Downtown Richmond, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Downtown Richmond, Virginia, is central urban area of that city
. It is generally defined as being bound by Belvidere Street to the west, I-95
to the north and east, and the James River
to the south.
Medical Center, The American Civil War Center at Tredegar Iron Works
, the Library of Virginia
, Richmond Convention Center, the Colosseum, the Red Cross
building, the Downtown YMCA
, the Virginia State Capitol
building, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
, the James Center Plaza, the Dominion
building, New Market Corp. (formerly Ethyl) headquarters, Belle Isle
park in the James River, and The Empire Theatre (the state's oldest operating theatre and home to Theatre IV
, The Children's Theatre of VA).
Neighborhood districts within the downtown include Shockoe Slip
, the River District, Monroe Ward
, Jackson Ward
, Main Street, Court End
and the Canal Walk. In addition, though formally east of downtown proper, Shockoe Bottom
and Tobacco Row
are often considered downtown to many Richmond residents.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. It is generally defined as being bound by Belvidere Street to the west, I-95
Interstate 95 in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
to the north and east, and the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
to the south.
Description
The area contains many buildings and locations, including the James Monroe Building, VCUVirginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
Medical Center, The American Civil War Center at Tredegar Iron Works
Tredegar Iron Works
The Tredegar Iron Works was a historic iron foundry in Richmond, Virginia, United States of America, opened in 1837. During the American Civil War, the works served as the primary iron and artillery production facility of the Confederate States of America...
, the Library of Virginia
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, is the library agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, its archival agency, and the reference library at the seat of government. The Library moved into a new building in 1997 and is located at 800 East Broad Street, 2 blocks from the Virginia State...
, Richmond Convention Center, the Colosseum, the Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
building, the Downtown YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, the Virginia State Capitol
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
building, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond is the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve located in Richmond, Virginia. It covers the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and most of West Virginia. Branch offices are located in Baltimore, Maryland...
, the James Center Plaza, the Dominion
Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources Inc. , commonly referred to as Dominion, is a power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia and North Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and eastern North Carolina...
building, New Market Corp. (formerly Ethyl) headquarters, Belle Isle
Belle Isle (Virginia)
Belle Isle is a small island in the James River in Richmond, Virginia in the United States. Belle Isle is owned by the city of Richmond, and has been designated a city park. It is accessible to pedestrian and bicycle traffic via a suspension footbridge that runs under the Robert E. Lee Bridge from...
park in the James River, and The Empire Theatre (the state's oldest operating theatre and home to Theatre IV
Theatre IV
Theatre IV is The Children's Theatre of Virginia. It is the second largest children's theatre in the nation and the largest in-school touring theatre company in the nation. In 1975, Theatre IV was founded by Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway, becoming the state's first professional theatre for young...
, The Children's Theatre of VA).
Neighborhood districts within the downtown include Shockoe Slip
Shockoe Slip
Shockoe Slip is a district in the downtown area of Richmond, Virginia. The name "slip" referred to a narrow passageway leading from Main Street to where goods were loaded and unloaded from the former James River and Kanawha Canal...
, the River District, Monroe Ward
Monroe Ward
Monroe Ward is an historic neighborhood in Downtown Richmond. It is East of the Fan district and includes several apartment buildings, usually with VCU students living in them. Recently, VCU expanded its Monroe Park campus into the Monroe Ward with the Engineering East/Sneed Hall building, as well...
, Jackson Ward
Jackson Ward
Jackson Ward is a historically African-American neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia, USA. It is located less than a mile from the Virginia State Capitol...
, Main Street, Court End
Court End
thumb|250px|right|1000 block E. Clay StreetCourt End is a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia that sits to the north of the Capitol Square and East Broad Street...
and the Canal Walk. In addition, though formally east of downtown proper, Shockoe Bottom
Shockoe Bottom
Shockoe Bottom is an area in Richmond, Virginia, just east of downtown, along the James River. Located between Shockoe Hill and Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom contains much of the land included in Colonel William Mayo's 1737 plan of Richmond, making it one of the city's oldest...
and Tobacco Row
Tobacco Row
Tobacco Row is a collection of tobacco warehouses and cigarette factories in Richmond, Virginia adjacent to the James River and Kanawha Canal near its eastern terminus at the head of navigation of the James River.-History:...
are often considered downtown to many Richmond residents.