Holiday shopping is in full force, and Downtown Raleigh Alliance, StartUp at Wake Tech and LM Restaurants are making it easier than ever for you to shop local via Pop-Up Shops at Martin Street. Check everyone off your list via such select tenants as as Chance’s RDU vintage and secondhand, and TrêsLife natural hair and body. Happy giving! 17 E. Martin St.
Chance’s RDU
Well this is tee-rific news: Topgolf is opening a new three-level, 102-bay venue at the Park on Page development near RTP late summer 2022, tapping in as Topgolf’s third NC location. Putter late than never! topgolf.com
The Zen is in at Cary’s new Kuantum Life—focused on transforming through harmony of the body, mind and spirit via a wide range of transformative selects—from books, jewelry and gifts to crystals, apparel, and even its own line of locally made aromatherapy oils. 115-A W. Chatham St., Cary
A true “rags to riches” American Dream triumph, Tanzanian immigrant Lilian Danieli’s just-opened DTR Nashona brick-and-mortar (the premiere location is in Goldsboro) houses must-don colorful, showstopping dresses, tops, skirts and accessories handcrafted with vibrant African fabrics. 21 W. Hargett St.
Extreme Makeover meets curated art as the NCMA gets a collection redesign with new major works loaned from state, national and international museums in honor of the 75th anniversary of the NC legislature designating state funding to create the People’s Collection at the NCMA (aka its free permanent collection) next year. 2110 Blue Ridge Road
The standard Old-Fashioned gets a tasty—and boozy—upgrade at The Mayton’s Peck & Plume.
Photo by Baxter Miller
Peck & Plume bartender Seneca McAllister is giving your basic Old-Fashioned a run for its money—and makes your money worthwhile with some extra added booze. In addition to the drink’s standard simple syrup, he adds Disaronno amaretto and black walnut bitters to his Seneca Old Fashion for a flavorful and balanced fall sipper that you’ll most definitely want multiple rounds of.
McAllister originally created the drink at a Pinehurst retirement home he worked at, where the seniors “did not care for water of any sorts going into their drinks,” he laughs. “Anytime I’d put simple syrup in there, they’d wig out, so I had to come up with a way for them to see me reach up on the liquor shelf to bring down another bottle of booze.” Honestly, we like their style.
Today, the Seneca Old Fashion is a hit at Peck & Plume, where McAllister has worked for the last five or so years. “It’s one of my top three favorite drinks of all time,” says McAllister. And those who frequent the bar at The Mayton—which was recently rebranded and extensively renovated—seem to love it too.
So, belly up to McAllister’s bar at Peck & Plume to have him whip up his signature Old-Fashioned for you—or recreate the delicious drink at home. peckandplume.com.
Blowing us out of the water is Cary native and rising high school senior Claire Curzan. Qualifying in Olympic trials with a beastly 56.43-second 100-meter butterfly time, the 16YO phenom swimmer—who trains and competes locally for year-round club team TAC Titans under coach Bruce Marchionda, in addition to swimming for Cardinal Gibbons High School—is set to spread her wings to Tokyo to go for gold.
Says Cardinal Gibbons head swim coach Jonah Turner, who was in Omaha supporting Curzan at the Olympic Trials, “I have always admired Claire’s maturity and mental toughness. I am still in awe of her performance… to be 16 and be able to walk out to an electrifying crowd for finals on the biggest swimming stage when your name is called and knowing only the top two swimmers will make the Olympic team—all while being able to control your emotions and nerves—speaks volumes about her.”
Also thrilled to speak volumes about her is her bursting-with-pride dad, Mark Curzan—who rightfully gushed in a phone interview with us from Omaha after she punched her ticket to Tokyo. “To witness all the dedication and hard work come to fruition is really cool. What a Father’s Day gift,” he said through joyful tears, before joking that he’d have to phone in to his daughters’ (he has two, and one son) weddings because he won’t be able to handle it.
Meanwhile, Claire, who signed her first autograph in Omaha but is as humble as they come, is taking it all in. “I’ve done that race so many times, it’s ingrained in my body,” she told us. “When I touched the wall, I had no idea if I made it. But when I saw the board, reality hit me that I had achieved my childhood dream.”
Just proves where there’s a will, there’s a wave. Go get that gold, Claire. #Tokyo2021
Pleasantville? Perhaps. But there’s more to these 10 Wake County suburbs than safe fam-friendly spaces and strip malls.
