Revival of Manchester Waterfront Dish by Design by Laura Dyer Hild - February 7, 2016February 9, 2016132 The flood wall along the James River provides flood protection for downtown Richmond and Manchester. This is a good thing for all of us, but along Manchester’s waterfront it’s a bit of an eyesore. A raised walkway along the flood wall is nice but it doesn’t put you close to the
Meet Lieutenant Timothy Wyatt Manchester Rising by Michael C. Hild - February 5, 2016February 5, 201614 I sat down for coffee with Lieutenant Timothy Wyatt this week. Lt. Wyatt is in charge of The Richmond Police Department’s First Precinct – Sector 112. That is no small task considering the breadth, bridges, and neighborhood diversity that comprise Sector 112. On any given day, Lt. Wyatt can face problems in the
Moving to Manchester: Big River News by Michael C. Hild - February 3, 2016February 4, 201627 Local advertising agency Big River is making the move to Manchester! Soon to be crossing the bridge and moving into the RVA Construction building on Hull Street, the advertising agency is busily preparing for their move. We thought it would be nice to welcome them to the neighborhood. Plus we thought you would like to learn a
Who Would You Vote for As Richmond’s Next Mayor? Ankle Biter by Michael C. Hild - February 2, 2016February 14, 2016162 Mayor Jones' term is due to end. We need to vote this November for Richmond's next mayor. While it isn't certain who is definitively running yet, we thought it would be interesting to run a poll based upon some of the possible candidates who spoke to Richmond Magazine in its November 2015 feature, “Mayorology 2016". So cast your
Relay Foods, Legend Brewing Happy Hour News by Michael C. Hild - February 1, 2016February 9, 20168 We have intriguing news of a neighborhood happy hour mashup involving beer, food, & groceries. Here is the word from Relay Foods... Legend Brewing and Relay Foods are partnering to bring you the happiest of happy hours! Starting Thursday, February 18th you'll be able to grab a bite, a brew, AND
So you have an old house – now what? Dish by Design by Laura Dyer Hild - January 30, 2016January 30, 201618 Old houses that need work challenge the new owner(s) with what path to take - pay homage to the past or go modern to keep current with the times? I'm going to highlight one particular house as an example. This isn't the end all to be all, but it will show
Manchester Violent Crime Down 28% in 2015 News by Michael C. Hild - January 27, 201653 Good news for the local crime scorecard! The Richmond Police Department's First Precinct - Sector 112 (as shown in the map above), which contains Manchester, has seen a 28% reduction in violent crime in 2015. Property crimes have reduced by 9%. Kudos to Lieutenant Timothy Wyatt and the entire RPD!
Is A New Maury Street Roundabout & I-95 Interchange Improvement Coming? News by Michael C. Hild - January 26, 2016January 26, 201635 Hold onto your seats, but it looks like we might get a new Maury Street Roundabout along with a rework of the I-95 interchange! The project is being considered for approval along with a whole host of other transportation projects for fiscal year 2017 funding under Virginia’s House Bill Two (HB2). The Maury
Civil War Mystery Photos: Manchester or Downtown Richmond? History News by Michael C. Hild - January 26, 2016January 26, 201614 So I found the Civil War photo shown above in the Library of Congress archives. It is labeled as being a photo of: "Ruins of a paper mill with water-wheel "with a summary of "Photograph of the main eastern theater of war, fallen Richmond, April-June 1865." Further down in the description
Sam McDonald-The Man Behind Manchester Manchester Rising News by Michael C. Hild - January 24, 2016January 28, 201626 I first met Sam McDonald in 2004. I was planning to leave my safe corporate job at Capital One, and found a new financial services related startup that my wife Laura and I had dreamt up. It was a crazy idea, and our timing couldn't have been worse given the
Made in Manchester: Meet Fern & Roby Made in Manchester News by Michael C. Hild - January 23, 2016January 23, 2016123 America used to make things. RVA used to make things. And when things were made in RVA, there's a strong chance it was made in Manchester. There is special glory in the process of making. Nothing more beautiful, more gratifying, more rewarding than crafting something out of wood and metal. But America
What’s A Girl Got To Do To Get Some Polka Dots Around Here? Dish by Design News by Laura Dyer Hild - January 21, 2016January 28, 201632 Who doesn't like Polka dots? Whimsical Simplicity. Symmetrical Patterns. Vibrant Colors. Calming Repetition. What's not to like? What started as a demonstration project in Silver Lake, Los Angeles looks to become a permanent polka dot fixture. The pilot project was organized through Streets for People (People Street) and Frank Clementi of Rios
Have You Seen Manchester’s New Virginia Lottery Commercial? News by Michael C. Hild - January 20, 2016January 20, 201617 Have you seen the new Virginia Lottery commercial on television recently? Probably so, as it has been airing frequently. The title of the commercial is named after it's new game: Bank A Million. But did you realize the commercial was filmed in Manchester? The Virginia Lottery commercial was filmed at the old Mechanics and Merchants Bank
Meet Manchester’s Violin Craftsman: Adam Birce of Four Strings Made in Manchester News by Michael C. Hild - January 18, 2016January 28, 201626 Located in Studio 38 inside the Plant Zero building in the heart of Old Town Manchester is a curious fiddler. Inside his studio, Adam Birce is working like a modern day Mister Gepetto. However, wooden puppets aren't his specialty. Rather, violins are his craft, and clearly his passion. Adam Birce named his violin
The Richest Railroad in the World: Connecting Manchester to the Midlothian Coal Mines History News by Michael C. Hild - January 17, 2016January 28, 201630 Did you know the most profitable railroad in the world from 1831-1850 was right here in Manchester? It was the first railroad in Virginia, and the second in the Unites States. It was built to connect the first coal mines in the Unites States located in Midlothian, to the docks
Manchester Mills & Pontoon Bridges History News by Michael C. Hild - January 17, 2016January 28, 201634 I don't know about you, but I think I prefer the Mayo Bridge thank you very much. I wouldn't be enthusiastic about trying to cross this James River pontoon bridge with a team of horses and a heavy load on a rough day. I wonder how much the toll was from the
Have You Ever Visited the Richmond Railway Museum? News by Michael C. Hild - January 16, 2016January 28, 201623 Have you ever taken the time to stop in and visit Manchester's Richmond Railway Museum at 102 Hull Street? The museum focuses on railroads which served central Virginia and their impact on Richmond and its citizens. The museum offers free tours given by knowledgeable train enthusiasts. We just went for a free tour today and had
Introducing Dish by Design: Planting an Urban Seed Dish by Design News by Laura Dyer Hild - January 15, 2016January 28, 201668 The Dogtown Dish is proud to announce a new column we are calling: Dish by Design. The column will focus on design and artistic subjects as it pertains to Manchester. Our hope is it will be a place where we can conceptually think about the community in a cohesive way through design. Our desire is
Dominion’s Proposed Coal Ash Dumping in James River Protested on Brown’s Island News by Michael C. Hild - January 10, 2016January 10, 201618 Supporters of the James River rallied on Brown's Island yesterday in protest of Dominion's planned coal ash dumping into the James River upstream from Richmond. The group's rallying cry on social media was under the hashtag #gatherforthejames. The concern is focused on Dominion's planned dumping of 357 million gallons of diluted toxic coal ash
Some Dam Good News: Dam Walk Progress! News by Michael C. Hild - January 8, 2016January 28, 201633 So shortly after our So Who Else Is Tired Of Waiting To Go For A Dam Walk?!?! post, the city's Mark Olinger pointed out that while work has not begun on the more travelled and visible northern section of the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge (otherwise referred to as the Dam Walk), work