Things I Tell My Out-of-Town Guests About Charlottesville, The List:

~ monicalists
  1. When you book your ticket to come out here to Virginia, make sure it's for CharlottesVILLE and not just Charlotte, because people mix those up all the time and Charlotte is in freaking North Carolina, for heaven's sake.
  2.  Yeah, we know Founding Father Thomas Jefferson had his flaws, but he is nonetheless our hero and the most famous person to ever call Charlottesville home.
  3. Thomas Jefferson's estate–Monticello–and the university he founded here–the University of Virginia– are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Pretty impressive, huh?
  4. When you visit Monticello, be sure you take a selfie in front of the side of the building that you see on the nickel.  And then, every time you use a nickel after that, you will be reminded of Charlottesville.  Pretty cool, huh?
  5. If you pay for Monticello admission in cash, they will give you a two-dollar-bill with Jefferson on it.  It's legal tender, trust me, although it kinda looks like play money.
  6. I once almost hit Dave Matthews when he jay-walked in front of my car right in front of Barnes and Noble.  And I once stood in line behind Sissy Spacek at Whole Foods.
  7. Although our post  office address says "Charlottesville" and although our subdivision is right off the main commercial drag, we actually live in Albemarle County.  And the central grounds of the University of Virginia are in Albemarle County.  And the city government is not a subset of the county, but its own legal entity.  But one- tenth of one percent of our county taxes go to the city.  Go figure.  It's complicated.
  8. The Downtown Mall is almost entirely a pedestrian mall, so don't think you can drive on it.  There are a couple streets that do cross over the mall, but you have to be super-careful and proceed super-slowly, because people are walking along and generally not paying attention to cars.
  9. We were there, at the end of the Downtown Mall, to see and hear President Obama a few years ago. Lots of security, but we never felt threatened. It was awesome.
  10. Parking downtown is a bitch.  And so is parking near the university.
  11. It's sort of expected that you complain about the traffic on 29 North. And we do.  But really, it's nothing compared to driving in northern Virginia or in any big metropolitan area.
  12. The staff at UVA Hospital saved my husband's life, so we are always so grateful that we ended up living nearby.
  13. You have to eat at Bodo's Bagels at least once during your visit.  Totally affordable, totally delicious.
  14. There are way too many wineries and breweries around here for you to visit in a short time.  But we will be happy to accompany you to as many as possible.
  15. Make sure you notice the gorgeous mountains that surround us.  In less than thirty minutes from our house, you can be in Shenandoah National Park. Two hours to our nation's capital city, a bit over an hour to Richmond, and three and a half hours to the ocean.  
  16. Both Charlottesville and Albemarle County have gone "blue" in the past four Presidential elections.  Just sayin'.
  17. Charlottesville was a great place to raise our kids. We have absolutely no regrets about settling down here.  The area is beautiful, the schools are top-notch, the cultural activities are plentiful, and the restaurants are awesome. The people are kind and generous, and you will find lots of diversity and progressive-thinking. We are passionate about the good of our community, and we are strong enough to conquer any adversity that comes into our community.  nickel viewW

Leave a comment