Charlottesville, Virginia
By: Tony Wynn
About an hour's drive to the West of Richmond, along the Rivanna River and in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, lies the town of Charlottesville, Virginia. Formed in 1762, Charlottesville saw action during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War and can boast that it has been home to three presidents - Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. The first of these three US Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, is perhaps Charlottesville's most famous son.
His estate, Monticello, still stands today and is a popular attraction for both tourists and locals. Tours of the main house and grounds are available year round, and visitors can also explore various gardens and outbuildings. Besides serving as the third president of the United States, authoring the Declaration of Independence, and generally being regarded as an extremely influential Founding Father, Jefferson is known for founding the University of Virginia. Because of the relatively small size of Charlottesville having a major University has a large impact on economy of life of Charlottesville. The University of Virginia has many nationally ranked programs and was the first university in the United States to offer programs in architecture, astronomy and philosophy. More than 20,000 students attend the University of Virginia, and populate the town of Charlottesville, during the academic year.
The majority of university life centers around "The Corner" district, a part of town located along University Avenue to the west of downtown Charlottesville. Any visitor interested in seeing how the students live and socialize can visit this part of town and take advantage of numerous restaurants, bars, and university bookstores and merchandise shops. For those who prefer not to linger in the university area, Charlottesville boasts a busy downtown area featuring the "Downtown Mall", one of the longest outdoor pedestrian mails in the nation. Closed to traffic and packed with bars, restaurants, shops, businesses, music venues, street performers and vendors and, during nice weather, outdoor diners, the mall is a major social hub.
Because of the University of Virginia, for a small town (population city: approx 40,000; population county: approx 120,000), Charlottesville offers a wide variety of world-class entertainment options. The Paramount Theater, recently renovated and located on the Downtown Mall, hosts concerts, plays, and other events. Live Arts is a community theater that has staged more than 150 works since 1990. The Charlottesville Pavilion, newly constructed on the far end of the Downtown Mall, seats 3500 and offers a wide range of concerts and other events throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Construction was also recently finished on the 16,000 seat John Paul Jones Arena, home of the UVA men's and women's basketball teams and host to numerous other events including concerts, family shows, and community events. Charlottesville is also known as being a major center for those interested in outdoor activities such as running, bike riding, hiking, and so on. The nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoa National Park offer miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, as well as swimming holes and scenic views.
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