The Greater RaleighMerchants Association and City of Raleigh have come to an agreement to hold the 79th annual Christmas Parade with nonmotorized vehicles (read: a procession that includes zero vehicles), featuring marching bands, performers, costume characters, giant balloons, musical acts and more. The agreement came a day after the City announced the 2023 Christmas Parade would be canceled out of respect for the Brooks family in the wake of the tragic death of 11-year-old Hailey Brooks, who was struck and killed by a truck hauling a float at the 2022 holiday parade. The problem? The Brooks family says they weren’t consulted at all, thus sparking an about-face by the City. While everyone expected there would be a focus on improved safety protocols and inspections after last year’s tragedy, no one—including the Brooks family—expected for Raleigh to forgo the longtime holiday tradition, especially given this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade went off without a hitch. If anything, the outcry is for a parade to honor Hailey.
Five Points as a traffic circle in 1948. Bonus for trivia buffs: The church was actually destroyed by fire in September 1962, leaving only a damaged Education Building. A vote to rebuild by the Deacons—as well as the congregation at a service held at the Rialto (formerly Colony Theater) resurrected the sanctuary.
Looks like some things really do come full circle. In our summer issue, upon reporting the City of Raleigh’s plans to possibly reconfigure the ever-perilous—and difficult to maneuver—Five Points intersection to a roundabout, we learned that intersection began as a temporary traffic circle in 1948, before becoming “permanent” in 1953.
In this historic photo of where Glenwood Avenue, Glenn Avenue, West Whitaker Mill Avenue and Fairview Road meet, you’ll no doubt recognize the familiar architectural beacon that has long championed the intersection, Hayes Barton Baptist Church.
The OG traffic circle was constructed in a mere three hours (!) out of sandbags and plywood to quell “frequent traffic tangles at the intersection,” according to archives. The more permanent circle constructed of cinder blocks with earthen infill was implemented a few weeks to follow, in place until 1954, when the electronically controlled traffic signals were added to the intersection.
Now, perhaps bringing the intersection full circle, the City of Raleigh is reviewing plans to reinstate a roundabout. City Council has held two previous meetings (October 2022 and May 2023), with a third scheduled for early 2024 after further city engagement with NCDOT, per a City of Raleigh spokesperson on the project. As of now, none of the proposed circle configurations lead in terms of which the city will push forward with.
Regardless of the configuration, some long-standing businesses welcome the roundabout’s return. “I have a big picture of the old traffic circle hanging near the bar,” says Bloomsbury Bistro chef/owner Stephen Koster. “The idea to ‘reinstall’ a roundabout is great, and I am a proponent—always have been. It helps control the flow and will slow drivers down, which is what the area needs. People resist change, but change is the only constant in life and this makes perfect sense for the intersection.” Or, in this case, a potentially welcome “change” that brings it all back around again.
If you’ve ever used a No. 2 pencil to desperately try to reel a slack cassette tape back into play mode or felt the doom gloom over one your boombox ate from hitting rewind a few too many times (*enter sound of fave song screeching at supersonic speed*), you’re probably at once in shock and in your feelings to learn those playback tapes are again popular.
Apparently we all somehow stepped into Doc’s time machine a la Back to the Future and landed squarely in the ’80s and ’90s. Despite the fact the compact cassette is quite literally the only mode of music that doesn’t allow an auto-jump between tracks without tedium, the retro tape is all the rage. Here, a handful of the top tapes carrying value beyond nostalgia.
Ten | Pearl Jam: “Jeremy has spoken,” indeed. The subculture Seattle band’s debut cassette—spawning the grunge era and all those flannels and baggie jeans you wore then (or now)—inspired a generation with its 15+ million copies sold, and now grabs upward of $4K as a sealed first pressing.
Nevermind | Nirvana: Two words: Kurt Cobain (RIP). Billed by many as the ultimate grunge gerents of the Seattle battle (perhaps the bill on the cover art was an omen?), Nirvana’s stripped-back sound, well, smelled like teen spirit. The iconic alt-rock sophomore album reels in ~$1,500, while an unsealed can still grab $50 and up.
