What’s old is new again. Bringing Olde Raleigh Village into its new era is a mod refresh—same attitude, new look.
Complete with a full center repaint, new landscaping, new murals, and an updated promenade and pocket park, the primely positioned iconic West Raleigh center bookending burgeoning Blue Ridge Corridor has also already begun activating its space with free community events—think puppy yoga (!) and an Easter photo booth—with plans for more of the same, not to mention alfresco coffee, lunch and the like.
“Olde Raleigh Village has been a longstanding fixture in our community,” says Blair Davenport, senior consumer marketing associate of Foundry Commercial. “As developments continue to emerge in the surrounding area, we’re enthusiastic about our contribution to the revitalization of the Blue Ridge Corridor.”
“With our team’s dedication, we’re excited to usher it into a new era,” adds Davenport. “While maintaining its timeless charm, we aim to elevate it into a destination rather than just a routine stop.” Reimagined refuge found. @olderaleighvillage
EN PLAIN AIR: ORV’s revamp includes a pocket park for activations like yoga and an overall aesthetic refresh to tenants like Char-Grill.
EN PLAIN AIR: ORV’s revamp includes a pocket park for activations like yoga and an overall aesthetic refresh to tenants like Char-Grill.
Apparently asking people what they do is awkward, intrusive and rude.
Hot take: There is no better way to kill a conversation from the jump than by asking someone what they do for a living. We know—it’s the age-old default Q, from happy hour to the Little League bleachers and beyond. So for a question so quick on everyone’s lips to break the ice, exactly when did it jump the shark? And why?
I personally first saw the tide shift at a DTR bar prepandemic when I (regretfully) kicked off a convo by asking a potential suitor what he does. After popping off and calling me rude… let’s just say we didn’t get married. But only recently has that omen of a befuddling convo started to crop up in headlines.
Apparently, the inquiry is considered awkward, intrusive and rude. Awkward because people don’t want to explain their jobs (we see you, Chandler Bing). Understandable. But invasive? When did what you do for a living became likened to asking about age or weight? At some point, people’s career passions become something they compartmentalize and find convo about presumptuous—if not downright disrespectful.
But it hasn’t always been that way. Most of our moms, dads or grandads (even maybe grandmas—yay feminism!)—if not some of us—likely find chatter about their daily grind affirming, an indication of not only who they are, but what makes them successful. Maybe especially women in some cases who, fun fact, couldn’t independently own a home, have a credit card or choose to leave her husband without his permission (um, what?) until the ’70s.
So, our social experiment easily finds a gender and generational divide on this topic. Boomers, elder X’ers and many women find questions about what they do as not only taking a genuine vested interest in who they are, but what they’ve achieved.
“On the topic of asking about my job, as a working mom, I love when people ask,” said one Raleighite we spoke to. “I love to work; I like to work; hard and I like to solve challenging problems. I want to be in a position for others to hear that, especially coming from a younger female leader with a husband that has a career and with busy kiddos at home.”
But you can likely chalk up the mindset shift to one or two cultural shifts. Beyond ambition, there’s work-life balance—which pervades all generations via now-inundating technology that blurs the lines between the clear boundaries of work and home of yore. Sure, no one misses fax machines, and the advent of email was so efficient—until we found we truly could not separate the end of the workday with, well, the end of the workday.
That possible burnout—and the conflation of work and self as one persona (read: I am not my job)—was a major indicator we found in our research and polling, especially as “work” tasks and experiences have crept into so many facets of our nonworking hours. A stark harbinger in a capitalistic culture that arguably applauds ambition and success above all else.
Basically, the question is just loaded—from implications about net (and social) worth to common ground to, well, “it can seem kinda judgey,” said another Raleighite. “I don’t think ‘offended’ is the right word for me, but I do think it’s a cheap question. There are so many more interesting things to ask someone other than what they do for work. At best, it’s small talk that could lead to more insight about a person, but, at worst, it’s a social measuring stick.”
Perhaps Brad Pitt (er, author Chuck Palahniuk) prophesied it best in Fight Club: “You are not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your f*cking khakis. You’re the all-singing, all- dancing crap of the world.”
