On Tuesday, October 4, the American Planning Association announced its list of 2011 Great Places.  The American Planning Association brings together thousands of people — practicing planners, citizens, elected officials — committed to making great communities happen through a professional institute for certified planners and through divisions and chapters as well as student memberships. And, the APA identified Maymont as one of America’s 10 Great Public Spaces in 2011.

What is a public space?

A public space, as defined by the APA, can be a gathering spot or part of a neighborhood, downtown, special district, waterfront or other area within the public realm that helps promote social interaction and a sense of community. Possible examples may include such spaces as plazas, town squares, parks, marketplaces, public commons and malls, public greens, piers, special areas within convention centers or grounds, sites within public buildings, lobbies, concourses, or public spaces within private buildings.

Maymont, of course, is Richmond’s own 100-acre estate near downtown, now a city park with free admission featuring gorgeous gardens, wildlife exhibits, and open spaces perfect to romp and play.

As with all categories of Great Places, it is important to identify what sets a space apart from others spaces so as to qualify it for a Great Spaces designation. Public Spaces must be at least 10 years old, Maymont easily fits the bill having been built just after the Civil War and left by its owners, the Dooleys, to the City.

To be selected as a Great Place in America, a public space must possess the following characteristics:

Promotes human contact and social activities.
Is safe, welcoming, and accommodating for all users.
Has design and architectural features that are visually interesting.
Promotes community involvement.
Reflects the local culture or history.
Relates well to bordering uses.
Is well maintained.
Has a unique or special character.

If you haven’t visited Maymont yet, you should add it to your list to assess its features yourself.  And, if you haven’t visited Richmond, Virginia yet – this is just another site to add to your itinerary.  Maymont joins Monument Avenue, which was designated a Great American Place in 2007. More Information about the program and the American Planning Association.

When planning a visit to Richmond, add Maymont to your list, as well as the State Capitol of Virginia (designed by Thomas Jefferson), the Tiffany windows in St. Paul’s, the gardens and conservatory of Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, a stroll down Monument Avenue, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Historical Society, the Museum and White House of the Confederacy – and the list goes on! As you can tell, a day won’t do it; to fit it all in, plan a few days and stay in the middle of it all at Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast, home to the hearty gourmet breakfast and located in the historic Fan District.

Easter Sunday brings out that Richmond favorite Easter on Parade.  Not a parade like you would normally expect, where bands and marchers march up the parade route! NO! Here in Richmond Virginia we do it a little differently; you’ll find bands and acts stationary on peoples’ porches along Monument Avenue. Parade go-ers parade up and down Monument Avenue taking part in all the festivities. Instead of an Easter Parade, we call it Easter on Parade – and it’s FREE!.

Monument Avenue's Easter on Parade April 24

Parade site is located on Monument Avenue between Allen and Davis Avenues, between the Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis monuments.

It’s one of the most beloved of Richmond traditions. Each year more than 25,000 people converge on the four-block site to celebrate the arrival of spring and the beauty of Monument Avenue, taking this once-a-year opportunity to stroll in the streets with cars absent and removed. Music, arts, crafts, children’s activities, food, balloon artistry, a petting zoo, and of course, people and pet watching are all part of the celebration. This is a parade for all Richmonders and visitors to Richmond to come out and participate! Wear a hat or even an entire costume! There’s a hat contest so you better start making yours now.

If you happen to be in town for Easter, take part in this event and remember that the Fan district’s premier bed and breakfast inn is located just a short stroll – a few blocks – from Allen and Monument, giving you the perfect spot to stay and enjoy Easter in Virginia’s capitol city. The William Miller House is known for its hearty gourmet breakfast and it would be a great way to start your day with a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast to power a stroll up and down Monument Avenue!

First Friday Artwalk is here again in Richmond; and today, Friday April 1, many galleries in the historic Fan District are featuring opening receptions this evening.

