The804.com–Richmond VA Real Estate Blog

Now that the SEC results are official for the Richmond Mayoral race, I’ve compiled all the numbers by precincts (adding precinct station description so that you can see how your neighbors voted).  See Special Section: The Race for Richmond Mayor 2008.  It’s been a pleasure tracking all the great stories and analyses over the last six months.  There are a ton of smart and involved people in this town.  This was the most covered mayoral race in the history of Richmond (anyone want to dispute that?) primarily because of that Internets.  No, we don’t need less bloggers.

With the success of the mayoral special section, I have come to see the light on the value in clustering major stories into a single repository.  Some stories take weeks, months, and even years to develop.  It’s nice to have one location to track the evolution of a story or major trend.  Looking back at the archives, here is the inaugural list of “special reports”:

• Index page…as long-term major stories develop, expect new sections.  Also, archiving mini-events that get lots of coverage (ie, Folk Fest, NASCAR races, etc)
• Circuit City Been tracking this story since the failed Blockbuster takeover.
• Mayor Election 2008
• Obama at the Richmond Coliseum It’s a beautiful day…
• Richmond Baseball Chronicles the exit of the Braves to Gwinnett and the quest for a new team and ballpark (including the latest Shockoe Bottom movement).
• Richmond Grocery Wars With the addition of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, we are seeing the mother of all grocery store battles.  Add a Wegman’s and you have Armageddon.
• Richmond Media The evolution of Richmond media, both old and new.  Like all newspaper companies, Media General is going through an industry seismic shift.  This special report also pays attention to alternative media sources in Richmond.
• VCU Twin Scandals The Chief Rodney Monroe Degree scandal and secretive Philip Morris contracts.  Not a banner year.  Should have been.
• Vice President Tease: Tim Kaine and Eric Cantor…Rove vs Kaine I hate being manipulated by campaigns with these trial balloons (and grab for free earned media)…sidebar: Karl Rove calling Richmond a Podunk town…The McCain campaign dissing Northern Virginia as not the “real Virginia.”…Who the hell does the GOP strategy? 

Media General-Richmond.com stories have been compiled.

notes:

• Brilliant move by MEG.  The domain and SEO placement alone was worth the price (which hasn’t been revealed btw).  Gatewayva? Inrich? Yuch.  The city paper finally gets the crown jewel of domain names, the city name itself.  Only a few major national papers have this kind of asset:
  • Boston Globe Boston.com
  • Charlotte Observer Charlotte.com
  • Cleveland Plain Dealer Cleveland.com
  • Newark Star-Ledger NJ.com
• In the end, I think they’re going to just switch out inrich for Richmond.com.  Basically re-point the DNS, re-do the masthead/graphic logos, but keep the content management system/design of the current inrich (for better or for worse). It’ll be interesting to see whether Franklin Street can maintain the official RAR/Central Virginia Regional MLS ,  Retail Merchants Association, and Richmond Tourism relationships.
• I hope they keep the Richmond.com article archives.  If I were in charge, I would combine all the existing Brick, Mashup, and Richmond.com content and place it on the legacy Richmond.com CMS platform (ie, still keep a “separate” “alt-weekly” website).  Since Richmond.com will be getting imported to the mother ship, I would re-brand this new site using the existing Brickreloaded.com, mashuprva.com, or a recycled inrich.com domain name (or, maybe, come up with something brand new). 
• The content partnership between competitors Chesterfield Observer (especially this one.  bad blood here), Henrico Citizen, and WORKMAGAZINE will probably go away.
• Will the next mayor keep “Ask the Mayor” on this platform based on the new ownership (or rather, vice versa)?
• With my research work on the ButtonALL search engine (ie, building city search engine channels), I’ve sort of become an expert on city media demographics around the country.  For a town the size of Richmond, the scope and breadth of our media (mainstream, alt, indie, and blogs) is simply amazing.   You don’t see our kind of media ownership diversity anywhere except for much, much larger cities like NYC and Seattle.  Richmond.com itself was an over-achieving oddity.  Many of the Associated City websites are more or less advertising landing pages with very little content.  In its tenure, Richmond.com under Whitlock did an admirable job with its original articles and partnerships.  It’s definitely going to be missed, but our media ecosystem should be able to fill the void.
• Who will pick up the alternative media slack in the 804?
  • I’d like to see the one-year old RVANews take it to the next level.  Already, their article on this purchase has engendered the best reader dialogue/gossip.  Having followed the mayor race closely, I think their coverage has also been a real asset for Richmond voters.  The RVANews group (which includes the neighborhood blogs) is truly independent, lean (ie, built to last), and very likable.
  • Style Weekly recently re-modeled themselves with a new website design (this has been in “beta” for way too long).  They will be an even bigger player now that they’ve finally added reader comments and cleaner RSS.  Of course, Landmark’s on again-off again fire sale needs to be resolved.
  • The Richmond blogosphere is fairly healthy.  Once January 1 rolls along, expect River City Rapids (whose voice has been missed) to return with a vengeance.  Weekly Rant is a great calendar option/alternative now that Richmond.com will be folded into Things to Do.
  • Richmond BizSense is doing yeoman’s work on business news.  I think they’re actually doing a better job with business news than the TD itself.  Once the economy picks up, I can see a phase 2 pulp weekly for this outfit (like the old Richmond Inside Business).
  • Don’t overlook the television and radio stations.  CBS6 under Mark Holmberg has turned around their website with solid, original newsreporting (their VCU scandal coverage is a standard).  NBC12 is doing fantastic work with politics.  WRVA wants to be a player.
  • The darkhorse (or sleeping 800 pound gorilla) in all this is Richmond Magazine. On November 24, they will be re-launching their website.  I’m crossing my fingers and hoping they open up their articles and archives vault.  In terms of original reporting and stories (especially Richmond lifestyle), they are elite.  Of all the players, they have the content infrastructure to fill the Richmond.com void right now.
• Seeing Media General’s Terms and Conditions up makes it official but weird (sort of like when the bar at Kingsmill added Stella Artois on tap)

