Shockoe Bottom Richmond: The 17th Street Market Guide

Shockoe Bottom Richmond is a low-lying historic neighborhood between Shockoe Hill and Church Hill, and it holds a city-owned public market. A visit pairs a walk through early Richmond with a chance to taste what vendors sell. Here is the history, how to plan a visit and how to keep notes.

The guide describes the city's public market from the city's own pages. Check the market's page for current days and events.

What is Shockoe Bottom Richmond?

Wikipedia describes Shockoe Bottom as a historically significant, low-lying area between Shockoe Hill and Church Hill. Richmond began as a river settlement, and Shockoe Bottom lies at the foot of the original settlement. That makes it one of the oldest parts of the city, and its position along the James River, at the fall line, explains why trade grew here.

The fall line is where the river drops from the Piedmont toward the coast, and it is the highest point boats could easily reach. That is why Richmond began as a trading place, and why a market district grew up beside the water.

What is the 17th Street Farmers Market?

The City of Richmond describes the 17th Street Farmers Market as a long-established city market and a center for commerce and connection. The property is owned by the City of Richmond and managed by its parks department. It was recently renovated, and the city says it hosts festivals, music, art, vendors, educational programs and a weekly farmers market.

Days, hours and seasons change, so check the city's market page before you plan a trip around it.

How do you plan a visit to a public market?

Go with a question and a little cash or a card, and look before you buy. A visit works best when it has a goal, such as finding the best tomato or learning what is in season. Walk the whole space once, notice what is in season and ask a vendor what they would eat today. A farmers market is a good place to learn what grows near Richmond and what a cook does with it. Taste where samples are offered, ask how a vegetable is best cooked and take a recipe idea home with you. A conversation with a grower is often worth more than the purchase. Not every visit has to end with a bag of produce, either. Watching how a stall is arranged, which vegetables are heaped highest and what the grower talks about with regulars tells you a lot about the season. If you are visiting with children, set a small task, such as finding three colors of produce, and let them choose one thing to taste. Leave time to sit afterward and write down what you liked, so the market becomes part of your food notes and not a passing stop.

Arrive early for the best choice and late for the calmest pace. If you want a meal and not a snack, plan where you will sit afterward. A market tells you what is fresh, and a nearby table lets you taste it cooked.

What else is nearby?

Shockoe Bottom sits next to Church Hill, which Wikipedia describes as an East End neighborhood home to St. John's Church. The two are a short walk apart, so a morning at the market can lead to an afternoon on the hill. Our Brunswick stew guide describes a Virginia dish you may meet on menus along the way.

Heat matters in summer, when Richmond is hot and humid, so carry water and take shade breaks.

How do you learn about the neighborhood's history respectfully?

Shockoe Bottom has a hard past as well as a trading one, and the city's historians and museums tell it. Read the signs, take a guided tour if one is offered and listen to the people who tell the story. A food visit is a good moment to learn, because eating in a place connects you to the people who lived and worked there.

Be curious and kind. Ask vendors about what they sell and where it was grown, and leave a neighborhood better than you found it. If a festival or a night market is on, the same rule applies: check the organizers for the details, and go with an open mind and an empty stomach.

How do you keep market notes with Mosey?

Open the Mosey app when you eat. A rating needs a place and stars, and you can name the dish, add a tag and attach a photo. A line such as sweet peaches, still warm, would buy again helps you remember. Tag your friends so each can add a view of the same plate.

Start a list called Market day and share it by invite link, so friends can add their finds. Following people lets you see what they rated and saved, and the Friends' picks layer on the map shows where they have eaten. The ratings page explains the details.

Where else can you read about Richmond?

Read the finding good food guide and the peanut allergy guide. See the Richmond page, the Virginia page and the US food guides.

Before your next market visit, open the Mosey app, start a list and rate each plate as you go.