Raleigh was rocked by the death of longtime PNC Arena General Manager Davin “Dave” Olsen on Jan. 30. A stand-up guy in the community, Olsen will be remembered for his cheerful attitude, kindheartedness and generosity—not to mention his role with PNC and the Carolina Hurricanes. Olsen played a huge role in the construction of PNC Arena—which officially opened in 1999—and operating and maintaining the building for another 20-plus years as the executive vice president and general manager. He worked with the Carolina Hurricanes until 2021, after which he went on to join a smaller arena in Corpus Christi, Texas, and served on the Holt Brothers Foundation advisory board for many years. Though Olsen will be greatly missed, his contributions to the Raleigh community will not be forgotten.
Raleigh Magazine first dropped the news of Craften food hall by local hospitality visionaries Max Trujillo (of NC F&BPodcast co-host fame) and Kip Downer (entrepreneur and owner of multiple Burn Boot Camp locations) last May—and, finally, the long-awaited concept has opened in Knightdale! As a quick refresh, Craften is a reimagined food hall that allows customers to order food and drinks directly from an app and have everything brought to them by a server—a major upgrade to the standard food hall humdrum experience of splitting up and waiting in multiple lines for different types of food. Instead, this “food hall for all” lets you choose in one fell swoop from a host of inviting vendors—including Fiori Trattoria, Poblanos Tacos, Finca Burger and The Corner Venezuelan—and grab a craft cocktail, beer or glass of wine from the Craften Bar to enjoy on the rooftop patio… all without waiting in line. Now how’s that for a well-crafted experience? One better? Stay tuned for the Clayton iteration. craftenfood.com
Just because we don’t want Raleigh to become Charlotte doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate it for a fun-filled weekend getaway.
The Queen City is ready to roll out the red carpet and give you a royal welcome. Just a quick 2.5-hour drive down I-85, Charlotte awaits as the perf overnight perch or weekend getaway with its bustling big-city vibes, choice cultural and culinary offerings, and thriving nightlife and sports scene (hey, Panthers and NASCAR Hall of Fame!).
From ever-popular Camp North End and NoDa to buzzy South End and Uptown Charlotte (pro tip: do not call it downtown lest you get glares…), the city’s crown jewels (aka hoods) serve up plenty of fun for everyone. The Center City district alone dishes 200-plus restos, with myriad nightlife, retail, arts and culture selects to strike any fancy—not to mention 52 miles of greenway for that en plein air feel.
So whether you’re looking to dance the night away, relish a good ole Southern meal, imbibe on a cocktail (skyline views included!) or peep some local art, Charlotte’s calling—and no matter what throne you perch on, these Queen City picks promise to reign supreme.
U.S. National Whitewater Center
DO
Pins Mechanical Company
“When life gives you balls, play with them.” Can’t argue with that. Located in the heart of South End, this play-meets-potables public house offers plenty of ball action (had to) with the likes of foosball, pinball, duckpin bowling and pingpong—plus a lineup of cocktails, beer and wine that promises to help you keep your head in the game.pinsbar.com
Funny Bus Comedy City Tour
Laughter is the best medicine—and turns out also the best way to see the sights of the Queen City. CLT’s Funny Bus combines a 90-minute informational tour with a BYOB comedy show (PG-13 and R-rated tours available to raunch it up a notch) that’ll have you and your crew giggling at every turn. funnybus.net
U.S. National Whitewater Center
Splish, splash. This water wonderland offers tons o’ wet-n-wild ops on the world’s largest man-made whitewater river—from whitewater rafting to kayaking to stand-up paddleboarding—plus droves of dryland fun like zip lining, free-fall jumps and hiking. And, on March 12, go green with a magical 5K color run through the trails—leprechaun sightings possible.whitewater.org
The Goodyear House
EAT
The Goodyear House
“Built on good times,” NoDa’s The Goodyear House was reimagined from a circa 1900s mill home (which was added onto during the original family’s “good years”) into a cozy resto that maintains that homey feel thanks to its preserved historic aesthetic. But the best throne to perch on is on the twinkly light-covered patio—clearly putting the “good” in Goodyear—complete with its own bar and a menu dishing the likes of smoked cashew mac (vegan!), red devil chicken, and a “goopy” burger. thegoodyearhouse.com
Leah & Louise