So, final take: Maybe skip the “what do you do” question—since it’s likely the most boring (or controversial) nonstarter. Besides maybe the weather.
What to ask instead of “what do you do?”
❓How long have you lived in Raleigh? ❓What do you do for fun? ❓Something you’re looking forward to? ❓Local cause you support? ❓Favorite emoji? ❓Last thing you saw or heard that you forwarded, to someone?
If you build it—they will come. An inside look at Raleigh Mag’s inspired new DTR digs—and how it serves as inspo for a dynamic space people want to be in.
How do you create an office people want to work and spend time in? It’s the postpandemic-era billion-dollar question—and precisely what Publisher Gina Stephens set out to answer with Raleigh Mag’s new office digs.
Moving is difficult—full stop. Add to that the emotional aspect of relocating your behemoth multimedia company out of its fledgling office where it was born and grew, plus the pressures of navigating an era when work culture has drastically transformed and businesses are desperate to—and perplexed about how to—entice employees out of their preference for remote work. Not to mention innumerable contractors who tell you you don’t want—or can’t have—what you know you want. So goes the origin story of Raleigh Mag’s move.
But then, those contractors don’t know Stephens at all. RM’s founder, publisher and sole proprietor all but invented persistence. “Creating an office space our team—as well as clients, sources and the public—could and would want to be in or drop in and see us was precisely the goal,” she says of her vision for an office as dynamic as the magazine itself—that also truly grasps both Raleigh’s roots and her future. “I wanted a space to inspire creativity and collaboration that simultaneously functions as a cool spot to entertain, host cover-release happy hours, tape a podcast, etc.”
Beyond functionality, Stephens sought a space that showcases RM as the voice of Raleigh, at once reflecting our edgy, relevant MO while—like the content itself—staying versatile and having room for signage (!). Naturally, that space had to be in the heart of Downtown—and couldn’t be tucked away on the 12th floor of some shiny new skyscraper. It had to feel like Raleigh and be rooted in Raleigh—ground level and accessible for a boots-on-the-ground team. And, like RM, it had to be approachable—the kind of place you walk by and stop in. Essentially, your go-to city concierge.
After months of feeling like the perfect space might not exist and more viewings than worth counting, Stephens’ visit to frequent RM partner Niall Hanley (of Hibernian Hospitality Group fame) in his Harrington Street office proved fateful.
“You guys are everywhere,” the Morgan Street Food Hall owner told Stephens from his office in the same building . … “Everywhere except in a Downtown office I envision,” she jibed back, adding “I just can’t find a commercial Realtor who doesn’t insist what I want is the wrong thing.”
Hanley of course queried about what she was looking for. “Open, interesting, dynamic, ground-level, signage space,” she explained—to which he responded by showing her the available adjacent office space across the lobby. At the time it was “full of crap,” he joked, but it had the bones and Stephens had the vision—and the rest, as they say, is history.
Callie Collins Rhyne, Ryan Riek and Gina Stephens
Bringing the Vision to Life
Inspired by Barringer Construction, whose local office stimulated a return to work while “reflecting what they do as a company,” says Stephens, she turned to Market Leader Brian DiDiano, who intro’d her to Callie Collins Rhyne, crackerjack interior designer and owner of eponymous Collins Finishes & Furnishings.
Having worked with Barringer on various projects, Collins Rhyne teamed up with RM Creative Director Liz Reed Comella to brilliantly bring Stephens’ vision of a versatile, modern and inviting space to life—and at warp speed.
“I immediately understood the draw of the space,” says Collins Rhyne of the then buttercream-yellow area lit by fluorescent lights “that zapped all creativity.” Her approach? To think outside the box. “I tried to turn a lot of the existing spaces on their head during our initial meeting; for example, the conference room was oppressive, but when thought of as an office, it allows for critical heads-down work to occur without distraction. That freed up space to create the lounge.”
Collins Rhyne also worked with Comella on a vision to dedicate space to the magazine’s creative team so they could lean into the messiness of creativity, but not have to clean up if an event was taking place or passersby dropped in. “Taking the time to understand how each team worked helped to dedicate appropriate space for each function and still be flexible,” says Collins Rhyne.
In terms of structure, the existing space was one long hallway, she notes. “I wanted to be intentional about breaking up the space—making you stop and appreciate each area.”