Artemis Gallery at 1601 W Main Street is opening “Wired Realities,” wire sculptures by Guy Barnard and Bob Early with a reception from 5 to 10 Pm. Exhibition continues through May 5, 2011.

At Brazier Studio, the gallery  at 1516 W Main Street operated by Loryn Brazier, Fan District resident, “Turn on the Light” featuring new paintings by Anne Blair Brown and gallery artists opens with a reception from 6-8 PM tonight.

Ginger Levit atelier en ville at 1519 W Main Street is hosting an opening reception tonight between 5:30 and 8:30 PM for “Rites of Spring: Leafy Landscapes of Virginia” – Sheila Holland’s large acrylics on canvas.

Glave Kocen Gallery at 1620 W Main Street is hosting a opening reception tonight between 6 and 9 for “180 Degrees of Color” featuring work by Rob Browning and Steve Griffin.  Exhibition will continue through April 29.

Laura Loe Paintings open 6-8 Pm at 2513 W Main Street.

Main Art Gallery at 1537 W Main Street will host an opening reception between 7 and 9 PM tonight for “Fly Around” featuring art by Laura Pharis.  Works will continue on display through April 30.

Page Bond Gallery, also operated by a Fan District resident, will host Ryan McGinness with an artist talk at 6:30 PM, and a reception for the opening of “Art HIstory is Not Linear” 7Pm to 9PM at 1625 W Main Street.

At 1514 W Main Street, Reynolds Gallery will host an opening reception for “Corpora Delecti” glass and wire sculptures by Jack Wax and paintings by Heide Trepanier “Ether.” Reception 7-9PM. Exhibition continues through May 14.

Uptown Gallery at 1305 W Main Street will host an opening reception between 5 and 9 PM for the watercolors produced by the artists of the James River Art League.

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond will host an artist’s talk by Leslie Wayne at 5 PM at 1812 W Main Street and an opening reception 6-8PM for “Leslie Wayne: recent Work.”

These openings and receptions are, of course, in addition to First Friday  Art Walk along Broad Street. Art venues abound in Richmond, and art lovers are warmly welcomed! And, don’t forget that the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is featuring the only east coast appearance of “Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris.”  So make it an art-filled weekend with wandering galleries Friday evening, watching the Monument Avenue 10K Saturday morning, touring with Real Richmond Food Tours and More Saturday afternoon, cheering on VCU’s Rams in the FInal Four Saturday evening at a neighborhood eatery , and a visit to VMFA for Picasso on Sunday before it ends on May 15th.  It will make a powerful, fun-filled weekend.  Y’all come!

Information provided by the innkeepers of The William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast, located in the heart of the historic Fan District

The Garden Club of Virginia has organized the 78th Annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia from April 16th through April 23rd, presenting house and garden tours all across the state of Virginia.

Virginians from north, south, in the mountains, and by the sea are opening their doors and gates to welcome visitors to their unforgettable gardens and delightful homes dressed for Spring with fabulous flower arrangements provided by local garden clubs.  Most of the properties welcoming visitors on specific days are privately owned, but the proceeds from this tour support the preservation and restoration of the grounds of more than three dozen of Virginia’s historic landmarks.

Richmond is proud to host tours on Tuesday April 19th, Wednesday April 20th, and Thursday April 21st. Schedule.

78th Annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia Special in Richmond April 18 - 20. Book today!

Tuesday’s tour features homes and gardens in Richmond’s Hampton Gardens/Cary Street Road area. Built in the 20′s and 30′s, these homes range from Georgian Revival to English Tudor to Colonial. Each is filled with furnishings and art that reflect the personalities of its owners.  Gardens range from dramatic slopes with multiple stone terraces highlighted with banks of roses to a private backyard with a low maintenance garden of river birch, hydrangea, hosta, and Virginia’s famed azaleas.