Ah, suburban life. So American—this idea of living off the grid (literally) and swapping urban (city) life with the safe, pleasant, middle-class suburbs—perfect for planting a garden or raising a family or driving the SUV to a soccer game (we kid!). But those stereotypes are precisely the point. Whether evoking images of Pleasantville, Weeds (“There’s a pink one and a green one and a blue one and a yellow one… and they all look just the same”) or even The Burbs (new family on the block turned cultists?), those so-called burbs are undoubtedly entrenched in the American ethos, mindset—and landscape.
But today’s suburbs—and specifically the 10 major Wake County burbs—are not the complacent, conformist, strip mall- and chain-riddled pockets of yore. And people are taking note—and setting up camp in droves, with one Wake suburb jumping in population by as much as 150% in the last decade. As a result, these local burbs, beyond being safe and fam-friendly, have each found a way to carve out their own niche and identity. Here, we do a deep-dive into these 10 top fringe towns—five western (Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Fuquay- Varina) and five eastern (Wake Forest, Rolesville, Garner, Knightdale, Wendell)—from population and developments of note to accolades to resident education and marriage status and more.
CARY Gaming meets arts + culture Population: 174,762 Growth since 2010: 29.23% Density: 2,975.90 per sq. mi. State rank: 7th largest city Rank in country: 153rd largest city Education: 86%have at least some college Median household income: ~$105,000 Marriage rate: 62% Biggest fest: Lazy Daze
2021 accolades: °No. 1 in the nation (Raleigh-Cary metro) for small business outlook °No. 2 best place to live in NC by Niche °No. 7 where millennials are moving in the U.S. by SmartAsset
Development in the works: °Fenton, a 92-acre mixed-use development that delivers on good eats, shopping ops and luxury living.
Neighborhood on the docket: °Stanley Martin Homes plans filed in West Cary: 179 homes, plus four-story condo buildings with townhome-style units and rooftop terraces
Fun Fact: On April 3, the Town of Cary celebrated its 150th anniversary.Raleigh locals joke Cary stands for Containment Area of Relocated Yankees. The snark, though, isn’t far from a truth the town of Cary prides itself on, in that people from all over the world have transcended to call Cary home and make it the talent-filled thriving hub it is today.
HOLLY SPRINGS Crossroads of freshwater springs and abundant holly trees (get it, Holly Springs?) meets farm-fresh life (Holly Springs Farmers Market has been voted No. 1 in the state many times) and killer craft breweries ( think Carolina Brewing Company and Bombshell Beer Company, one of the first female-owned breweries in North Carolina). Population: 40,050 Growth since 2010: 62.5% Density: 2,350.40 per sq. mi. State rank: 26 Education: 84%have at least some college Median household income:$112,029 Marriage rate: 63.6 Biggest fest: HollyFest
2021 accolades: °No. 1 best place to buy a house in Raleigh area by Niche °No. 1 safest city in NC by SafeWise, with lowest property crime rate in the state and the third-lowest violent crime rate (also earned in 2018 and 2019).
Epic HQ: Fujifilm Diosynth
Developments in the works: °Sportsmanship Way Development: 20-acre commercial and residential project °Downtown revamp: Three projects set to add ~100,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office spaces, including The Block on Main and Town Hall Commons.
Fun Fact: BMX bonanza! The largest action sports facility in the world (Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex), founded by pro BMX rider and competitor Daniel Dhers, is housed in Holly Springs, which is also home to 2021 Tokyo-bound BMXer Nikita Ducarroz (see feature in our June issue).
Neighborhood on the docket: °200 new homes in massive new neighborhood by Foxfield Land Partners
APEX Culture + history meets pedestrian-friendly downtown area Population: 70,182 Growth since 2010: 87.27% Density: 3,373.50 per sq. mi. State rank: 15th Rank in country: 528th Education: 86.5% have at least some college Median household income: $111,435 Marriage rate: 61.9% Biggest fest: PeakFest
2021 accolades: °No. 8 best place to live in NC by Niche °No. 2 best place to buy a house in Raleigh area by Niche
Epic HQ: EnviroFlight agricultural technologies company
Developments in the works: °Holland Road Mixed-Use Assembly: 60,000-square-foot commercial & 110-home residential project with additional outparcel
Neighborhood on the docket: °Williams Farm PUD: 73-acre development of 170+ homes planned for western Wake
Fun Fact: Think Apex Day (#ThinkApex, traditionally the last Saturday in April) is an annual day dedicated to giving back in Apex via means that directly impact the community.