Beyond the long hallway, there was also “adequate square footage, tons of natural light and a client with a clear brand,” she adds. “I was able to draw inspiration from the existing Raleigh Magazine brand, instead of the challenge I face with some clients, which is the new space needs to help develop a new brand.”
“It’s inspiring and really gets the creative juices flowing,” muses Collins Rhyne. “But it also challenged me to make design decisions that would transcend the current issue.” As such, the space is intentionally flexible, mostly via its furnishings, while keeping the basics core to the brand—like the brilliant wallcovering fashioned from some of RM’s top covers dreamt up by Collins Rhyne and designed by Comella, or the accent paint using the mag’s brand color palette.
That brand, and its inherent mercurial nature—ever-oscillating via a new podcast each week, daily social posts and web stories, three weekly newsletters, and 10 print issues a year—is something Stephens particularly aimed to lean into. “The magazine world is fast-paced,” echoes Collins Rhyne. “And since there’s a [print] deadline every month, the office needed to ramp up and cool down. I wanted to create a variety of spaces to support the team regardless of where they were in the production phase.”
Beyond that support, Collins Rhyne was also tasked with creating a hub that entices RM’s finest to ditch the couch or kitchen table to drive Downtown—which is really about being engaging in a way you can’t be at home, she says. Sure, the RM team is already on-site five days a week—sans some variation of team-dependent creative hybrid days—but Stephens still wanted us to want to come to work… and not feel chained to a desk.
“I have a pretty good idea of how people are working—or not working—from home,” says Collins Rhyne, “so I used that perspective to create a dynamic office.” Her goal? For an RM reader who’s never seen our office to “immediately know where they were without seeing a logo on the door,” she muses in retrospect. Essentially, the physical needed to be a direct extension of the RM brand.
“We didn’t just use the brand’s palette,” says Stephens of the colors you see cast throughout, “but also blended old history and new concepts, and kept a slight edge to things. The space needed to be interesting, but not distracting to work in. I think we achieved that balance.”
Ultimately, says Collins Rhyne, “we were able to deliver a final project without moving any walls or replacing any flooring, which helped keep us on schedule—and budget—but also meant every single detail had to matter.”
LIGHT WAC Lighting, Trig Modern; ART Illustrated & handlettered map, Bethany Faulkner; MEDIA CONSOLE West Elm SHELVES Floor shelves, repurposed by Collins Rhyne, Pottery Barn STATE SPIRITS + MIXERS Crude Bitters, Outer Banks Distilling, Sutler’s Spirit Co., Cook’s Mill Whiskey, Young Hearts Distilling, Durham Distillery, Blue Shark Vodka, Adictivo Tequila, Great Wagon Road Distilling, Fainting Goat Spirits, Chemist Spirits, Hackney Distillery, The Exchange honey
WALNUT TABLE Custom, Trig Modern; TOUCH TABLE LAMP Ameico, Trig Modern; MISTER ROGERS ART Gifted, Jason Howard, formerly from now-defunct The Atlantic Lounge
OFFICE CHANDELIER Modern Forms, Trig Modern; RED CREDENZA Vintage, lacquered by Rail & Stile
CUSTOM WALLPAPER Conceptual idea by Collins Rhyne, designed by Liz Reed Comella, Southport Graphics
SO INVITING: Beyond brand identity and inviting environs, Stephens wanted the DTR digs to break down that fourth wall—that impenetrable space between media and the public. An open-door policy, if you will.
Devil’s in the Details
An accelerated project eight weeks from start to finish, the revamp and relocation was both fast-paced and small-scale in Raleigh’s current commercial climate. “That’s just a tough combination,” says Collins Rhyne, who nods to past relationships as the ultimate advantage.
Raleigh’s Trig Modern served as one such “awesome partner,” who Collins Rhyne and Stephens tapped to achieve the vision. Finding high-quality, on-brand, stylish pieces on a tight deadline isn’t exactly standard. But solving problems is precisely what Trig hangs its hat on, says owner Ryan Riek, whose background is in hospitality (think former owner of Taste, The Oak, etc.).
