RVA Neighborhood Guide: Northside
Richmond has so many different vibrant neighborhoods that for someone new to the city, it can be tough to discern where one starts and another begins. So, our team at The Richmond Experience is working on pulling together a collection of neighborhood guides to help un-blur those lines and help folks get the most out of each of RVA’s individual pockets of awesomeness.
Because my husband and I live here, I’m rounding up all the best things about Northside, which is a collection of neighborhoods rather than one neighborhood itself. It encompasses areas north and east of I-85, north and west of I-64, and Bryan Park, some of which is considered Richmond City and some of which is Henrico County.
It’s important to recognize that much of Northside is made up of historically Black neighborhoods, and much of the cultural vibrance of this area can be credited to the roots from which Northside as we now know it came to be — including many Black-owned businesses. BLK RVA has a concept called Rooted & Rising, and as they explain it, “Some businesses are rooted with decades of history in Richmond; others are rising and new to the scene.”
We hope that as you check out Northside, you’ll show your support for the longtime businesses rooted in the area, just as much as you do those that are new and rising.
Read on for the best of what to eat, drink, see, and do in the Northside neighborhood of Richmond, from Brookland Park Boulevard to MacArthur Avenue and everywhere in between. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it ought to cover much of what you’re looking for!
— by Alicia Valenski
What to See
Battery Park
This park is best known for being home to the tennis courts where the legendary Arthur Ashe learned to play — but its name is a nod to a historical reference, since it was also the location where gun batteries were kept during the Civil War.
Location: 2803 Dupont Cir
Hours: Dawn ‘til dusk
Bryan Park
A massive park featuring soccer fields, tennis courts, an 18-hole disc golf course, picnic shelters, a fountain pond, a nature center, a nature preserve, an azalea garden, and more. This historic park is also home to the RVA BIG Market on Saturdays
Location: 4380 Hermitage Rd
Hours: Dawn ‘til dusk
Northside Dog Park
Two large fenced-in areas with plenty of room for dogs to run and play together (not separated by size specification). There are a few picnic tables and benches to sit on, but be aware that there’s not much shade and prepare for a day in the sun.
Location: 500 Forest Lawn Dr
Hours: Dawn ‘til dusk
Richmond Raceway
Host to the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — among other large-scale local events, of course.
Location: 600 E Laburnum Ave
Hours: Vary by event; calendar here
Three Lakes Park & Nature Center
An aquarium, nature center with hands-on exhibits, and a park featuring (you guessed it) three lakes for fishing and general recreation. Check out the nature trail while you're there.
Location: 400 Sausiluta Dr
Hours: Dawn ‘til dusk
What to Do
Alma’s
“An artist owned and operated shop, showroom, and gallery presenting thoughtfully curated contemporary craft.” (here)
Location: 224 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm; Closed Sunday - Tuesday
Azalea Flea Market
Find antiques and more at this weekly outdoor marketplace ft. furniture, clothing, home decor, jewelry, accessories, collectibles, and more.
Location: 5209 Wilkinson Rd
Hours: Open most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays unless otherwise stated here
BOHO Studios
Cycling, yoga, TRX, and other strength-building classes as well as personal training, set in a woman-owned boutique fitness studio on Brookland Park Blvd.
Location: 127 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Find their class schedule here
Hand/Thrown
Interested in giving pottery a try? This is a ceramics studio and arts education center offering clay-based classes on wheel throwing, hand-building, and more.
Location: 123 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Find their class schedule here
Richmond Art Garage
A curated gallery with the tagline "fine art for most people," with expansion plans for additional galleries, studio and workshop space, and even a greenhouse in the coming months.
Location: 205 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Friday, 5 - 9 pm; Saturday, 12 - 5 pm; Closed Sunday - Thursday
Richmond Habitat ReStore
Nonprofit home improvement store and donation center selling new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials, and more to the public at a fraction of retail prices (here).
Location: 1901 Roane St
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm; Closed Sunday - Monday
RVA BIG Market
A Saturday morning farmers market at Bryan Park featuring dozens of local vendors selling produce, groceries, craft beverages, home decor, jewelry, apparel, accessories, pet supplies, and more.
