A Classic Richmond Shopping Institution – Regency Mall

When Short Pump Town Center and Stony Point Fashion Park opened several years ago, we thought it was curtains for Regency Mall.  Despite it’s central location, the stores inside it were failing, business was bad, and the Taco Bell even pulled out of the food court.  I actually don’t remember if there was a Taco Bell at Regency Mall. But trust me, it was that dire.  With the demise of Cloverleaf and the creepy dwindlingness (yes, I made that word up) of Willow Lawn, I feared for my favorite mall in a big way.

Today, however, Regency Mall is doing a lot better.  It’s hard to find a place to park near my favorite entrance (which is not, incidentally, The Food Court), I almost get mowed down by octogenarians in sneakers on a per visit basis, and the Chick Fil A always has a line.  Ah, commerce.

Some of the anchor stores are still the same as they were in 1975, when the mall opened its doors.  The JCPenny and Sears are still kicking, and Richmond Biz Sense reported in 2008 that Regency had the second-lowest vacancy rate among Richmond shopping centers.

With the addition of Texas de Brazil and Charming CHARLIE, I have real hope that this mall is going to thrive.  Granted, I am not anywhere near the age of 21 (and  XXI Forever just opened a huge store there), but there is always Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, and The Body Shop to keep me happy.

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New Dance Studio To Open in Richmond

This just in – I received this press release from a lovely person named Khalima who wants you to know about her studio:  Illumination:  Khalima Dance Studio and Workshop.  If you have ever watched Shimmy on FitTV and wondered just how different it is from real Belly Dancing, this is your chance to find out.  Khalima’s studio is exclusively dedicated to all forms of Middle Eastern Dance, and not only does she instruct on a true art form, she is committed to providing a place where it is safe for women and children to grow and learn.  Here is the press release:

Bellydance performer, instructor, and innovator Khalima of Khalima Dance LLC
will be opening the doors to Richmond’s very first studio dedicated to
Middle Eastern Dance this summer. A grand opening hafla and tour will
commence on September 12th, 2010 at 2pm.

“Every bellydancer should have a solid foundation in the authentic roots of
the many styles that abound today,” said Khalima, “Illumination is a
comfortable and encouraging environment for exploring dance, personal
strength and beauty, and creative expression. Your training at Khalima Dance
is a springboard for your own dance style.”

Khalima is an Art Fusion and Modern Egyptian-style belly dancer with solid
grounding in Oriental dance, whose many teachers include world-renowned
dancers Najia Samiya, Sahra Saeeda, and Jehan Kamal. She believes that
strong roots are the foundation for beautiful and unique stylization.

Khalima Dance Studio is the premier location for learning the practice and
history of Middle Eastern Dance. The curriculum is rounded out with a
variety of local teachers offering weekly classes in many styles of
traditional and fusion belly dance, select variations of yoga including
Tantra and Egyptian, classes for children, musical instruction, and Tarot
instruction and readings. Illumination is also the Central Virginia hub for
instruction by international stars, and is stocked with unique merchandise
to augment the student experience.

For more information, call 804.549.3982 or email

khalima.bellydance@gmail.com <info@khalimadance.com>.

Khalima tells me there is a scholarship program for students who are interested but unable to afford tuition, and she will be involved in the community and hosting many events designed to empowering women in our area.  Take a look at some of the amazing pictures she sent:

As you can see, the studio is almost ready, so mark your calendar for the September 12th hafla and tour.  We’ll see you there!

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Leete Tire & Auto

I used to work on First and Cary Streets, and during that period of my life I probably got about a flat tire per week.  Seriously.  I don’t know if it was because of where I lived (Church Hill around a LOT of construction) or if someone was playing a big prank on me, but I had a nail in one of my tires every time I turned around.  Luckily for me, there was a place I could get my tires repaired (or, in some cases, buy new tires) literally right around the corner.  Even luckier is that the place was run by some stand-up, ethical, and awesome guys who never overcharged me and always took awesome care of my car.

Those guys are Todd and Jim, and when anybody asks me where they should take their car for, oh, ANYTHING, I send them to Todd and Jim at Leete Tire & Auto.  These guys have saved me literally thousands of dollars over the years on tires and repairs.  The web reviews of Leete are mostly good – you’ll see a few people who claim that they were overcharged, but that’s because they were looking at auto parts online, and those are always cheaper.  But then you’ve got to pay to get them shipped to you, and you have to find someone to do the repairs.  Jim and Todd make it so they get the part as inexpensively as possible, and charge the least amount of labor possible to make your repair affordable.  I know, because they’ve done it for me lots and lots of times.

Downtown location:  12 South 2nd Street  804-644-0225
Petersburg location:  300 N. Crater Road  804-732-3231

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