Taste of Brookland Park Boulevard on May Day

05.2021

No better way to celebrate May Day than a Taste of Brookland Park Boulevard. From noon till five on May 1, hundreds strolled up and down Brookland Park Boulevard, sampling food, drinks and ice cream, chatting, listening to music, wearing face masks, enjoying this mid-way mark between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. A block-long line waited patiently in the mild weather for a scoop of bliss from Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets, which was pretty much the case outside of Ms B’s Juice Bar and half-a-dozen other eateries.

Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette Wallace McEachin was there enjoying the festivities while doing a little stumping for this November’s election. 

“We’re on historic Brookland Park Boulevard and this has been one of the places where African-Americans were first able to prosper once they moved out from the center of the city,” she says. “I’m out here enjoying the people, the businesses, the food, and letting people see their Commonwealth’s Attorney on the street.”

Denise Lewis and Zanas Talley, both Northsiders, are absolutely thrilled by what has happened on Brookland Park Boulevard over the past ten years.

“It is nice to see it rejuvenated,” says Denise Talley, who had served as principal at Chandler Middle School a few years back. “It’s nice to see it coming back,”

Zanas nods. “It’s got all these quality shops and these restaurants and minority-owned businesses,” he says. “There’s a real sense of community here, which is just great.”

Anthony Tucker, owner of Nomad Deli and Catering Company, stands beside tables and a tent on the parking lot next to his building. People are seated, eating his food. “It was six years today that I opened,” he tells me. “It’s a wonderful thing to see what’s happened on Brookland Park. We’ve been busy all day long.” 

Starting June 1st, Nomad Deli will be joined by Big Herm’s Kitchen (located in the heart of Jackson Ward on Two Street) for Sunday dinners, which will be held the first Sunday of each month. ”We’ll be out here doing food, outdoor seating, all the good stuff,” says Anthony. “I love the Northside.”