The old Angelo’s space at the corner of Martin and Blount Streets will be home to Battistella’s, a New Orleans style restaurant. Opening in May, chef Brian Battistella brings his cooking experience straight from New Orleans to downtown Raleigh.
There are plans for outdoor seating and a full bar. If popular, this could bring more activity to a growing Martin Street scene. The sidewalks around Blount and Martin already get a little foot traffic so a place that is open at night will keep pushing the nightlife up a bit around Moore Square and City Market.
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- None right now. Must be a new project.
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Good news for city market. This should provide some direct competition for the Big Easy. I hope somebody can re-purpose the rum-runners space (I know its still in business) and the old Greenshields space still has a ton of promise. Anybody hear whats going in where Edelweis was?
I’m really looking forward to this. Menu seems delicious.
It sounds great in theory, but I really question the wisdom of having outdoor seating in a part of town that is plagued with vagrants. I avoid shopping & eating in this part of town because they can be so pushy & numerous around that area.
With more outdoor seating at restaurants and stuff, the people begging for money will go away because they’ll be shooed away by the business owners. The only reason people like that can thrive in an area is if there isn’t somebody actively shooing them away. You don’t see people begging for money in very active places in just about any city because the business owners have to keep those people away, or lose business.
Both Woody’s and Vic’s have had outdoor seating in City Market for some time. It’s not a new concept.
Well, then is sounds like Woody’s and Vic’s aren’t doing their jobs. If you’ve got people hitting up your customers for money, then it’s the business’ responsibility to take care of their problem. Any one business can keep their eyes open and take care of the problem. It’s not difficult to do. If Woody’s and Vic’s are ignoring their customers outside, then maybe this one new place can clean up the corner and make it a nice place to eat outside. This is a pretty common with businesses in downtown areas, but it’s easily fixed.
@Joe, I don’t think Haarvey was saying that the vagrants walk directly up to the restaurant seating, just that they are all around this area. Essentially he stays away from Moore Square and City Market in general. I think an indictment of Vic’s and Woody’s based off of his post is a bit silly. The fact is, plenty of people stay away from this area because Moore Square has a high population of bums. Hell, one got stabbed in a fight just a few weeks ago. Until they move the salvation army, and some of the other social services in this area it will always be like that. Its the very reason that the state is trying to prevent Raleigh from building Bathrooms and any other permanent structure along with the Moore Square re-development project. Most feel they would be overrun by the homeless. I am not sure what to do about the problem, with the city as a whole not having much of a homeless problem, but this area will always be the epicenter and scare some potential downtown visitors away.
City needs to get their heads out of their a_s and tear down the soup kitchens around Moore Square. Where are the cops? Raleigh is going to invest millions of dollars for the park, but still have these people wandering around? Move the housing out of downtown. It’s been going on for years, time to do something about it Raleigh. This topic is getting old.
If only it were that simple, Bill. If the permits are in order, shelter is paying its rent, etc. what’s there to do? However, there is real crime going on down there and a stronger police presence is called for. You can’t swing a stick on Fayetteville St. or Glenwood Ave without hitting a couple of cops. There is a RPD sub station right at Moore’s Square and yet I rarely see any sort of police presence there beyond the meter maids.
If the cops were there, helping to improve the safety, and busting bums for their antics, it might be the nice corner of downtown that it has the potential to be.
Just stay home you bunch of sissies. I live near Moore Square and this frightening plague of scary bums has been greatly exaggerated. The area will do fine without your business.
I, like C, live very close to Moore Square. It’s true the homeless problem is way exaggerated. True, the bus station, Salvation Army, etc… bring in their fair share of homeless, they have very rarely been a real problem. If someone asks you for a dollar, just treat them with some dignity and respond with “sorry, I don’t have any cash on me” and they will thank you and go on their way. There is no need to get your panties all ruffled by someone in need.
