Big changes are coming to a long-neglected junction of DTR.
A long-dilapidated pocket of Downtown Raleigh wedged between the Capital District, Warehouse District and Glenwood South is finally seeing a surge of activity—injecting new life into a stretch long defined by vacant buildings and abandoned surface lots.
400H: Nick McLamb, Raleigh Real Estate Photography
Anchored by mixed-use development 400H and upcoming projects Garden West and 500 Hillsborough, the junction at West and Hillsborough streets is shifting from an eyesore into an emerging hub. And that narrative will only continue to unfold as the new projects gain traction.
Commercial real estate firm HM Partners placed the first big bet on the area with 400H, a project years in the making before bowing in 2023.
“I felt the center of gravity for Downtown activity was leaning west as opposed to east,” reflects managing partner Gregg Sandreuter. “It seemed like this block was the right spot and could become a pretty nifty location.”
The prediction has largely paid off: Today, the development is teeming with residents, office tenants, and popular destinations Press and Brass Tap.
Building on that momentum, Sandreuter purchased the long-defunct CrossFit building across the street—an eyesore in its own right—where he plans to launch Garden West, a hospitality-driven concept that could see either one larger tenant or two to three smaller ones, he teases.
Garden West: HM Partners
Meanwhile, DC-based Dalian Development’s proximal 500 Hillsborough—which recently entered demolition—will add more than 220 modern residential units and 10K square feet of ground-floor retail space on a central block that previously housed Flex Nightclub and Montgomery Violins, among others.
Taken together, the trio of developments could create what Sandreuter calls a new node of activity just beyond DTR’s traditional epicenters. “The more the merrier,” he says. “It’ll create a new sort of critical mass for Downtown.”
The area already benefits from nearby anchors like Taverna Agora, Second Empire and Jubala’s new Pendo building location, as well as a planned renovation of the iconic “hair-curler” Holiday Inn.
“It’s hard to imagine this corner of Downtown not getting better.”
—Gregg Sandreuter, Managing Partner, HM Partners
Sandreuter envisions the district evolving into something a little different from neighboring Glenwood South—less late-night hot spot, more daytime-to-evening gathering place. “I think this spot is becoming Downtown’s new 8am to 9pm place: safe, clean, pleasant, and an easy walk to apartments, restaurants and offices,” he muses, predicting a polished mix of residential, office and retail energy that steers clear of late-night revelry—as long as spillover doesn’t occur.
In short, the long-overlooked intersection is quickly becoming more destination than pass-through—and the perception is already starting to shift. “It’s a neat, improving part of Downtown that five years from now will be even better,” emphasizes Sandreuter. Proof that a once-overlooked corner can evolve into one of the city’s most dynamic nodes.
Street Cred While Hillsborough Street may not carry the same clout as Fayetteville Street—aka Raleigh’s Main Street—it’s still a prominent Downtown thoroughfare, connecting the Capital to Glenwood South before extending through NC State and on to the fairgrounds. When Raleigh was first mapped out in 1792, the then-dubbed dirt Hillsboro Road served as a route to the small Orange County town of the same name. It wasn’t until 1910 that it evolved into a bustling corridor seeing thousands of vehicles each day—and gradually filling with businesses that have since called it home. Now, the stretch from Salisbury Street to Glenwood Avenue is entering yet another chapter in its evolution.
Block [83] Photo by CBRE
Westward Shift On the western end of the junction sits thriving mixed-use development Bloc[83] and its One Glenwood and 621 Hillsborough buildings—recently acquired by local developer Highwoods Properties (also of 150 Fayetteville, PNC Plaza and Charter Square, to name a few). Adding to the vibrancy of the area and extending Hillsborough Street’s westward momentum, the complex is home to hot spots Dram & Draught, Incendiary Brewing, YogaSix and Simons Says Dip This, alongside a mix of office space—with DTR’s first Chipotle also on deck for May.
Crooked Hammock’s backyard is calling—and it’s almost time to answer.
Raleigh’s next backyard hang is almost ready to swing into action. First announced in 2024 to much fanfare, Crooked Hammock is slated to bow its West Raleigh outpost in April in the burgeoning GlenLake development—bringing the brand’s eat-drink-play escape to NC.
