Richmond off-topic postings

[Downtowner]

Im gonna be 21 this year heck yeah.

[burt]

Hear, hear!

Don't worry Cam, it's my....18th.

Tommy, if you reverse your numbers they'll apply to me eleven days from now.

And Cam, some might say you were born a geezer. But if you're convinced you've crossed the threshold, welcome to the fold.

Great New Year wishes to all and Happy Birthday to my fellow goats!

[burt]

The remarkable photographer Ryan Ramsey, founder of Richmond City Watch, has added 141 new pictures to his December gallery.

Go to:

http://richmondcitywatch.com/modules.php?n...2&g2_page+5

Click on any of the three pictures. The newer ones start at the bottom of page 5 with the dates of 12/24 and 12/30.

Extraordinary!

[Shakman]

Im gonna be 21 this year heck yeah.

Damn... Old enough to be your babysitter.

Just don't get carried away on your 21st.

[Cadeho]

Happy early birthday all!

Hey, we ended 2008 with 32 murders! Let's hope this year it'll be much less. Suburbanites... it's safe enough to come into the city now!

[Shakman]

Happy early birthday all!

Hey, we ended 2008 with 32 murders! Let's hope this year it'll be much less. Suburbanites... it's safe enough to come into the city now!

WOW!!! I hope so too that the numbers continue to drop. Congrads to the Richmond City PD.

Suburbanites... when you come, please leave your SUV's and suburbans behind.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Shakman

[burt]

Happy early birthday all!

Hey, we ended 2008 with 32 murders! Let's hope this year it'll be much less. Suburbanites... it's safe enough to come into the city now!

I counted 36 city murders on the Times Dispatch online Homicide Report (two pages). It's the lowest number since the early 1970's and an encouraging drop from last year's figure of 40+.

Henrico had 15; Chesterfield had 11 and there was only one in Hanover.

Four of the 36 Richmond killings are classified as "Justifiable homicides" and/or murder/suicides.

Edited January 5, 2009 by burt

[Cadeho]

Yesterday, a friend of mine who works at the library gave me an old map of Richmond and Manchester printed for the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. I had jokingly asked him from time to time if he had any old maps and books from the library for me and the other day he said he did. The library was getting rid of it and he kept it. So today I met him there after he got off and got it. He didn't know how old the map was, if it was a few years old or decades old. When he gave it to me I noticed the 1867 city limits but I was thrown off because both Richmond and Manchester have no line separating them, so I was thinking 1910, despite the city not having its 1906 city limits. The year on the map was 1890. It appears to be a copy of the real map which probably the Library of Virginia has the original. This one unfortunately has two sections missing in the right corners, so I'm missing Highland Springs and whatever properties lined the river between Jefferson Davis and Orsborne Tnpks.

I love it. It's detailed with nearly every tract of land surrounding the city labeled with either its owner, farm name, or subdivision name. It helps me quite a bit too for my neighborhood research. The city was nice and compact with several laid out suburbs labeled: Riverview, Sydney, DuVal's Addition, Fulton, Woodville, Barton Heights, Chestnut Hill, Highland Park, Harvie, Sebree's Addition, the Village of Bowling Green (which I didn't know was a village), Tree Hill (Farm), Woodland Heights Bellvue (actually inside Manchester's city limits) etc. What I find curious are two tracts owned by Dartmouth College. To the west, the suburbs ended at the Belt Line. The newest landmark featured on the map would be the Lee Monument and Hermitage Road had a couple roundabouts the existing circle at Laburnum and one at Westbrook Ave. I can study this map for hours. I'll probably have ti framed being that it'd look good on a wall at about 3'x3'.

[burt]

Yesterday, a friend of mine who works at the library gave me an old map of Richmond and Manchester printed for the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. I had jokingly asked him from time to time if he had any old maps and books from the library for me and the other day he said he did. The library was getting rid of it and he kept it. So today I met him there after he got off and got it. He didn't know how old the map was, if it was a few years old or decades old. When he gave it to me I noticed the 1867 city limits but I was thrown off because both Richmond and Manchester have no line separating them, so I was thinking 1910, despite the city not having its 1906 city limits. The year on the map was 1890. It appears to be a copy of the real map which probably the Library of Virginia has the original. This one unfortunately has two sections missing in the right corners, so I'm missing Highland Springs and whatever properties lined the river between Jefferson Davis and Orsborne Tnpks.