That being said, I would like to see more police patrolling the area on foot (or maybe even bring those fancy horses they like to parade along Fayetteville with). Also, I agree that with the upcoming $15m investment being made in the park, we do need to clean up the area. I’m sure a city with $15m to build a park in its coffers can offer a little financial incentive to the Salvation Army, soup kitchen, etc.. to move somewhere else.
[…] Excited for Battistella’s coming to City Market […]
What have other cities done about their social services. The Rescue Misssion and Salvation Army and will cause some clashing between the needy and those who come to other businesses in the area. Moving these groups out of downtown will not solve the problem and may actually make it worse for these individuals that would have to travel some where else.
All in all, I think the more businesses that locate to City Market and Moore Square, the less of a problem this will be perceived.
There is also a new panhandling ordinance going into effect soon that prevents panhandling within a certain amount of feet of outdoor seating. I would imagine the police and downtown ambassadors will be enforcing this pretty heavily, especially at the beginning.
With that being said though, I am a single female and live downtown. I’ve never felt threatened or scared by these folks. Most just want to chat and ask you for a dollar for your time. Downtown is very well lit and populated these days and unless you are just completely unaware then you should not have any problems.
The homeless thing isn’t scary, it’s just annoying. The City Market area is especially a problem with this, but I’ve been at the Flying Saucer several times and had bums come into the patio completely drunk/high and hit people up for money. I’ve also been persistently engaged by homeless people on my way to my car a short distance away from the bar/restaurant in numerous places in DT, from The Mint to Nash Square. It’s not that I can’t handle myself, it’s just that it’s really frustrating to have that kind of crap going on in a city that has so many people trying to improve it and get people downtown. I’m genuinely sorry they have a crappy life, but they’re usually mentally ill and addicts, and I don’t see why I need to be hassled by them when I’m spending my limited free time trying to enjoy myself. I think loitering and panhandling should be enforced more heavily with jail/rehab time (not fines… i mean seriously?), and get some of these people off the streets and into a program.
BTW, I mentioned Woody’s and Vic’s to point out that outdoor seating has existed in City Market for a while and seems to be just fine. And anyone who wants the city to tear down soup kitchens needs to check themselves. I’m proud of how well Raleigh treats the needy. That said, we could probably use a little more of a police presence in the Moore Square area at night to assuage peoples’ fears.
I moved to DT Raleigh living at the Hudson now for about a little under a year. I do agree the homeless situation is really annoying. I have friends that visit and whenever we walk anywhere in downtown, it’s scary and embarassing to be approached by these homeless. I hardly see police presence and the Raleigh Ambassadors are useless. We need to improve our image.
Regarding crime, I try to avoid anything west of Wilmington. With the barber murder, the suit shop stabbing, the Moore Square stabbing, and me personally witnessing two gang beatings at Moore Square, it’s scary as hell. I thought they were going to jump me too for witnessing it.
City really needs to do something about all this.
^^ Sorry I meant to say East of Wilmington St.
^^Sounds like a cul de sac in Cary is more your speed. Every incident you cite involved two individuals with a personal dispute. BTW, I’ve lived downtown for over a decade and have never witnessed a “gang beating.”
I’m sure if someone built the SA a nice facility in a different location that offered good services and opportunities for the folks in here, then there would be a reason for them to move. Otherwise, what can you do but enforce the law?
The Salvation Army is currently building a bigger facility out on Capital Blvd closer to the beltline, which they anticipate occupying by the end of this year, and their building is currently for sale. This will help to relieve some of this added pressure from the soup kitchen. Also from my understanding, the Rescue Mission, which is also at full capacity now, has it in their long term plan to build a larger facility in another part of the market.
I don’t think the barber murder or the suit shop stabbing were personal disputes. Show me where it says it was. And you should walk around Moore Square more. Maybe it’ll be your lucky day to view a gang beating.
The barber shop killer was a regular customer to the shop. He was not homeless. The homeless stabbing in the park was over a personal dispute. I doubt any of you people complaining would ever go in the suit store on Wilmington St, so you were in no danger on that one either. Not all of those scary brown people are dangerous, and many of them are not even homeless.
