I still have not been able to come up with a concrete opinion on the subject. I do not smoke and with my friends, some do and others do not. My tolerance to it is much higher then most people so I generally do not mind being in a restaurant or a bar that allows smoking inside. I do prefer a non-smoking place over the other but only in a few instances has that been a determining factor in my activities. Everyone has a different opinion here and comes from different lifestyles so I believe no one is truly right. Here is some coverage of the proposed smoking ban in the state for those not following it.

– N&O: Smoking ban passes second reading

– WRAL: N.C. House passes public smoking ban

– ABC11: Price of cigarettes goes up

Rather then discuss the new ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, because that won’t get us anywhere, let’s focus on downtown Raleigh and how the ban may affect the area. If all bars went non-smoking, it is tough to tell how people would change, if at all, their regular drinking and eating spots. My group of friends have a pretty set pattern of bars we go to and I think that pattern will remain no matter what. Others may go to a bar more often if it was forced to be smoke free, changing their usual lineup of watering holes. It varies on people and groups of friends. With that said, the largest impact of the no smoking ban would be on tourists to downtown Raleigh. (and props to Chris for giving me this blog post idea)

While the local population will quickly adjust and think nothing of it in no time, visitors have the highest potential of recognizing this change and thinking positively of downtown Raleigh. I have nothing against people smoking but if you look at the following two scenarios, most of us will agree on the general result. I’ll focus on bars since this is the most likely place to find smoking going on; restaurants usually do a good job of offering seperate sections.

Situation: A group of 100 people visit downtown on a weekend and are staying in downtown hotels, 50 are smokers and 50 are non-smokers.

I Current scenario: Decision is up to the business owner.

Right now, downtown Raleigh has more bars that allow smoking then prohibit it. Our 100 visitors decide to venture out and see what downtown has to offer. In my opinion, I think that smokers will be mildly inconvenienced. The very few places that do not allow it do have access to the outdoors, whether it is their own patio or outside the front door on the sidewalk. For the non-smokers, it will all depend on how well they tolerate it (and I know some places are worse then others) but most bars in downtown Raleigh will inconvenience this visiting crowd. If they have to step outside for fresh air, that means they have to leave the place they chose to visit, possibly upsetting that visitor. Also, people usually seek out non-smoking places and since downtown Raleigh offers only a handful of options, it may not look good to most of the non-smoking crowd.

Conclusion:

Smokers – mostly happy, above average impression of DT Raleigh.

Non-smokers – average, DT Raleigh is ok.

II Possible future: Zero smoking allowed in all bars.

Now that all bars are smoke free, we can talk about how the same 100 visitors may act. With no option at all, smokers have to make use of outdoor areas, which is shared by everyone, and for the most part, less bothersome then lighting up indoors. Since this is the same way everywhere, I think that those who choose to smoke will accept it. The non-smoking crowd has one less thing to worry about and smoke will never negatively impact their opinion of downtown Raleigh.

Conclusion:

Smokers – Mostly happy, above average impression of DT Raleigh.

Non-smokers – mostly happy, above average impression of DT Raleigh.

There is no science to this little scenario I just blabbed on about but please comment if you feel differently. I am not saying smoking is the only factor that affects downtown’s impression but if it was a non-issue, then that would be the way to go. Anyway, the simple point I’m trying to make is that if there was consistency across the board, everyone would adjust fine rather then cope with an inconvenience and possibly carry a negative opinion about our area. Here is a Wikipedia entry with a map showing states and their current smoking bans. There are lots of states with some level of restriction of smoking in restaurants and bars. The non-smoking crowd is much more likely to think negatively of downtown bars if they come from a state that bans it. I do not know the answer to this but would a smoker from these same states like downtown Raleigh more if he or she found out they could smoke indoors? These days, I’d bet the answer is no in most cases.

“The North Carolina Business Court’s Raleigh division will move to the Campbell University law school when the university relocates to downtown Raleigh this fall.”

– N.C. Business Court in Raleigh will move to Campbell’s new law school – Triangle Business Journal:

“Raleigh plans to install eight plug-in stations around the city in the coming months under a program called Project Get Ready. The project was initiated by the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado-based nonprofit that encourages efficient uses of natural resources. Indianapolis and Portland, Ore. are also participating…………….
………Meeker said a majority of the initial stations will be located in the city’s parking garages downtown and near N.C. State University.”

