That City Tax

I don't think I ever realized how much different the Richmond food tax is compared to Chesterfield. My morning stop at the Carytown Starbucks now seems kind of expensive (we complain about the cost of gas but we don't mind spending $3+4 for a cup of Joe). Anyway, This morning I stopped at Starbucks on Hull Street. I was a little surprised when the same cup was a little cheaper -- I looked to my receipt and noticed I only had a 5% tax instead of the usual 11% tax found on my Carytown receipt. Wow, that's like .23 a day for the same cup of Joe I buy in Chesterfield. Something like $60 bucks a year. Mr. Ukrop I better get a free ticket to CATS at the Performing Arts Center....

Number 5

If Richmond is really the 5th most dangerous place to live. Why then are we not on any of the episodes of COPS?

The question should really be -- Who is in danger in the 5th most dangerous place to live?

Have I lived in Richmond for so long (13 yrs.) now that I just feel safe? Is it because I lived in the fan while at VCU that I am just use to the danger and being smart about not being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

During college I spent a couple of afternoons a week working (voluntering) at the Calhoun center at Gilpen Court. I also, spent time at another public housing complex - Mosby Court. Both of these places are filled with murder and drugs. What was more dangerous -- me visiting there or those that have to live here.

I also lived in Church Hill -- right there on the corner of 29th and Broad Street. Sure, their were a couple of nights where a fight carried over from a crack house a few blocks over and landed in the alley right behind my house. Buy hey, I Just experienced something similar last year in the Bailey Bridge Neighborhood (middle class - Whitebread Chesterfield). Never in my life have I experienced what a neighborhood really is until I lived in Church Hill. Everything resides in Church Hill - from the poor, middle and the rich. Everyone spoke, everyone knew everyone else. You walk to the park or the Hill Cafe you spoke to everyone, you knew everyone. How many of us live in an apartment or in the suburbs and we don't even know are neighbor? Ask anyone that hasn't lived in the city what they know about Church Hill. "Isn't that the hood?"

So, when I read that we were the 5th most dangerous place to live, I wondered who is it really dangerous for?

Starting Out!

Well, I finally found the time to get on and create my own Blog. I have been reading them for years and now I have my own.

Now what do i say??