Author Becky Boncal at Perk! with son Ricky, 3, and daughter Gertie, 1
After spending my 20s renting in the Fan and Museum districts, I swore I’d never move across the river. But I was charmed by the Victorian village of Bon Air. Like the people who founded it more than 100 years ago, I saw it as a breath of “good air” — a retreat from the city, close to the city. When shopping for our first home, Bon Air seemed like a good compromise for me and my husband, who yearned for the comfort of suburbia. But living in Bon Air has never felt like a compromise. This quaint, not-so-suburban community offers plenty of culture and character, just south of the river.
ICONIC SPOT: The Old Bon Air Hotel, an annex of the 1880 original, embodies Bon Air’s history as a resort village. Now an apartment complex, it sits at the center of a line of Victorian-era homes along Buford Road, each with its own personality.
HISTORY
Founded in the late 1870s by a group of Confederate Civil War veterans, Bon Air was upper-class Richmond’s summer hideaway. Year-round residents built ornate Victorian cottages with floor-to-ceiling windows and sprawling porches. These houses still stand along the main roads in the historic district and bear the names of their original owners, such as the banjo-playing pharmacist Polk Miller and the photographer George S. Cook. Bon Air is a tight-knit community that’s deeply invested in preserving its history. The Bon Air Historical Society holds an annual Victorian Day Festival and Parade each May. This year, I dressed up in Victorian garb and strolled down Buford Road behind a line of vintage cars.
LIVING
Bon Air is convenient to much of the Richmond metro area, with borders along Midlothian Turnpike, Powhite Parkway and Huguenot Road. I own a Dutch colonial in Oxford, a development built in the 1960s and ’70s, where tall, abundant trees are a blessing (except during hurricanes). My wonderful neighbors include older folks who’ve lived here for 30-plus years and young families like mine who moved from urban settings. This mix of old and new, along with the increasing diversity, is part of what drew me to the area.
Bon Air’s charming Victorian homes were originally built as summer retreats.
RECREATION
Some neighborhoods in Bon Air offer resort-like amenities: community pools with clubhouses tucked under shady trees. The Bon Air Community Association has nine tennis courts, three swimming pools and a clubhouse for social events.
Toward the west, just off Robious Road, children and office workers alike find a break from routine in Huguenot Park. Its paved hiking trails run through 53 acres of forest and the well-maintained playground is fun for various ages.
DINING
Bon Air’s dining options reflect the makeup of the community. Joe’s Inn, a steadfast classic and popular after-church dining spot, is doors away from the hip and kid-friendly Perk! Coffee and Lunchbox, a community hub for young and old alike. I always run into someone I know when I stop in and drop my kids in the play area while I grab a Vegan ET Chicken Salad Wrap (courtesy of Ellwood Thompson’s) or a Water Tower Tuna Salad (courtesy of Bon Air Seafood). And the desserts are killer — even my 2-year-old loves the Vegan Beet Cheesecake. For dinner out, my favorites include Southbound or, further south, Taste of India.
Many treasures are on display at Goodstuff Consignments.
SHOPPING
Every week, I walk to Bon Air Seafood for salmon, but my antique addiction usually compels me to stop next door at Goodstuff Consignments or to cross Forest Hill and hit The Treasury. Good Foods Grocery is my walk-to for specialty food items, and Buford Road Pharmacy is great for last-minute gifts (they sell bumper stickers that say “BON AYEA”). Although I love to shop local, it’s also nice to hop on Midlothian Turnpike and run to Home Goods at Chesterfield Town Center. Decorating Outlet — the Shades of Light discount store — is on the way. Life across the river has its perks.