There are also plans to redesign the Moore Square parking deck/bus depot to cut out some of the “nooks and crannies” where people like to “hide out”. I think it’s a positive move just because it would make everything more pedestrian friendly, especially if they add a coffee shop or something there. If D is right and the SA and RRM are expanding their facilities, this is a good thing because it will increase the capacity to help the people who need those services and it should end all of this debate without relegating the homeless and needy to “problem” status.
I do think Moore Square and Wilmington need work, mostly because I think a lot of the spaces are underused and could be upgraded. I also think the real estate prices for that region are going to rise in the next 10 years with the construction of the Edison and Charter Square and any related additions. It would be a good idea for SA and RRM to get out of the area eventually when they could make a profit on their land sales, not get hit with higher property taxes and continue to offer the same (or better) services that they do now.
Have not heard of this project. Long overdue. Is the re-design complete and they will be breaking ground soon? any renderings?
If you’re talking about the Moore Square Bus Depot, this is the only thing I have.
http://www.raleighdla.com/home/2010/12/21/mastering-the-plan-for-moore-square-bus-station.html
I cannot POSSIBLY think when the last time any of you naysayers actually spent time in City Market – either it’s been a long, lonnnnng time, or you’re all just a bunch of Nervous Nellies who need to stay wayyyyyyy out in the ‘burbs (where crime ALSO occurs, btw).
I too live close to Moore Square – and frequent City Market at least 2-3 times a week…either having coffee at Benelux, eating/hanging outside, getting produce, just out for a walk, etc. It has been been YEARS since I’ve been approached by someone in the Market area for money, etc. – you don’t even really see them much! And for that matter, I never get approached in the park either. Are there homeless around, yes. Are there some unsavory characters around at times, yes. Do they bother/harrass people – VERY rarely.
Secondly, the homeless shelter IS going somewhere. They are renovating a major facility down Capital, which I believe is supposed to be finished some time next year.
Thirdly – with the exception of the stabbing at Isaacs last August, both the homeless stabbing AND the shooting at the barber shop were NOT RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE – the victims/assailants knew each other respectively. I don’t understand why this is so different than anywhere else in the world – or certainly in our immediate area. It sucks, but it can happen anywhere – and it does – and often! I don’t see how downtown Raleigh is so drastically different?!?!
And for anyone who won’t go east of Wilmington Street – you’re really missing out. There’s been lots and lots of positive activity the past few years. People are rehabbing houses, moving back, loving living close to downtown and the fact that it’s not some homogenous, cookie-cutter subdivision in NoRal…
But stay home, really – we don’t want your sourpusses around anyway!
You all need to come off the ledge and re-read the postings above. I think the pro-Moore square folks are feeding their own hysteria. Barely anybody said they felt unsafe, just annoyed by the homeless problem. I have lived in NYC, Miami, St. Louis, but I have to say that the concentration of homeless in raleigh between the bus station and the Salvation Army is substantial, especially in relation to downtown. I live on Hargett Street and spend plenty of time downtown, don’t fell the slightest unsafe, but there are still annoyances that need to be discussed. Most of the parking decks staircases in the area smell like piss, and there are plenty of panhandlers. Ivy, I don’t know if you are being honest, or if you walk around downtown @ 9:00am but its nearly impossible to walk around Moore Square and not get hit up for some food, change, or booze. I would say I have been asked 100+ times since I moved to downtown. We even met a guy that is always down there that parks his car 10 blocks away and changes into ratty clothes because panhandling is so lucrative in the area. The fact is, nobody is insane, or outlandish on this discussion, the homeless presence is there, it exists, and it could very easily be annoying to some. Maybe you urban gangsters don’t have a problem with it, but these businesses will continue to lose out on suburban families, old people, younger females, etc. because of both its perception and reality. That doesn’t mean these people need to “toughen up” or stop being so “soft” or whatever else is being spewed on here. Have a civic discussion without bashing the other side, especially when there is so clearly a problem at a base level that is well worth discussion!