Where Can I Find an Exchange Zone?

Introduction

We have the world at our fingertips, achieving cross-continental connection with a few taps on a screen. We glorify our ability to connect with people across the seas but neglect our ability to connect with people just around the corner. Technology allowed us to think so big that we forgot to design small. Exchange Zones were created to facilitate intimacy and collaboration within our neighborhoods. They promote the connectivity of hyperlocal communities. 

What are Exchange Zones?

Exchange Zones are secure, convenient locations that allow people to drop off and pick up items asynchronously. They simplify the process of item storage, giving people control over their schedules.

Do you remember feeling unable to dictate the way you spent your time during the COVID quarantine? Exchange Zones give you autonomy over your weekly calendar by sorting out logistics that would’ve taken extra time and attention. Instead of struggling to coordinate a specific time to pick up or drop off an item with another person, Exchange Zones allow people to work with longer periods that likely work for both parties. 

How Exchange Zones Can Make Your Life Easier

After using Exchange Zones, you'll wonder why you ever waited days to meet up with the middle-aged woman from Facebook Marketplace for that yoga mat.

Exchange Zones eliminate the risks associated with meeting strangers for online marketplace transactions. We’ve all had that gut-sinking feeling pulling up to a parking lot to meet a stranger for a good deal on a sweater. Some transactions are unbearably awkward and some end up worse. Senseless violence and even nervous encounters can all be eliminated by using an Exchange Zone to stay safe. 

While Exchange Zones make exchanges with others more convenient, you can drop off and pick up personal items on your own. You can’t travel very far without at least a little preparation. You might pack your sunglasses, hats, picnic blankets, or games for the kids. Or maybe you plan to visit a city during the day and check into a hotel at night. What do you do with your bag of toiletries, pajamas, and an outfit for the next day before you check into your hotel? City days can be a schlep. 

Carrying bags around cities interrupts your experiences within them. When you store your items in an Exchange Zone, you can explore freely and appreciate greater presence knowing that the burden of your luggage is off of your shoulders and in a safe place. Without dragging your roller suitcase around with you the entire day, stairs are no longer your enemy.

EZ Come, EZ Go - Using an Exchange Zone

1. Download a Relai App: Located on any App Store, download the SHIFT App to drop off and pick up items asynchronously.

1. Decide Which Exchange Zone to Use: Below is a list of the active Exchange Zones in Richmond, VA, and Atlanta, GA. Select any Exchange Zone that is convenient for you and the other party involved (if there is one). 

1. Dropping Off and Picking Up:  Follow the in-app prompts to drop off and pick up. Whether you’re sharing with a friend or quickly storing for yourself, the process and the prompts are the same.

Exchange Zone Locations

Exchange Zones operate in safe locations ranging from gyms to restaurants, convenience stores, and parks. Sites qualify as long as they are in public, well-lit areas. Today, Exchange Zones operate in Richmond and Atlanta.

Richmond, VA

When you visit Richmond, you’ll find yourself with a diverse  itinerary designed to keep you intellectually stimulated, active, and well-fed. From art and history museums to botanical gardens to delectable restaurants from every culture, you’ll be lost finding ways to pack it all in. 

When you’re paving your way through your itinerary, feel free to utilize one of these Exchange Zones to skip trips back to your hotel for necessities throughout the day:

Piffys Exchange Zone - 5718 Grove Ave, Richmond, VA 23226

Piffy Boutique is a charming, locally-owned clothing shop for women. Upon entering, you’ll be greeted by stylists eager to accommodate the flair you can bring to any occasion (work, a night out, etc.). All this at an affordable price, giving your wallet enough room to fund a sandwich at Taste or a burger at Jack Brown’s next door after your visit.

Vintage Boxing Gym Exchange Zone - 1202 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23230

Vintage boasts its status as Richmond’s best boxing gym. The gym welcomes participants at any skill level and promises that each competitor will leave feeling challenged and refreshed. Vintage Boxing Gym grants you access to firsthand professional boxing wisdom and an array of equipment, training, and recovery programs so that you can work your way toward becoming a modern-day Muhammad Ali.

