Travel with Amateur Traveler · Saturday, August 15, 2026
Valerie Mackey, host of "Weird World Adventures," described Richmond, Virginia, as a city that has undergone a significant transformation into a hip and art-focused destination. She noted that areas once overlooked are now revitalized with loft apartments and thriving art scenes, exemplified by the popularity of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA).
“And recently it became very hipster and art focused, which definitely wasn't.”
“I feel like I was the only person going to the art museum at that time. And that it wasn't appreciated for being an art scene and now everyone goes to the VMFA, which is the big art museum.”
“And people come from the microbreweries and they turned all of the old Girl Scout cookie factories and the factories into loft apartments. So it's become very cool and very hipster in recent years, which it definitely was not a few years ago.”