The whole premise of Trig is “to bring the fun back to shopping,” Riek says of the now mod furniture shop-meets-wine bar he acquired and reimagined. “We bought it because we wanted to bring the fun back to quality furniture—furniture you can sit on and experience that you don’t have to wait forever for, with access to local, international… all the access you want.”
While the truncated timeframe isn’t typical, “a lot of that comes down to good relationships,” echoes Riek of Collins Rhyne’s hot take. That, and clear vision. Collins Rhyne was able to detail specifics—like shape, colorway, a black-and-white theme—“so for her it was just finding a scalable piece that would fit in the space, which made it easier to narrow down and solve the problem,” he says.
From there, Riek was able to find the optimal pieces in 24 hours—and deliver them well under the standard turnaround. Certainly, the more time you have, the more options you have, he admits—not unlike buying a wedding dress, or anything really, adds Comella. But Trig also sells off-the-floor and prides itself in working with all kinds of timelines as part of that problem-solving.
Furnishing RM’s physical brand realization is a full-circle moment for Riek. “Gina was there in the beginning when we first got JMR [Kitchens] up and running,” he reminisces. “We all started about the same time. And I happen to be in an industry now where I can assist.”
To create an inviting, multimodal space, the furnishings were critical. Beyond the lounge furniture and trio of lights Trig sourced, every accouterment Collins Rhyne implemented is multifunctional. The bar cart doubles as a magazine stand; touch-down tables can serve as bar tops during events. Even the lounge itself dupes as a dynamic space for team collab, a living-room feel to work in, or even a space to host a happy hour.
And for a team who has watched the city we love grow into not just a best place to live, but a beacon of the South—who has witnessed firsthand and in-depth her progress, setbacks, wins and losses, and told her stories—Raleigh relics naturally are requisite. Case in point: All of the art is historic or collected—making it timeless, notes Collins Rhyne—like the infamous black-and-white of Mister Rogers seemingly flipping two middle fingers (he was actually counting) that formerly hung in now-defunct The Atlantic Lounge (shoutout owner Jason Howard). Not to mention current and past RM covers—time capsules in their own right—displayed across floating shelves.
Doubling Down on Downtown
At a time when downtowns across the States are having to take a hard look at how to survive, and so many people are questioning DTR’s viability, “we’re doubling down on Downtown,” says Stephens, whose second Raleigh-launched magazine will turn 9 years old in September.
The seasoned publisher is also one of the brains behind Raleigh’s MidtownMagazine, which she co-launched in 2007 before going on to mastermind and establish RM—to inform, entertain and enlighten, to cover what matters and share the stories of our city, inside and out.
“We’re excited to be part of Downtown and be able to interact more directly. We tucked our heads down and worked hard to be the voice of Raleigh,” she says. “We always wanted to be located in DTR—in the heart of Raleigh—in an inviting place with a lot of flexibility… a place people want to work in, even on a Friday afternoon” (where incidentally I am, by choice, as she tells me this on the phone on her way to a meeting when I call her to chat over this feature—again).
And, yes, right now we’re all basking in the good feels of building a place that exudes our personality—like the way a teen swoons the first time they hang posters or gets free license to paint their room. It’s the ultimate self-identity, free expression win. But, real talk: “Building a business is hard,” says Stephens. “Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not. It’s just not for the faint of heart. … I opened up an office in Central Raleigh and planned to move in a year—two tops, then put my head down and 8.5 years later, we were still there. The walls we said we’d paint were still yellow.”
At the time, Stephens opened RM’s initial office as sole proprietor—and single mom to four kids—with just two staff members: Editor Christa Gala and Creative Director Caitlin Harrison. “This magazine is one of my babies,” says Stephens. “I gave birth there (figuratively, of course).” … Now, if it happens in Raleigh, you hear it here first. That goal to take you inside the issues, events and flavors that matter most to our city is one we realize on the daily, and “I wanted the space to reflect that—to really fit us.”
The Unveiling
“We’re so pumped to finally be able to showcase this,” says Comella. Now as we invite community partners, readers, followers, etc. in to interact, Stephens also looks to soon open the RM office up to the public one Saturday a month so Raleighites and visitors alike can come hang and have a beer with us, grab some mag copies or ask for hot takes on where to go to lunch (read: less tour guides, more insiders dishing trusted news, honest reviews and exclusive buzz).
