We’re super fans of our little city. And we’re not the only ones.

Southern Living nominated Lynchburg, VA, as “one of the South’s best Cities on the Rise 2022.”
Travel and Leisure named it among the top 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the US in 2022.
It’s been ranked by Kiplinger as the 10th happiest city to retire.

There’s no doubt Lynchburg, VA, is a city to watch. Here’s 10 reasons to love this charming little city.

10 Reasons to Love Lynchburg, VA

10. Downtown Lynchburg

Charming and historic, Downtown Lynchburg is home to local restaurants, entertainment, shopping, and attractions. Families will love our interactive award-winning children’s museum, Amazement Square. Enjoy local breweries, a wine lounge, or quaint coffee shop, catch a show at the Academy of Fine Arts, Opera on the James, or discover one of the oldest thriving Community Markets in the country. Large murals, Art Alley, and the LOVE sculpture at 1500 Concord Turnpike bring even more vibrancy to our city.

Fun fact: every Friday from noon-1pm SINCE 2001, 50-100 veterans meet up at Monument Terrace.

9. Entertainment

From housing its own symphony orchestra and minor league baseball team to welcoming numerous artists and performers, you can find it all in Lynchburg. If art museums are more your thing, check out the Maier Museum at Randolph College or Riverviews Art Space.

(Blurry Photo Credit: My phone) Black Violin in concert at the Academy of Fine Arts

8. Local shopping

We see big retail chains everywhere these days. But what makes a city truly unique are the small businesses that call it home. (hey, we’re one of them!) Here’s a sampling of a few of our favorites:

Bailey Spencer Hardware for architectural salvage
Lexie & Lee for clothing + local jewelry, gifts, etc.
Threaded: cute and sustainability-focused thrift store
Rhodora: whimsical and weird gifts, clothing, beer, wine.
Estates and Consignments: antique everything

7. Good food

Everybody says they have good food. We get it. But seriously, with influences from all over the region and world, the food scene here is BUSSIN’ (as my 10 year old would say). A few to mention: The Water Dog, Truss, and Waterstone Pizza.

6. Good people

You know, a place is only as good as the people there. And you’ll find great folks of all kinds here. Having a unique family here was a challenge until we branched out into the city and found our tribe that values the same things we do.

5. Destinations

Okay, so we’re obviously a little biased here. But hello, where else can you find a train caboose overlooking the James River? It’s our goal to create these spaces where anyone can belong, and with 25 unique stays in the area, we’re going to shamelessly add our All Belong Co properties to what’s great about Lynchburg. (with more exciting ones around the corner!)

4. Attractions

Ignore the complaining locals who always say “there’s nothing to do here.” (I’ve found locals in every place I’ve lived say that.) There’s NO shortage of attractions here, especially when the weather’s nice enough to get outdoors. Hiking and exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains nearby, year-round skiing at Liberty University’s Snowflex, NCAA sports, a trampoline park, Seaquest, and miles of paved and unpaved nature trails are just a few!

3. History

History buffs, we’ve got you covered! Appomattox Court House, Thomas Jefferson’s summer home, and multiple other historic sites are here in our area. And no one should miss an opportunity to visit Old City Cemetery.

2. 4 Seasons

There are four distinct seasons here in our climate- the best of all worlds! Winter gives us a few good snows each year (we’re still waiting for this year’s!), cherry blossoms line downtown streets in the spring, summer brings lush greenery and hot lazy days, followed by my personal favorite- the gorgeous colors and pumpkin patches of Fall!

1. LOVE

It’s true! Virginia really is for lovers. Across our city (and state!), you’ll find over 300 “LOVE” murals, sculptures, and signs. It’s what we hope you’ll feel the minute you arrive.