Wednesday’s tour highlights the grandeur of Monument Avenue, the first street in America to be named a National Historic Landmark.  Homes open for the tour reflect a variety of sophisticated American and European architectural styles popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Grand entrances, soaring spaces, period architectural details, and manicured gardens and courtyards provide a feast for your eyes and wonderful ideas to take home with you.  Make prior arrangements and have lunch at the Branch House, the largest single family home built on Monument Avenue, now the Virginia Center for Architecture at 2501 Monument Avenue. Homes on Monument Avenue are not often open to the public – this is an opportunity not to be missed!

Thursday’s tour takes place in the Windsor Farms area of Richmond and includes the Windsor House built in 1945 on the site of the Windsor Farm. Located in a park-like setting, originally designed by Charles Gillette, noted landscape architect, the original brick structure and its seamless additions are an oasis in the city.  Even a later home, a Dutch Colonial built in 1970, opens its doors and gardens to the public on this Wednesday. Enjoy a prearranged lunch under a tent at Agecroft Hall and enjoy the grounds and gardens of Agecroft as an added bonus.

Here’s an inn-side tip: plan to attend all three tours in Richmond, and book your three-night stay at Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast right in the middle of it all in the heart of Richmond’s historic Fan District. Book your stay for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights – April 18, 19, 20, reference OPEN HOUSE, and get 35% off Wednesday’s room rate.  In addition, you’ll get a hearty gourmet breakfast every morning that will stick to your ribs for the day’s walking tour. Come back to the inn, enjoy our complimentary evening wine and cheese in the inn’s private gardens.  You’ll get free off-street parking, private en-suite bathrooms, and even free Wi-Fi to keep up with your e-mail – if you must.

The tours are walking tours, so please wear comfortable walking shoes for your own safety and as a courtesy to the homeowners who have generously opened their residences for the tour. Each ticket will have a map of the houses open on the tour.  Organizers of the tours request no interior photography or sketching and no use of cell phones within the tour houses.  Tickets will be available on tour day at any of the properties open for touring. Advance tickets for the tour are available on-line, as are guidebooks with all the details about each property and tours across the state.  Luncheons must be prearranged as well! Make your plans now!

The Official Richmond Region 2011 Visitors Guide is Here!

Hot off the press, the Richmond Region 2011 Visitors Guide has locals dishing about their favorite Richmond spots and instant access to bonus materials with smart phone tags throughout.

Be sure to turn to page 20 and find out why a trip to the Richmond Region is must in 2011.

The Official Richmond Region 2011 Visitor Guide

History. It All Starts Here.

Your Guide to Richmond Travel and Tourism

Discover history, adventure and an easily accessible location in the Historic Richmond Region. Here, more than 400 years of American history live on through magnificent architecture, monument-lined cobblestone streets, and world-class museums – for an experience that’s anything but textbook.

But the area makes history in other ways, too. Brave the gorgeous yet intense James River, which distinguishes the Richmond Region as the only urban setting with Class IV rapids. It’s just one form of outdoor recreation for thrill seekers. Event planners will love the Greater Richmond Convention Center, a prime destination for meetings and groups. See how the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is expanding its world-class offerings. And with more than 900 restaurants, diverse shopping and enticing events, the Region is ideal for weekend getaways and vacations.

A lovely crisp Fall weekend is in store for central Virginia!  And, along with great weather for walks in the park, strolls down Monument Avenue, there are several happenings on the schedule.

The fun and excitement starts Friday night, October 22 at 7:30 PM in Shockoe Slip! 1708 Gallery is hosting the third annual InLight Richmond, an outdoor art extravaganza.  Until midnight, streets, walls, facades and interiors along Cary Street between 12th and 14th Streets and along 13th Street between Main and Canal will be transformed by 37 light-inspired art installations.  Recently, we were in Paris for their Nuit Blanc, they had fewer light art installations and it required a Metro ride to see them all. A Community Lantern Parade beginning at the James center Atrium will kick off the evening. Many of the restaurants will feature inLight Specials – some even $17.08 dinner specials!  For more information, see 1708 Gallery’s website.

