counterpoint
Issue: August 2008
Richmond Magazine staffers tangle with the experts on pressing topics such as local historic sites, kitchen items and bargain furniture finds.
Bill: Harry, have you never been to any place new? Perhaps these sites will give you a good chance to stretch your legs.
1. Monumental Church (1224 E. Broad St.). A perpetual memorial to the tragic 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire on this site. Monumental is the last surviving domed church by the first U.S. professional architect, Robert Mills.
2. Barton Heights Cemeteries (St. James Street/North Avenue near Poe Street). Six African-American cemeteries, the earliest established in 1815, now named Cedarwood. Here is Gilbert Hunt, the slave hero of the 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire who caught people escaping the flames.
3. Manchester (Hull Street, South Richmond). An independent city until its 1910 merger with Richmond, Manchester developed unusual architecture. Its precipitous decline began in the 1950s, but it’s reviving as an arts and residential district.
4. Highland Park (North Side). A streetcar suburb where the white middle class built Victorian and Queen Anne-style houses. The community declined from the 1960s, though revitalization began during the 1990s.
5. Chimborazo Park (3215 E. Broad St.). Named for an Ecuadorian volcano, this was the site of the largest Confederate military hospital. Tranquil today, with a miniature Statue of Liberty installed in 1951 and the “Powhatan Rock” placed in 1922.
Harry: Bill, you know you don’t get across the river much. I can tell by looking at your list. Maybe you should explore these gems — on both sides of the James.
1. Shockoe Hill Cemetery (Fourth and Hospital streets). This 1822 city graveyard of the famous includes Chief Justice John Marshall and Civil War spy Elizabeth van Lew.
2. Fulton Gas Works (East Main Street and Williamsburg Avenue). This century-old coal-gasification plant closed on Nov. 27, 1950. “Sic Itur Ad Astra” on the ceramic medallion means, “This is the way to the stars,” Richmond’s pre-1972 motto.
3. Carytown Burgers and Fries (3500 1/2 W. Cary St.). Built as a toll keeper’s house for an 1804 road to the coal mines of Henrico and Goochland counties. The building is almost 200 years old.
4. The American Model Tobacco Building (1110 Jefferson Davis Highway, near Hopkins Road). A glorious 1939 Deco design, vacated in 1985. An $84 million renovation project is converting the building into 600 apartments.
5. Eppington Plantation (14600 Eppes Falls Drive). Built after 1770 by Frances Eppes VI, cousin of Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha. Both Jefferson’s daughter Lucy and her cousin, Lucy Eppes, are buried there. Chesterfield County inherited the house, with period interior, in 1989.
Amelia: Amazing masterpieces are created in the art room at the Children’s Museum of Richmond. When you tire of digging up dinosaur bones or picking apples, you can head over to the restaurant, where little chefs are always cooking up pretend meals.
Chad: My family has consistently supported the Children’s Museum over the years, but on a rainy day it can get a little bit crazy in there, so I sometimes go a different way — big-box hardware stores. My kids like “riding” the tractors, there’s a ceiling full of fans for my 1-year-old to gaze upon, and both Lowe’s and Home Depot offer free parent-child classes on occasion.
Amelia: At Barnes & Noble, kids of all ages can check out the books and CDs, little ones can hit up the train tables, and moms can keep one eye on the train table and one hand on a coffee from the café.
Chad: I find myself surprised, given the current economic climate, that my opponent has chosen to endorse the train table at a national chain. Why not visit the locally owned train table at Train Town Toy & Hobby in Ashland, across from the library? And what about Toys That Teach? If you simply must have coffee, there’s an Einstein Bros. Bagels a few doors down from its Stony Point Shopping Center location.
Amelia: The last time I checked, Einstein Bros., Home Depot and Lowe’s are all national chains.
Chad: I’m not interested in engaging in tit-for-tat politics. Moving on, even if your child is below the 44-inch height minimum for the climbing wall at Dick’s Sporting Goods at Stony Point Fashion Park, watching others is still good for a little rainy-day entertainment.
