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Richmond

French Garden Hill, Richmond Neighborhood

Hollywood Cemetary presents a charming neighborhood with a slower-paced atmosphere and well-distributed green spaces enhancing the overall environment. The area boasts a strong bicycling network, making travel convenient and enjoyable throughout. Nearby businesses, including cafes and restaurants, provide great options for dining and shopping. Educational institutions, such as primary and secondary schools, are easily accessible for residents. Most homes here consist of single detached houses and townhouses, featuring a variety of sizes, particularly appealing to those seeking two-bedroom layouts. Convenient access to highways and a variety of bus lines ensures smooth transportation options for all residents.

Hollywood Cemetary is a fairly good neighborhood to buy a home in for those who prefer a relaxed environment. This area is quiet overall, as the streets are generally reasonably calm - although that is not the case near the railway line. Lastly, getting to parks is easy from the majority of locations within the neighborhood since there are a few of them close by for residents to unwind in.

Highlights of French Garden Hill

Parks, schools, dining, and what makes this neighborhood special

🌄 French Garden Hill Historic Site

This hill in the Jackson Ward area derives its name from Didier Cohn’s early-19th-century amusement park ‘French Garden’; remnants of its rugged topography around Seventh through Tenth Streets recall that heritage within the city’s storied landscape.

🏫 Leigh School (Booker T. Washington School)

One of the three surviving public school buildings from the historic Jackson Ward community—constructed in 1872, it stands as the city’s oldest extant public school and anchors the educational legacy of French Garden Hill.

🌳 Chimborazo Park & Medical Museum

Just east of French Garden Hill, this park—site of the Civil War Chimborazo Hospital—offers verdant green space alongside the Chimborazo Medical Museum at Broad and 32nd, which interprets Richmond’s Confederate medical history.

🏘️ Jackson Ward Streetscape

The streets around French Garden Hill—especially along Marshall, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth—feature historic antebellum residences and intact streetscapes that reflect the area’s development within the Jackson Ward National Historic Landmark.

🔍 Topographic Edge & Ravine Views

The steep ravines and abrupt ends of Ninth and Tenth Streets just north of Leigh reveal the hill’s dramatic natural contours, offering a rare glimpse into Richmond’s original high-relief urban form.

French Garden Hill

This June in French Garden Hill

Things to do, events, and what's happening this month

June 12–14, 2026

Richmond SailFest & IllumiNATION America’s 250 Festival

Virginia Museum of History & Culture (Arthur Ashe Boulevard area)

This multi-day waterfront festival featuring tall ships, light shows, and fireworks celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary—ideal for families looking for spectacular, free-to-attend celebrations right near French Garden Hill.

June 14, 2026

Juneteenth Freedom Celebration

Dogwood Dell Amphitheater • 2:00 PM–7:00 PM

This free community gathering with music, ritual and reflection offers a meaningful, family-oriented way to mark Juneteenth close to home and deepen connection to local history and culture.

June 14 & 28, 2026

RVA Black Farmers Market

Richmond — rotating location

Two summer markets showcasing fresh produce, handmade goods, and crafts from Black farmers and artisans—great for picking up local, sustainable food and supporting community businesses just minutes from French Garden Hill.

Thursdays, June 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2026

OnTheSquareVA Farmers Market

109 Governor Street near Virginia State Capitol • Around 11:00 AM

Weekly Thursday market offering a broad range of local produce, baked goods, crafts and more—convenient walk or short drive away for fresh goods midweek.

June 5–17, 2026 (select dates)

Live Concerts at Broadberry & Mulitple Venues

Richmond Music Hall & The Broadberry

A variety of concerts—ranging from ‘Morgan St. Jean’ on June 5 to ‘Chicago’ at Allianz Amphitheater on June 17—offer music lovers close-by options across genres throughout June.

From the Neighborhood

Stories, updates, and things to know in French Garden Hill

Know Your Neighborhood

Local characteristics and demographics for French Garden Hill

Neighborhood Characteristics

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Demographics

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