“I’ve been drawing since around the age of 2,” Jae Johnson says. “Growing up, I had an infatuation with drawing cars. Actually, my aunt still has probably 80 percent of my work from when I was around that age.” Today, Johnson’s moved on to bigger things—literally. You can find his mural art gracing walls around […]
Getting married has become a reason to go all out with a huge event—often the bigger the better. For couples who want to celebrate their commitment without months of decision-making and a five-figure price tag, Albemarle CiderWorks has developed a less-is-more option: your very own microwedding. This year, on June 6, the cidery hosted its […]
Vintage Vinegar Hill Clothing Co. takes its name from a once-thriving Charlottesville neighborhood—first home to Irish immigrants in the early 1800s, later a historically Black business district. The brand draws on that layered past, nodding to a culture of local enterprise. Its aesthetic leans collegiate: Champion-style logos on soft sweatshirts, T-shirts, and beanies that feel […]
Why are orchids so difficult to keep alive? It doesn’t matter—The Orchid Station has been mastering the art of the phalaenopsis since 1989, so houseplant-lovers don’t have to. The Barboursville-based greenhouse, which opens its doors to the public every Saturday from 9am-4pm, specializes in blooming plants. (Here’s a head start: This particular variety likes normal […]
The Earlysville Exchange calls itself “a thrift store and more.” And while its shelves are filled with everything from dishes and other household items to clothes, shoes, toys, books, and jewelry—plus art and furniture in the annex next door—it’s the “more” that really sets the place apart. Members of Earlysville’s Chestnut Grove church opened the […]
From New York City’s Theater District to Miami’s Design District and Los Angeles’ Arts District, cities love carving out neighborhoods with a distinct identity. Allow us to make a nomination for Charlottesville’s vintage district, located on or around First Street downtown. (Though we’d be remiss not to also mention OG Low Vintage, further down the […]
There’s a black-and-white photograph of Paul Collinge hanging over the doorway at Ginkgo Bookshop. It looks like the kind of picture you keep of a dead relative. But Collinge is not dead; he comes in almost every day. When Molly Canipe asked him whether it felt strange to walk under a memorial portrait of himself, […]
For the last two decades, local folks knew who to call with their plumbing problems: Mr. Faucet. From his first forays into pipes and toilets, Mr. Faucet gradually branched out to become a general bathroom handyman. And his success was all word of mouth (and lately, Nextdoor). “I never had to advertise,” says Mr. Faucet, […]
For 10 years, Debra Weiss worked as a game-show producer at a company that provided a network of live, online trivia games in bars, hotels, and restaurants. So when Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle wanted to pivot from an adult spelling bee to a different annual fundraiser, Weiss had some ideas. “I know a lot about […]
Not to stress you out, but have you peeked inside your garbage can lately? It’s gross. Months of trash crumbs and leaky bags have built up and baked in the hot sun. Charlottesville Bin Cleaners aren’t bothered—the cleaning company rolls up to the curb and hits that stinky can with 200-degree pressurized water to remove […]
Sally Rose is a fighter. As a musician, they front the defiant rock band Shagwüf. As an activist, they’re a vocal supporter of marginalized communities. They’re also, like, an actual fighter. In 2019, Rose fused their love of martial arts and feminism into Fight Like a Grrrl Club, a nonprofit organization offering free self-defense workshops […]