The Fan is so named because of the “fan” shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to the Boulevard. The Museum District is anchored by the contiguous six-block tract of museums along the west side of Boulevard, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Historical Society, hence the name, and extends to I-95 on the west. The Fan and Museum Districts are primarily residential neighborhoods consisting of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century rowhomes. The Fan is also home to VCU’s Monroe Park Campus, several parks, and tree-lined avenues. The Carytown area of the Museum District and its plethora of restaurants, shopping and entertainment it provides keeps the neighborhood lively. Robinson Street is also known as a corridor for food and nightlife! Byrd Park, with its great running and walking trails, tennis courts, and paddle boats for rent on Fountain Lake, is a popular destination on sunny weekends. Meanwhile, the neighborhood is still convenient to everything downtown and is a quick car or bike ride to downtown, the River, and all the amenities those areas offer.