Amelia: You can let everyone join in at one of the inflatable play areas sprouting up across Richmond. A new fave is Kangaroo Jac’s. Or simply enjoy of covered parking and the children’s play area at Regency Square.
Chad: You say Regency, I say Chesterfield Towne Center. Two play areas, and the mall (not the stores) opens up at 6 a.m. Monday to Saturday.
Amelia: If you’re up that early, why not watch the doughnuts being made at Krispy Kreme on Broad Street?
Chad: If my opponent will agree to offer me a hot glazed doughnut, then I’m happy to concede the point.
Round 1, Visual art:
Marlene: The Richmond Public Library, main branch — not only do they have multiple rotating exhibits each month (with openings that piggyback on First Fridays), but they also have a fabulous permanent installation of local artist Heide Trepanier’s signature Seussical forms against a vivid orange background. At a library! In Richmond!!
Carrie: An apt suggestion, my friend, but the library is missing one key ingredient: wine. Instead, I’d suggest dining with art. Ipanema Café has some really fabulous and inexpensive shows, plus great vegetarian food. Zed Café is partnering with Glave-Kocen Gallery to pair responsibly sourced food with great art. The first show, featuring work by Farida Hughes, is up through Aug. 12.
Round 2, Performing art/art experience:
Marlene: Richmond Ballet’s Studio Theatre Series — I love this series, especially when I sit on one of the first few rows and can hear the dancers breathing and see them sweating. The dances they perform through this series tend to be more fresh, unpredictable, and experimental than the traditional, classical pieces.
Carrie: I have to say I agree with you on this one, but if you’re not in the mood for dancer sweat, head to Gallery5. The schedule is full of performances and themed parties — like the recent '80s Prom — that can make entering a gallery completely approachable and fun.
Round 3, Unintentional/art around town:
Carrie: I’ve been getting a kick out of the guy who’s screwing whimsical paintings to street signs all over the city. He painted a fake bike-parking sign and attached it to a no-parking sign. So I also dig the message.
Marlene: I can’t argue with this — I’m also a fan of the guerrilla approach to art. The Real Small Art League commits “random acts of artistic kindness,” leaving itty-bitty art in public places. One of the goals is to make art accessible (as in free), and there’s a blog (iknowtiffany.com/realsmallartleague) where you can report your finding.
Susan: On Saturday, I head to Lakeside. I spot two great finds at Consignment Connection: a tight oak claw-foot chair with leather seat marked down from $22 to $10. Nearby the lone oak is the perfect stuffed reading chair. Sure, it had a mauve-and-blue slipcover, but it sat well for $30. Two chairs for $40. Take that, Mr. Beane.
Maurice: I started out at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market and found a primitive chair with a cane seat — a good value at $22, and it has that shabby-chic thing going on. I’ve seen similar examples sell for $50 to $75.
Susan: Not bad, but I think I can do better. I venture to Midlo. Outside Midlothian Antiques Center I found a 1970s swivel chair with a chrome base for $22 that would look just right pulled up to a round white table. Inside I found another score: for $36, a walnut chair with caned sides. Two chairs for $58.
Maurice: I head to Class and Trash on Route 1. Found a wonderful early 1950s rattan chair for $24, in great condition. It has a Naugahyde seat, and all of the wrappings are intact. I also found four laminated Bentwood chairs. I don’t know the origin, but they are stackable and, boy, they have a great look. Minor condition issue on one chair, and I had to buy all four for $100. Move over, Winiecki, I’m on a roll.
Susan: OK, I see you’re pulling out the providence thing on me. Pretty nice buys, but I’m still looking for better — and that means Goodwill. I hightailed it to the Goodwill on Midlothian near the Powhite and found a chair that would give a great pop of color to the end of a hallway or in a foyer. Heavy with a curved back, it was a steal for $10.
Maurice: I’ve gotta win this game, so I’m headed to Bubba’s on Williamsburg Road. Very slim pickings. However, a dealer had a Stendig chair designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara — an award-winning design from Finland, circa 1970. It had some small punctures in the vinyl, but nevertheless, $15 is a bargain. (Two of these chairs at Antique Village sell for $100 each.)
