Jack Cooksey enjoys Springhill's easy access to trails and the James River.
Even though I'm a native Richmonder, it wasn’t until 2005 — when my wife, Lisa, and I shopped the housing market — that I became aware of the Springhill neighborhood. Lisa was set on staying south of the James, close to the Buttermilk Trail and the river. This was a paradigm shift for a lifelong West Ender, but it didn’t take long to see the outdoorsy, arboreal allure of the sister neighborhoods along the James.
HISTORY
Soon after we moved in to our bungalow-style house, in 2006 Springhill was designated the city’s first Old and Historic District on the South Side. In 2014, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That’s partly because it holds another “first” distinction: It was the city’s earliest documented streetcar suburb, dating to the late 19th century, according to application documents for the historic recognition. It also contains remnants of a pre-19th-century waterworks. The land containing our current district was annexed into the Town of Manchester in 1873, which then was annexed into the city of Richmond in 1910. Bungalows and four-square houses largely mark the architectural face of the neighborhood, which quickly grew until the 1930s. By the mid-1960s, most of the building here was done, although a few newer houses recently have filled in open lots, doing well to keep the charm and character intact.
LIVING
You could think of our little enclave as natural urbanism or urban naturalism, however you want to paint it. Within a five-minute drive to downtown, it affords easy planning for the theater, city dining or music shows. Sidewalks that finally came along in 2015 improved the neighborhood’s walkability, and the mix of neighbors is familiar and friendly. Open lots between some houses, such as the one next to our home, have given us a chance to grow vegetables and fruit, thanks to the property owner’s permission.
Springhill resident Courtney Johnson has coffee with her cat, Jack. Her house was built in 1914.
RECREATION
Truth be told, Lisa and I live for activity, and that’s what got us here. The trail system, which connects us easily to Belle Isle and a variety of pedestrian bridges, allows us to walk to downtown festivals and to hike together. It’s also effortless, so to speak, for me to get my mountain bike on the extensive network of trails. We are not paddlers, yet the nearby Reedy Creek river access draws watersport fiends year-round.
DINING
In our 13 years living here, the dining mix has only improved, owing to the expansion of the city’s food scene. We share the variety of restaurants and cafés with our sister neighborhoods of Woodland Heights, Forest Hill and Westover Hills. The addition of Laura Lee’s — a classy but casual option with a solid Southern-infused menu — is our nearest treat, right next to WPA Bakery South, which caters to the gluten-free sweet tooth, a nice bonus for my wife. Other coffee shops deliver caffeine and frequent entertainment: Crossroads, where Forest Hill and Semmes meet, is a great melting pot of people, and Zata Café (formerly Taza) offers a spacious spot for remote workers, local music and artwork. Also close to the intersection of Forest Hill and Westover Hills Boulevard are an Italian fave, Maldini’s, and O’Toole’s, a classic Richmond restaurant and watering hole.
Antiques store Nest offers furniture, collectibles, local art and garden accessories.
SHOPPING
The shops in the Springhill orbit, south of the river, offer the hometown feeling of familiarity. The antiques store Nest, doors away from Laura Lee’s and WPA, showcases a trove of collectibles, furniture, local art and garden accessories. Coqui, a bike shop a couple doors down, gives me one of two options on the South Side to feed my cycling habit. Next to Maldini’s is the newer Outpost, which not only deals in bike sales, accessories and repair, but also features a nifty little grocery nook with gourmet prepared foods, ingredients for fine cooking, wine, cold-brew coffee and beer. The mix of options we’ve come to love in Springhill keep us rolling and moving — without ever having to go too far from home.