These days, the Star City is home to a diverse set of entrepreneurs, creatives and community-builders from around the world … and right down the road. In each installment of our blog series, you’ll meet a new face who’ll share their spin on the Star City – their favorite places to eat, drink, connect or get inspired. In this installment, we talked to Genya Kalinina and Stan Myshkovskiy, the Instagrammers behind @hello.roanoke.
Courtesy Katherine Lawson
Genya Kalinina and Stan Myshkovskiy
When Genya Kalinina and Stan Myshkovskiy first relocated to Roanoke at the end of 2019, they were ready to get out and explore their new community. Looking for recommendations on where to start, they searched online for a “best of” blog or Instagram account … and when they couldn’t find one they loved, they decided to start their own.
“We were already doing all the stuff, so I didn’t see the harm in taking time to share it,” says Stan.
“Why not?” Genya agrees. “Maybe it would benefit somebody else … and it did!”
Within months of starting @bestofroanoke, their followers count soared, and today the account is a local favorite, with more than 8,500 individuals looking to Genya and Stan to point them to new restaurants, trails, museums and happenings. Sharing those explorations takes work, but it’s worth it, they say:
“I’ve gotten a lot of DMs that stand out,” says Genya. “They’ll say, ‘I’ve lived here my whole life and I didn’t know about this,’ or, ‘I always thought Roanoke was boring, but I was wrong!’ … It feels really good.”
Here’s what these intrepid local explorers have to say about their favorite spots to eat, drink, find inspiration and get outside…
Q: It think we’re all ready to get back to our favorite restaurants this summer. What are yours?
Genya: Inka Grill… They’re great! He went there for the first time a month or two ago and said, “Why didn’t we go here earlier?” I’m like, “I’ve been telling you!”
Stan: She’s literally been telling me to go there all the time. They have a great atmosphere and some really unique options--
Genya: …Some great lunch options, ceviche for dinner, some really creative drinks. I love the pisco sour there… [And] one we found recently [is] Wonju Korean – total hidden gem, super delicious… [Try] the kimchi stew!
Q: How about a great spot for drinks?
Genya: I think our go-to is, what, Parkway? And Martin’s. We love the trivia there.
Q: Where have you been going to relax and find creative inspiration lately?
Genya: Anyone following me will know I love sunsets… I think a Read Mountain sunset hike is at the top of my list.
Stan: … [And] one thing we’ve done a couple times recently, too, is just drive up to an overlook on the Parkway and have a picnic. That’s really, really nice. It’s relaxing.
Genya: Fifteen minutes away, no hiking involved … and a hammock!
Q: Any other favorite outdoor spots?
Genya: [The] New River Trail. That’s great. It’s 57 miles, and we love biking on it. It’s a really good day trip; the closest trail head is about an hour away…
Stan: Over the last summer, we completed the whole trail in several segments … We would go after work sometimes and do 10 or 15 miles … I think it’s so amazing you can do something like that from Roanoke on a workday … People are vacationing there, and you’re like, “Yeah, I came after work.” … What other city can you live where you can do something like that?
Q: Can you think of any best-kept secrets in our city ... places other readers may not have discovered yet?
Genya: It’s hard to answer that, because I think our whole page is hidden gems … [But] Williamson Road is always fun to explore. There are so many taco places, you could do a whole taco marathon, and they’re all really good. What’s your favorite, Taco Riendo?
Stan: Yeah. I’ve been going there more and more… And the Salvadoran food truck!
Genya: The pupuseria [Pupuseria Dina]!
Stan: … It’s a food truck that’s in a parking lot off Hershberger. The BP right there off of 581 on your right, it’s in their parking lot, and it’s the best pupusas you’ve ever had, honestly.
Q: Are there any entrepreneurs, creatives or community-builders in Roanoke who inspire you right now?
Genya: I would say Kat Pascal [of] Farmburguesa. I think she’s really innovative and positively involved in the Roanoke community.
Stan: [And] I’m really inspired – and I think we both are – by [photographer] Aaron Spicer. I feel he has a really unique outlook on things to do in Roanoke, too.
Q: What advice do you have for folks who want to support local businesses but aren’t sure where to start? Other than following your Instagram account, what can they do to find new spots and get out there and explore?
Stan: It takes effort. It’s always easy to go to the place you know is going to be good and not try something different and new. But one of the reasons we get along is we both enjoy new experiences. We value that a lot. And even if we sometimes we have a miss, that never stops us from going and trying something else.
Genya: Even if it’s negative, that doesn’t mean the next time will be negative.
Stan: With hidden gems, it can be a miss, but when it’s a hit, you’re like, “This is crazy! How have I not been here before?” The positive always outweighs the negative for us. So, go! You probably drove past some little place that doesn’t look so good on the outside. It could have the best food you’ve ever had on the inside, so go inside and try it.
Genya: Give it a shot!
Q: What’s keeping you encouraged right now?
Stan: The messages, the DMs we get … That’s what drives it. That feels awesome… We love living here, and I think that’s clear from everything else we said. And we still have a lot to explore!
To keep up with Genya and Stan and hear more about their favorite local spots, follow them on Instagram or Facebook. And look for a special feature with Genya in the September/October print edition of the Roanoker.
****
Stay tuned for our next installment of Roanoke According To …
About the Writer:
Ashley Wilson Fellers is a writer, educator, self-taught painter and contemplative photographer in Roanoke, Virginia. When she isn’t teaching writing at Virginia Western, she snaps photos of sidewalk cracks, rescues wet leaves from windshield wipers and leaves poems hidden under park benches. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Tech.