Walk Richmond down to the James
Richmond has a dense old grid on the hills and a wild river running through the middle. FOG starts the map hidden and clears only where you walk, and the walks to the James show up as some of the best lines on it.
Grid on the hills
The Fan District is named for the way its streets spread out west of the university, a grid of rowhouses and porches that is a pleasure to walk. Monument Avenue runs through it as a broad boulevard, and Carytown, at its western end, is a long strip of small shops.
East of downtown, Church Hill is the oldest neighbourhood, with St. John's Church at the top and views over Shockoe Bottom and the river. Hollywood Cemetery, on the bluff west of downtown, is a wonderful walk in its own right.
To the river
The James River runs through the city over rocks and rapids. From downtown, walk the Canal Walk along the old canals, then cross to Belle Isle by the pedestrian bridge hung beneath the Lee Bridge. The island has trails, old quarry ponds and big rocks above the water.
The Pipeline walkway and the trails on the south bank of the James River Park System make longer loops. A full day: the Fan, Monument Avenue, Hollywood Cemetery, Belle Isle, Canal Walk and up to Church Hill.
Reading the map
The Fan fills in like graph paper, block after block. The river shows as a dark band crossed by bright island trails, which looks great once you have walked both banks.
Summers are humid and hot. The hills are modest but constant. The central neighbourhoods are compact enough to clear in a few weeks of evening walks.
The character who walks with you
FOG puts a small explorer called Wander on your position. Pick one of five paths (two are free, three come with FOG Unlimited) and every two levels on a path hands you a new piece of gear, earned only by the ground you cover. Twenty five pieces in all, and none of them can be bought.
Under the character it is a plain, permanent record: every street you walk in Richmond is cleared and stays clear, the app works in the background, and the map is stored only on your phone with no account and no cloud. You can export it as GPX at any time.
Questions people actually ask
Can you walk to Belle Isle?
Yes, by a pedestrian bridge suspended under the Lee Bridge.
Which Richmond neighbourhood is most walkable?
The Fan, with Carytown and Monument Avenue, is the classic walking district.
Does it work with the app closed?
Yes. With background exploring on, FOG keeps clearing fog while the app is closed and the screen is off.
Start with a dark map.
FOG is free to explore. No account, no subscription, and your map never leaves your phone.
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