Moving to a new city is tough for everyone, but moving away from Charlottesville was especially tough for me. Charlottesville is such a tight-knit community and it’s the only place I’ve ever called home. It’s where I was born, it’s where all my siblings and childhood friends were born, and I’d lived there for 17 years before I moved away for college. But sometimes when I’m here in Richmond, I’ll run into people from Charlottesville and it’s just like being home again. Here are some things that make Charlottesville natives stand out from the rest.
1. We wear UVA apparel even if we don’t go to UVA or even like UVA’s football/basketball team.
People from Charlottesville wear UVA gear no matter what team they support or what college they go to, because we’ll always feel a kind of hometown pride about the fact that we live near UVA. Whether it’s a UVA Cavaliers shirt or a UVA Hospital beanie, you’ll always find some UVA gear in the closet of a Charlottesville local.
2. We’ve visited Monticello too many times to count.
If you grew up in Charlottesville, chances are that teachers brought you on a school field trip to Monticello at least once a year for your entire childhood. I’ve been to Monticello so many times that I’ve lost count.
3. We know Bodo’s has the best bagels. Period.
It doesn’t matter if you lived in Charlottesville as a child and then moved to New York City where they apparently have the best bagels in America...you won’t find a better bagel than the ones they serve at Bodo’s. Bodo’s has the best bagels. Ever. Don’t try to convince us otherwise.
4. We’re not crazy about UVA students who come from other places calling us “townies.”
We’ve lived here for decades and you just moved here for college. We’re sorry if we're an inconvenience to your college lifestyle. Let's try to just get along.
5. We love the downtown mall.
Some people say that Charlottesville is boring, that there’s nothing to do there. Those people obviously haven’t hung out on the downtown mall enough. It’s a pedestrian mall where there’s always things happening and street performers doing their thing, so it’s a different experience every time you go. There are also restaurants and shops lining the sides so you can get lunch and buy a pair of shoes and see a movie all on the same street. Almost everyone in my family has at one point had a job at one of the places on the downtown mall.
6. We tend to be very liberal, and we care about local issues.
Charlottesville tends to be a pretty liberal place and people like to get involved in politics and social justice. There are often people petitioning for a better, cleaner city around the downtown and UVA areas.
7. We enjoy celebrating culture.
You’ll find a new culture festival every week in parks near the downtown mall during the warmer months, whether it’s the annual Gay Pride festival or a food festival.
8. We’re there for each other.
When I see a person wearing UVA gear in Richmond where I live and it turns out that they’re from Charlottesville too (and not just someone likes UVA's football team), it’s an instant connection; there’s so much to talk about! "Have you been to Charlottesville recently?" "Have you been to the new Wegmans?" "What new shops are they putting in Stonefield?"
9. We love museums and history.
Charlottesville obviously has a very rich history involving Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and Michie Tavern, but we also have dozens of other smaller historical sites around the city. In addition, there are many museums around Charlottesville that can teach you all you want to know about history, art, or science. Some of them are free, so you can go visit them whenever (and as often as) you want.
