Some people measure love in roses and prix-fixe menus. In Carytown, you can measure it in lattes, fries, and the sweet chorus of laughter echoing down Cary Street. This neighborhood is the kind of place where romance doesn’t need a reservation—it just needs a Saturday afternoon, a little imagination, and maybe ten bucks in your pocket.
Here’s how to fall in love (or at least fall into laughter) without falling into debt.
- Start with a Jolt at Sugar & Twine
A date without caffeine is like a love letter without ink. Sugar & Twine (2928 W Cary St) serves croissants that practically flirt back when you bite into them, flaky and buttery as a Parisian kiss. Sit by the window with two steaming mugs, and you’ve got the cheapest, coziest corner of France for under $10 each. - Take a Mural Walk: Art as Your Third Wheel
Carytown’s streets double as an outdoor gallery thanks to the Richmond Mural Project. Wandering hand-in-hand past walls bursting with color feels like walking through someone else’s daydream. The best part? It costs nothing, though you may owe your date a goofy selfie or two in front of a giant painted heart. - Thrift-Store Treasure Hunt
Pop into Ashby or Bygones Vintage Clothing, and make up a game: each of you has five minutes and ten dollars to find something the other “absolutely must wear.” Spoiler alert: you’ll laugh harder than you’ll spend, and maybe walk out with a jacket that becomes your “first date souvenir.” - Burgers & Fries: A Love Story
Carytown Burgers & Fries (3500 W Cary St) is less about fine dining and more about fine timing—because sharing fries across the table is basically a rehearsal for sharing a life. Split a burger, lean in over the basket, and let the ketchup stains be part of the charm. - End on a Sweet Note at Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream
No Carytown date is complete without Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream (2911 W Cary St). Two scoops, two spoons, and the thrill of racing to see whose melts faster—it’s the rom-com ending every budget date deserves.
Why Carytown is Cupid’s Sidekick
Because here, love isn’t measured in receipts—it’s measured in moments. Carytown’s murals give you a backdrop, its cafés give you warmth, its thrift shops give you stories, and its ice cream gives you a reason to linger. It’s the kind of place where holding hands is the main course and laughter is dessert.
So the next time you’re short on cash but long on affection, skip the five-star prix-fixe and spend your weekend strolling Carytown. Because in the right company, a cone from Bev’s tastes better than champagne.
