"Richmond is a tough town."

[duketaylor]

Really??? Based on what?? I have VCU alums now asking me why DBR is doing this. Please explain. I've only been here forever as have many Duke alums and I wouldn't consider this a dangerous place to live by most any standards. Very curious.

[FerryFor50]

Really??? Based on what?? I have VCU alums now asking me why DBR is doing this. Please explain. I've only been here forever as have many Duke alums and I wouldn't consider this a dangerous place to live by most any standards. Very curious.

Usually helps to include context. Links. Anything to frame the query helps. :)

[MCFinARL]

Usually helps to include context. Links. Anything to frame the query helps. :)

It was a comment made by DBR in the front page story on Robert Johnson, who is from there and apparently is not considering VCU.

[BlueTeuf]

I don't see that this and several other similarly opinionated DBR editorials are true, necessary or additive. Actually, I find them embarrassing.

[Lid]

Third. We spent several years there (in and near the Fan) -- not sure where that sentiment on the front page is coming from. But then, I love living in Durham, so maybe I just like DANGER.

[Edouble]

I lived in Richmond for 5 years. I also am not sure where the "dangerous" tag comes from. It almost seems like Julio or Boswell was randomly mugged while in Richmond or something.

It's a fairly ugly city, with many rich white people and many poor black people, and I never cared much for the culture (we were the seat of the confederacy), but it never felt dangerous to me.

[throatybeard]

I generally find that well-off white people's social construction of physical space is unbelievably inaccurate and drenched in rather toxic ideology.

Said the guy who lives in Saint Louis. City.

[JNort]

Third. We spent several years there (in and near the Fan) -- not sure where that sentiment on the front page is coming from. But then, I love living in Durham, so maybe I just like DANGER.

I only come to Durham for Duke games and frequently hang around before and after them and I think the town is ok. There are areas I don't like but that is like most places I think. Now I do have family members who LIVE near Durham and they hate Durham and find it as "a disgusting and scary area". I asked why they thought that but they just said I had to be around there long enough. I also saw a poll that I think was titled "The most dangerous cities in NC" and the options were Grensboro, Durham, High Point and two others but Durham was the most popular vote by a good bit.

[Edouble]

I only come to Durham for Duke games and frequently hang around before and after them and I think the town is ok. There are areas I don't like but that is like most places I think. Now I do have family members who LIVE near Durham and they hate Durham and find it as "a disgusting and scary area". I asked why they thought that but they just said I had to be around there long enough. I also saw a poll that I think was titled "The most dangerous cities in NC" and the options were Grensboro, Durham, High Point and two others but Durham was the most popular vote by a good bit.

The front page comments were made about Richmond, VA, not Durham. Lid was just topping off his remarks with a little Durham joke.

[JNort]

The front page comments were made about Richmond, VA, not Durham. Lid was just topping off his remarks with a little Durham joke.Yes but it did just remind me of something I meant to mention awhile back.

[-jk]

I may be misconstruing things, but Julian spent several years in Richmond. It has been quite a while, though. He may be channelling a past version of the city.

(Of course, as a native der'mite, my favorite sign recently is "I'd rather be shot in Durham than die of boredom in Cary". Captures the nature of the Bull City.

-jk

[Dukehky]

This thread without context is silly, to be nice about things, I vote for a lock... However, most cities are pretty much the same, as long as you're not stupid, you'll probably be okay. You can get mugged in Mayberry, stuff happens. Also, as a side, Fayetteville is the most "dangerous" city in North Carolina.

[Jarhead]

I only come to Durham for Duke games and frequently hang around before and after them and I think the town is ok. There are areas I don't like but that is like most places I think. Now I do have family members who LIVE near Durham and they hate Durham and find it as "a disgusting and scary area". I asked why they thought that but they just said I had to be around there long enough. I also saw a poll that I think was titled "The most dangerous cities in NC" and the options were Grensboro, Durham, High Point and two others but Durham was the most popular vote by a good bit.

You misunderstand. To most of the UNC Tar Heels Durham is synonymous with Duke. It's also among the cities with the best reputation for good eateries.

[JNort]

You misunderstand. To most of the UNC Tar Heels Durham is synonymous with Duke. It's also among the cities with the best reputation for good eateries.

and breweries

[Jarhead]

The front page comments were made about Richmond, VA, not Durham. Lid was just topping off his remarks with a little Durham joke.
That must be a good way to highjack a thread. On the other hand, I have driven through Richmond hundreds of times, but I have never spent a night there. I have spent more than a few thousand nights in Durham without regret, except for the presence all of those tar heels who come over for decent meals and shopping.

