by Leo Suarez

2009 Downtown Wishlist

Now that the holidays are over, and you now have time to read the blog, we can discuss a couple of ideas for what downtown should have in 2009. What is possible to create within a year’s time that will add to the vibrancy of downtown, serving residents as well as visitors? Here is a short list to get the ideas flowing.

Grocery store

A lot of conversations I’ve had with people considering to move downtown are about the lack of a grocery store in the area. They hesitate to move because of the fact that they still need to get in their cars and drive somewhere. There are not that many residents yet in downtown so it will be a gamble for someone to open the first within the core downtown.

I do believe that if done properly, it can be successful. Most people that visit a suburban grocery store buy enough food for days, some weeks even. If downtown, this store needs to do the opposite and provide me with fresh food and other products for only a couple days. This leads to repeat visits from customers, a much more personal experience, and I really feel that downtown residents will support a locally owned store with local produce.

Music venue

Another music alternative to Lincoln Theatre and The Pour House would be great. It could possibly fill the void ever since King’s was demolished or maybe head in another direction. My guess would be a larger venue but I’m also not into the current market for it. Maybe the demand is not here in this area but I see tours all the time skip over Raleigh completely, at least the music that I’m paying attention too. If they even come to North Carolina, Charlotte usually grabs them and I’m tired of making the 2 hour drive out there and back in one night.

24 hour food

My dream would be some kind of diner that is always open, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner 24 hours a day. The food does not have to be gourmet at all, more like home-cooked at a reasonable price. Right away, I could see the nightlife crowd lining up until 4am to get some breakfast. It would be the most reliable spot to send people looking for a bite when they check into a hotel late, are up extra early for work, or anyone that doesn’t want to spend much at a restaurant.

By the slice pizza and delivery

If you have been reading RalCon for awhile now, you know my personal desire to see a good, hole-in-the-wall, pizza place. It would be nothing fancy at all except damn good pizza. An added bonus would be delivery in and around downtown. I could see a couple people running all over downtown taking pizza up to the condos or riding bikes out to Oakwood or Boylan Heights making deliveries.

At least one corporate re-location to downtown

The current economy may have a play here but office space is being built in downtown and we need companies to fill them. Charter Square is the obvious candidate and I’d like to hear of at least one announcement of a major company moving to downtown. A couple hundred more employees to the 9 to 5 scene may help the other suggestions above actually happen.

Online Raleigh scene

As a blogger and tech enthusiast, I’d like to see the current internet scene about the city pushed even more. I want more blogs to get started, more pictures to be uploaded, and just more internet chatter about this great city. Video blogging is still in its infancy and podcasting is pretty much silent. If you have any good links or know someone that is doing some interesting work online about Raleigh, post it or let me know about it.

by Leo Suarez

Back From Vacation

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!

by Leo Suarez

Cleaning up Bloomsbury Estates

The finishing touches to the building are being put up and the area around it is finally coming together. The sidewalk is being poured and the brick parking lot is being laid out. Just from walking around, the set back building reminds me of Park Deveraux, with an area for bushes and trees with a fence lining the sidewalk. I think this is fitting since the building sits on the edge of neighborhoods and there will be little foot traffic.

There is a stone on the corner of Boylan and Hargett that gives a shout out to the old Wake County courthouse. Readers, help me out here, has this stone always been at this location? I have actually never seen it before.

I know this building has been heavily criticized throughout the blogosphere but whatever your opinion is on Bloomsbury Estates, you’ve got to give them credit on the extra attention to detail. Compared to current condo buildings, this one has a little more substance then the others in downtown Raleigh.

New street, Independence Place, goes right in front of the building.

by Leo Suarez

Downtown Raleigh Circulator Analyzed

A great addition is possibly coming to downtown next month. The city is proposing a free downtown circulator (finally!) and has more details on their website here, with a .pdf map of the route here.

Let’s geek out a little and break down the route to see how much nicer travel within downtown will be. This is what we know or will assume:

  • The link above claims a bus will arrive every 10-15 minutes.
  • One bus will run the route at all times.

Unless you are speeding, no one can drive that entire route under the speed limit in 10 minutes. I know this because I tried it. (disclaimer: Yes, I do have a life. It just so happened that I needed to move my car and I got curious so I decided to drive the route and time it) Driving the route at a normal speed with little traffic takes just under 15 minutes. Add stop time for passengers and we are looking at a 20 minute total route time with one bus; if traffic is bad, who knows. So the wait time may suck but running two buses at peak hours will take care of that problem easily.

Travel time is hands down more convenient. Assuming a 20 minute round trip time, let’s assume that it takes 10 minutes to get to the midway point in the route. For example, if you are at the Performing Arts Center you can get to Glenwood South in about 10 minutes. The alternative is a 20 minute walk, $5 cab ride, or the guilt of punishing one unlucky rickshaw driver. With the circulator, you can sit down, pay nothing, and are out of the rain/cold/whatever.

The actual route looks very simple and touches on each downtown area. The downtown core is serviced through Wilmington St. with a stop at each block. This is very convenient for each block and the parking decks along the corridor. The route going straight down Glenwood South will probably be slowed by nightlife crowds but this is only a few hours of the week so it should not be changed. I think a stop at Davie and Dawson would make more sense then the stop at Cabarrus and Dawson because there are more businesses on Davie then Cabarrus. It is only one block however so no one should complain. The convention center is serviced beautifully with a stop right at the front door. This will also be extremely convenient for those staying at the Sheraton and the Marriott.

This simple loop should work out very well. Think of it like this; anyone is at least three blocks from a stop at anytime. That is a huge jump in convenience for anyone lurking around downtown. Also, the fact that the city wants to run hybrid buses is another bonus. Every hotel lobby, building lobby, and museum should have route maps to inform people of its existence.

Two thumbs up!


Green buses [UPDATE: 8:31am] This is what the buses could look like, not the actual buses that will be used.