On the Road

Travel back in time while visiting Richmond, one of the oldest cities in Texas

Historic downtown Richmond is big on small-town charm.

Photo courtesy of Richmond Economic Development Corporation

With a unique blend of Texas history and small-town charm, Richmond is one of the oldest cities in the state — and the oldest in Fort Bend County, which is part of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area.

It has more than 200 years of history to its name, some of which can be seen while strolling through the quaint downtown where you’ll find the boutique shops, local restaurants, and businesses along with historic homes and museums.

Get your foodie fix with a side of history and diversity
There's a diverse dining scene on tap in Richmond, including the nostalgic and delicious Sandy McGee's Restaurant + Bar, which has been a Richmond favorite for more than 25 years and is located in a 120-year-old building that first housed the Richmond Motor Car Company and later the Post Office Pharmacy.

For a taste of NOLA, Mimi's New Orleans has your fix with all the authentic Cajun and Creole you could want — shrimp and grits, jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee, and more!

The Lone Star Saloon offers a one-of-a-kind saloon atmosphere in the historic district and is known for its live music, great food, and full bar. The original saloon burned to the ground in 2008 and was painstakingly rebuilt to reflect its historic past, and has met all the requirements to remain on the official Historic Societies list.

Vino enthusiasts, Unwine'd Wine & Cheese Lounge is your haven for fine wine and charcuterie in historic downtown.

And for a healthy twist, Trough Juice Bar on Third Street downtown is the brainchild of local mom Robin Rosen and her four daughters. Find cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies, and coffee as well as paninis, salads, and more tasty treats. They also host periodic nighttime yoga sessions on the covered side porch.

See a movie under the stars — and more
First Fridays in downtown Richmond are always an occasion. Every first Friday, the Richmond's Farmers Market sets up shop around 4 pm and, after sunset, there are movies at Wessendorff Park, where you can expect everything from cult faves to classics.

Head to the ranch, but make a pit stop first
Explore the diverse history of Fort Bend County at the Fort Bend Museum, where you can also tour the statement-making 1883 Moore Mansion as well as the fascinating Morton Cemetery.

On Saturdays, you can also discover more than 100 years of Texas history with a trip through time at the George Ranch Historical Park. Located on a 20,000-acre working ranch, the park is divided into four time periods — 1830s, 1860s, 1890s, and 1930s — and features historic home tours, costumed interpreters, hands-on activities, cattle working and blacksmithing demonstrations, and more.

Discover more about Richmond and plan your visit here.

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Your Expert Guide

Oak Cliff: The underestimated historic and culturally rich 'hood

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Kay Wood

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Bishop Arts is a huge attraction, but Realtor Kay Wood wants people to know that Oak Cliff is a lot more than just Bishop Arts.

"Oak Cliff has a really rich and complex history," the Briggs Freeman agent says. "I think it's one of the most underestimated neighborhoods in Dallas."

Wood has lived in Oak Cliff with her high school sweetheart-husband since 2008, but she's been helping people buy and sell homes there for the past 15 years, currently with her business partner Brian Davis.

"The neighborhoods here are close to everything but still relatively affordable compared to other areas of DFW," she says. "I love all the historic homes with their architectural interest and variety, the strong sense of community engagement, and how there's so much to explore. Whether you're looking for the best new restaurant, the most authentic taco, film festivals, the zoo, the best public high school in Texas, parks, nature preserves — I could go on all day!"

Wood offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in "the Cliff." Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The list is long: Nova ("you have to get the hummus," Wood says), Encina (pro tip: don't skip the blue cornbread), Cibo Divino for pizza and wine on the patio, coffee from Peaberry ("my husband swears their Vietnamese coffee is the best in town"), oysters at Boulevardier, the Perfect Picnic at Eno's Pizza Tavern, tio's elotes next to El Si Hay, the pistachio ice cream at Joy Macarons, and the spicy lobster ramen at Ten Ramen.

Wood advises picking up a great bottle of wine from Neighborhood Cellars and some steaks from Cooper's Meat Market. And, of course, there are tons of taco options in the neighborhood: "We can't get enough of Maskaras, Trompo, and Taco y Vino," she says.

Where to play
Marvel at the best skyline views in town while playing a round at Stevens Park Golf Course, take a walk through Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, bike along the Trinity River, or play disc golf at Founders Park.

The Kessler Theater is "such a great and intimate venue" for concerts, while the Texas Theater adds a touch of history to movie-watching. Escape to The Wild Detectives for books, music, and poetry, or head to the Dallas Zoo for a wild day out — "our whole family loves to feed the giraffes," Wood says.

What to see
Oak Cliff is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial at Kiest Park and the La Reunion Monument at Stevens Park Golf Course that honors some of Dallas' earliest settlers.

On Jefferson Boulevard, you can pop into the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for regular art shows, and "my daughters love to walk down the street and look at all the quinceañera dresses in the shop windows," she says.

Where to live
A few years ago, Wood helped her buyers purchase 626 Rainbow Dr., a rare, two-acre midcentury modern estate that's wrapped on three sides by a babbling creek.

"When you're there, it's really hard to believe you're less than four miles from downtown Dallas," she says. The buyers hired local architect Eddie Maestri to update some aspects of the house while carefully preserving its midcentury style. There was an original barn that had been previously converted to a studio, but the buyers reinvented it as a guest house and added a pool and outdoor kitchen.

"It's hard to say what a 'typical' Oak Cliff house would be, because we have some of the very best examples of almost every architectural style in town," Wood says.

"In Winnetka Heights, you'll find Craftsman architecture (four squares, bungalows, Sears catalog, etc). Kessler Park has Tudors and Colonials and Texas eclectics from notable local architects like Charles Dilbeck and David R Williams. Stevens Park has all of these, as well as Spanish Revival and Dutch colonials. Wynnewood, North Kiestwood, and Wynnewood Hills have some of the best midcentury moderns in Dallas, as well as wonderful ranches. East Kessler has cutting-edge contemporaries that take advantage of the rare-to-DFW hilly terrain. You could teach a pretty comprehensive architectural history of Dallas without ever leaving Oak Cliff."

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Kay Wood lives, works, and plays in Oak Cliff. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kwood@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-908-5442.