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What the Hell is VITCO? We Went to Find Out.

Editor’s Note: This story was produced in partnership with Virginia Transit Company (VITCO). There are few large-ish pieces of real estate in the city proper that have been more screaming for development than the fallow field bordered by Clay Street and Hermitage...

Review | Little Bear Ridge Road is an Artistic Gut Punch

Little Bear Ridge Road, does something you rarely see in popular media these days. It reminisces on the period during and just after Covid. Somehow, collectively, we’ve silently agreed to just not talk about it anymore. We don’t want to relive it on TV, in books, or...

Be Kind, Rewind! Welcome to Monster Video

On a hot day in June, while visiting The Veiled Mirror and talking with them about collecting old books and DVDs, I was told that next door would be opening as a VHS video store soon. All throughout July, several of my friends who knew of my movie library habit...

Cosmic Jazz Legend Lonnie Liston Smith is Returning to Richmond

Just announced: Cosmic Echo Live, taking place at the historic Hippodrome Theatre on September 13, will celebrate the life, music, and legacy of Richmond-born cosmic jazz icon Lonnie Liston Smith. The event will feature live performances, stories from across his...

Skip the Chains! A VCU Student Guide to Cheap-ish Local Eats

It’s that time of year when the U-Hauls come rolling in, parents are circling the block looking for parking, and thousands of new VCU students are about to move in and get their first real taste of Richmond. There are about 4,500 new students and 1,500 transfer...

Seeing Richmond Through Their Eyes

Editor's Note: Writers Block is an occasional series featuring personal essays, reflections, and creative nonfiction from Richmond-area writers. In Seeing Richmond Through Their Eyes, Gabriella Ryan shares how a month spent showing her Italian cousins around Richmond...

Can Firehouse Put Richmond on the National Theatre Map?

In the electric and perpetually sincere terrain of Richmond’s theatre culture, there are institutions that do more than merely reside, they lead. They serve as a measure of our city's potential beyond its natural aspirations. I've witnessed Firehouse Theatre inhabit...

Photos | Warriors in Bloom at Agecroft Hall

For one weekend, Agecroft Hall stopped being a museum and became a kingdom.  What began as a fundraiser to help launch Richmond's first Renaissance Faire has grown into a destination of its own. Warriors in Bloom, created by the folks at Virago Alley, returned with...

How Richmond College Students Fit Into the Growing Thrift Economy

Editor’s Note: This piece was written by a student at Randolph-Macon College as part of a feature writing course. RVA Magazine is committed to giving space to young writers across Virginia and will be publishing several student works from this class over the coming weeks. Thanks to the students and to Professor Seth Clabough, Ph.D., for...

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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 that sounds boring, it isn’t. Zoning controls whether your neighborhood sees...

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Broke Student’s Survival Guide: Cheap Eats in Richmond 2025

If you’re a broke student back in Richmond and already sick of the dining hall’s gray meatloaf, relax, this city won’t let you starve. The food here has always been a patchwork of dives, diners, and half-chaotic kitchens that somehow keep the student body alive. You don’t need a trust fund, just a few crumpled bills and a willingness to follow...

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A Vegan Feast Awaits! Discover Delicious Options at RVA VegFest

From its humble beginnings over twenty years ago, Richmond’s vegan food festival, VegFest, is returning this weekend Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 12 PM to 6 PM in Byrd Park. VegFest is a family (and dog) friendly, free event in Richmond that promotes a plant-based diet and lifestyle, even if that just means getting the vegan option when you go...

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Broke Student’s Survival Guide: Cheap Eats in Richmond 2024

If you’re a broke student with a craving for more than just the mundane offerings of the university dining hall, Richmond’s got your back. This city, with its ever-evolving culinary landscape, is a treasure trove of hidden gems where you can eat like a king without needing a king's ransom. Nestled near the campuses of Virginia Commonwealth...

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Time For A Richmond Pizza Date!

Over the last decade Richmond has become a proper pizza town. Local pizzerias dish up a variety of styles at every price range. Pizza is the food of the people so naturally it makes a great date. You can learn a lot about a person across a slice. Are they a folder? Blotter? Do they use a knife and fork. Red flags over ketchup? Green flags of...

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We Experimented with Salvia Divinorum Back in 2008

Recently, we came across an infographic based on a 2019 study called Consciousness and Cognition conducted by Tagliazucchi and his colleagues. The study aimed to determine which psychedelic drug most closely resembles a near-death experience (NDE). They analyzed over 15,000 reports of experiences involving 165 psychoactive substances and compared...

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The Salvia experiment by RVA Mag 2008