– Raleigh to install plug-in stations for hybrids – Local & State – News & Observer

After eight days and 2500+ miles driven, I’m finally back in Raleigh and it is great to be home. I have no content right now as I am getting back into the swing of things but do have some ideas for discussion.

If you want to see what happened in 2008, check the archives, but for those looking ahead, what do you want to see happen in 2009? I have a couple ideas for a short term wishlist for next year. The talk about downtown skyscrapers and arenas is great but we can’t forget about the smaller things that downtown needs. What is possible to happen in a years time?

I was in Birmingham for the NC State football game and my experience of the city was average. It got me thinking about the experience a new visitor to Raleigh has. It is a little hard for someone living in Raleigh to put yourself in their shoes but I’d be really interested to hear about someone’s first visit to Raleigh and how the city/downtown plays host.

Also a new camera is on the way and I’m really trying to work on my photography skills as well as do some really cool photo projects.

Happy New Year!

If you have been reading the site for awhile now, you may have noticed things being a little slow. I’ve been real busy lately but have no fear, it’s just because I have been making tons of plans. Last week alone consisted of hockey, football, birthday, and a trip to West Virginia. Hopefully I’ll be able to ramp up some new content for the blog this week.

In the mean time here are some pics for discussion, viewing, or any other shenanigans you crazies can come up with.

FAIL! I still like the coffee though.

Ugly Monkey

Did you know that Raleigh has a small fleet of cars that run on alternative fuels? Almost a year ago it was announced that the city bought a Toyota Prius and modified it to run on only electricity. It wasn’t until recently that I was told by a friend about where this famous Raleigh Prius re-charges. It has its own space and electrical plug right on the bottom floor of the municipal parking deck on Morgan St.

The Prius was not there while I was lurking around the deck but other city vehicles were parked around it. It was interesting to see a car using natural gas as a fuel source.

Eventually one of these vehicle technologies will be adopted if gasoline ever goes away. If electricity prevails, you can see here how easy it is to upgrade parking spaces with simple electrical outlets.

RALEIGH —The walkways crisscrossing the State Capitol grounds in downtown Raleigh are soon slated to get a facelift, but first the N.C. Office of State Archaeology will search to find out more about the original 1920s-era paths.

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, and Thursday, Aug. 7, Assistant State Archaeologist John Mintz and his crew will begin to dig three or four trenches on the Capitol grounds. The project’s goal is to determine what sections of the Union Square walkway still have original pavement beneath them.

In 1926, the state hired the Olmsted Brothers’ landscape design firm (the sons of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted who designed New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Lincoln and Grant Parks) to turn what was then an unkempt square into a park-like setting. This design featured pebbled concrete footpaths, geometric grass plots and space for future monuments. In the decades since, sections of the walkways were replaced as needed.

Since few documents on the original paths still exist, the archaeologist hopes to determine if any original sidewalks exist beneath the surface and if so, how they were built. To do this, archaeologists will examine and compare preparation techniques; for example, they will try to determine whether workers positioned the concrete slabs on a base of gravel, sand or other material. If it is discovered that all of the concrete was laid over the same type of material, that will indicate that the paths were likely laid at the same time. However, if some of the concrete is found to be laid over gravel, while other sections were prepared with sand, this finding would show that the walkways were put in place at different times and are not the original walks.

This week’s archaeology project is the first step in an enhancement project for Capitol Square that focuses on repairing hazardous sections of concrete and improving the square’s accessibility. Areas targeted include broken sections of walk on the east side of the Capitol and on the northeast corner and the Morgan Street entrances to the square, which need improved accessibility. At the east entrance project, the wheelchair ramp will be redesigned, and problems with the east entrance caused by the original ramp’s installation in the 1970s will be addressed.

In late 2006, the Capitol received funds from the N.C. Department of Transportation that were matched 80/20 with additional monies provided by the N.C. Department of Administration’s “Access North Carolina” accessibility remediation fund. The project will begin pending the release of federal funds and is tentatively scheduled to start by the end of this year.

A National Historic Landmark, the State Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the United States. It features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance. Until 1888, its granite walls housed all of state government, and the legislature met here until 1961. Today, the governor and his staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the architecture, history and functions of the 1840 Capitol building and Union Square where it is located. In downtown Raleigh, the Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. Free parking is available in state lots near the Capitol.

For more information on the Capitol itself, call 919-733-4994 or go to http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/default.htm.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2008 theme observance of “Telling Our Stories.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.