For information on things to do in Richmond, call the Metro Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-365-7272. I stayed at the Jefferson (1-800-370-9004), an elegant hotel built in the 189Os and included in the National Register of Historic Places. Rooms there are a bit pricey; if you’re on a budget, the downtown area has plenty of other accommodations.

Not far from downtown are the Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom districts, whose nineteenth-century tobacco warehouses have been converted into trendy shops, jazz clubs, and restaurants. Jackson Ward lies just west of downtown. The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia (804-780-9093) and the Elegba Folklore Society (804-644-3900), a cultural and arts organization, sponsor a variety of events that keep the history of Jackson Ward and its people alive. The society also offers walking tours of the neighborhood. The Convention and Visitors Bureau produces a handsome guide detailing Jackson Ward’s black-heritage sites; to obtain a copy call 804-782-2777.

The Arthur Ashe statue stands at the corner of Roseneath Street and Monument Avenue.