I love it. It's detailed with nearly every tract of land surrounding the city labeled with either its owner, farm name, or subdivision name. It helps me quite a bit too for my neighborhood research. The city was nice and compact with several laid out suburbs labeled: Riverview, Sydney, DuVal's Addition, Fulton, Woodville, Barton Heights, Chestnut Hill, Highland Park, Harvie, Sebree's Addition, the Village of Bowling Green (which I didn't know was a village), Tree Hill (Farm), Woodland Heights Bellvue (actually inside Manchester's city limits) etc. What I find curious are two tracts owned by Dartmouth College. To the west, the suburbs ended at the Belt Line. The newest landmark featured on the map would be the Lee Monument and Hermitage Road had a couple roundabouts the existing circle at Laburnum and one at Westbrook Ave. I can study this map for hours. I'll probably have ti framed being that it'd look good on a wall at about 3'x3'.

Your friend has given you an antique treasure! The suburbs of Sydney (which I believe is the area near Hollywood Cemetery); Fulton; Barton Heights; Highland Park and Woodland Heights still exist. But what we call Bellvue is between Brook and Hermitage Roads on the North Side near the A.P. Hill roundabout. The map is far-reaching if it includes Tree Hill Farm. By all means, frame it!!

Edited January 10, 2009 by burt

[Cadeho]

I'll definitely frame it along with the other big maps I have whenever I get to own my own house. All of the suburban neighborhoods still exist in some form or another. I never understood how the real Oregon Hill jumped Belvidere and took over the southern leg of Sydney while the parts north of Cary became the Fan. Harvie became an extension of Sydney then Randolph. Riverview still exists next to Maymont. The north side Bellevue didn't exist at the time of the map. The other one exists in deeds but a lot of people have merged it with Woodland Heights south of W. 22nd. Forest Hill Park is named Woodland Park here.

DuVal's Addition baffles me and I'll look up more about it. On older maps it's the northern streets of Jackson Ward or Postletown. Then maybe there was an annex? that included Bacon, Mitchell, Fritz and Fells Streets. The streets west of Fendall and east of Rose Ave were wiped off the map except property maps and the city owns those whole blocks (through which that ruptured sewer pipe burst under that fill). The western section became Brookfield Garden. Don't forget Woodville Burt! I still live there!

I also had a question I forgot to ask you. What was the name of the neighborhood that was along 17th and 18th (Buchanan) that also included Goochland, James, Christian, Balding, Jay, and Washington Streets to name a few? I know old names were Adam's Valley and Butchertown. What was it being called in the 20th Century?

I still must say I am amazed how much the city grew between 1890 and 1990. There were tracts of farms and land everywhere!

[burt]

I'll definitely frame it along with the other big maps I have whenever I get to own my own house. All of the suburban neighborhoods still exist in some form or another. I never understood how the real Oregon Hill jumped Belvidere and took over the southern leg of Sydney while the parts north of Cary became the Fan. Harvie became an extension of Sydney then Randolph. Riverview still exists next to Maymont. The north side Bellevue didn't exist at the time of the map. The other one exists in deeds but a lot of people have merged it with Woodland Heights south of W. 22nd. Forest Hill Park is named Woodland Park here.

DuVal's Addition baffles me and I'll look up more about it. On older maps it's the northern streets of Jackson Ward or Postletown. Then maybe there was an annex? that included Bacon, Mitchell, Fritz and Fells Streets. The streets west of Fendall and east of Rose Ave were wiped off the map except property maps and the city owns those whole blocks (through which that ruptured sewer pipe burst under that fill). The western section became Brookfield Garden. Don't forget Woodville Burt! I still live there!

I also had a question I forgot to ask you. What was the name of the neighborhood that was along 17th and 18th (Buchanan) that also included Goochland, James, Christian, Balding, Jay, and Washington Streets to name a few? I know old names were Adam's Valley and Butchertown. What was it being called in the 20th Century?

I still must say I am amazed how much the city grew between 1890 and 1990. There were tracts of farms and land everywhere!

Isn't there a street called (something like) DuVal in Carver? Bacon Street I believe is in that area. Never heard of

Postletown.

Woodville is a mystery to me. Where exactly is it? Is Peter Paul Blvd part of it just northeast of Chimborazzo? I've driven down that street and it is very attractive with neat homes.

Also mysteries to me are the neighborhoods of Buchanan and Adams in the 17th/18th Street corridors, though streetcars used to traverse the area.

Why don't you look into buying a condo in Miller & Rhoads or taking an apartment in The Residences at The John Marshall?

Edited January 11, 2009 by burt

[Cadeho]

Yes there is a DuVal street that runs from Brook Ave to 2nd St, then has a short block between 4th and 5th, picks back up at Navy Hill Dr to 10th St and from there it's a connector to 13th St. The street was a boundary for the property that was subdivided into the streets of northern Jackson Ward. Postletown is a name that Mary Wingfield Scott said was what people called the area because of the names of the streets after saints. Bacon St is nearby across Bacon's Quarter Branch.

