Category / News

by Leo Suarez

RalCon Polls

Along with a couple other site tweaks, I’m also going to have a poll up for readers to participate in. It is displayed on the site’s sidebar so make sure and check back on the current voting progress. I’ll also update everyone with the start and end of a new poll. I plan to do this at most twice a month.

The first question I ask relates to the Moore Square redesign. Its actually a very simple question; do we need to redesign the square at all? Currently, the city is having a design competition where groups will submit their plans for a new Moore Square. Upgrades are great but we first must identify a reason for this redesign. In my opinion, I do not see a problem with the current setup and feel that the real focus should be elsewhere in downtown. However, there is some real talent in this area and if a world class design comes forward, it may be worth considering.

The poll will be open through August 31st so cast your vote and leave your comments below.

by Leo Suarez

RalCon Updates

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I’ll be doing some behind the scenes work on the website. Regular visitors to the site should see a couple changes throughout the week. RSS and e-mail subscribers will see business as usual so jump to the main page when you have a chance and explore the new additions.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

The 100 block of East Davie St. has LED lights installed and running at night. Notice the difference between the new, brighter lighting and the traditional lighting along Blount St.

Raleigh is leading an effort to become more energy efficient. One way is through the use of LED lights around the city. We would become an ‘LED city’ as its referred to by the LED City Initiative. Here’s some more reading for you to get your daily greens in.

Some American cities, including Ann Arbor, Mich., and Raleigh, N.C., are using the lights to illuminate streets and parking garages, and dozens more are exploring the technology.

Green Promise Seen in Switch to LED Lighting (via The New York Times)

Raleigh Recognizes Greater than 40 Percent Energy Savings as Municipal Garage Switches to LED Lighting.

Raleigh, NC the First LEDCity Installs LED Parking Garage Lighting (via Solutions For LED Lights)

The Mayor also said this is the time for Raleigh to vigorously pursue its role as the first LED City and explore and implement further ways to use LED lighting.

Mayor Calls For Boldness To Combat Economic Challenges (Via City of Raleigh)

by Leo Suarez

BeerCon: Boylan Bridge Brewpub

The Boylan Bridge Brewpub is a brewpub near the Boylan bridge. (duh!) Anyway, besides the simple name, the ‘bridgepub’ deserves a visit by any beer fan in downtown Raleigh. The beer is brewed on site and they serve a variety of styles from their lighter colored Gaston Golden to the darker Bruno Bitter. You can also order wine if a tasty brew does not quite hit the spot on a warm evening. (ladies?) The food has received mixed reviews but if you want to play it safe, go for the onion rings.

The big draw of the bridgepub is the large outdoor patio with a great view of the Raleigh skyline. Every nice day or night I’ve visited, the patio has been packed with others enjoying the weather and the view. Walk down Hargett St. from downtown and give it a try.

website: http://www.boylanbridge.com/

201 South Boylan Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27603
(Go to map)
(919)803-8927


Via DTRaleigh on Flickr

by Leo Suarez

Shimmer Wall Showing Canes Pride?


Photo taken at 9:08pm, 5/26/08

During the Canes’ implosion last night, I decided to get one last picture of the shimmer wall. I read here that the Raleigh Convention Center was lighting up the shimmer wall the color red while the Carolina Hurricanes were working their way through the playoffs. Having never seen this, or previously known about it, one last picture before the season ended was in order. Sadly, this was not to be. Did anyone see it during the last few weeks of hockey action? What do you think of the shimmer wall light show overall?


The shimmer wall always looks good during the day. See this picture large on Flickr.

by Leo Suarez

Turning Up The RalCon

It has been a couple weeks but now is finally the time to get this blog thing rolling again. I’m back from my China adventure and finally feel caught up with the latest Raleigh news. This time of year usually is pretty busy in downtown Raleigh as a lot of events are going on and the weather starts to warm up, bringing lots of people out. I just wanted to update to show people that I am still alive and have some ideas that I may or may not write about. Development is real slow these days but that does not mean there is anything to talk about. Here are a couple ideas for future posts.

  • Beer drinking in Raleigh, the success of The World Beerfest, and places that support the scene.
  • Wayfinding signs review.
  • Redesigning Moore Square; are people asking for green space upgrades in downtown or is the city hoping it will encourage more usage? Do we need this at all right now?
  • Transit. There’s always something to talk about here.
  • Maybe a rant about how many people want by-the-slice pizza but no one will open a place.