[indy1duke]

Duke Basketball Report may have mixed up Richmond, CA with Richmond, VA. Today I was reading a chart that had city crime rate rankings. Richmond, CA was listed as 417th on the chart while Richmond, VA was 362. Durham shows up at 353, so it is fair to say that both cities have room for improvement. Incidentally New York can brag that it is the safest big city in the country at 210. By the way the usual suspects are at the bottom -- Camden, NJ; Detroit and Flint.

By the way I have a home in Richmond right near the VCU campus in the Fan and it is a beautiful neighborhood, but there are some rough areas in Richmond.

The link to the chart is http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2012/CityCrime2013_CityCrimeRateRankings.pdf

[MarkD83]

I'll give some context to the thread and some more information since I have lived in Richmond for 20 years and work about 3 blocks from the VCU campus. Robert Johnson is a high school bball recruit who is attending Benedictine high school in Richmond. He is about to announce where he will go to school with Indiana and UNC on his list. The issue is why VCU is not on the list.

The added information is that Benedictine is about 5 blocks from the VCU campus. Benedictine is now in the process of moving to the western suburbs because that is where most of their sports facilities are located. (They may have completed the move already.) I was not going to add any comments about the original DBR article about Robert Johnson until I saw this thread. If you wanted my guess as to why Robert Johnson is not considering VCU it is proximity to school. If you went to high school 5 blocks from UNC would you want to spend 4 more years there. :)

Just some added information. VCU has done a wonderful job over the past 5-10 years of buying up properties around their campus and putting in new dorms and academic buildings as well as a major upgrade to their basketball facilities. BTW, the Siegel center is a great place to see a sporting event. VCU is also adjacent to the Fan, Monument Ave. and Carytown which are very nice areas. At the end of the day it is still an urban campus and the schools on Robert's list are not. That is probably a better reason than any commentary about crime in Richmond.

[Bob Green]

Also, as a side, Fayetteville is the most "dangerous" city in North Carolina.

Having been born and raised in Fayetteville, I would like to repudiate your assessment of my hometown. But I can't.

[devildeac]

I may be misconstruing things, but Julian spent several years in Richmond. It has been quite a while, though. He may be channelling a past version of the city.

(Of course, as a native der'mite, my favorite sign recently is "I'd rather be shot in Durham than die of boredom in Cary". Captures the nature of the Bull City.

-jk

Your quoted comment/sign above might be fighting words for devil84. Oooh, wonder if one mod has ever given another mod a negative comment and how many points it cost them:rolleyes:;).

[doctorhook]

I only come to Durham for Duke games and frequently hang around before and after them and I think the town is ok. There are areas I don't like but that is like most places I think. Now I do have family members who LIVE near Durham and they hate Durham and find it as "a disgusting and scary area". I asked why they thought that but they just said I had to be around there long enough. I also saw a poll that I think was titled "The most dangerous cities in NC" and the options were Grensboro, Durham, High Point and two others but Durham was the most popular vote by a good bit.

So much of all of this is about perception, class and race unfortunately. If you check crime stats you will find Durham ranked about the same or slightly better than similar sized cities in NC and the South. The facts will not affect perception. I have lived in Durham most of my life and despite its warts, I love the place.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I have friends and family that live there. We went up on a trip last year for labor day, and stayed downtown. FWIW, we were warned by said friends, said family, and the hotel staff that it would not be smart to walk around once the sun set. That being said, that same warning can probably be applied to most any city, but it was interesting in the both the way it was said and the number of people who mentioned it to us.

P.S....Richmond was an awesome trip and I loved it. As an artist, it is a very inspiring place, especially with VCU right there. They have a great art program. It was amazing to walk around and see the number of murals that are in the city; the whole town had a great vibe.

[94duke]

Richmond in the 90's was not so good. In 1994 it led the nation in murders per capita. The city has really turned things around since then, and the murder rate has been in steady decline since then. Here's an article from the Times Dispatch from 2008.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/richmond-s-homicide-rate-on-pace-to-reach--year/article_14b80027-810b-53a2-a7ae-54da3093c291.html

[nyesq83]

This was one of three incidents in the last week.
VCU Police Report Off-Campus Home Invasion
Posted: Sep 18, 2013 7:13 AM EDTUpdated: Sep 18, 2013 7:13 AM EDT
RICHMOND (WRIC)—On Tuesday night, three men invaded an apartment on the 1200 block of West Franklin Street.
The victim was in his apartment on Sept. 17, when he answered a knock on the door at 9:30 p.m. Three subjects entered—one of whom was armed with a handgun—and stole numerous electronics and other items from the residence.
The suspects were last seen in an older red sedan headed east on West Franklin Street. All three suspects are black males. One is approximately 6 feet tall and wore a red shirt and blue jeans. Another wore a black coat, white t-shirt and dark jeans, and was armed with a handgun. The third suspect wore a red Carhart jacket, white t-shirt and black hat.
VCU Police advise that if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, you should cooperate with the suspect's demands; do not resist. It's important to focus on his or her physical characteristics, including height, weight, attire and last known direction of travel. You are advised not to make any sudden or unexpected moves, and to never force a bluff if the suspect claims to have a weapon. Call the police instead of trying to apprehend the criminal yourself.
Richmond Police continue to investigate this incident. Stay with 8News for updates.