Susan: Bubba’s did me in. You win.
Kate’s list:
1. Ntelos 8K. The finish is all downhill on Cary Street, and I managed a sub-10-minute mile pace last year. (Woo argues I wasn’t conscious at the finish line, though.)
2. Richmond SPCA Dog Jog 5K. Hey, dogs are cute.
3. Holton Elementary 5K. Flat and fast.
4. Carytown 10K. Small crowds, and the second water stop (run by Byrd Park Group volunteers) is first-class.
Woo’s list:
1. Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K. Why not, every city needs a nationally ranked race.
2. Stratford Hills 10K. Mike Levins and the Richmond Road Runners Club have this race down to a science.
3. Cul-de-Sac 5K series. Heat, humidity, hills on a Monday night. (Kate notes: Thank God for the people who turn on the sprinklers.)
4. Toy Run 5K (directed by BPG co-founder John “Fat Kid” Christmas). Helping the Marines’ Toys for Tots charity. Well-organized race.
And we’re off to the races.
Kate on the Monument Avenue 10K: Great, except I’m still having bad dreams about that guy in my wave wearing an orange Speedo and white go-go boots.
Woo: Why, you guys didn’t coordinate?
Kate: Yeah, I forgot my Nancy Sinatra wig.
Woo: Somehow I don’t doubt that you have one.
Woo on the Holton 5k: Whoopee, a race in North Side. If it weren’t for Kitchen 64, it wouldn’t be worth the trip.
Kate: Ooh, you’re gonna make the governor mad! (The school’s named for Gov. Tim Kaine’s father-in-law, former Gov. Linwood Holton.)
Woo: The Guv has other things to worry about.
Kate: Right, right. Just hope you don’t need a sentence commuted someday.
Round 1
Christine: Sausage from Belmont Butchery — Belmont Butchery’s sausages are delicious, probably because maker Chris Mattera has graduated from a sausage-making program in the Midwest.
Sarah: Faith Farm’s goat cheese — I like a good sausage link as much as the next gal, but summer is time for light eating. Smeared on a crostini and topped with a slice of prosciutto and red pear, or crumbled onto a warm beet salad, Faith Farm’s mild goat cheese is versatile.
Round 2
Sarah: Asian greens from Victory Farms at the South of the James Farmers’ Market — When they’re in season, I like to sauté the greens with olive oil and a little bit of garlic or red-pepper flakes and serve them under fish.
Christine: Vegetables from Amy’s Garden — I’d say the real “victory” is spending a bit more and buying into Amy’s Garden’s CSA share. Amy Hicks’ vegetables are top-notch — seasonal, fresh and organic.
Round 3
Sarah: Cake Bakery’s Scones — These scones (the orange with chocolate chips, in particular) are the perfect breakfast food and they also make a unique gift … perhaps a consolation prize for a worthy foe?
Christine: Chocolate Croissants from Flour Garden at Savor — Scones, schmones! A croissant and a cup of coffee at Savor can transport you to Paris. Where does a scone take you? Maybe dreary London.
Round 4
Sarah: ModernJune Hostess Apron — I’m not the neatest cook (I recently dumped the runny beginnings of a frittata into my oven when the weight of the skillet overtook me) so an apron is a must. ModernJune’s oilcloth aprons are stylish and waterproof.
Christine: Gelati Celesti Ice Cream — An apron? We should call you Modern June Cleaver. You don’t need an apron to eat Gelati Celesti ice cream, which was my savior last summer when I was pregnant with twins.
The Best (Yet Lesser-Known) Historic Sites in Richmond
Harry Kollatz Jr., Richmond magazine senior writer vs. Bill Martin, director of the Valentine Richmond History CenterBill: Harry, have you never been to any place new? Perhaps these sites will give you a good chance to stretch your legs.
1. Monumental Church (1224 E. Broad St.). A perpetual memorial to the tragic 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire on this site. Monumental is the last surviving domed church by the first U.S. professional architect, Robert Mills.