35th St & Nst Exchange Zone - 701 N 37th St, Richmond, VA 23223

Enjoy a wholesome day with your family or friends at Bill Robinson Park. If you’ve been hopping on the pickleball wave, this park has you covered. You’ll find this park packed politely in Churchill, an endearing neighborhood full of vintage shops and farm-to-table restaurants. Use an Exchange Zone in Churchill to put your bags down while you have a toss with your son at Bill Robinson Park, enjoy a BBQ spot with an overlook, and then catch a breathtaking view of the river at Libby Hill Park.

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is a city that keeps you active from the daytime into the nighttime. You’ll find many lovely park scenes and interesting attractions to spice up your visit. Atlanta is full of high-ranked restaurants to keep you satisfied, and the opportunity to savor the evening hours at Atlanta’s riveting bars or clubs. 

While you enjoy everything Atlanta has to offer, free your hands by putting your bags in one of the Exchange Zones below:

Landmark Diner Exchange Zone - 3652 Roswell Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

If you’re craving the taste of home in the form of warm fries, crispy toast, or juicy bacon, you’ll find yourself in a booth at Landmark Diner. Landmark is a classic American diner adored for its hospitable service. Classically designed and hardly ever closed, Landmark offers a fleet of options so that you can find something for everyone. 

Beltline Exchange Zone - 828 Ralph McGill Blvd NE w4, Atlanta, GA 30306

Nothing beats the feeling after a clean shower, a proper haircut, and a new outfit. Just like us, when cities look good they feel good. The Beltline Exchange Zone can be found down the street from Ponce City Market at the entrance Union Fithub. By targeting this infrastructure, Beltline seeks to upgrade facets of Atlanta such as public parks, transportation, or homes, which results in improved mobility physically and economically as well as overall culture. 

Meta Multimedia Exchange Zone - 636 Interchange Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30336

Surpass your creative boundaries with Meta Multimedia’s production space. With 8,000 square feet and all of the sound and lighting equipment you need to produce a visual experience, you can let your imagination run amok with possibilities for your one-of-a-kind production or event. Meta Multimedia is known for its kind and welcoming energy, offering you the opportunity to collaborate with staff members prepared to bring your creative visions into reality.

Westview Mart Exchange Zone - 1570 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

In a world of artificially flavored and colored products we somehow refer to as food, you need somewhere like Westview Mart Convenience Store. This locally-owned grocery store hits you with the buzzwords that give you that warm feeling of health: “natural” and “organic.” When we fuel our bodies properly, we fuel the planet properly. Westview fosters a wonderful friendship between humans, Earth, and peace.

Atlanta Tech Park Exchange Zone - 107 Technology Pkwy, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092

Atlanta Tech Park is like Popeye’s spinach for entrepreneurs. Their mission is to help companies harness their ambitions in Georgia by providing services and advisers ready to tailor to the needs of those in the business world. Atlanta Tech Park supports a community of like-minded intellectuals who can enhance each other’s knowledge and thrive in the world of business.

Check out our Instagram @_relai to see Exchange Zones in action. 

Take it EZ

If you live near an Exchange Zone, your friends no longer have an excuse for not returning the books you lent them weeks ago. If you visit cities with Exchange Zones, enjoy a weight off your shoulders when you store your backpack for the day, allowing you to explore freely. Whether you’re storing your own items or dropping off and picking up with another person, Exchange Zones function as excuses to get to know your community better.

Supporting the weight of a full belly after an exquisite meal in Carytown in Richmond becomes easier when you're not also supporting the weight of your laptop, chargers, and books in your backpack. The sky's the limit when there's less dragging you down to the concrete.

Do yourself a favor, and make your life just a little bit EZ-ier. Visit https://www.relai.us/ to learn more.