Richmond Vampire & Hidden Trains (VCU discoveries, Watermelon Festival, Texas Beach, RVA311, and more) - Unscripted #010

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text hereRichmond’s folklore runs deep — and in this episode we dig up a few of the city’s strangest myths and modern problems side by side. We start with the infamous Richmond Vampire and the buried train beneath Church Hill, exploring how urban legends take root when tragedy and mystery overlap.From there, the conversation shifts to science: the discovery of fossilized human teeth in Ethiopia, where VCU researchers are helping rewrite the story of human evolution. We talk Australopithecus, Neanderthals, diet, jaw development, and whether “aliens” might simply be future humans reshaped by posture, breath, and environment.But Richmond always pulls us back to earth. We dive into the reality of the city’s 311 app — from potholes and broken sidewalks to missing trash cans and green space neglect. Why does the city prioritize amphitheaters and meadows while neighborhoods struggle with basic infrastructure?No topic is too small or too strange: the Texas Beach bridge, Carytown’s Watermelon Festival that somehow forgot about watermelons, and the bigger cultural question of the 80% problem — when public projects and events miss the mark on the very thing they’re supposed to celebrate.It’s folklore, science, infrastructure, and identity all in one ride: from vampires and hidden trains to fossilized teeth and watermelonless festivals.Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.Support the showGet more info about our studio here.This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.Follow the movement:instagram.com/verahouse.coyoutube.com/@verahousepodverahouse.coHosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:instagram.com/mykemetzgerinstagram.com/planetperri