Developments in the works: °Gold Leaf Tobacco warehouse transformation: 5 acres slated to include Aviator Brewing Company expansion, co-working space, coffee shop, retail and indoor/outdoor concert spaces °Q on Raleigh Street downtown: four-story mixed-use retail, office, residential °Bellchase: 100-acre open-air mixed-use shopping town center with high-end retail, fine dining and office space °Promenade at Pecan Grove: Fuquay side slated to include mixed-use residential and retail, event/concert venues, a farmers market, hotel and more
Neighborhood on the docket: °Brighton Ridge with 164 single-family lots, 56+ acres of open space and myriad natural amenities (via partnership with the National Wildlife Federation)
Fun Fact: Fuquay Springs (inc. 1909) merged with Varina in 1963 to become one municipality, which has since become one of the fastest growing small towns in the state.
MORRISVILLE Techcentric educated residents fill diverse burb chock-full of cultural vibrancy and plenty of ethnic eateries. Population: 31,670 Growth since 2010: 70.49% Density: 3,633.20 per sq. mi. State rank: 33 Education: 85.69% have at least some college Median household income: $101,738 Marriage rate: 61.3% Biggest fests: SpringFest; East Meets West
2021 accolades: °No. 1 best place to live in NC & No. 3 best place to buy a house in Raleigh area by Niche °No. 1 best suburb to live in NC by Niche °No. 3 for places with the best public schools in NC by Niche
Epic HQ: Lenovo
Developments in the works: °Developers are competing for rights to Morrisville’s downtown corridor project °Biotech company Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand signed on to fill 75,000 square feet of remaining space at INQ 1101 °Rumors of a Trader Joe’s in the old Earth Fare building
Neighborhood on the docket: °Terraces at West Cary on Highway 55 near Morrisville Parkway: 60 upscale tech-focused townhomes with rooftop terraces
Fun Fact: Late bloomer: Even in 1990 (three decades after RTP began growing biz), the now booming town had only 1,000-ish residents
Eastern Wake
WENDELL Small town meets big charm Population: 10,135 Growth since 2010: 73.40% Density: 1,839.10 per sq. mi. State rank: 86 Education: 66.9% have at least some college Median household income: $59,236 Marriage rate: 43.2% Biggest fests: Wendell Harvest Festival; International Food & Music Festival
2021 accolades: °No. 1: Wendell Falls: Best Land Plan by MAME – HBA of Raleigh Wake County
Epic HQ: SPC Mechanical
Development in the works: °The Glennon, 578 residences and 30,000 square feet of commercial space Neighborhoods on the docket: °Belle Grove: 43 acre with 204 townhomes and single-family detached dwellings, plus 12+ acres of open space. °Wendell Falls: Still growing, this “different by design” community is adding a 55+ community of low-maintenance one-story homes dubbed Encore by David Weekley Homes.
Fun Fact: M.A. Griffin, a local schoolteacher, dubbed Wendell in honor of his favorite poet, Oliver Wendell Holmes. And its pronunciation (WEN-‘DEL) is credited to train conductors shouting “Wendell” with equal emphasis on both syllables.
ROLESVILLE Art and active ops aplenty await in Wake County’s hidden gem Population: 9,359 Growth since 2010: 147.20% Density: 1,921.70 per sq. mi. State rank: 93rd Education: 80.7% have at least some college Median household income: $119,615 Marriage rate: 81.6% Biggest fest: Fall Fun Fest
2021 accolades: °No. 7: Billed as one of America’s “Top Boom Towns” by realtor.com (alongside the likes of LA, Dallas, Brooklyn, Miami, Vegas, Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta…)
Development in the works: °$55+ million mixed-use retail/residential project slated to break ground this summer: 11 acres with 182 multifamily units and ~50,000 square feet of retail space
Neighborhood on the docket: °The Preserve at Jones Dairy Farm plans filed: 150+ acres of 854 new single-family homes and townhomes °Kalas Falls: 91 acres with 335 townhomes and single-family homes
Fun Fact: Rolesville now has Ting—the new crazy-fast fiber internet, marking the town as the fourth on NC’s Ting Town roster (alongside Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest)
WAKE FOREST Quaint meets cool in its historical, charming, vibrant downtown (there’s a hashtag for that: #WhereQuaintMeetsCool) Population: 48,841 Growth since 2010: 62.17% Density: 2,770.70 per sq. mi. State rank: 22nd Education: 81.2% have at least some college Median household income: $92,210 Marriage rate: 57.6% Biggest fest:HerbFest
2021 accolades: °No. 6 best place to live in NC by AreaVibes Epic coworking space:Loading Dock
Developments in the works: °Wegmans on Ligon Mill Road; °JPMorgan Chase added first Wake Forest location to its Triangle rollout
Fun fact: Home to Falls Lake Recreation Area, Heritage Golf Club, White Street Brewing Company, The Factory (hey, inflatable playground, skate park, mini golf and more), to name a few, this small town goes big on entertainment factor.