This modern juke joint from two-time James Beard-nominated chef Greg Collier and business partner/wife Subrina Collier is sure to get you jazzed for brunch, lunch and dinner fare inspired by the cuisine of Delta cities Memphis, Jackson and Nawlins—think pork neck sliders, smoked confit chicken wings, river chips (aka chicken skins), and blackened catfish. So, in essence, soul food that promises to feed your soul…leahandlouise.com
Haberdish
Authentic interiors beckon—like wooden tabletops and copper lights handcrafted right in the Queen City—at this mill town Southern kitchen and craft cocktail concept that doubles as one of Charlotte’s fave brunch and dinner spots. Go for the Carolina-inspired fare featuring locally sourced ingredients (pro tip: The fried chicken is a must). Stay for the sunny patio—with a side of biscuits, naturally. haberdish.com
DRINK
Cloud Bar by David Burke
Don’t go bacon our hearts… All outings at Cloud Bar rooftop bar and restaurant can and should (pause for emphasis) start with the DB Maple-Glazed Bacon Clothesline—literally three pieces of sweet, crispy bacon served on a mini clothesline with a pickle and lemon wedge. Follow that with a craft cocktail and 360-degree views of Charlotte and you’re sure to be on cloud nine.cloudbarbydb.com
The Suffolk Punch
This brewery meets coffee bar meets culinary cafe and taphouse really packs a punch when it comes to bevs. Swing by in the morn for a cuppa joe brewed fresh from ethically grown and responsibly sourced beans. Or, as the day wanes, go beer-serk with 50-plus brews on tap (both made in-house and procured from in-state breweries) paired perfectly with palatable plates that rotate seasonally. thesuffolkpunch.com
The Royal Tot
Adventure—served by the Tiki glass—awaits at this urban tropical paradise… er, two-story bar dubbed for the “daily tot” rum drink of choice of British Navy sailors. The downstairs Tiki bar and casual upper deck (dubbed The Bird’s Nest) are chill spots to imbibe on fruity cocktails like pina coladas, mai tais and painkillers. Vacation-worthy, indeed. theroyaltot.com
STAY
Omni Charlotte Hotel
Game, set, match—poolside, propped up in front of one of the largest double-sided LED screens in the city at this hip hotelier’s rooftop Coin Bar. Add to that killer cocktails and stellar views of the skyline—plus some post-dips and -sips in-room spa service—and you won’t want to leave your hotel. But we still think you should. omnihotels.com/hotels
Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte
Located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, this art-astic boutique hotel serves up a grand respite fit for royalty, thanks to Argentinian-influenced rooms, eclectic restaurants, a rooftop bar with dreamy views, and its close proximity to some of the Queen City’s hottest destinations. marriott.com
Refuge
Take refuge at this intimate five-room hotel that pays tribute to the Indian American community, which, behind the scenes, “has fueled the growth of [the hotel] industry over the last several decades.” Unconventionally configured rooms with a homey, quaint apartment vibe beckon, while the bar—in collaboration with The Royal Tot—serves up lit libations from Larry Suggs of ETA Group. refugeoncentral.com
Wanna head further south or west? Check out our recent Getaway stories for Miami Beaches and Scottsdale.
Born out of civil unrest, The Black Dollar Corp.’s forthcoming creator’s space breeds community.
There were two very important things that came out of the events of 2020 (from the first shutdowns to the civil unrest seen nationwide), according to The Black Dollar Corp. CEO Johnny Hackett Jr.: the first being “how well we have been supporting small, local businesses” and the second obviously revolving around social justice issues regarding African Americans.
Black Dollar worked together with other groups like Downtown Raleigh Alliance, A Place at the Table and Carpenter Development with a lens focused on doing more around those two issues. And Black Dollar even changed its official objectives and mission statements to ensure that work would continue moving forward.
As a result of that continued effort, Black Dollar is opening a “creator’s space” in Downtown Raleigh (directly behind Trophy Brewing + Pizza) dubbed The Factory. A partnership with Zach Leverenz—CEO of SEED SPOT, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support traditionally underrepresented, marginalized entrepreneurs—The Factory will offer small manufacturing equipment like T-shirt printers and press machines, coworking desks, crowdfunding, workshops, and training sessions for any small local business owner to join and take advantage of.
“Each organization has their lane, and our strength is working with small, minority, Black, women-owned business owners and entrepreneurs—so when ‘troubled times’ come, we focus on that demographic and how we can do better, support, and make more long-lasting changes to serve them,” says Hackett.
