Richmond is now On The Grid. Local businesses such as Alchemy Coffee, Early Bird Biscuit Co. The Broadberry, and many of your other favorite mom and pop businesses can now be found in the new online neighborhood travel guide.
Richmond is now On The Grid. Local businesses such as Alchemy Coffee, Early Bird Biscuit Co. The Broadberry, and many of your other favorite mom and pop businesses can now be found in the new online neighborhood travel guide.
Mobelux, a local software company, added the city to the up and coming travel website which focuses on highlighting art galleries, restaurants and parks within various neighborhoods in cities all over the world. Hyperakt, the New York-based design company which created On The Grid, works with local design and development agencies to create a guide for each neighborhood.
“The approach reflects a lens of someone who walks the streets every day. We aim to show the true nature of every place, instead of highlighting the same things other guides do,” said Alex Gracey, Producer and Community Manager for On The Grid. “We want the feeling of coming to stay with your best friend and they leave you a list of everywhere they love in walking distance from their home.”
GWAR, Bruce Springsteen, Aimee Mann & Tom Robbins #OntheGridRichmond #TheFan #VCU @mobelux https://t.co/G8C9PyG5GZ pic.twitter.com/sQfVfitGab
— onthegridcity (@onthegridcity) August 4, 2016
The Fan & VCU section of “On the Grid” features bright and colorful photos of over 20 businesses in those areas such as Joe’s Inn, Lamplighter, McCormack’s Whisky Grill, and The Camel along with a little blurb about the business, their addresses and websites.
Johnny Hugel, the Production Lead with Mobelux, the local neighborhood ambassador to Richmond, said employees at Mobelux caught interest in the project after using On The Grid in their personal travels.
“They had used the travel guides they had in the cities to find really cool coffee shops and art galleries and they wanted to know what we could do to help it represent Richmond,” said Hugel. “We looked at it and realized On The Grid wasn’t yet in Richmond at all and that we could help bring Richmond onto the platform.”
After they launched their section of Richmond, The Fan and VCU area, other local design agencies became interested in the project as well.
“We’ve had a half dozen other companies reach out to me already about other neighborhoods,” he said. “So we went ahead and added a handful. Ledbury Shirts is going to be doing {the} downtown arts district area. The Frontier Project will be doing Scott’s Addition.”
Hugel said most businesses were delighted to receive recognition. Hopeful that On The Grid can grab the attention of tourists who normally overlook small businesses for larger establishments.
At the moment, The Fan and VCU are the only neighborhoods which have been covered. But with the help of other curators, more neighborhoods such as Manchester, Jackson Ward and Scott’s Addition will soon be added.
Gracey said that hopefully adding smaller cities like Richmond to the travel guide will help people realized there are many interesting places to see outside of the standard large cities. He added that he and his team are excited to see what Richmond has to offer.
“People who live in these places are often life long residents that have a lifetime of emotional ties,” said Gracey, “When you have that much love, it comes through in full force in their guide.”
