First it was Hollywood glam-boy Ben Affleck. Then music-man Sting. This old Richmond neighborhood used to be prone to flooding and home to dank tobacco warehouses. Not exactly a magnet for tourists. Clubs, restaurants and artsy shops have sprung up.
Professionals stroll down from the nearby capital to nosh in trendy taverns.
College girls strut down 17th Street and middle-aged couples frequent Cajun restaurants. Even though the Bottom has undergone a Southern-fried gentrification, the area bears its past proudly. The old warehouses and redbrick buildings still sport old-fashioned painted signs, mosaic tile floors and tin ceilings. The historic Farmer's Market, a colorful square block of awning-shaded stands, has been bustling since the 1780s. Today, jazz bands and gospel choirs often groove in the center of the square.