Carpenter Development managing partner David Meeker first approached Hackett about the space—located in the former NC School Book Depository—last year, originally asking him if he knew anyone who would be interested in it and how it should be used. Turns out, Hackett was the answer he was looking for, and, thanks to a Walmart grant through SEED SPOT, Hackett was able get funding for renovations and interior design tweaks—headed by The Factory CMO Jae Flagler and COO Dominique Crosby, the duo also behind the interior design of Black Friday Market—which, first and foremost meant creating an open, lounge-type feel where individuals can work collaboratively without feeling isolated or siloed.
Unlike with many traditional coworking spaces, The Factory will actually emphasize businesses across different industries working among each other and lifting each other up via its open layout, which intentionally forces engagement (think social event lounges and open spaces—not to mention a bar!), plus events. “It’s figuring out how we can create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts together,” says Leverenz.
And this is just one of the many ways in which the uber-community-driven Hackett is putting such a huge emphasis on supporting his community, African Americans, and hardworking small business owners in general through The Factory.
“We try to increase the support and opportunities we already provide for African American business owners, while also collaborating and building ways in which all small-business owners can share in those opportunities,” maintains Hackett. “2020 was a gut check. … I think it made us all really drill down to what we could do in our own communities and surroundings to help out.”
While Hackett doesn’t expect The Factory to open until April, there are currently free trainings taking place within the space, and he encourages the public to check out the site and provide feedback on the layout while it’s in progress—or even pick up a paintbrush and help out. “We don’t mind inviting people in here early to see stuff happening,” he says. “I want the community to follow along with our journey and share in that,” which is contradictory to most developers who only want the public to see the final, finished product.
Adds Carpenter Developer COO Kate Charland, “Something I think is really incredible about [Johnny] is that he has this big vision for what’s happening around town, but he seems to have these people that he works with that he really trusts to execute the vision—and I’m gonna tell you, that is remarkable.” Remarkable, indeed. thefactory.community
NCMA gives us the exclusive on its new commissioned children’s book, The Museum Lives in Me.
As a kid, there was nothing more exciting than going on a school field trip—getting out of class; the wonder of a new, unfamiliar place; an interactive learning experience. … Channeling that excitement in book form is the NCMA, commissioning Victoria Scott-Miller, owner of Liberation Station Bookstore, to create a children’s book about the museum’s People’s Collection—NC’s state art collection.
Titled The Museum Lives in Me, the book—illustrated by Raleigh-based artist JP Jermaine Powell and set to be released May 21—showcases the discovery of the collection by a group of students on a field trip, highlighting their meaningful connections to art.
Promotional portraits of artist JP Jermaine Powell, illustrator of The Museum Lives in Me, a children’s book commissioned by the NCMA.
With every turn of the page, teacher Miss Edmonia—which Scott-Miller named after Edmonia “Wildfire Lewis,” the first professional African American and Native American sculptor—helps children discover and interact with well-known pieces from the People’s Collection, including Mickalene Thomas’ Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires, Romare Bearden’s New Orleans: Ragging Home and Yayoi Kusama’s LIGHT OF LIFE.
“This beautiful story highlights the joy and understanding that art can bring to everyone, particularly children,” says Museum Director Valerie Hillings.
An homage to Black women, many of the students are also named after lesser-known Black female artists, like student Kara-Clementine, whose namesakes are artists Kara Walker and Clementine Hunter. “We talk about the artwork—but not the artists,” explains Scott-Miller. “I wanted to make sure the names were called.”
Promotional portraits of Victoria Scott-Miller, author of The Museum Lives in Me, a children’s book commissioned by the NCMA.
Powell, who worked closely with Scott-Miller on both the story and the illustrations, says that they spent a lot of time revisiting their pasts, exchanging stories and “coming up with great experiences to make the characters come alive and feel authentic.”
Ultimately, the pair hopes the book illustrates for both adults and children how fascinating the museum really is while helping teach them to take inventory of their own inner exhibits worth discovering and celebrating, says Scott-Miller. “You don’t necessarily have to be in the museum to be part of the museum,” Powell adds. But through The Museum Lives in Me, you can be a part of its story. Available at Museum Store, and Black-owned and independent bookstores nationwide, including Liberation Station Bookstore
