The RTD’s New restaurants boomin’ in Bottom takes note of all of the activity in Shockoe Bottom and gives props to LuLu’s, The Halligan Bar & Grill, Alex’s Thai Cuisine, the soon-to-open Sheba Restaurant & Lounge (this weekend?!?), Julep’s New Southern Cuisine, and GlobeHopper Coffee House & Lounge.

Word has it that Sheba, Shockoe Bottom’s new Ethiopian restaurant, will be opening sometime this weekend. Sheba is located at 9 North 17th Street at the Farmers Market.

In addition to being known for their food, the folks at LuLu’s can take the crown as the city’s most reviewed restaurant in the past 6 months or so. The most recent visit was by freelancer Ginger Warder for richmond.com who comes out swinging, saying of the food that “I would have been more satisfied at Cracker Barrel than with this bland bowl of noodles” and of the service that “I assume if you become a familiar face, that service might go up a notch”.

To raise awareness of the vital role rail plays in our nation’s transportation system, the City of Richmond will join Amtrak and other partner organizations in celebrating the first annual National Train Day in a public event at Main Street Station on Saturday, May 10 at 9:30AM.

Read more >

Come out this Saturday for the Spring Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood cleanup! Meet at 8AM @ the River City Diner, 7 North 17th Street. Complimentary coffee will be provided. Last fall’s event was a noticeable success for the neighborhood with over 65 bags of debris collected.

Read more >

Business owners, residents, and neighbors are invited to the April meeting of the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association to be held Monday April 21st at 5:30 pm. This month’s meeting will be held at the soon-to-open Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant located at 9 North 17th Street at the Farmers Market.

Read more >

Read more >

Richmond Business & Commercial News reminded us about Walk Score, a site that “calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.”, part of an effort to recognize the benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities of living in walkable neighborhoods. This site puts a number on how easy it is to go day-to-day without relying in a car in Shockoe Slip, Shockoe Bottom, and Tobacco Row; Manchester is still a little ways out.

The Dill Building at 21st and Franklin Streets was built in 1854, a decade that saw “the greatest years of factory-expansion prior to the Civil War”. Built as a tobacco factory for a company run by Joseph G. Dill, the upper stories were removed in 1941 after a fire. Emerson Construction has worked to bring the building back and hopes to have apartments for rent this fall.

Read more >

It’s that time of the year and spring fever is kicking in! What better way to kick off the season then hanging out with your friends St. Patrick’s Day weekend as we put the “Rock” back in Shamrock. This all ages event will feature live music from classic rock favorites The Georgia Satellites and new rock newcomers, Louis XIV. There will also be a children’s area, vendors, lots of great food and plenty of cold beverages. In addition, Shamrock the Block is going “Green” and will feature environmentally friendly initiatives including a new recycling program from Waste Management - How to make your home more “Green”. Plus, the generators used on site will be powered by Bio-Diesel. Thanks to our sponsors: Bud Light, Waste Management, 96.5 The Planet and Y101. Proceeds from Shamrock the Block benefit Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now).

Read more >

This months Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association meeting has been set for 5:30PM on Monday, March 17 @ The Old City Bar. There might be guests regarding two zoning issues; more info at the meeting. This neighborhood association is open to all neighbors: renters, owners, residents, employees, business owners, property owners, etc.

Mayor Wilder today announced the completion of Phase I of infrastructure upgrades in Shockoe Bottom.

Read more >

The public is invited to join Mayor Wilder in announcing the completion of Phase I of infrastructure upgrades in Shockoe Bottom. Wednesday Feb.27 @11AM at Main Street Station.

A reader with a good memory reminded us how Velvet’s Sam Moore earned his teardrop tattoo back in 1998: Moore initially faced murder charges (later reduced to manslaughter) in the fatal stabbing of Stephen Hendricks in a steetfight that erupted at 18th and Main on May 25, 1998.

An eagle-eyed reader sent us a photo of the accidentally exposed marquee at the former Wildcats/Moondance location (9 North 17th Street). Yummy!

Surrounded by chain link and building supplies, it looks like the long-decrepit 4-story building at 15th and Cary has some serious fixin’ up in its immediate future.

Read more >

From the New York Times’ recently opened archive comes an account of flooding in Rockett’s, Shockoe, and Manchester before the turn of the last century:

The rush of the increased volume of water and ice from the upper James River [...] has resulted in in one of the heaviest floods ever known here. The wharves at Rockett’s, the landing place for steamers, and the streets for blocks around are under water, and the Virginia Navigation Company’s wharf has been swept away.

Read more >

Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is offering guided walks on the Slave Trail every Saturday in February at 9:30AM. The walks are led by the department’s James River Park System staff and cost $5 per person. I got up and out early this past Saturday to experience this for myself…

Read more >

Word of Mouths in this week’s Style takes on LuLu’s and comes away with much praise:

LuLu’s hits this mark as well as Millie’s does, and at a lower price point (the menu tops out at $17). Servers know the menu and specials, the wine list, the chefs and cooks, and what can and can’t be done. And they know how to pass right on by when they’ve come to refill glasses and you’re engaged in conversation and when to place your dinner ticket so that your entrees arrive just as you’ve finished your appetizers.