[nyesq83]

I am an ex-NYer, Duke class of 83, I lived in Queens for twenty years, and I have sometimes felt more anxiety here in RVA simply because criminals prey on students in this neighborhood.

Students are seen as easy marks, with textbooks and phones and laptops and cash, no guns allowed near campus....

[jimsumner]

Benedectine is the school that sent Mark Crow to Duke and John Kuester to UNC. They were prep teammates.

No question that any city can be dangerous in the wrong place and time, safe in the right place and time.

At one point Gastonia had the highest murder rate in the U.S. It may not meet the population threshold for a lot of the surveys cited but I can't believe it's safer than Fayetteville.

Durham's reputation is taking a hit because of the rash of muggings on the greenway. And this reputation is used against Duke on the recruiting trail. I've talked to Duke athletes whose parents would get newspaper clippings on Durham crime from opposing schools.

[devil84]

I may be misconstruing things, but Julian spent several years in Richmond. It has been quite a while, though. He may be channelling a past version of the city.

(Of course, as a native der'mite, my favorite sign recently is "I'd rather be shot in Durham than die of boredom in Cary". Captures the nature of the Bull City.

-jkYour quoted comment/sign above might be fighting words for devil84. Oooh, wonder if one mod has ever given another mod a negative comment and how many points it cost them:rolleyes:;).

Geez, devildeac, trying to stir up trouble?! ;)

Naw, doesn't bother me much. If people are dying of boredom in Cary, they're not living right. (They're probably the people on my HOA board...but I digress.) There's plenty to do in Cary...go do Durham, go to Raleigh, go to Carrboro, go to the beach, go to the Triad, go to the mountains......:D Actually, there was a pretty cool criterium race in downtown Cary last month that was really interesting to watch.

As far as Richmond, I was there a couple of years ago for the Richmond Marathon (I did the 8K...I'm not cut out for those longer distances). It seems like a LOVELY city. We had a great time and never felt unsafe. The 8K was mostly downtown, the half-marathon was all over the place (per my spouse, who IS cut out for the longer distances), and we thought it was a clean, safe, city with a lot of art and character.

We mods have given plenty of negative comments to each other, and it's the same points as when we ding anyone else. But we've got other ways of taking out our aggression on each other. ***evil laughter*** (But we don't have privileges to post more emoticons than other posters! Had to go old school on that last one.)

[ricks68]

If y'all are so bored all the time, come on over to Asheville to visit in a few months after we get moved in.:)

Boredom is not an option in Asheville.

ricks

[devildeac]

Geez, devildeac, trying to stir up trouble?! ;)

Naw, doesn't bother me much. If people are dying of boredom in Cary, they're not living right. (They're probably the people on my HOA board...but I digress.) There's plenty to do in Cary...go do Durham, go to Raleigh, go to Carrboro, go to the beach, go to the Triad, go to the mountains......:D Actually, there was a pretty cool criterium race in downtown Cary last month that was really interesting to watch.

As far as Richmond, I was there a couple of years ago for the Richmond Marathon (I did the 8K...I'm not cut out for those longer distances). It seems like a LOVELY city. We had a great time and never felt unsafe. The 8K was mostly downtown, the half-marathon was all over the place (per my spouse, who IS cut out for the longer distances), and we thought it was a clean, safe, city with a lot of art and character.

We mods have given plenty of negative comments to each other, and it's the same points as when we ding anyone else. But we've got other ways of taking out our aggression on each other. ***evil laughter*** (But we don't have privileges to post more emoticons than other posters! Had to go old school on that last one.)

Wait, plenty to do in Cary and you're going to Durham/Raleigh/Carrboro...

(Ok, enough trouble:).)

We took an anniversary trip to Richmond a couple years ago and thoroughly enjoyed our weekend there. Drove up early one Saturday morning and toured the Poe Museum and then ate some pretty decent pizza a couple blocks away. Followed it with a boat ride on the canal and a trip to Maymont for a tour. Dinner in the Shockoe Slip area at an Irish pub and then a Hyatt Place where we had a free night. On Sunday morning, we parked at the James River and walked across on a foot bridge under US 1 (I think) and walked around the island in the James River where Civil War prisoners were kept. As the James River was at a pretty low water level, we were able to walk back on the rocks that made it it impassable for boat traffic and led to the canal being built. Drove back that afternoon and thought we had spent our anniversary in a very pleasant manner.