Woodville was laid out as "The Town of Woodville" after the Civil War north of Fairfield Avenue and Creighton Road, a small section fronted Mechanicsville Tnpk to the west (that section was laid off into another subdivision Steinbeck Gardens), the northernmost boundaries were what is now Carneal St to Holly St in Central Gardens up to land that used to belong to Montezuma Farm in that area. The eastern boundary cuts through the Glenwood Golf Course. ***pdf map*** Another section of Woodville was laid out east of Peter Paul's Fairfield Tract which would become part of the subdivision Peter Paul. It was a diamond-shaped parcel that had extended N. 28th St down its middle. The Richmond & Rappahannock River Railway's path was the eastern boundary. ***pdf map*** It never became a town like Fairmount did some blocks to the south. It was however, a close-knit predominantly black community. It had a lot of open fields where cattle used to roam.

Woodville had 2 lots annexed into the city in 1914 and most of it was annexed in 1942. The remaining part still belongs to Henrico. Several blocks were subdivided into other neighborhoods such as Mechanicsville Gardens, Roosevelt Park, Executive Manor, an eastern section of Central Gardens, Friendly Manor, and Glenwood Golf Course. Fairfield Court destroyed about 2/3 of the original neighborhood. The new Armstrong School, formerly John F. Kennedy, is in Woodville. Woodville school was originally in the northern section but was moved to 28th St. I hope that helps. Some of Wilder's people were here and he used to visit barefooted according to my grandmother, former mayor Walter Kenney and former mayoral candidate Lawrence Williams grew up here, and Del. Viola Baskerville is from just outside Woodville... two weeks ago she had that house demolished.

I considered M&R. It looks really neat. I'd never be able to afford it and I have WAY too much junk and if I were to get a condo, it'd be like a getaway.

[wrldcoupe4]

You'd be amazed at the closet space in the M&R condos Cam! Maybe everything would fit!

[Cadeho]

Happy birthday Burt!

[burt]

Happy birthday Burt!

Actually, it was yesterday, but thank you, Sir, for remembering.

Last night, while surfing between the Golden Globe Awards and one of New York's Public TV stations, I saw parts of the program about Queen Elizabeth's preparation for her Virginia visit. A good part of the presentation dealt with Richmond. It has probably aired earlier on PBS since this was on one of the suburban channels. Maybe some of you have seen it.

[Cadeho]

Sorry Burt, I had read your above message on Jan 1 saying 11 days from then. My aunt saw the PBS show on the Queen before Christmas. She enjoyed it and wanted me to watch whenever it reran but I haven't gotten a chance.

[TBurban]

Tommy, if you reverse your numbers they'll apply to me eleven days from now.

And Cam, some might say you were born a geezer. But if you're convinced you've crossed the threshold, welcome to the fold.

Great New Year wishes to all and Happy Birthday to my fellow goats!

See? We're not so different, you and I!

Happy belated, Burt

[Downtowner]

Happy belated birthday burt. Burt I never knew that you and my grandmother both have the same birth month. My grandmother turned 85 on January 7th. Hope this year is a great one for all.

[Cadeho]

Haha, sorry Cam..been busy lately..should be around more in January

Doctors on call 20 hours a day are less busy than you are. It's January! I guess you won't be busy in February? March?

[TBurban]

Doctors on call 20 hours a day are less busy than you are. It's January! I guess you won't be busy in February? March?

Haha, senior year, Cam! Ill be around after midterms.

and...thank you vdogg for the changes!

[burt]

Thanks Tommy and Joey for the belated good wishes.

[Cadeho]

Haha, senior year, Cam! Ill be around after midterms.

Then it'll be exams, graduation, going to New York again/vacation somewhere, then college, more work, then exams, then more busy busy busy...

[burt]

Four top Wilder aides are shuffled out of their offices -- one or two of them to other areas of City Hall such as Jon Baliles. He is now a project management anaysist for tourism in the City's Economic Development Department.

Baliles, son of a former Governor, spearheaded one of the area's most prodigeous and readable blogs -- River City Rapids.

From today's RTD:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/loca...-215413/177381/

Edited January 14, 2009 by burt

[TBurban]

Then it'll be exams, graduation, going to New York again/vacation somewhere, then college, more work, then exams, then more busy busy busy...

I'm exempt from exams, and I don't even have any plans for spring break! Well, not yet..but still! College for me will be in state, nothing a short drive wont do. You still owe me a picture tour.

[burt]

I'm exempt from exams, and I don't even have any plans for spring break! Well, not yet..but still! College for me will be in state, nothing a short drive wont do. You still owe me a picture tour.

Tommy, a year or so ago you talked about your family relocating to the Wiliamsburg area. Is that still under consideration?

Which Universities are you investigating?

Edited January 15, 2009 by burt