Another neighborhood near the VCU campus and historical monuments is The Fan. It is very residential, so there are not many shops and restaurants, but this makes it a peaceful, quiet neighborhood to live in.

Jackson Ward is a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Richmond. Because of this, it is close to museums, monuments, shops, and restaurants, including the Hippodrome Theater and a Downtown YMCA. Some apartment complexes this area include District Square Apartments, The Richmond Dairy, and The Jackson on Broad.

Although a little further out from VCU, Oregon Hills is a great place to live if you like nature and parks, since there are quite a few here! One of them is Riverside Park, that neighbors the James River and the Oregon Hills Overlook. There is also the Hollywood Cemetery, which is almost like a park. Additionally, if you are into music, you can visit the Vinyl Conflict Record Store, which is known to have a large collection of vinyl.

Dining

Students at Virginia Commonwealth University can eat Southern-style food at restaurants like Mama J's Kitchen, Julep's New Southern Cuisine, Comfort, Southern Kitchen, and Supper.

Richmond has many cafes and coffee shops that serve delicious food and drinks that VCU students love. For example, Harrison Street Café and Ipanema Café are known for their vegetarian options. Additionally, Village Café is open late and offers great dinner options. For gourmet coffee and baked goods, you can visit Lift or The Lab by Alchemy Coffee. If you can go further out from campus, you can visit other coffee shops like Greenbriar Café and Coffeehouse, Lamplighter Coffee Roasters Morris St. Café, or Lift Coffee Shop. Clearly, there is always a place nearby where you can get your fill of caffeine as a VCU student.

Of course, there is no shortage of your favorite chain restaurants in Richmond, around Virginia Commonwealth University. It will be easy to find some of these all-time favorites. For example, nearby campus, you will find a Five Guys, Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, Au Bon Pain, Insomnia Cookies, Chili's, Wendy's, Subway, and Panda Express. There are also multiple Starbucks locations scattered throughout campus. If you are craving any of these familiar foods, they are easy to find.

Transportation

If you need to get around Richmond, you can use the bus service provided by the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC). VCU has an agreement with them, so students can take unlimited rides for free with their student ID. You can use the GRTC “Trip Planner” web tool to show you where the stops are and which bus routes to take.

For transportation around campus, consider RamRide. The RamRide commuter bus is a service that takes commuter students from the parking lots to the center of the VCU campus. RamRide services lots A, I, M, and R, since the lots are far. You can use the RamRide app to see the locations and routes of the shuttle buses in real-time.

Another great way to get around the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, or the Richmond area in general, is to bike. You can register your bikes through VCU's RamBikes website. RamBikes and the Office of Sustainability will provide you with any resources you need for your bike. For example, a bike shop that offers tune-ups and bike consultations (which bike works best for you?). Additionally, they offer short-term bike loans, so you can temporarily borrow one of their bikes.

For transportation around campus at night, RamSafe is a nighttime safe ride program for VCU students. They will pick you up at night from campus and drop you off in certain residential areas close to campus. If you are on campus late at night, instead of walking back to your apartment or waiting for a ride in the dark, call RamSafe. They will be able to safely take you back to your apartment.

Parking

Like many other universities, Virginia Commonwealth University has parking permits students can buy to park in various lots or garages around campus. There are decals for commuter students that allow them to park anywhere on campus (except for reserved spaces, guest spaces, or spaces for those with disabilities). There are other parking permits for students who live on campus, and they are required to park in their designated lot or garage. If you are a commuter student, you can get a parking permit and park your car at the VCU campus.

If you have a car, you will also need to consider the parking situation around the city of Richmond. Thankfully, there are many parking garages and lots throughout downtown Richmond. You can even pay with your phone!

Safety

According to US News, Richmond has a crime index score of 5.9/10. Compared to other similar-sized cities, it has a lower than average crime rate.

Shopping

The biggest grocery chain that serves the Richmond area is Kroger. You should be able to find everything you need there. There are smaller grocery stores, like Save A lot and The Fresh Market, that are more specialized.

If you want to go for a shopping day, consider checking out the malls and shopping districts in Richmond. For example, Carytown is a neighborhood in Richmond known for its shopping district. There are many clothing stores, such as T-shirt Studio, Ten Thousand Villages, and Ashby. In addition, there are home stores, like Beasties, Glassboats, and Mongrel. There are also many places to eat and have coffee, like Burger Bach, Can Can Brasserie, Good Doggie, and Sugar and Twine. Carytown is a great place to eat and shop! Other great shopping centers include Willow Lawn, and its next-door neighbor Libbie Place Shopping Center. Both centers have many big stores you will want to visit. For example, it has a Barnes and Noble, Target, Staples, Kroger, and Starbucks.