Already though, the energy is electric. Our first day in the office, a few of Got to Be NC’s team stopped in for a chat in the lounge. “It’s so nice to have people stop in—and see people passing by,” says Stephens. “It’s a warm, fuzzy moment sitting in this chair in our new lounge, and this is exactly what I envisioned—those kinds of conversations and somebody just dropping in to see us.”
It’s no doubt a dream—and design—realized for a collective who eats, sleeps and breathes Raleigh. “The location could not be better,” maintains Collins Rhyne, “and I love that you can engage with the brand at street level night or day. It feels approachable and interesting—like any good magazine.”
And to do it all Downtown in this space, Stephens says teary-eyed, “I believe in DTR and in Raleigh. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with North Raleigh roots—it’s what made us. But I wanted us to be in the heart of Raleigh’s core. And here we are.”
Raleigh wasn’t built in a day. Here, local big thinkers share their big ideas to extend Raleigh’s run as No. 1 and propel our city into her next era.
Raise your hand if you remember—or have heard of—a Raleigh where the most exciting thing to do on a Friday night was belly up at TGI Fridays or some other chain. When Glenwood South was a desert of dilapidated warehouses. Or when Fayetteville Street was a pedestrian mall, and DTR a relative ghost town.
Having charted record growth as one of the fastest-growing U.S. markets, today’s Raleigh is a vibrant hub for hospitality, entertainment, art, culture, tech, research, medicine—and a top draw for booming brands like Apple, Google and beyond. And that old Raleigh, but a distant—even surreal—memory. Consistently ranking best place to live across any number of categories, today’s burgeoning metropolis is the brainchild of yesterday’s big thinkers. But our cap city is at a critical junction.
It’s one thing to be best—how do you stay best? Of note, nearby capitals with decades-old potential and long stuck in neutral like Columbia have been blown away in population and economic growth by visionary darlings like Charleston and Greenville. While cities like Austin toppled from their status as top destinations—now fallen to No. 40 (!) in 2023 from its 2017–19 stay at No. 1—far out-bested by the likes of sister cities like our very own.
Raleigh is one of only three state capitals not built on water.
Right now, as we commonly face deadlock debating Raleigh’s identity and every square inch from ground to sky—horizontal and vertical—our big thinkers remain at the ready to ensure Raleigh continues her run as lady of the land. … To allow her to grow in viable ways that will retain her rank as one of the best places to live and continue to maximize her appeal for residents, relocators, businesses and tourists alike. For instance, the kind of thinking we see in Downtown Cary and Durham—and across all categories: sports, art, infrastructure, transportation, water and so on.
“We need to do all the things to ensure Raleigh/Wake County continues to be an ascending market,” maintains The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Adrienne Cole. Of course, in order to really bring these ideas home, Raleighites have to be open to change. And we have to lean into our best ideas to position us for what could be our greatest chapter yet. Progress is unavoidable and change can be uncomfortable, but if we don’t acknowledge that progress is inevitable, we will miss our chance to shape the narrative and continue to define our identity as the Raleigh we have been, are and want to be as we herald our great city into the future. Thus, we could end up the next “we were No. 1 once.”
Tapping into the promise of a long run at the top, we queried some of our city’s greatest achievers and philosophers for what they see as the big ideas that could extend Raleigh’s run as No. 1. These concepts aren’t so much fully fleshed-out plans—but conversation-starters… the exact kinds of conversation-starters that places like Midtown, the Warehouse District and Downtown South were born out of. Essentially, this is our moment—a pivotal moment between the big ideas that made us the dynamic hub we are vs. the ideas that will continue to propel us as a destination for living, vacationing and dreaming.
Rendering courtesy of McAdams
Atlanta BeltLine photo courtesy of Visit Georgia
BIG IDEA #1 Downtown to Dix
There’s currently no easy way to get from Downtown to Dix—period. Sure, the potential for Raleigh’s “field of dreams,” if you will, is infinite. But the incredibly influential piece of land lacks one significant detail: connectivity.