2. Barton Heights Cemeteries (St. James Street/North Avenue near Poe Street). Six African-American cemeteries, the earliest established in 1815, now named Cedarwood. Here is Gilbert Hunt, the slave hero of the 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire who caught people escaping the flames.
3. Manchester (Hull Street, South Richmond). An independent city until its 1910 merger with Richmond, Manchester developed unusual architecture. Its precipitous decline began in the 1950s, but it’s reviving as an arts and residential district.
4. Highland Park (North Side). A streetcar suburb where the white middle class built Victorian and Queen Anne-style houses. The community declined from the 1960s, though revitalization began during the 1990s.
5. Chimborazo Park (3215 E. Broad St.). Named for an Ecuadorian volcano, this was the site of the largest Confederate military hospital. Tranquil today, with a miniature Statue of Liberty installed in 1951 and the “Powhatan Rock” placed in 1922.
Harry: Bill, you know you don’t get across the river much. I can tell by looking at your list. Maybe you should explore these gems — on both sides of the James.
1. Shockoe Hill Cemetery (Fourth and Hospital streets). This 1822 city graveyard of the famous includes Chief Justice John Marshall and Civil War spy Elizabeth van Lew.
2. Fulton Gas Works (East Main Street and Williamsburg Avenue). This century-old coal-gasification plant closed on Nov. 27, 1950. “Sic Itur Ad Astra” on the ceramic medallion means, “This is the way to the stars,” Richmond’s pre-1972 motto.
3. Carytown Burgers and Fries (3500 1/2 W. Cary St.). Built as a toll keeper’s house for an 1804 road to the coal mines of Henrico and Goochland counties. The building is almost 200 years old.
4. The American Model Tobacco Building (1110 Jefferson Davis Highway, near Hopkins Road). A glorious 1939 Deco design, vacated in 1985. An $84 million renovation project is converting the building into 600 apartments.
5. Eppington Plantation (14600 Eppes Falls Drive). Built after 1770 by Frances Eppes VI, cousin of Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha. Both Jefferson’s daughter Lucy and her cousin, Lucy Eppes, are buried there. Chesterfield County inherited the house, with period interior, in 1989.
Best Ways to Get Young Kids Out of the House on a Rainy Day
Executive editor Chad Anderson vs. Richmond Mommies co-site administrator Amelia ElanderAmelia: Amazing masterpieces are created in the art room at the Children’s Museum of Richmond. When you tire of digging up dinosaur bones or picking apples, you can head over to the restaurant, where little chefs are always cooking up pretend meals.
Chad: My family has consistently supported the Children’s Museum over the years, but on a rainy day it can get a little bit crazy in there, so I sometimes go a different way — big-box hardware stores. My kids like “riding” the tractors, there’s a ceiling full of fans for my 1-year-old to gaze upon, and both Lowe’s and Home Depot offer free parent-child classes on occasion.
Amelia: At Barnes & Noble, kids of all ages can check out the books and CDs, little ones can hit up the train tables, and moms can keep one eye on the train table and one hand on a coffee from the café.
Chad: I find myself surprised, given the current economic climate, that my opponent has chosen to endorse the train table at a national chain. Why not visit the locally owned train table at Train Town Toy & Hobby in Ashland, across from the library? And what about Toys That Teach? If you simply must have coffee, there’s an Einstein Bros. Bagels a few doors down from its Stony Point Shopping Center location.
Amelia: The last time I checked, Einstein Bros., Home Depot and Lowe’s are all national chains.
Chad: I’m not interested in engaging in tit-for-tat politics. Moving on, even if your child is below the 44-inch height minimum for the climbing wall at Dick’s Sporting Goods at Stony Point Fashion Park, watching others is still good for a little rainy-day entertainment.
Amelia: You can let everyone join in at one of the inflatable play areas sprouting up across Richmond. A new fave is Kangaroo Jac’s. Or simply enjoy of covered parking and the children’s play area at Regency Square.