Not your typical brewery, the Hammock is built for lingering, serving up a “place for anyone to get away from the everyday,” says founder Rich Garrahan. “Whether it’s work, family or just personal stresses, coming to the Hammock and cracking open a cold beer, and hanging out and laughing with friends and family is really the spirit of what we’re all about—the foundation of our brand and our culture.”
In short, it’s not just a spot to grab a bev and a bite—but a laid-back way of life built around slowing down and taking it easy. And the Raleigh outpost promises plenty of places to do exactly that.
Serving up a more lush, green, rustic vibe than the brand’s existing breweries (two in Delaware, one in Myrtle Beach), Crooked Hammock Raleigh’s signature backyard backs up to an evergreen-lined hill that feels like it spawned straight from a Jimmy Buffett daydream—fire pits flickering, lawn games underway, drinks pouring from the outdoor bar, and hammocks swaying lazily between chatting and play.
“We put so much thought into the aesthetic and design,” says Garrahan of its signature appeal. “When you’re in the backyard, you don’t feel like you’re anywhere else but at the Hammock.”
Inside, the mood leans cozy cabin meets beach-bar hang. A slice of the brewery sits squarely in the middle of the space—a Raleigh-only design detail—serving a behind-the-scenes peek at the craft bevs brewed on-site. Vaulted ceilings stretch overhead, a massive stone fireplace anchors the room and intimate corners like the Brewer’s Nook invite lingering over another round. Out front, a donated vintage Jeep sets the tone—like someone rolled in from the beach, grabbed a bev and never quite left.
Naturally, the menu follows suit. Built around the spirit of a backyard barbecue—“we see ourselves as the authority on the backyard cookout,” nods Garrahan—expect crowd-pleasers like nachos, wings and ribs, steak burgers and stacked sandwiches, plus a smattering of salads. A new-to-Raleigh pizza program adds six stone-fire oven-baked pies—including a “community pie,” doling $1 per pie to a different local org.
“We put a lot of love into our food and beers,” emphasizes Garrahan, as well as into an evolving roster of cocktails, sours, housemade hard teas, lemonades, sodas and chillers (like a hard Gatorade). “We want all of our offerings to be things you can only get at the Hammock,” he adds. “I think we’ve really hit a sweet spot that’s pretty unique in the hospitality world: If you’re not a beer drinker, there’s products coming from our brewery you’ll really enjoy too.”
With its stacked cast, Garrahan is confident Crooked Hammock will be a welcome addition to the area’s already-thriving brewery scene. Thanks to its inclusive vibe, it’s the kind of place where kids can run around and play games alongside young adults and multigenerational families relaxing nearby.
“The Hammock is so big that people can always find their places—that’s the beauty of the backyard,” says Garrahan. … “We’re going to fit in swimmingly.” And as for us Raleighites? We’re ready to swing Crooked Hammock into our weekly rotation. crookedhammockbrewery.com
All roads lead to NC. Per U.S. Census Bureau data, the Tar Heel State saw the highest number of new residents—84,000—leading to a 1.32% population increase.
Follow the money: The Wake County Board of Commissioners approved $23.5 million in Hospitality Tax funding for 12 projects expanding myriad local sports, arts and cultural facilities.
In a win for Raleigh, the City of Oaks beat out Austin for a BuildOps hub that will bring nearly 300 jobs with average salaries of ~$100,000.
Here’s to 50 years of Wake County EMS! On the heels of its anniversary, the department established a plan to improve its 911 call response.
In a big bet on North Carolina, a new steel manufacturing company selected Hertford County for a nearly $1 billion investment project, which includes a new factory, public road and public dock with access to the Chowan River.
How clean is NC’s tap water, really? The state ranked No. 32 in the U.S. for cleanest tap water, with Hawaii, California and Minnesota taking the top three spots.
An influential affordable housing project in DTR has been scrapped. The Moore Square-adjacent mixed-use development—which originally included a hotel, shops, restaurants, a grocery store, and a 160-unit affordable apartment complex—fell through after Loden Properties withdrew and Harmony Housing declined to lease a part of the site for their part of the project.
Apologies to all bacon lovers. … The processed meat has officially been classified by the World Health Organization as “carcinogenic in humans”—similar to tobacco, arsenic and asbestos.