Want some exercise to enjoy this Fall Friday? How about 5K Race for Change, a race benefitting Freedom House soup kitchen and shelters begins at 3 PM at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College-Parham Campus, 1651 E Parham Road.  For information, call (804) 523-5083.

More into Music?  Delight in Richmond premiere of “side by Side” by Michael Colgrass, featuring a single soloist Joanne Kong of the Richmond Symphony on piano and harpsichord, 7:30 PM in Camp Concert Hall at the University of Richmond’s Modlin Center.  The event is Free, but does require a ticket, call (804) 289-8980. If opera is more your style, “Rigoletto” opens the Virginia Opera season at 8 PM at the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond’s CenterStage. Too many conflicts on Friday? It repeats on Sunday. TICKETS.

How about a dance option? The Latin Ballet of Virginia interprets Latin-American rhythms in “Alma Latina” at the Cultural Arts  Center at Glen Allen through Sunday.  For more information call (804) 379-2555 or the Latin Ballet of Virginia’s website.

Saturday is a busy day, too! At Virginia Commonwealth University’s Singleton Center, pianist Charles Rosen with tenor Christoph Genz present an all-Schumann program at 8PM. Singleton Center’s Vlahcevic Hall is located at 922 Park Avenue, just two blocks from our Fan District bed and breakfast! For more information about the program, call (804) 828-6776.

There’s the Powhatan Festival of the Grape with samples from 25 Virginia wineries, food, juried arts and crafts and live entertainment. Opening at 11 AM, event will run until 6 PM at Powhatan Courthouse Square, 3880 Old Buckingham Rd.  Tasting tickets, $25 at the gate, non-tasting $20. This event is in its 8th year! INFO.

The Meadow Highland Games and Celtic Festival includes traditional highland athletic competition, Celtic music and dancing, Celtic food, marketplace, clan exhibitors and more from 9 AM to 6 PM at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell. Info and tickets. This event in its 16th year, features two days of “Music. Food. Large Men Throwing Stuff.”

On Sunday, a Valentine History Center guide will lead a walking tour titled “Canal Boats and Cobblestones’” focusing on the history, architecture and preservation efforts of Shockoe Slip.  Meet the guide at 2PM at 10th and Cary Streets at the James Center Clock Tower. $10, $5 for History Center members. Info.

Some coming attractions:

Thursday, October 28th: “America’s Got Talent” live stage show with season five winner Michael Grimm, Virginia Tech’s Fighting Gravity and other finalists and fan favorites beginning at 7:30 PM at the Landmark Theatre, just three blocks from our downtown inn.  Stay with us and solve your parking problem!

Friday, October 29th: smooth soul concert at the Landmark Theatre at 8 PM.

Thursday, November 4th: American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino kicks off her first tour at 7:30 PM at the Landmark.

Nov 4,5,6,7,10,11,12,13: The Richmond Ballet Studio 2 revives “After Eden” by John Butler, George Balanchine’s classis “Valse Fantasie” and world premiere of a new ballet by Colin Conner at the Richmond Ballet Studio Theatre – not even a mile from Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast. Richmond ballet website.

Friday Nov 5: Veteran pop crooner, Tony Bennett performs at the Carpenter Theatre, Richmond CenterStage for a step back in time.

Planning a getaway to the city? Include a stay at our bed and breakfast for its central location and known for its hearty gourmet breakfast!

Monumental ceramic sculptures of Jun Kaneko have been installed in the sculpture garden at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. On display through December 12, the work was chosen for its scale and presence. Jun Kaneko, born in Japan and now based in Omaha, creates the largest fired ceramic sculptures in the world. The centerpiece of his work installed at VMFA is an impressively large, 9 1/2 feet tall, 6,000 pound, dark-blue glazed head with a meditative expression. The sculptures in this special outdoor exhibition were created between 2004 and 2007 in some of the world’s largest kilns in Pittsburg Kansas. Other pieces in the exhibition include dangos, closed forms sort of like totems, all set into the new gardens at the renovated museum. SLIDESHOW.

