Here’s something a bit unexpected. Take it with a grain of salt and maybe as a conversation starter this weekend. We’d put Richmond near the top of a list for having opinions, but intellectualism?
But here we go. Richmond has landed at No. 9 on a new list of America’s most intellectual cities, according to a study by Maxwell Social, a New York-based private members’ club.
The study looked at the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country, measuring things like museums, public libraries, universities, bookstores, educational opportunities and even Google searches for book clubs, lectures and other intellectual activities.
Now, this isn’t exactly a major academic study, and it isn’t measuring how smart people are. It’s about access to places, institutions and activities that encourage learning, conversation and curiosity with the rankings based on resources relative to population than simply counting how many institutions a city has.
Richmond came in ahead of Washington, D.C., which ranked No. 10, and Raleigh, North Carolina, which landed at No. 29. Boston took the top spot, followed by Hartford, Connecticut, and San Francisco.
Maybe we’ve benefited from the brain drain out of D.C., considering how many of them seem to have moved here?
And admittedly, there does seem to be a lot more of this kind of activity going on around here than there used to be.
At the magazine, we’ve noticed more conversations behind the scenes with promoters around town who are looking to create experiences built around ideas, discussions and bringing people together, rather than the usual drinking and partying.
Maybe this hints at Richmond being seen as more of a hub for that kind of engagement nationally. Hard to say for sure, but it’s not a bad reputation to have in the mix. And why can’t we be both?
Maxwell Social also surveyed 905 adults and found that 66% would trade a night of drinking for an evening of ideas and conversation, while 68% said they increasingly want more intellectually stimulating social experiences as they get older.
But again, it’s nice to see us getting some recognition for something other than restaurants, local art, music and breweries.
ABOUT MAXWELL SOCIAL
Maxwell Social is a members’ club and event venue in a historic Tribeca brownstone, built around dinner parties, conversation, and rooms organized around ideas rather than transactions. Members join in curated cohorts and bond over three months of shared dinners, coworking sessions, and events before becoming part of the wider community. For adults looking for the kind of intellectual community this study found missing, Maxwell Social’s membership program offers exactly that room to build it.
Photo by Papaioannou Kostas
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