Work longer for your money? The Social Security Administration raised the full retirement age to 67 for everyone born after 1960.
College students, get ready to cough up more cash. UNC System universities approved the first tuition hike on incoming in-state undergraduate students in nearly a decade, with an average increase of $125 across the 16 schools.
WHAT’S NOT
In rather trashy news, Wake County’s landfill is expected to be full by 2045, as its 1.2 million residents collectively produce ~2.3 billion pounds of waste each year.
It’s crazy the difference a period and exclamation point can make—and how each may be perceived differently from person to person. Before texting turned punctuation into a personality test, an exclamation point was just a marker for excitement, and a period simply signified the end of a sentence. But thanks to today’s texting and email culture—plus a healthy dose of generational differences—it’s all up for interpretation. And suddenly, simple punctuation has become an emotional landmine, with the potential for being wildly misread.
Context, of course, is everything—but as shorthand texting has become de rigueur, periods are seen by many as making a serious statement.
“If you use a period, I assume you’re very upset and our relationship is on the line,” says a local Gen Z. “I will be freaking out until you respond better—or I am walking into traffic.” Gen X concurs: “If I send short, direct sentences with periods, it probably isn’t friendly.” But a Xennial maintains periods don’t offend them.
As for the fun-loving exclamation point, its status has shifted from enthusiasm to alarm—depending on who’s doing the typing (and receiving). “If a Boomer or older Gen X sends the exclamation point on a text that’s like ‘I’m coming!’ or ‘Doing it now!’ it reads like they’re yelling at me,” says the Xennial. The Z’er, meanwhile, insists the punctuation is still positive (read: cheering, not yelling)—which is exactly the problem.
So before you spiral over a single dot or stray exclamation, read the room—or at least the age bracket. And sometimes, a period is just a period. Key word: sometimes.
Local chef Oscar Diaz has had a banner year—adding not one, but two new concepts (TaTaco, Barbaro) to his already-stacked roster. Now, the two-time James Beard-nominated restaurateur is taking on another major feat: competing on Season 23 of Top Chef.
Debuting March 9, the new season takes Diaz and a host of standout chefs from across the U.S. to Charlotte, with additional filming taking place in Greenville, SC.
With home-state turf on his side, the hometown favorite is poised to cook his way through a slate of high-pressure challenges—presenting his food to a rotating lineup of surprise guest judges. Think Southern Charm’s Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover, restaurateur and TV icon Emeril Lagasse, and comedian Fortune Feimster. Following fellow Durham chef Savannah Miller’s Season 21 third-place finish, the spotlight now turns to Diaz. We sat down with the Top Chef contender to dish on the pressure, the process and the payoff.
How this all got cooked up?
There were times before when casting directors or producers DM’ed me asking me to be on Top Chef or other reality shows, and I always avoided them. Honestly it seemed like a nightmare to me.
They reached out again, and my publicist said I should do it. A few people in my circle said the same. And I was like, ‘What am I doing saying no to all these opportunities?’ These doors are being presented—it would be stupid not to at least try to walk through them. So I finally said yes. It wasn’t something I strived for… but I think it was meant to be.
Any prep—or did you wing it?
In my mind the only thing I was doing leading up to it was trying to not think about it. Not even trying to be nonchalant—more like, if I think about it a lot, I know I could freak out. I also had a lot going on. But I did end up binge-watching an entire season a couple of days before I left.
What it felt like competing on home turf?
They told us to have a working passport, and I thought we were gonna go international. I was like, ‘Let’s get it, I could use a vacation!’ And then they said we were going to Charlotte. … But it is cool. I’m the home-court guy, I’m representing the area.
Any regrets?
It’s a totally new experience… almost like culinary bootcamp or summer camp for chefs. Who would’ve thought getting into cooking would end up putting you on something that tons of people watch? It was nice to get out of my head and out of my shell—and meet new people.
What stuck with you most?
I’m just glad I did it. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this looks like after production when it comes out—and what comes of it as well. I’m a little horrified, but also super intrigued and excited. I’m sure years from now I’ll look back and be like, ‘Oh, my God—there’s documented footage of me doing some competition.’ Crazy to think about.
Anything cooking?
Adios! at RDU Airport is very close—looking like an end of March/beginning of April opening. After this year, I’m gonna break for a bit.
*Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