Remember the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is less than a mile away from our Historic Fan District Bed and Breakfast.  Moreover, the stroll will take you through our neighborhood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the best-preserved turn of the century (turn of the 19th to the 20th, that is!) neighborhoods with a diverse mix of residential, dining, shopping opportunities along its streets and avenues.  No visit to Richmond is complete without a visit to the  Fan District, home to historic Monument Avenue, with its broad boulevard, stately mansions, and statues of JEB Stuart, Robert E Lee, and  Jefferson Davis. Monument Avenue extends beyond the Fan District into the Museum District to include more statues and fashionable residences. Make your plans now for a visit!

Sunday is the big day! A short walk from our Richmond Virginia bed and breakfast is Lee Circle, the start of Richmond’s very own Easter on Parade on Monument Avenue between Allen Avenue and Davis Street. Music, fun, food, vendors, jugglers, and other entertainment will make this Easter an extraordinary memory. Festivities start at 1 PM on Easter Sunday and the party goes on until 5 PM.  The free event is organized and produced by Venture Richmond, an organization that engages business and community leaders in partnering with the city to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events.  Easter on Parade is sponsored by the Bon Secours Richmond Health System – check out photos #1, #2, and #12 from previous Easter on Parade events! Even Ronald McDonald was spotted among the people strolling Monument Avenue.

Richmond’s unique Easter celebration attracts tens of thousands of residents and visitors to these four blocks of Monument Avenue, who stroll the picturesque street in celebration of Spring’s arrival.  It is THE place to people-watch and to be seen! Yes, the attendees are the parade since most entertainment is stationary, taking up their stage on Monument Avenue resident’s porches; others rove through the crowd capturing attention as they proceed along.  The weather forecast for this year’s event is spectacular!  Highlights include a pet bonnet contest at 3 PM on the stage set up at the Lee Monument; a people bonnet contest takes place there at 4 PM.

Pick your room at our Richmond lodging and, after a hearty gourmet breakfast, stroll the few blocks to Lee Circle and join in the Easter festivities!

Our Richmond inn is “in the middle of it all” for two fun-filled Richmond events in April!

Wear your finest bonnet and enter into the Bonnet contest on April 4 at the Lee monument!

Venture Richmond brings Easter on Parade, that annual event bringing over 25,000 Richmonders and Virginians to Monument Avenue on Easter Sunday.  It’s not a traditional parade: attendees parade up and down scenic Monument Avenue between Allen and Davis Avenues.  Monument Avenue, named to the National Register of Historic Landmarks, will be closed to all but pedestrian traffic between Allen and Davis (or the Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis monuments) on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 between 1 PM and 5 PM. The celebration includes music, arts, crafts, children’s activities, food, a petting zoo – and most importantly pet and people watching.  Everyone will be dressed in their finest or most outlandish regalia!  Highlights include a Pet Bonnet Showcase/Contest at 3 PM and a People Bonnet Showcase/Contest at 4 PM.  Don’t miss it!

Historic Garden Week in Virginia's Guidebook and tour tickets are the key to visit private homes and gardens April 17 though April 25

Historic Garden Week in Virginia, presented by the Garden Club of Virginia, is scheduled for April 17 through 25, 2010.  The Garden Club of Virginia has been holding this event for 77 years and devoting the proceeds to preserving Virginia’s heritage properties and gardens.  Though featuring homes and gardens all over the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond area will be featured on Tuesday April 20, Church Hill, on Wednesday April 21, and West Avenue, just two blocks away from our bed and breakfast, will open homes and gardens to visitors on Thursday April 22.  In addition special evening activities are planned Thursday at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

Make your plans now to take advantage of these very Virginia events! Pick your guest room at our historic Fan District bed and breakfast and make it a Spring Fling! to remember on Easter weekend or during Garden Week or – even both.  We’d love to share the best of central Virginia with you.