“Getting to the park by foot or bike from Downtown has been on everyone’s must-do list,” says former Raleigh city planner and McAdams Principal Mitchell Silver, whose team envisioned the rendering seen here as one literal fix. The “dream” project would require the total transformation of the current uncomfortable—if not impossible—junction to allow pedestrians to maneuver by foot at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South McDowell and South Dawson streets—swapping the interchange vibe for a traditional pedestrian-friendly T intersection.
The vision reimagines and rationalizes the intersection by bringing in dirt to make it at-grade (read: not dug in or elevated) and adding a new pedestrian experience—an attraction in its own right. In essence, it’s not just a concrete connector. “We have to create an experience people want to walk,” says Silver. “It needs to be engaging… with new development and placemaking opportunities to create a ‘sense of place.’”
Downtown stakeholder and Highwoods Senior VP Thomas “Skip” Hill also sees the appeal of connectivity from Downtown to Dix “in a really elevated way”—whether at ground level or via transportation overhead—especially considering the Convention Center expansion, hotel and relocated amphitheater.
Leaning into the idea of a raised connector, Economic Development Director Kyle Touchstone envisions what he calls an elevated pedestrian park like the High Line in NYC. “Two stories tall and thousands of stories deep,” the walkable oasis T Swift croons about (so you know it’s iconic) built on a historic freight rail above the streets of the West Side in NYC runs from Hudson Yards to the Meatpacking District and offers pedestrians a one-of-a-kind opp to see and maneuver through the city.
Downtown South developer—and Midtown mastermind—Mike Smith also envisions a “highline connecting the core of Downtown to Dix.” Raleigh’s version, says the Kane Realty Corp. CEO, “would run a mile and go directly ‘as the crow flies’ from the Convention Center to the park’s entry so walkers, joggers, families, pets and visitors could easily go back and forth to Dix Park’s 300 acres of play and beauty.” Covering that expanse along MLK Jr., McDowell and Dawson would additionally serve a greater connectivity to such burgeoning projects as The Weld, Rockway and the future Downtown South, adds Touchstone.
And bonus: With ample DTR decks, such a path would bridge the gap on parking for Dix, notes David Meeker, who’s long been committed to maintaining Raleigh’s identity in revitalization efforts as partner in Trophy Brewing, Elm Partners and Carpenter Development. “The experience would also be so much better if Plaza Play’s [projected] 10K weekend visitors could start and end with brunch or dinner.”
And, while dreaming, “let’s throw in a gondola system while we are at it!” fantasizes Touchstone. Of course, for now, the ease of getting from DTR to Dix for its ever-growing appeal—from sunflowers and dog parks to activations and globally recognized fests like Dreamville—would be a critical start.
Proposed Downtown Entertainment and Sports Center
BIG IDEA #2 PRO SPORTS + DTR STADIUM
What is Chicago without the Cubs and Wrigley Field? Or Boston without Fenway? New York without Yankee Stadium? Never mind the Bears, Blackhawks, etc. Those pro teams, venues and the boroughs that house them (e.g. Wrigleyville) are so intertwined in their cities’ identities that it’s almost impossible to imagine them without, or to deny their indelible impact—sports fan or not.
It’s that “it” factor that is precisely what pro sports, and specifically MLB Raleigh proponents, want to tap into. But it’s so much bigger than just sports. With baseball in particular—aka “America’s pastime”—it’s camaraderie and unity and hope and legacy (the Cubs and Red Sox lore, for example). There’s the hope of a World Series, and to that point, a mega attraction for tourism, local businesses, economic growth and beyond.
“One of the greatest assets we have from a destination and entertainment perspective is our embarrassment of riches with regard to the athletics/sports at all levels that our region excels at,” says Highwoods Properties EVP/COO Brian Leary. “Imagine if we were able to build a new soccer/multipurpose stadium in Downtown Raleigh—not Downtown South, but Downtown, Downtown.” Translation: Just blocks from Union Station, the Convention Center and Red Hat Amphitheater, and easily connected via I-40 and MLK Jr. Boulevard.
“Yes, great care would be needed to work with the neighborhood and neighbors nearby,” he continues, “but in the grand scheme of a city thinking about decades into the future, it is an opportunity to leverage stars aligning with the new Omni Convention Hotel, Convention Center/Red Hat expansion, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts and Union Station—and create a much-needed regional catalyst and destination for Downtown and a new home for the NC Courage”—adding that having such a DTR-positioned stadium is also the greatest advantage and qualifier for a potential future MLS team as well.
