I expected shops, restaurants, and a bustling area. Instead what I got was just a brown canal, a couple historical tid bits,lots of solitude, and not much else. I did get a lot of exercise because I walked a lot trying to find something interesting to see. Not much here. On the far end, theres a bridge to Belle Island. That was ok, but then again, there's not much there unless you want to bathe in the James River.