Get Into Town

Plane

Flying into the Richmond International Airport (RIC) is by far the best choice. Located about 19 miles from campus via I-64, the airport is quite small, making for a much faster trip through security and baggage claim, though prices tend to be a bit higher. Some students prefer flying into places including Washington, D.C. or Norfolk, but transportation up to the city can be a problem. Fares from the airport to campus run around $30-$40. If heading from the university to the airport during common student travel times check out Groome Transportation, which tends to collect a batch of students from around campus, yielding much cheaper per-passenger transportation costs.

Traverse Campus

With something like 90% of the undergraduate student body living on campus all four years, the university offers most of the supplies you will needed on a day-to-day basis. The campus itself is entirely traversable on foot. There are only two dorms from which most residents prefer to bike to classes, and these are both small and rarely occupied by freshmen.

Personal Vehicle

Though not common among first-year students, many upperclassmen do have a personal vehicle. For those living along the eastern seaboard, it gives a convenient way to get home for long weekends. It is definitely less common for students from further away to have a car, mostly because it necessitates long road trips or leaving it somewhere for a significant part of the year. While it’s beneficial to have a car, or to at least have a good acquaintance at the school who has one, it’s definitely not necessary to having a good time. The campus is often laughingly referred to as “the bubble,” as it’s easy to look up one day and realize you haven’t actually left the grounds for a month.

Food and Supplies - On Campus

Heilman Dining Center (D-hall)

The Heilman Dining Center (widely called D-hall) has an excellent selection of food, and a student could quite feasibly survive off of what is here for a full semester. The biggest weakness of D-hall is that it doesn’t open until 10:30 on weekend mornings, leaving early-morning people ravenous until the doors finally open. Still, the all-you-can-eat cafeteria has options for everyone, from healthy eaters and vegetarians to meat-eaters and ravenous athletes.

Tyler's Grill

A close second in popularity for regular-meal dining is Tyler’s Grill, offering a traditional array of burgers, wraps and breakfast biscuits. There is less choice here than at D-hall though service is generally quicker, except during prime between-class hours.

8:15 at Boatwright

Caffeine addicts like me love the 8:15 at Boatwright, the school’s very own faux-Starbucks. Closed Fridays after 3, all of Saturday and most of Sunday, it’s surprisingly hard to get a good cup of coffee over the weekend – the goo they serve at D-hall hardly deserves the name of coffee. One option is to pick up a small coffee maker and keep it in the dorm. It still doesn’t beat a hot latte, but it’s a decent weekend alternative.

Dean's Den and The Cellar

Late-night scavengers often haunt the Dean’s Den at Whitehurst, which has a full compliment of snacks, frozen meals and soda. Freshens has a range of fruit and yogurt smoothies, nice for hot fall days though fairly pricey for what you get. The Cellar is restaurant-styled, complete with beer for the legal crowd and live music on some nights.

Campus Events

The school is fantastic about offering films, concerts and events catering to the student body. Many of these have some educational bias, as would be expected on a university campus, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t a fun escape. One of the best lectures I’ve ever seen was held in a small room in the commons, given by author Lois Lowry, who wrote children’s books including “The Giver.” The school offers an annual free International Film Series, talks by scholars and all kinds of other events.

Modlin Center for Performing Arts

The Department of Theatre and Dance performs its own shows, along with a generous compliment of performances by touring and visiting professional groups. Check out the Modlin Center for Performing Arts website for upcoming events. Significant discounts are generally given for UR students.

In The Commons

For a purely recreational time, each weekend recently released
Blockbuster films are shown in the commons and there are often live
music concerts or karaoke events in The Cellar.

Get Out and Explore

Check out my guide to Richmond hotspots.

Get Around Town

Spider Shuttle

Running free trips from the university to points including Ukrop’s, the Stony Point mall, the Short Pump mall and Carytown, the Spider Shuttle is one way to get off campus without a car. Still, the shuttle tends to be a bit irregular with departure and pick up times, and for the overly obsessive like me, it’s just not worth the hassle. Check the schedule online or head to the information desk in the commons for more details.

Bus

The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) operates the buses that run throughout the city. Service is well below optimal, and unless you’re desperate I wouldn’t recommend taking the city bus to get anywhere. Fares are $1.25 around the city.

Taxi

There are a number of taxi companies which can be used in a pinch. As with any city, taxis tend to be expensive, but they’re also pretty reliable.

Parking On Campus

A parking pass is $45 a semester, and the lots where and times when you can park are incredibly strict. If you live on campus, you really can’t use a car to get to and from classes. Parking tickets are expensive, running at least $30 for even parking in an improper lot, and parking services is overly diligent about ticketing students, so just park in your assigned lot and you’ll be fine.

ETC

For in-room food and supplies, ETC is the small campus grocery. Students can pick up anything from milk and eggs to frozen dishes, cereal and canned soup. Attached to D-hall, the grocery also has supplies like laundry detergent, toiletries and Advil. ETC’s prices tend to be higher than those at a normal grocery store, but for the occasional necessity or craving, it’s perfect. As a bonus, you can use money on your Spidercard.

Bookstore

The campus bookstore, located in the commons, provides all the necessities for campus life. The books and supplies required for every class, along with university logo apparel and room accessories, fill rows of shelves. Again, prices tend to be high, but you can use your Spidercard money for purchases.

Off Campus Food