Randolph is a historically black middle class neighborhood located within the West End of Richmond, Virginia. The neighborhood is named in honor of Virginia E. Randolph, a former African-American educator in Henrico County, Virginia during the 19th century. [1] The neighborhood is bounded by the Downtown Expressway to the north, Harrison Street to the east, Colorado Avenue to the south, and South Meadow street to the west. Some famous landmarks and places of interest in the neighborhood include Petronius Park, the Randolph Community Center, and just adjacent to the neighborhood, the Hollywood Cemetery.
The middle class is a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy. The very definition of the term "middle class" is highly political and vigorously contested by various schools of political and economic philosophy. Modern social theorists - and especially economists - have defined and re-defined the term "middle class" in order to serve their particular political ends. The definitions of the term "middle class" therefore are the result of the more- or less-scientific methods used when delineating the parameters of what is and isn't "middle class".
The West End is a part of Richmond, Virginia. Definitions of the bounds of the West End vary, it may include only the western part of the city of Richmond or extend as far as western Henrico County. As there is no one municipal organization that represents this specific region, the boundaries are loosely defined as being north of the James River, west of I-195, and south of Broad Street. Historically, the Richmond neighborhoods of the Fan and the Museum District were a part of the West End. A primary conduit through the West End is Interstate 64.
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Greater Richmond Region. Richmond was incorporated in 1742 and has been an independent city since 1871.
Randolph borders directly to its east, Oregon Hill and the northern tier of Hollywood Cemetery. To its south, it borders the Maymont neighborhood and River View. West of the community lies Byrd Park and Idlewood Park. Due north of the community is The Fan and the VCU Greek Row.
Oregon Hill is a historic working-class neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Oregon Hill overlooks the James River and Belle Isle, and provides access to Hollywood Cemetery. Due to the neighborhoods proximity to the Monroe Park Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, the neighborhood is sometimes referred to as a student quarter because of its high college student population.
Maymont is a 100-acre Victorian estate and public park in Richmond, Virginia. It contains Maymont Mansion, now a historic house museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature center, and Children's Farm.
Byrd Park, also known as William Byrd Park, is a public park located in Richmond, Virginia, United States, north of the James River and adjacent to Maymont. The 200-acre (0.81 km2) park includes a mile-long trail with exercise stops, monuments, an amphitheatre, and three small lakes: Shields, Swan, and Boat Lake. Boat Lake has a lighted fountain at its center. Visitors can rent pedal boats there in season. The park includes tennis courts, Little League baseball fields, and a children's playground. The historic round house and Poplar Vale Cemetery are also located in the park. It is named after William Byrd II, whose family owned much of the area when Richmond was founded in 1737. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
