About Richmond
Welcome to Richmond, a hidden bluesy gem on San Francisco Bay. Four marinas, two yacht clubs, beer can sailing races, art, music and science, restaurants, lots of trails and parks – all create a jazzy vibe along this coastline steeped in maritime WWII history. San Francisco Bay brings us all together with lots to explore along its waterfront.
Sometimes when you mention Richmond, Chevron’s Refinery or Rosie the Riveter may come to mind. Yet, Richmond has an inclusive and deep cultural fabric. Music has always been a unifying element in Richmond, especially its roots in Jazz and Blues. During WWII Richmond continued to evolve as a working class town, including refinery, shipyard and manufacturing jobs. People moved here for work from the south and other parts of the US and brought with them a mix of traditions and music – from country to blues to Honky Tonk. North Richmond in the 40s and 50s had the clubs and the action. Though music tastes change, today Richmond has a mix of Jazz, Rock and Roll and Hip Hop. Jazz used to spill out of the churches in Richmond and it still does!
Point Richmond Acoustic provides an intimate show once a month (2nd Fridays) in a church (201 Martina Ave.) where famous guitarists create a heart-felt vibe in this fantastic acoustically sound venue. Point Richmond Jazz features Jazz violinists on the 4th Fri. of each month from Sept. – April in this same church. Point Richmond’s Concert Series on Park Place and Washington Ave., livens up the warm summer evenings here 2nd Fridays, while newly established R&B Cellars’ Riggers Loft Wine Company aims to inspire patrons by bringing music and wine together in the wine bar and spilling out onto their patio.
Richmond Art Center was founded in 1936 by local artist Hazel Salmi, while working for the WPA, one of Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs. To this day, The Arts are preserved as part of Richmond’s civic cultural fabric, as the City integrated Richmond Art Center, the largest visual arts center in the East Bay with four galleries and a sculpture courtyard, into their Civic Center complex, along with City Hall and NIAD. Nurturing Independence Through Artistic Development is a unique art school for people with disabilities and encourages creativity and independence with a 1,500 square foot gallery and store.
Richmond’s dedication to the arts continued with the founding of the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, which engages youth and young adults in music, theater, dance, and media-making, grounded in culturally rich world traditions.
You can also find local artists and locations of their ongoing exhibits through the Arts of Point Richmond website and get to know this City through its artists.
Besides valuing the arts, Richmond is green and is the largest US city to have a Green Party Mayor for eight years, ending in 2015. Known for the second lowest carbon footprint in the Bay Area (Emeryville is the lowest), Richmond is evolving into an environmentally sound and sustainable City. Chevron Richmond, the City’s largest employer with 3,800 employees and contractors is in the process of modernizing their refinery processing equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and excel in employee and community safety.
Richmond has big plans for creating a sustainable future and its reputation for innovation is emergent.
The Berkeley Global Campus Richmond Bay, which is still in the planning phase, will transform Richmond. Building on the University of California, Berkeley’s international reputation and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s groundbreaking research, Berkeley Global Campus will draw leading academic and research institutions, private sector and community partners from around the world to the unique setting of Richmond Bay. Looking forward Tech & biotech companies are now moving to Richmond.
Richmond’s waterfront is also home to an urban national park, the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. Tours around the factories and shipyards tell stories of the home front efforts in the U.S., and especially the role of women and minorities during WWII.
Besides all this, Richmond is connected to the Bay Trail and has a waterfront full of trail and water fun.