Of course, you’re talking about an incredibly competitive process and multibillion-dollar price tag to acquire a team and build a stadium, “so it’s a heavy lift for sure,” acknowledges GRSA’s Scott Dupree, regarding his personal preference for MLB to join the market. But, adds Dennis Edwards, President & CEO of Visit Raleigh, “We are fortunate Tom Dundon has already expressed interest in owning a team in Raleigh, which is a significant step”—especially as MLB looks to expand. Preparation to submit an attractive plan to procure a team is paramount, he adds, not to mention stadium funding and location. “Whether it’s MLB or another professional team, we must continue to have conversations and a plan on how to bring another franchise to the area when the opportunity arises.” Echoes Dupree, “North Carolina would be prime territory for MLB, and Raleigh would be the right location. … Now let’s figure out the team nickname!”
Cheonggye Freeway, Seoul, South Korea (Courtesy of Knowledge Hub)
“Some cities were built along rivers, while other cities created human-made water features like the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul, South Korea, and the San Antonio River Walk in Texas,” says McAdams’ Principal Mitchell Silver, who, alongside his colleagues, has a vision for creating a similar riverwalk in DTR lined with people-centered experiences.
While clearly Raleigh doesn’t have a river right now, anything can be engineered. San Antonio, for example, feeds its river with pumped-in recycled water. So it’s not a question of if—but how do you start the conversation? Can you pencil it out? And, yes, it’s a huge cost, but what’s the return on investment?
Silver sees Capital Boulevard as the ideal location for the riverwalk—and all the activations that would serve to make it magical. One of our two gateways (the other being South Saunders—and serving far better skyline views), the stretch of “Downtown Boulevard” has long been lined with auto body and storage shops. But, Raleigh deserves a red carpet, not repair shops—trading auto for agua if you will. “This is our capital city,” says Silver. “There’s a sense of entry and pride.”
Imagine a “Grand Boulevard” you can stretch all the way to the Beltline—and beyond—swapping aged-out shopping centers and reimagining the corridor all the way to 540 with a greenway you can run, bike or scooter straight into Downtown.
Besides San Antonio, some of the States’ “best” riverwalks include the likes of Louisville’s Waterfront Park and the Chicago Riverwalk—even Greenville, SC, and our very own Wilmington landed Time Out’s 2023 “Best Scenic Strolls” at No. 5 and 4, respectively.
And, riverwalk or not, the appeal of some sort of water feature Downtown is fairly ubiquitous. “I’ve always believed Raleigh needs a major Downtown water feature,” imagines Scott Dupree, whose role as executive director of Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance has given him plenty of insight into successful cities across the country. “You don’t have to be on the ocean, a lake or a river to make it happen.” He cites other man-made waterways like the East Race Waterway urban thrill experience in South Bend, Indiana; the serene-meets-stimulating Canal Walk in Indianapolis; and such iconic awe-inspiring giant fountains as in Pittsburgh and Chicago—or even something creative like Fort Worth, Texas’ Water Gardens.
“There’s something romantic about water,” says Silver. “It’s relaxing. It’s magical. It’s an irresistible draw for people and businesses.” You don’t have to venture far off-path of these alfresco promenades for whatever it is you’re craving—shops, sights, bites, bevs, buskers and beyond. Or stay on-path for a scenic stroll or active amusement like running, rollerblading, biking—not to mention on-water potential for paddleboarding, kayaking, boating, etc.
“You create excitement—that’s the water element we don’t have,” Silver muses, adding: “It’s a big idea”—why not think 20 years down the line? “People are drawn to water,” adds Dupree. “They always have been and always will be. A major water feature would be a wonderful addition to Downtown.”
@iStock.com/rabbit75
BIG IDEA #4 SCULPTED CITY
“Meet me in St. Louis,”Married With Children’s Buckingham Fountain entree, Rocky’s famous climb up the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art… Famous public art abounds in pop culture. More than just art, these world-class structures are icons in their own right—major attractors on the urban landscape that serve to thoughtfully connect us to ourselves, the city, culture, history, nature and beyond.