Chad: You say Regency, I say Chesterfield Towne Center. Two play areas, and the mall (not the stores) opens up at 6 a.m. Monday to Saturday.
Amelia: If you’re up that early, why not watch the doughnuts being made at Krispy Kreme on Broad Street?
Chad: If my opponent will agree to offer me a hot glazed doughnut, then I’m happy to concede the point.
Unexpected Places to Find Art Around Town
Carrie Nieman Culpepper, managing editor of R Home magazine vs. Marlene Paul, co-founder and executive director of Art 180Round 1, Visual art:
Marlene: The Richmond Public Library, main branch — not only do they have multiple rotating exhibits each month (with openings that piggyback on First Fridays), but they also have a fabulous permanent installation of local artist Heide Trepanier’s signature Seussical forms against a vivid orange background. At a library! In Richmond!!
Carrie: An apt suggestion, my friend, but the library is missing one key ingredient: wine. Instead, I’d suggest dining with art. Ipanema Café has some really fabulous and inexpensive shows, plus great vegetarian food. Zed Café is partnering with Glave-Kocen Gallery to pair responsibly sourced food with great art. The first show, featuring work by Farida Hughes, is up through Aug. 12.
Round 2, Performing art/art experience:
Marlene: Richmond Ballet’s Studio Theatre Series — I love this series, especially when I sit on one of the first few rows and can hear the dancers breathing and see them sweating. The dances they perform through this series tend to be more fresh, unpredictable, and experimental than the traditional, classical pieces.
Carrie: I have to say I agree with you on this one, but if you’re not in the mood for dancer sweat, head to Gallery5. The schedule is full of performances and themed parties — like the recent '80s Prom — that can make entering a gallery completely approachable and fun.
Round 3, Unintentional/art around town:
Carrie: I’ve been getting a kick out of the guy who’s screwing whimsical paintings to street signs all over the city. He painted a fake bike-parking sign and attached it to a no-parking sign. So I also dig the message.
Marlene: I can’t argue with this — I’m also a fan of the guerrilla approach to art. The Real Small Art League commits “random acts of artistic kindness,” leaving itty-bitty art in public places. One of the goals is to make art accessible (as in free), and there’s a blog (iknowtiffany.com/realsmallartleague) where you can report your finding.
A Duel: Finding the Best $25 Chair With Resale Value
Susan Winiecki, editor-in-chief of Richmond magazine and former antiques dealer vs. Mid-century modern furniture dealer Maurice BeaneSusan: On Saturday, I head to Lakeside. I spot two great finds at Consignment Connection: a tight oak claw-foot chair with leather seat marked down from $22 to $10. Nearby the lone oak is the perfect stuffed reading chair. Sure, it had a mauve-and-blue slipcover, but it sat well for $30. Two chairs for $40. Take that, Mr. Beane.
Maurice: I started out at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market and found a primitive chair with a cane seat — a good value at $22, and it has that shabby-chic thing going on. I’ve seen similar examples sell for $50 to $75.
Susan: Not bad, but I think I can do better. I venture to Midlo. Outside Midlothian Antiques Center I found a 1970s swivel chair with a chrome base for $22 that would look just right pulled up to a round white table. Inside I found another score: for $36, a walnut chair with caned sides. Two chairs for $58.
Maurice: I head to Class and Trash on Route 1. Found a wonderful early 1950s rattan chair for $24, in great condition. It has a Naugahyde seat, and all of the wrappings are intact. I also found four laminated Bentwood chairs. I don’t know the origin, but they are stackable and, boy, they have a great look. Minor condition issue on one chair, and I had to buy all four for $100. Move over, Winiecki, I’m on a roll.
Susan: OK, I see you’re pulling out the providence thing on me. Pretty nice buys, but I’m still looking for better — and that means Goodwill. I hightailed it to the Goodwill on Midlothian near the Powhite and found a chair that would give a great pop of color to the end of a hallway or in a foyer. Heavy with a curved back, it was a steal for $10.