Madonna | Madonna: Bangles and black lace have reentered the chat. Count your lucky stars—turns out the Material Girl has earned that “Queen of Reinvention” nickname, so now maybe you can go on holiday. The self-titled debut album, which spent 168 weeks on the charts, can still pull a pretty penny sealed (up to $350) and used (~$65 to top sellers).
Licensed to Ill | Beastie Boys: The genre-bending “rhymin’ and stealin’” ’80s debut album lit up the charts. A sealed copy of the first hip-hop album to top the Billboard 200—and only ’80s one to become certified diamond—can net up to $1,500.
Ready to Die | The Notorious B.I.G.: Whether or not he’s still “alive” IRL—he’s alive in our hearts and on the charts—even reppin’ on toddler tees (for real). A “notorious” version of Big Poppa’s debut hip-hop cassette—and the only complete one by the legend in his lifetime—will grab ~$600 sealed, but even a used one can nab a cool $90. East Coast, beast coast!
Doggystyle | Snoop Dogg: Lodi dodi we likes to party. Snoop Dogg’s No. 1 debut entree to the pound is still the “shiznit”—from breaking sales records in its first week to bringing “West Coast, best coast” hip-hop vibes mainstream. Sealed versions will score as much as $500, while used can still earn up to $60.
Three talented toques step out of the shadows and break out on their own.
Before EGOT*-winning John Legend became a legend, he sang backup vocals. Foodie phenom Scott Crawford began his journey as five-time James Beard-nominated culinary powerhouse as a busboy.
Some of the most prolific talents of our time have come from humble beginnings—people willing to set ego aside and parlay their talent to serve as a sponge to establish themselves and hone their craft. So goes the origin story of a trio of talented toques—each of whom were at the helm of three of our 2022 Best Restaurants—seizing their moment to carve out their own spots.
Former LM Restaurants star chef Saif Rahman, who cut his teeth locally at Vidrio, has plans to soon open his own restaurant. The victuals visionary, whose star saw rapid rise under such industry standouts as Crawford, credits him with his ascension: “Scott Crawford is a dear friend and an amazing mentor to me. He guides me, and he inspires me with what he has done, what he has gone through—and beat it—to get where he is today. He’s an inspiration to our city, other young chefs and to the chef world.”
That inspiration has turned to actualization for Rahman who sees Raleigh’s rapid growth and diversity as a prime opportunity. “It’s time to share a different culture and cuisine,” says the breakout chef. “I want to embrace change and diversity and connect with our guests emotionally through our food—that’s what excites me.”
Also leaning into diversifying the cuisine scene, longtime Brewery Bhavana/Bida Manda chef Lon Bounsanga announced his departure to open highly anticipated Laotian-focused SAAP (which translates to delicious) later this year, edging the masterfully designed Downtown Cary Park. “It’s the right time for me,” says Bounsanga. “Breaking out now means I am ready. As a seasoned chef, all the ingredients and resources are available to make this dream a reality.”
That manifested destiny also fills a very real void in the market for authentic Lao cuisine—think Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese influences—for which the Vientiane, Laos, native sees Cary as the perfect palate. “So when Bill Zahn, who is very involved in Downtown Cary projects, approached me about opening a restaurant next to what is going to be a world-class park, it made sense immediately,” says Bounsanga. “Who could pass up that opportunity?”
Not to mention peer pioneer Alex Ricci. Rounding out the toque trifecta, Ricci—who masterminded the menu as now-former head chef at Cucciolo Terrazza and earned Raleigh Mag’s 2022 Best New Restaurant right out of the gate—knows his time is now. Partnering with Jonny Ennis and Justin Tatnell, Ricci is set to slide into now-defunct adjoining West Street spaces Rainbow Luncheonette and Pink Boot with a duo of concepts. Restaurant Prospect will serve as an ode to Raleigh—and with it an extended witching hour for hungry revelers—along with your next fave drink den, The Devereux (p. 44).
Not unlike a Michelin-star meal, timing is everything, and these chefs are right on time. Armed with a vision for what Raleigh needs right now with a mad dash of precise chops amassed over years of sweat equity and “yes, chefs,” these gastronomic greats have become masters in their own right.
