A Richmonder's guide to Richmond

So come. And here's a little guide we've assembled in case you need help getting around.

How to get here: It's a 2.5-hour drive between the capital cities of Virginia and North Carolina — but Amtrak will get you here in a little less than four for $30-$40. (Pro tip: pick the Staples Mill station. The other one takes nine hours. Literally.)

Must visit neighborhoods: Scott's Addition (for the biggest concentration of breweries, restaurants and barcades), Carytown (for one mile of shopping and dining) and Shockoe Bottom and Church Hill (for the city's oldest neighborhoods, which also offer plenty of shopping and dining) .

Where to stay: Downtown Richmond is the best launch point and home to the biggest concentration of hotels at multiple budgets.

Plus, all of these hotels are five blocks or less from the Pulse, the city's free rapid bus line that runs every 15 minutes(ish).

• Or nab an Airbnb in any of the aforementioned neighborhoods.
• But downtown also gets you walkable to the shining star of Richmond: the James River.

What to do

The River: Whether you want to hike near it, swim or boat in it, whitewater raft through it or just picnic next to it, you can and should.

• And for your first trip, Belle Isle is your best destination for all of these things.
• There are multiple places where you can rent a kayak or paddleboard, including one on site near Belle Isle.

Other things to do

Live music: You can find live music nearly every night of the week. Check out Broadberry Events for a quick rundown.

• Plus, every Friday Cheers' live music on the riverfront happens weekly in May and June.

Take a tour: Find a walkable history tour, a sightseeing or food-driven TukTuk tour, a self-guided brewery one on Richmond Beer Trail or a booze cruise.

Museums: Many of the city's museums are clustered together for easy access. The VMFA (the state's free art museum) and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture for history buffs are next to each other and about three blocks from Carytown.

• The Science Museum and Children's Museum are next to each other and on the Pulse line.

• And the American Civil War Museum is on the riverfront near Belle Isle.

Bonus spots: Maymont (a free petting zoo, historic site and gardens), the Edgar Allan Poe Museum (he's from here. Sort of.), a Burning Man exhibit at a botanical garden and St. John's Church, where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech.

Plus, there are outdoor festivals nearly every weekend through fall, including Dominion Energy Riverrock (May 19–21), a full weekend of paddleboarding, trail running, mountain biking, kayaking and dog jumping, plus live music, all on Brown's Island. And all free.

Where to eat: There are too many good spots to narrow it down, but a good place to start is one of the many places honored by James Beard Awards:

• Acacia: New American and fresh seafood in a new location in the West End.
• Alewife: Mid-Atlantic seafood in Church Hill.
• Brenner Pass: Alpine cuisine in Scott's Addition.
• Metzger Bar and Butchery: Reimagined German fare in Church Hill.
• L'Opossum: Sophisticated French with a hint of sexual innuendo.
• Lehja: Modern Indian and an award-winning wine list in Short Pump (about 20 minutes outside of the city).
• Mama J’s Kitchen: Soul food in Jackson Ward.
• Mekong: Vietnamese food and the "Best Beer Bar in America" in the West End.
• Peter Chang: Szechuan cuisine in Scott's Addition.
• The Roosevelt: Upscale Southern food in Church Hill.
• Sally Bell's Kitchen: Simple but delicious boxed lunches in the Fan.
• Sub Rosa Bakery: Wood-fired bakery and classic techniques in Church Hill.