Now: Converted riverside mills, restored Victorian bungalows, and a central location primed this historic district to be the city’s hottest new hood. Más restaurant’s open-air deck and Spanish tapas like creamy croquetas de jamón first lured crowds from nearby downtown in 2001.
A point of clarification: Belmont’s not new. And I’m not sure who thinks Belmont is a “secret.”
I’ve written about Belmont a few times over the past few years, most recently when I noted the opening of The Farm; it’s a cool neighborhood close to many of things that draw people to Charlottesville (and keep them here).
This photo series by Kathryn Wagner remains one of my favorite depictions of Belmont; I love riding my bike to show houses in Belmont – it’s the best way to get a feel for the neighborhood, the smells from kitchens and restaurants, to see all the back (and front) yard gardens … to really feel the neighborhood.
Mas has a nice description of Belmont and this is the Belmont – Carlton neighborhood association’s site.
Either way, it’s neat to see one of Charlottesville’s neighborhoods recognized, but as always, take the brief depiction with a grain of salt … there’s more to Belmont. 🙂
If you’re interested, these are some of the homes on the market in Belmont – I’ve been in most of them, so feel free to ask me about them.
Thank you for linking back to my Belmont series. I do agree that the neighborhood has a special sense of place that is uncommon in much of the urban or semi-suburban neighborhoods in the U.S.