“As a chef, you spend years putting your food on other people’s plates. The love for your craft has been monetized by someone else, and it can be hard to stay passionate for anything you do, especially if you’re not doing it for yourself” says Ricci. “I want to live within my dreams, not be a spectator of them.” Dreams delivered.
It’s a Gen A world, and we’re all just livin’ in it.
Forget Gen Z—at least for a moment. There’s another gen hot on everyone’s tongue: Gen Alpha, nee 2010–2024. But, bruh1, before you scoff and flip the page deeming these 16-and-unders irrelevant, Alpha will be the largest generation ever—thanks to millennial parents—with the most sizable spending power, per Harvard Business Review.
Kidfluence is real. Lest you forget, it was teen girls who sanctified the Beatles and Elvis (and T Swift for that matter)—and who clearly shape everything from what we eat, wear and stream to how we part our hair. In essence, our veritable cultural cash cow.
These eco-warrior mini-millennials are tech-empowered (even allowance is digital—and a 1-year-old may one day ask what a credit card is the way your child is now puzzled by the phone book), smart, super-opinionated and equipped with info-aware parents. Enter history’s first marketing-perfect kid-parent pairing.
Money talks. So the world is listening. With ~2.8 million Gen A’s born weekly across the globe, these socially conscious 2+ billion “upagers2” will also be the best educated and wealthiest ever (a slight that no doubt stings their millennial parents who came up during the Great Recession and 9/11).
As the universe and metaverse collide, and digital and physical lines blur, the “Great Screen Age” (er, Jetsons Age?) is upon us. For the first “re-generation” born entirely in the 21st century, their world is AI, AR, streaming, planet-hopping, virtual assistants—and instant gratification. Already wielding their power, 4 out of 5 A’s render substantial influence on family spending—and, wait for it—account for $500+ billion in annual purchases.
Alpha is by nature interactive, experiential (think elevating retail spaces with art, music and virtual fitting rooms) and more likely to engage with brands with which they connect deeply. They crave authenticity. And given their social climate—read: pandemic-riddled planet (aka “Gen C”), climate emergency, mental-health crisis—they’re in prime position to affect change. Somewhere the next Karl Lagerfeld is donning biodiverse AR outfits that will rewrite the fashion world as we know it.
Alphas are activists after all. But they’re still children—and sometimes AFK3. They dig Goldfish crackers (because they’re so delicious). And—brace yourselves—McDonald’s is their top restaurant of choice by far, no doubt thanks in part to the Grimace TikTok trend (*drinks Grimace shake and collapses in puddle of purple*). Talk about a brand for the ages.
The linchpin? How to communicate with these slang-obsessed digital denizens. We see your generational “groovy,” “bomb,” “epic,” “slay”… and raise you a mad lit4 on god5 no cap6. While every generation’s diction and drip7 is derided by those preceding them, “Generation Y-Not” are born language disruptors naturally attuned to digesting a ton of data at once—and whose vibey vocals are built on internet lingo so organic, imposters need not apply. (Fun fact: Savvy businesses see Z as the bridge between Alpha and, well, the rest of us.)
While you won’t likely meet them on a Zoom or in the boardroom until the early 2030s when they begin to graduate university (giving us plenty of time to try to translate them—#Goated8), the eldest A’s will be voting age in the subsequent election (2028). News flash: The future is already here. And it’s probably wearing virtual clothes.
1 Bruh: Interjection/nickname—could be bro, mom or response to anything 2 Upagers: A’s nickname for early physical, social and emotional maturity 3 AFK: Away from keyboard 4 Mad lit: Very cool/awesome 5 On god: Aka “I swear to God” 6 No cap: No lie 7 Drip: Good style or swag 8 Goated: Very good at something—a play on GOAT (greatest of all time)
These “screenagers” already comprise a tally of TikTok and YouTube stars (think 8-year-old millionaires like 2019’s top earning YouTuber behind Ryan’s World). Gaming is the new “social network” and e-games are becoming fodder for virtual commerce. YouTube, TikTok, Fortnite, online gaming platform Roblox and VR headset Oculus Rift are leading the charge. To wit, Gucci sold a virtual bag for a hefty tag in Roblox, while Nike launched virtual Air Jordans in Fortnite, and pop princess Ariana Grande held a virtual Fortnite concert.