Location: Bryan Park on Bellevue Ave
Hours: Saturdays, 8 am - noon
SCRAP RVA
Local nonprofit organization SCRAP’s creative reuse center, selling reused materials like craft paper, yarn, fabric, sewing supplies, colored pencils, markers, pens, scrapbooking materials, gift wrap, greeting cards, and much more.
Location: 119 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm; Closed Monday
The First Tee of Greater Richmond
A par-3 course with championship-level conditions designed by Lester George provides six unique holes that range from 185 to 45 yards. The course features Champion Bermuda greens and a downtown skyline view. Open to the public, it is the ultimate space for game improvement. (here)
Location: 400 School St
Hours: Monday - Friday, 10 am - 8 pm; Saturday - Sunday, 9 am - 7 pm
The Glass Spot
Ever considered glass blowing? This is the only public access hot glass studio in central Virginia, offering several levels of hot glass instruction from workshops to classes to studio rental.
Location: 2306 N Lombardy St
Hours: By appointment only; details here
Where to Eat
Brookland Park Market
Neighborhood food market offering dine-in dinner, takeaway lunch, catering, cooking classes, and a private event space. (here)
Location: 305 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Thursday, 5 - 9:30; Friday - Saturday, 5 - 10 pm; Closed Sunday - Wednesday
Demi's
Northside’s Mediterranean kitchen, concentrating on authentic flavors from Greece, Italy, and Spain. The wine list is spectacular, too!
Location: 4017 MacArthur Ave
Hours: Tuesday - Thursday, 5 - 9 pm; Friday - Saturday, 5 - 10 pm; Closed Sunday - Monday
Dot's Back Inn
A destination diner feeding Northside since 1990, featuring the diner classics you know and love in a casual neighborhood atmosphere.
Location: 4030 MacArthur Ave
Hours: Wednesday - Thursday, 11 am - 10 pm; Friday, 11 am - 11 pm; Saturday, 10 am - 11 pm; Sunday, 9 am - 3 pm; Closed Monday - Tuesday
Early Bird Biscuit Co.
Fresh, scratch-made biscuits (on their own or as sandwiches) along with baked delights like housemade pop-tarts, donuts, handpies, oatmeal cream pies, and more.
Location: 1221 Bellevue Ave
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 7 am - noon; Closed Sunday - Monday
Enoteca Sogno
An intimate Italian bistro featuring all the pasta your heart desires along with imported wines and cheeses and delectable desserts.
Location: 1223 Bellevue Ave
Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 5 - 9 pm; Closed Sunday - Tuesday
Little Green House Grocery
An independent green grocery, sourcing great food locally. (here) We love to stop by to stock up on local snacks and drinks before we have folks over, since it’s such a convenient spot to pop over to!
Location: 1227 Bellevue Ave
Hours: Daily, 9 am - 7 pm
Manchu
The star dish here is the wings and fried rice, a recipe passed down for generations through this New Orleans family — fresh, hot, golden New Orleans fried wings that are crunchy and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. (here)
Location: 2914 North Ave
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 7 pm
Mi Jalisco
Our go-to Mexican restaurant. I love it so much I almost didn’t want to include it in this guide, because I never want them to be too full for us to swing and grab a table for margaritas and burritos.
Location: 4019 MacArthur Ave
Hours: Daily, 11 am - 8:30 pm
Ms. Bee's Juice Bar
If you’re in the mood for something healthy, this is the spot for you! You’ll find cold-pressed juices, smoothies, salads, soups, teas, and more here.
Location: 114 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 9 am - 5 pm; Closed Sunday - Monday
Nomad Deli
This family owned and operated deli and catering company serves high quality, fresh foods at affordable prices — and there's a wide range of items to choose from, whether you're in the mood for a unique sandwich, a classic soup, their latest salad, or anything else on the menu.
Location: 207 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Monday - Tuesday, 10 am - 3 pm; Wednesday - Friday, 10 am - 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am - 3 pm; Closed Sunday
Northside Gourmet Market
Our go-to neighborhood market! They’re somehow stocked with everything we need every time we visit this locally owned grocery, from meats and cheeses to wines and beers and all sorts of things in between.
