COMMUNITY




more in community

It’s Still Our City | Ep. 13 Stooping RVA

"The joy of finding a perfectly reusable gem on a sidewalk, in an alley, or on a porch stoop is one of the perks of living in such close proximity in the city of Richmond. The FOMO of not making it on your bike in time for a taxidermy dolphin or a surprisingly decent...

Help Support the Family of Johnnita Russell

A GoFundMe has been launched to support Baby Saphire and the family of Johnnita Russell, who was killed the night before what would have been her 34th birthday. Just nine days earlier, she had given birth to her daughter, who has spent her first weeks...

When Progress Meets Petunias: A Test of Richmond’s Imagination

For 35 years, Richmond hairdresser Rick Bridgforth has been quietly transforming a forgotten alley in The Fan into something remarkable. What began as a way to clean up trash and keep crime at bay grew into a lush oasis that's alive with color, buzzing with...

Richmond’s Zoning Code Refresh: Developers Know, Do You?

Most Richmonders haven’t heard about it, but the City of Richmond is rewriting the rules that will determine what can be built, and where, for decades to come. It’s called the Zoning Code Refresh, and right now, it’s quietly moving through the public comment stage. If...

Photos | Labor Day Rally Targets Corporate Greed and Inequality

Hundreds gathered in Monroe Park this afternoon for a Labor Day rally organized by 50501 Movement and 50501 Virginia, demanding “Workers Over Billionaires.” The event, which kicked off at 4:30 PM, brought together community members, activists, and labor advocates to...

Virginia Among the Worst States for Women’s Equality in 2025

With Women’s Equality Day approaching, a new WalletHub report has delivered sobering news for Virginia: the Commonwealth ranks 42nd out of 50 states for women’s equality in 2025. Breaking Down the NumberS WalletHub compared all 50 states across 17 key metrics, including pay disparities, executive leadership, and educational attainment....

Read More

Woman-Equality-Virginia_photo-by-Rafael-Leao-RVA-Magazine-2025

Canned Heat! A Richmond Guide to Summer Wines in a Can

We had never tried canned wine before this week. Up until recently, we hadn’t really given them much thought. We would see new canned wines emblazoned with eye-grabbing artwork on shelves in stores and wine bars around town, but never felt compelled to try them. Eventually we got curious. After digging in a little and trying a few, we’re no...

Read More

Can Wines Richmond VA by Gomez and Morticia_RVA Magazine 2025

Writer’s Block | Hotel Gaslight — Two Pieces by Robert Hoekman Jr.

A Sunday series from RVA Magazine featuring writers from Richmond and Virginia Writer’s Block is RVA Magazine’s Sunday series highlighting contemporary writers working in Richmond and across the Commonwealth. Each week, we feature original poems, short stories, or essays. Just real voices writing right now. This week, we’re featuring two...

Read More

Stories-by-Robert-Hoekman-Jr_cover-art-for-Mend-by-PSYCHOSIS_Richmodn-VA_RVA-Magazine-2025

Lowest U.S. Drinking Rate in 90 Years, Richmond Still Going Out

Pour one out, or maybe just crack open a seltzer, for America’s drinking habit. According to Gallup’s 2025 Consumption Habits survey, only 54% of U.S. adults now say they drink alcohol. That’s the lowest level Gallup has recorded in nearly 90 years of polling, down from 67% just two years ago. In Richmond, the picture is more nuanced. Nightlife...

Read More

Drinking-Down-Richmond-Still-Going-Out_photo-by-CJ-Payne_RVA-Magazine-2025

Richmond Invests $9 Million in Affordable Housing and Home Repairs

The City of Richmond has awarded more than $9 million through its Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) to support eight development projects expected to deliver nearly 600 new or preserved affordable housing units across the city. The funding also includes $2.2 million for the Healthy Homes Rehabilitation Program, which helps low-income...

Read More

Richmond affordable housing_photo by Nathaniel-Villaire_RVA Magazine 2025

ACA Rate Hike of 20.5% Could Price Out Richmond Creatives

Richmond’s creative economy has always been powered by risk-takers like musicians, painters, actors, writers, photographers, makers, and the small business owners who keep the city’s galleries, venues, and shops alive. Many piece together a living from passion projects, gig work, and side hustles, often without the safety net of employer-provided...

Read More

ACA Premium Hikes_photo by Marc_Newberry_RVA Magazine 2025

Life Wrote These Lines: Local Musicians Against AI

I was recently reflecting on a line I am particularly proud of. The tail half is: “I’ll go to the funeral if I get off of work.” As I am prone to do, it got me thinking about my abrasive hatred towards AI, especially in art. But I have to justify myself, if a computer wrote that line, would it still be a good line? The reason I think it is good...

Read More

Anti-Ai-in-Art_by-Griffin-Smalley_photo-by-Krys-Amon_RVA-Magazine-2025