Sure, these don’t immediately scream the fanfare of riverwalks and high lines and stadiums, but they’re no less monumental—literally. Chicago’s Bean (aka “Cloud Gate”), for example, attracts upward of 20 million visitors annually to Millennium Park—now the No. 1 attraction in the Midwest. It’s such a draw, in fact, NYC now reps a smaller version The Chicago Tribune ribbed as “Bean envy.”
“As one of the nation’s most desirable cities, Raleigh is ready for iconic public art that creates a strong sense of place and is accessible to all,” says seasoned art advisor and North Carolina Arts Council board member Marjorie Hodges. NC State Gregg Museum of Art Design Marketing & Communications Coordinator Andie Freeman agrees: “A large sculptural piece is a great way to unify Raleigh and bring tourism to the city—think of the size of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis that reflects the influence of the arts, tech and culture.”
The North Carolina Museum of Art already ranks as Raleigh’s most photographed—and Insta-worthy—spot for both residents and tourists alike. See those fan-fave sci-fi rings, the mirror labyrinth, Hobbit house—or even the newly added musical swings or statues by the rings. Union Station’s “Love and Light” neon art installation or the unofficial Downtown welcome sign mural are also super-’Grammable destinations—and a reminder of Raleigh’s MO that “love rules” and “all are welcome.” It’s all a clear indicator that beyond their role as beacons of cultural significance that invite and captivate, public art installations are also major draws for tourism that add vibrancy while serving to make navigating the city more of the event itself—think the way 10 blocks in Manhattan, alive with eye candy, doesn’t feel like the mile it is.
To wit, “we could really benefit from a more intentional arts and cultural district Downtown,” adds Freeman. “Growing upon the trend the Warehouse District has already started, this investment would stimulate the economy and culture by creating a concentrated area for artists, galleries, theaters, music venues, etc.”
Visit Raleigh President Dennis Edwards agrees, citing an opportunity to work with the towns and county to create at least one major epic element that’s a “must-see” attraction when visiting the area: “Whether it’s one iconic feature or many blended throughout the county, this is definitely a necessity!”
Beyond the Big Four
Raleighites weigh in on what big lures would up our “it” factor.
Dubbed a perennial best place to liveacross countless categories, Raleigh’s kind of like the cool kid everyone wants to be right now. But if Raleigh is in her shiny teen era, how do we ensure she stays the course to blossom into the brilliant, edgy professional she’s primed to be? Beyond our big thinkers, who better knows, loves and cares for Raleigh more than its residents? So we asked a range of locals what one thing they thought Raleigh was missing—and while many cited/commented on the “big four,” with the two biggest being sports and water, many others provided smart responses showcasing what residents really want.
“Elevated sky transportation (think Bangkok, Seattle, Hawaii, Vegas, Jacksonville—or even Disney World and airports like Tampa).”
“More pedestrian-only pockets”
“Places for sports and hobbies like drone-flying”
“A bookstore row (like in Paris by the Seine) or artisans row selling their goods (like Asheville’s Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar)”
“More parks like Dix with hammocks, picnics, events and forest walking trails”
“A few places that serve good late-night food after all the bars close (less hungry people and less DUIs)”
“Quality musical plays. Take a lesson from DPAC.”
“Pickleball courts and an outdoor roller-skating rink (like Venice Beach). This rink could also host outdoor yoga and other outdoor music and fundraising activities.”
“Small music venues and walkable areas with interesting shops/restaurants”
Thinking Bigger
Our city’s “big thinkers” muse big ideas beyond the big four.
Reenvision Nash Square (aka the park fronting Whiskey Kitchen, the OG Berkeley Cafe, etc.) as a mini-district with activations and better surrounding parking ops, as opposed to just replacing the former N&O building with a tower.
Raze some of the tree canopy to reveal more of the skyline so as to unearth some of the excitement you might feel on your way into Charlotte or Richmond
Embed a massive multifunctional skate park at Dix
Continue to evolve our state government campus to benefit both the state and DTR
Relocate Central Prison to a rural area where jobs are needed to free up the land across from Dix Park and relocate the signs/picketing