A couple of notable acts added

• David Allen Coe @ Toad’s…Longhaired Redneck is one of my favorite songs of all time ’cause I can sing all those songs about Texas…
• Dropkick Murphies @ Toad’s…Scorcese knows how to score a film.  When I think of Goodfellas, I think of Layla.  When I think of the Departed, I think of Going Back to Boston.
• Hometown debuts of GWAR and Lamb of God @ the National…Also, nice to see the National occasionally book local acts (Farm Vegas and Culdera)
• The God awful cover band trend continues…
• Red Jumpsuit Apparatus @ the National…Recently added.  I’m not a huge fan but the kids love em.
• BTW, JayZ and Sheryl Crow, hope you guys are having a great time in Virginia! 

http://richmondgoodlife.com/music.htm

I’ve got all of the Virginia newspaper Presidential endorsements up on the Good Life with links (source courtesy of Editor and Publisher…though I’m the a-hole that tracked down all the hyperlinks).  Here is the tally:

McCain, 11 | Obama, 6 | No Endorsement, 4

notes: 

• keep in mind the oligarchy of VA media ownership (Media General owns a slew of these papers all endorsing McCain. It was very interesting  to see the conservative-owned Landmark–Va. Pilot/Style Weekly– stay on the sidelines).  In this awful time for newspapers, does it even make business sense to endorse at all (you’re bound to piss off 45-55% of your readership either way)?  Major city papers like the Roanoke Times and Fredericksburg Free Lance Star also stayed neutral.
• the intensity of McCain support was less than emphatic at times.  One conservative paper in Northern Virginia declared neutrality simply because of the Palin pick.  The Daily Press endorsed but then followed up with a heavy disclaimer.  Even the mighty TD’s endorsement was wimpy.

Everyone once in a blue moon, I get an email asking whether the Richmond Good Life (http://www.richmondgoodlife.com) has RSS…Nope…RGL is my homage to 1998 Internet (a simpler, better time).  Plain old vanilla HTML, and I’m not going to change it. OLD SCHOOL!

For those speed/news junkies, I have compromised a bit by creating a twitter account:  http://twitter.com/RichmondGL I’ll use Twitter (which you can add to any RSS reader) to announce any new updates to the RGL site.  I usually publish twice a day (AM and PM).  I will be using the following nomenclature to identify versions: V(for version)YYYYMMDDA/P…for example, V20081016P= Version October 16, 2008 PM.  Here is an example of my first batch of 140 character limit tweets:

Dave Matthews 4 Obama at VCU Alltel…Plus that Beasties show? Daaaamn http://my.barackobama.com/p…
about 3 hours ago from web    btw, I still relish the fact it’s been three hours and MSM has still not picked up this story!

Some additional mayor articles added (The Voice, JRN analysis on signs, the Barksdale, first actual arts org to speak up after Style Debate) about 3 hours ago from web    

V20081016P: Yeah, definitely feels like a Richmond crime wave is setting in…gut feeling, no hard evidence…Check out Goldman’s challenge about 4 hours ago from web    
 
V20081015A…Sign o the Times…Brazen armed robberies seem to be up…Restaurant reviews seem to be fewer… about 14 hours ago from web    

V20081015P published…mostly new tech and mayor articles…Save Richmond always hard hitting…Feelin bad for JGF…#7 lifting in prison 8:04 PM Oct 15th from web    

Finally, a 2.0 way to keep up the Good Life’s 1.0 interface! 7:33 PM Oct 15th from web 

For many people, newspaper subscriptions have been downsized to just getting the Sunday edition (nothing better in this world than Sunday morning coffee, newspaper, and listening to music, preferably, jazz or songs about Sunday–Johnny Cash’s Sunday Morning Coming Down or Velvet Underground’s Sunday Morning). 