Maurice: I’ve gotta win this game, so I’m headed to Bubba’s on Williamsburg Road. Very slim pickings. However, a dealer had a Stendig chair designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara — an award-winning design from Finland, circa 1970. It had some small punctures in the vinyl, but nevertheless, $15 is a bargain. (Two of these chairs at Antique Village sell for $100 each.)
Susan: Bubba’s did me in. You win.
Best Road Races For The 10K Runner
Associate editor Kate Andrews vs. Byrd Park Group Running Club co-founder Robert WooKate’s list:
1. Ntelos 8K. The finish is all downhill on Cary Street, and I managed a sub-10-minute mile pace last year. (Woo argues I wasn’t conscious at the finish line, though.)
2. Richmond SPCA Dog Jog 5K. Hey, dogs are cute.
3. Holton Elementary 5K. Flat and fast.
4. Carytown 10K. Small crowds, and the second water stop (run by Byrd Park Group volunteers) is first-class.
Woo’s list:
1. Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K. Why not, every city needs a nationally ranked race.
2. Stratford Hills 10K. Mike Levins and the Richmond Road Runners Club have this race down to a science.
3. Cul-de-Sac 5K series. Heat, humidity, hills on a Monday night. (Kate notes: Thank God for the people who turn on the sprinklers.)
4. Toy Run 5K (directed by BPG co-founder John “Fat Kid” Christmas). Helping the Marines’ Toys for Tots charity. Well-organized race.
And we’re off to the races.
Kate on the Monument Avenue 10K: Great, except I’m still having bad dreams about that guy in my wave wearing an orange Speedo and white go-go boots.
Woo: Why, you guys didn’t coordinate?
Kate: Yeah, I forgot my Nancy Sinatra wig.
Woo: Somehow I don’t doubt that you have one.
Woo on the Holton 5k: Whoopee, a race in North Side. If it weren’t for Kitchen 64, it wouldn’t be worth the trip.
Kate: Ooh, you’re gonna make the governor mad! (The school’s named for Gov. Tim Kaine’s father-in-law, former Gov. Linwood Holton.)
Woo: The Guv has other things to worry about.
Kate: Right, right. Just hope you don’t need a sentence commuted someday.
Best Local Items to Have In Your Kitchen
Associate editor Sarah K. McDonald vs. Christine Wansleben, Owner/Culinary Director Mise En Place Cooking SchoolRound 1
Christine: Sausage from Belmont Butchery — Belmont Butchery’s sausages are delicious, probably because maker Chris Mattera has graduated from a sausage-making program in the Midwest.
Sarah: Faith Farm’s goat cheese — I like a good sausage link as much as the next gal, but summer is time for light eating. Smeared on a crostini and topped with a slice of prosciutto and red pear, or crumbled onto a warm beet salad, Faith Farm’s mild goat cheese is versatile.
Round 2
Sarah: Asian greens from Victory Farms at the South of the James Farmers’ Market — When they’re in season, I like to sauté the greens with olive oil and a little bit of garlic or red-pepper flakes and serve them under fish.
Christine: Vegetables from Amy’s Garden — I’d say the real “victory” is spending a bit more and buying into Amy’s Garden’s CSA share. Amy Hicks’ vegetables are top-notch — seasonal, fresh and organic.
Round 3
Sarah: Cake Bakery’s Scones — These scones (the orange with chocolate chips, in particular) are the perfect breakfast food and they also make a unique gift … perhaps a consolation prize for a worthy foe?
Christine: Chocolate Croissants from Flour Garden at Savor — Scones, schmones! A croissant and a cup of coffee at Savor can transport you to Paris. Where does a scone take you? Maybe dreary London.
Round 4
Sarah: ModernJune Hostess Apron — I’m not the neatest cook (I recently dumped the runny beginnings of a frittata into my oven when the weight of the skillet overtook me) so an apron is a must. ModernJune’s oilcloth aprons are stylish and waterproof.
Christine: Gelati Celesti Ice Cream — An apron? We should call you Modern June Cleaver. You don’t need an apron to eat Gelati Celesti ice cream, which was my savior last summer when I was pregnant with twins.
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