Boulevard (Richmond, Virginia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boulevard (usually referred to as "The Boulevard" although the street name does not include any definite article) is a historic street in the near West End of Richmond, Virginia providing access to Byrd Park. It serves as the Border between the Carytown/Museum District to the west and the Fan district to the East. Attempts have been made to rename the street after Arthur Ashe, a tennis star and social activist who was born and grew up in Richmond proper, but no renaming attempts have succeeded thus far. Near the south end is Richmond's Boulevard Bridge (also commonly called the "Nickel Bridge" referring to its toll charge which has increased to 25 cents) across the James River. Boulevard intersects with main artieries Main Street, Monument Avenue, Broad Street, and Hermitage Road. The Diamond is located on Boulevard. The intersection of Boulevard and Monument Avenue has a statue of Stonewall Jackson.

The Boulevard is designated as State Route 161, a route once promoted as an alternate bypass route in the 1940s and 1950s before the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike and Interstate 95 were built which connected with U.S. Route 1 north and south of the downtown section of Richmond.