<p>We are flying into Richmond for visits to UVA, W&M and Richmond. Where would you suggest we stay while in Richmond? We have a free Sunday in the middle of our long weekend trip. Any suggestions for how to spend it? Thanks.</p>
<p>Try the new Sierra Hotel in Short Pump. It is brand new and in a fabulous shopping area…rates as low as $99 right now. Downtown, the Jefferson Hotel is also a gem. So much to do in Richmond, depends on what you like…lots of history!</p>
<p>Thank you! Made reservations and the reviews are across the board great! Any suggestions for a nice dinner? My H will have his birthday while we are on this college trip.
Looking for healthy local food with eclectic and interesting atmosphere. Thank you!</p>
<p>movinmom, I tried responding twice already without success. I had great writeups for each place, websites, etc. etc. For whatever reason, my posts were blanked out when I submitted, so you’ll have to make due with names and google them, so sorry in advance.</p>
<p>Julep’s
Edible Gardens
Edo Squid
Lemaire
Kuba Kuba</p>
<p>Breakfast
Millie’s
Hill Cafe
Satterwhite’s in Manakin Sabbot</p>
<p>Future place to stay
Maury Place B&B</p>
<p>If you want more info on any of those places, or would like some other places to try, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>THANK YOU! Unfortunately some of these choices are not open Sunday night, which is when we will be in town, and my H’s birthday. Kuba Kuba does look open so I think we will try it. Thank you for the great suggestions.</p>
<p>movinmom, we were in Richmond last weekend for Parents’ Weekend and had Sunday brunch at The Water Grille in Carytown and it was fabulous! Carytown is just a few miles from campus and a really fun, busy area with lots of eateries! Downtown is the Tobacco Factory, an old tobacco factory that is very eclectic, busy, and great food. A must when visiting Richmond. Have fun! We had a ball last weekend. UR put on a fantastic Parent Program.</p>
<p>movin, at Kuba Kuba, I would highly recommend the Cuban Pork and you have to get a slice of the tres leches cake for dessert. It’s a little bit of a whole in the wall and can get busy but it’s well worth the wait.</p>
<p>investor – good to hear re: Water Grille. The wife and I haven’t been there yet and had heard mixed reviews, so we’ll have to stop by soon to find out for ourselves.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips. We stayed at Sierra Hotel - highly recommend! It was $129 a night for two twins. Extremely comfortable, parking, high speed internet, nice breakfast all included. Very clean, friendly. A nice pool outside with a fire pit and sauna. Wish we had more time there and would definitely return.</p>
<p>Ate at Kuba Kuba. Wow the portions were HUGE. Loved the atmosphere. Just what we were looking for - thanks.</p>
<p>S liked URichmond quite a bit. IT was fall break so hard to get a feel for the students. Would love to hear more about the experience from those of you with first year sons or daughters. In particular what is the deal with the greek scene? College ******* makes it sound grim - kids transferring who don’t get in. Also, is it a bubble? How much interaction with the city, etc. Do groups self segregate? Gorgeous campus and very friendly feel. Loved that if you had 700s and a 3.5 in college you were automatically in at the law school iwthout the LSAT.</p>
<p>Our daughter is a freshman there. We were there two weeks ago for Parents Weekend. We talk at least every other day and she is in love with the school. First, don’t read the *******…remember it is written by a small group of students who don’t necessarily portray the schools accurately. As for UR, the greek scene is so low key. There are no sorority houses and the frats have lodges or meeting houses. No one lives in a sorority or frat house and that makes a huge difference. They don’t even live together on “floors”. We went to a greek meeting they held for parents and the question was asked about how many were NOT offered a bid last year and the answer was “everyone who went through rush and did not drop out was offered a bid in a sorority or fraternity”. So, the stuff about transferring when they don’t get in is suspect to me. Also, our daughter is going to go through rush but two of her best friends are not (too busy with other demands) and it all seems fine either way. The weekend parties are at the lodges but they are “open” and anyone can go. Also, our daughter joined a number of groups and is very involved, traveled to DC over the weekend with a group, etc. The campus is a bubble in a way but in a GOOD way. She has not been downtown but she has caught the bus to Short Pump twice 
She goes to Carytown for brunch many weekends. They don’t need cars freshman year. They are busy all the time. School is demanding. Her friends are from all over the US, coast to coast, and she finds the number of southerners is pretty slim! Being from the south, it surprised us a bit, but we have come to find this is a school which is dominated by the mid Atlantic and NE, esp. NJ. She finds everyone friendly and mentions she wouldn’t even think of going through rush if she were at a big university (like a GA or Alabama) but UR’s is so “low key” that she is pretty sure she will love it. Hope this helps. By the way, she came from a boarding school with very small classes and she finds the professors/classes are the best part of school. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman and loves it. She had a lot of good choices but decided on Richmond. She has joined a couple of groups and already has a good set of friends from all over the country. She is going to do the sorority rush and decide what she wants to do about that. She has not left the campus on a regular basis but she says it has just been a little busy to do so. However, she has former high school classmates at Georgetown and at Washington and Lee, and she took the 1.5 hour bus ride to D.C. for a weekend to visit them. She did well academlcally and as an athlete at a top flight private academic school and finds the Richmond students to be very bright and involved, and the classes challenging. She enjoys the small classes and the interaction and discussions that take place in the classrooms. My overall impression from the Parent’s Weekend is that this is an energized school with an energized faculty and involved students. While other schools are cutting back, Richmond is building and upgrading facilities, student applications are on the rise, and the students really like being there.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that everyone got a bid, in terms of the guys. With frats, it’s not like sororities where you rush multiple ones at the same time, and can get a bid from wherever you end up at the end. You pretty much pick a frat and rush it from the beginning, so if you don’t get a bid there, you’re out of options. But usually you get a bid. I can think of a couple guys who didn’t though.</p>
<p>With sororities, there is a certain sorority on campus that is widely known as being “less desirable” (whether or not that’s actually true is irrelevant) and some girls end up getting cut from every sorority except that one, and while they get a bid from them, they do not take it. Many view that as not getting into a sorority at all.</p>