"Loft Curious" in Richmond

We recently had a Downtown Loft tour in Richmond showcasing loft living for sale and rent in the Dowtown area including Jackson Ward, City Center, Shockoe Bottom, Manchester, Rocketts Landing, and along the Riverfront/Canal Walk.

This event was sponsored by Venture Richmond and a group of volunteers. We provided a loop of GRTC buses to run continuously on a fixed route between all the sites which included: 401 Brook Lofts in Jackson Ward, Miller & Rhoads Residences in City Center, Consolidated Building in Shockoe Bottom, The Lofts at Canal Walk, Warehouse 201 and The Manchester Pie Factory in Manchester,Vistas on the James in Shockoe Slip, and Finally Skyline at Rocketts Landing.

I worked as a greeter at the Manchester Pie Factory. What was so interesting was the people that showed up for the tour. This was my first year being involved and I had the expectation that it would be young professional and hipster types, but was not. Most of the folks there were from the suburbs and were nouveau loft curious.

It says allot about the change in the market that we are seeing here in Richmond where people who previously moved South or West to the outer suburbs are now interested in coming back to an urban environment. Perhaps the outer suburbs have gone as for as they can go in terms of commute times or people are more interested in the amenities or "walkability" of an area.

We are seeing "New Urban" developments slowly developing in the area such as Rockett's Landing, West Broad Village in Richmond and New Town in Williamsburg. These development offer the walkability and convenience of an urban location but are lacking in authenticity and diversity.

Ask the people around you and you'll find more and more people talking about how nice it is the places like the Fan District, Jackson Ward, Downtown, Shockoe Bottom and Manchester. This is where the energy and buzz is about in Richmond.

I personally was drawn to the inner city because of the sense of community one feels in an urban environment where you have no choice but to know your neighbors because they are physically close to you. Also the option of parking your car when you come home and walking whatever you need is a very refreshing alternative to having to drive for everything.

I, like many of the others on the Loft tour moved to the city from the suburbs. I my case Williamsburg. I hope this trend continues and makes are city keep growing.