I think newspapers know this, so they pack Sunday with their best face and stories.  When I do my morning culling of stories for the Good Life, I’m amazed at the amount of quality stories out there (I actually add more articles on this day than any other, which is strange as usually broadcast and non-traditional media shut down for the weekend). Read Virginia Newspapers

Yep, I gave this category the meticulous Good Life treatment: Richmond VA Gyms/Health Clubs…slowly but surely building a local internet ”yellow pages” that matters (at least to me)…

I really liked this recent Lifehacker article: Get the Most Out of Your New Town.  I think the RGL covers a lot of these topics, and is becoming a great site for new Richmonders:

Over at the Good Life, I’ve been re-arranging some things adding a new section tracking Technology news in Virginia (just like other topics I cover, I saw a gap that needed filling).  In true RGL fashion, the style is more TechMeme (ie, curated article dumps) than TechCrunch (ie, analysis…just too much work, brother).  In addition to any local writeups I come across, I will include articles that I have found helpful for our own tech startup.  Article suggestions are always appreciated.

Finally, I’ve created a decent resource list of Hurricane articles and trackers.  And, of course, my signature OCD coverage of the NASCAR race this weekend.  Enjoy!

 .5 *Update* See first comment below…
1. NY Times breaks the VCU Tobacco Story…Times Dispatch reports the deal is not out of the ordinary and “David Ress, one of The Times-Dispatch’s top investigative reporters — and not one known for giving home-field preferences to local big-shots — took a look at the charges made by the New York newspaper. He found nothing out of the ordinary.”…Thank God, the Times Dispatch is not the only media in town…Chris Dovi is now on the trail.
2. Around this time, initial reports of Chief Rodney Monroe leaving start to surface.
3. The Monroe degree scandal breaks as he’s leaving for Charlotte. 
4. The Tobacco story is also starting to reach a boiling point  Bacon’s Rebellion pens a prophetic piece.  Faculty starting to feel emboldened speaking up in a Style article.  Trani finally appoints a commission to review research policy.
5. Punishment is meted to officials involved with the Monroe degree flap.  Michael Paul Williams compares Trani to a goat.
6. Tobacco story is not dead by any means.
7. Busy week: Eugene Trani suffers a heart attack.  Mark Holmberg is on the story; Harry Potter Emerges. Mass resignations.  Jim Bacon even stops defending.
8. Media frenzy continues
9. Trani announces early retirement citing health.  LOTS of media coverage and analysis.
10. Finally, this week:  Style Cover Story (Give Dovi a big hand).  Save Richmond publishes the entire David Baldacci Letter (which fills in a lot of gaps to this story).

Have we finally jumped the shark?

Updated the Richmond Music Calendar for the month of July with new musicians and wikipedia links for more information.  Some thoughts:

• The cover-tribute band trend that I talked about last month continues (Melissa Ruggierie also wrote a nice article on this topic).  Add Led Zeppelin (Zoso) and the Cure (the Cured) to the list.  Mike Gordon will probably cover some Phish songs as well.
• While on this topic, here’s something weird:  Springsteen tribute band Bruce In The USA will be playing this Thursday at Toad’s Place.  Of course, as we all know, the real Bruce Springsteen AND the E Street Band will be playing the Richmond Coliseum in a month or so. Which begs the question, who’s going to see the cover band with the real thing just around the corner?
• (The real) Bruce tickets are still available, btw. I just checked Ticketmaster and, thankfully, the best seats available are those in the unGodly rafter seats in Row UU.  The reason I say “thankfully” is because this is a good harbinger for a sell-out.  I was really scared with such a recent date in Charlottesville, Richmond wouldn’t show up, thereby, (unfairly) solidifying our reputation with the concert promoters as a non-viable market.  Go see this concert even if you already went to Cville. I have a sneaking suspicion the Boss himself actually requested the Richmond show.  
• Good to see hometown girl Aimee Mann coming back to play the National.
• The Flobots are coming to the National.  Their song “Handlebars” is the hottest song right now for the 102X/Y101 set.  Though it reeks of “one hit wonder,” I think the song itself does a masterful job of capturing “manic psychosis” in song form.
• The weird Guitar God Buckethead (the darling of my ipod playlist last year…We are One, download it now!) is storming into the National in October.  We should reciprocate by going to the show wearing Lee’s Fried Chicken and Chicken Box containers.  More on Chicken Box a little later on Glutton Opines…

I am a principal investor of a new local internet company, 4 What, LLC.  We have a bunch of exciting new “web 2.0″ projects in the pipeline.  The first project we’re launching is ButtonALL, a search engine aggregator that makes internet surfing a lot easier and efficient.  We released our basic version recently with plans of a fully-customizable application in the fall.  In the meantime, feel free to test-drive (it’s a nice little “life hack”) and share any feedback.  I will be blogging about the trials and tribulations over at the ButtonALL Blog.  Knock on wood…

So, the Style Servers are down right now (8:30 AM)…The new articles were actually working last night (it’s a really good issue btw)…

Could this be the pre-cursor IT hiccup before the launch of the much-anticipated, new and improved styleweekly.com?  Apparently, the new site will have reader feedback for articles…this could very well become Richmond’s new “water cooler.” (rewind)