KNIGHTDALE Youthful culture and award-winning brisket just minutes from DTR Population: 18,761 Growth since 2010: 64.56% Density: 2,515.90 per sq. mi. State rank: 53rd Education: 73.4%have at least some college Median household income: $69,684 Marriage rate: 50.5% Biggest fest: Fall on First Fest
2021 accolades: °No. 1 most affordable town in NC by Smart Asset °No. 10 best place to buy a house in Raleigh area by Niche
Epic new food hall:Craften, a refreshing new concept by two Raleigh entrepreneurs—Kip Downer and Max Trujillo—that brings the restaurant mentality to a food hall.
Developments in the works: °Smithfield Mixed-Use Planned Unit Development: $65-mil+ 76-acre mixed-use project with 141 townhomes and single-family detached abodes, plus 348 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail space. °Merritt Properties plans filed last summer:271,450-square-foot five-building industrial park to include manufacturing and flex office space. °Mungo Homes project: 121 acres along Neuse River of up to 2,000 homes (anticipated to be an inaugural piece of a larger 550-acre project).
Neighborhood on the docket: °Forestville Village plans filed: ~280 townhomes and single-family abodes, plus amenity space at the corner of Old Knight and Forestville roads by the Knightdale High School and Knightdale Community Park
Fun fact: Knightdale is home to Oak City Brewing Company and champion pitmaster Christopher Prieto’s Prime Barbecue (currently of Food Network’s BBQ Brawl season 2 fame)
GARNER DTR proximity meets a small-town friendly vibe Population: 33,291 Growth since 2010: 29.31% Density: 2,094.10 per sq. mi. State rank: 31st Education: 71.8% have at least some college Median household income: $65,064 Marriage rate: 49.2%
2021 accolades: °No. 8 best place to buy a house in Raleigh area in 2021 by Niche
Epic HQ: Amazon distribution center
Development in the works: °Eastern Wake Innovation Park: office park with retail °Beacon Commerce Park: 48-acre project with 670K+ square feet of industrial space °Laurensfield Court: 96,000-square-foot warehouse distribution facility (part of a plan for 400K+ square feet of industrial space across Greenfield Business Park) °Downtown Opportunity Site: The town of Garner is weighing proposals from developers for its up-to-four-story mixed-use residential and retail downtown project.
Neighborhood on the docket: °W&M Partners LLC plans filed: 22-acre 264-unit multifamily project at 120 Yeargan Road north of U.S. 70.
Fun Fact: Garner’s former Holloman’s Road, which served as a link between its small community and the state capital in the 1880s and 1890s, is now one of the oldest and longest traveled corridors in North Carolina—the Central Highway.
WEB EXCLUSIVESample tacos, tequila and so much more at Tacos ’N Taps this weekend.
Grab your sombreros and get ready to fiesta! Tacos ’N Taps is nacho average food and drink festival—it’s maybe the most spec-taco-lar event of the year (okay, we’ll stop with the puns now). The festival features over 30 different types of tacos—plus other Mexican favorites—from your fave local Mexican restos and food trucks, in addition to 60-plus different craft beers, mezcals and tequilas. In between tequila tastings, take part in the hot pepper eating contest or shop from the boutiques offering brewery merch, jewelry, hot sauces and more all to the beat of mariachi bands and your fave local DJs. Taco ’bout a good time! (Last one, promise.)
How? Three types of tickets will be sold (purchase your tickets here)
Taco Only Ticket: includes 4 taco tickets (valid 1—5pm)
General Admission/Tequila and Beer Drinky Ticket: includes a souvenir glass and endless samples of beer, mezcals and tequilas (valid 1—5pm)
The VIP Super Super Muy Muy Taco Session: includes one extra hour of tastings, 4 taco tickets, a souvenir glass and sombrero, limited admission and extra goodies (valid noon—5pm)
