Layers of Loveliness
Susan Dewey finds plenty of places to show off to friends and relatives who visit the Richmond area.
On a visit to Washington state awhile back to see relatives, Susan Dewey said, she and her family spent a lot of time asking: "What's historical?"
Other than Seattle's Space Needle, there wasn't much to see.
"The state of Washington is lovely, but there's not that much history there," Dewey said.
When those relatives came to visit Dewey and her family in Chesterfield County, however, "they could not believe how much there was to do around this area," she said. "They were exhausted. We had them going from one place to the other."
One of the places Dewey loves to show off is the Capitol, particularly since the 27,000-square-foot visitor's center opened in 2007. It features a gallery, gift shop, café, reception area and more.
"It's amazing what they've done with that place," Dewey said.
She spends a lot of time there, but not as a tourist.
Dewey is executive director of the Virginia Housing Development Authority, the state's mortgage finance agency that helps low- and moderate-income residents buy affordable homes. She's often at the Capitol to talk about affordable housing when the General Assembly is in session.
But "every now and then ... it's just so neat to go into [the visitor's center] and actually do the tours," Dewey said, adding that when visitors learn about the building's history and see the busts and statues of former presidents, it emphasizes the important role Virginia played in the country's history.
Nearby, another of the city's best features is the Canal Walk along the James River, she said.
"You go to places like San Antonio and they have all this commercial development around the River Walk. But it's around a little canal [that] looks like ditches to me," she said. "We have what we call the Canal Walk along this beautiful river."
Memories of her two children visiting the animals and participating in Easter egg hunts make the city's Maymont park one of Dewey's favorite family places. Her family also has choice restaurants that remain the top food spots for birthdays and special occasions. Only now, there are usually six people dining instead of four, thanks to her kids' boyfriends and girlfriends.
Crab Louie's in Midlothian and the West End's Melting Pot are high on the Dewey family list, as is TJ's Restaurant at The Jefferson Hotel, which Dewey describes as "a classic way to show off Richmond."
"It's just a beautiful facility," she said of the hotel, particularly during the holidays.
Lastly, Dewey mentioned Richmond's Greek Festival as one of her family's favorite activities.
About 15 years ago, the festival made close friends out of neighbors, she said. After living in their home from a few years, Dewey said, the people next door invited them to the Greek Festival.
"After a little bit of the Greek wine [and] a lot of the Greek food, we became best friends," she said.
"Sometimes ... when you just take time and you go to something, you get a chance to meet people who are a little different," she said. "The Greek festival is just a Richmond classic."
This article originally published in Discover Richmond. Click here to view more Discover articles, or send us an e-mail to request a copy of the magazine.
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