Ever
since Money magazine touted the Triangle as
one of America’s hot spots, it’s
grown faster than the national debt. The Triangle
is a great place with grade-A academics—(Duke,
Carolina, NCSU to name a few), RTP—the
high-tech mecca, lots of big business (Glaxo,
IBM, the list goes on), cultural events, luxury
and affordable housing and more. Raleigh makes
up a third of the Triangle but what many people
may not know is what makes the Triangle so
great can be found right inside the beltline.
Yes,
in that area spanning from downtown Raleigh to
Interstate 440, you’ll find a bustling,
ever-evolving downtown. Conceptualized by planner
William Christmas in 1792, downtown Raleigh has
seen major growth in the past 30 years. The Odell
Plan of 1972 created the Raleigh Civic Center
and pedestrian malls, making downtown more accessible.
Today, the city’s program, Livable Streets,
assesses the variety of growth potential in this
budding area. It focuses on “5 in 5,” the
top five areas that will have the greatest impact
in the next five years: the Fayetteville Street
Mall Renaissance, a new convention center, a
more pedestrian-friendly downtown, better business
regulations, and a new approach to downtown management.
Part
of what makes downtown Raleigh special is the
historical City Market, a cobble-stoned street
with shops, art galleries and good eats, like
country breakfast at Big Ed’s. Not far
is Exploris with its brand-spankin’ new
IMAX theater, Pan-Asian at the Duck and Dumpling,
or a Broadway show at the BTI Center for the
Performing Arts. On the First Friday of every
month, the city’s art galleries open for
tours celebrating area artists.
Moving out from the
heart of downtown, you’ll find the Warehouse
District, a mass of large, abandoned brick buildings
converted to hot clubs, bars and restaurants.
Glenwood Avenue South and Powerhouse Square house
the nightlife scene. With loads of restaurants
(from French to Japanese to Tex-Mex), bars (be
it wine, art, cigars, pubs or pool), clubs and
condos all within walking distance, it’s
no wonder this is the place to be for Raleigh’s
twenty-and-thirty-somethings. In the daytime,
this spot is popular for lunch with cool places
like the Rockford and Sushi Blues and shopping
at art galleries and antique shops.
Two
neighborhoods in the heart of Raleigh are Five
Points and Oakwood. Both are walker-friendly
vicinities with charming old homes. The buck
doesn’t stop there though. Raleigh is a
much bigger city to explore. No matter where
you are in town, be it shopping at Cameron Village
or Crabtree Mall, NCSU basketball or the Carolina
Hurricanes, a Broadway show or the Carolina Ballet,
the North Carolina Museum of Art or the Museum
of History, you don’t have far to go to
find things to do. Though the Triangle has it
all, you don’t need to leave your own backyard.
Great entertainment, food, shopping, sports and
everyday living is right here inside the beltline.
Written
by Dina Di Maio
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