Location: 2208 North Ave
Hours: Daily, 8 am - 10:30 pm
River City Market
A locally owned market and a staple for the neighborhood when it comes to fresh produce and healthy groceries.
Location: 16 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Monday - Tuesday, 10 am - 4 pm; Wednesday - Thursday, 12 - 6 pm; Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm; Closed Sunday
Ruby Scoops
A shop for 100% natural handcrafted frozen desserts and fresh cookies. The owner, Rabia, just won "Clash of the Cones" on Food Network in September 2021!
Location: 120 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Wednesday - Friday, 3 - 8 pm; Saturday - Sunday, 1 - 8 pm; Closed Monday - Tuesday
Shrimps
Seafood and soul food in a cozy restaurant nestled on Brookland Park Blvd, featuring awesome happy hour cocktail specials.
Location: 17 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 12 - 9 pm
Stir Crazy Cafe
Neighborhood coffee house featuring “a fresh selection food and beverage, ranging from sandwiches, salads, wraps, fresh pastries, lattes, teas, wines and beers! Now serving Counter Culture Coffee, Blue Ridge Bucha, Snowing in Space and Rostov’s Tea.” (here)
Location: 4015 MacArthur Ave
Hours: Daily, 7:30 am - 3 pm
Sugar's Crab Shack
"Specializing in lake trout, croaker, catfish, whiting, housemade deviled crab, jumbo black tiger shrimp, fried oysters, year-round softshell crab, Alaskan snowcrab legs, seasonal live and steamed bushels of crab." (here)
Location: 2224 Chamberlayne Ave
Hours: Monday - Friday, 11 am - 9 pm; Saturday - Sunday, 12 - 9 pm
The Mill on MacArthur
A spot for everyone — diner-like classic American fare with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available as well as a great bar and beverage selection in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere.
Location: 4023 MacArthur Ave
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11 am - 9 pm; Closed Sunday - Monday
The Smoky Mug
Part coffee shop, part Tex-Mex barbecue joint. Our go-to coffee and breakfast spot any day of the week, but also a local favorite for BBQ on Friday evenings and smoked brunch options on Saturdays and Sundays!
Location: 15 E Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7 am - 2 pm; Friday, 7 am - 2 pm and 5 - 8 pm; Saturday, 8 am - 5 pm; Sunday, 8 am - 3:30 pm
Where to Drink
Boogaloos
Called “the toast of Brookland Park,” this is a great spot to swing by for dinner, drinks, and entertainment like live music, comedy, poetry, and more.
Location: 210 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Tuesday - Thursday, 5 - 10 pm; Friday - Saturday, 5 pm - midnight; Closed Sunday - Monday
Fuzzy Cactus
This friendly rock’n’roll bar and restaurant has quickly become a neighborhood staple. Try the Prickly Pear Margarita and one of their fried chicken sandwiches, or opt for one of their reasonably priced “beer and a shot” combos while you play pool or arcade games.
Location: 221 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Tuesday - Wednesday, 5 pm - midnight; Thursday - Friday, 5 pm - 2 am; Saturday, 11 am - midnight; Sunday, 11 am - 10 pm; Closed Monday
Ninja Kombucha
Richmond’s first kombucha-ry and taproom, featuring work by local artists along with this fizzy, fermented, non-alcoholic, probiotic tea.
Location: 126 W Brookland Park Blvd
Hours: Tuesday, 3:30 - 7:30 pm; Closed Wednesday; Thursday, 3:30 - 7:30 pm; Friday, 4 - 9 pm; Saturday, 11 am - 9 pm; Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm; Closed Monday
Once Upon A Vine
The ideal place to stock up on wine and beer to-go, if you’re hanging out in Northside.
Location: 4009 MacArthur Ave
Hours: Sunday - Thursday, 12 - 7 pm; Friday - Saturday, 12 - 9 pm
Tabol Brewing
Pronounced “table,” this is Northside’s first (and currently our only) brewery. Large, well-appointed, dog-friendly interior and a massive patio, along with one of the most beautiful bathrooms in RVA.
Location: 704 Dawn St
Hours: Wednesday, 4 - 9 pm; Thursday - Saturday, 12 - 9 pm; Sunday, 12 - 7 pm; Closed Monday - Tuesday
Looking for more places to explore?
