by Avery Williams | Aug 5, 2025 | Buzz, July/August 2025
A deep-dive into the hottest up-and-coming neighborhoods throughout the city
Whether you’ve been here a year or a lifetime, you’ve felt it: Raleigh isn’t just growing—it’s transforming. Across the city, familiar corners and fresh developments alike are evolving into distinct microclimates, each with its own notable flavor and momentum. Whether you’re setting out to explore or searching for the perfect place to plant your acorns, these are the neighborhoods amping up Raleigh’s cool factor.
Warehouse District
As Raleigh’s creative core, the Warehouse District is where the city dreams big. Behind iconic red-brick facades, former industrial spaces now house galleries, cocktail dens and curated vintage shops. Father and Son anchors the antique scene, while Morgan Street Food Hall dishes up both global and familiar flavors in a space as dynamic as the city itself. Grab a chocolate fix at Videri, then head to Boxcar for a round or two of Skee-Ball—and, suddenly, you’ll feel like a kid again.
Smoky Hollow
If the Warehouse District is eclectic, Smoky Hollow is its polished Downtown counterpart. The vertical district evokes a mini SoHo feel, with its glossy, walkable enclave defined by sleek high-rises, fitness outposts and vibrant night markets—plus a host of other recurring events. Start with Spanish small plates at Madre, then slip into The Crunkleton for a nightcap or Moon Room for cocktails and live jazz. With so much more to see and do, the Hollow feels anything but.
West End
Overlooked no longer, West End is quickly becoming one of Raleigh’s most vibrant corners. Just a short bike ride or stroll from Dix Park, it’s home to a mix of makers, breweries, bakeries and storefronts—plus a slew of additions slated to open soon (think Benchwarmers Bagels and Mexican restaurant Campo) in a delicious blend of old soul and new energy. Start your morning with a loaf and latte from Boulted Bread, then head to the park’s 300 acres for the perfect picnic under the oaks and pines. You’ll make it back in time for trivia at Vault Craft Beer.
Raleigh Iron Works
Built on Raleigh’s industrial bones, the Iron Works District is forging something entirely new. Anchored by the reimagined Raleigh Iron Works development, it blends bold design, local dining and creative enterprise in a space that’s both raw and refined. Warehouse spaces brim with character, hosting vintage and art markets, while lush landscaping and a playful plaza—complete with adult-sized swings and slides—invite you to unwind. And spots like Brodeto, Andia’s and Little Rey are there to keep you fed morning till night.
by Cameron Rhinehardt | Apr 17, 2023 | April 2023, Buzz
A global pharmaceutical consulting org doubles down on DTR—and is bringing 100+ life sciences jobs to NC.
It’s no secret that life sciences are booming in Raleigh and the surrounding area. The region boasts more than 650 life sciences companies and is ranked No. 6 in CBRE’s 2022 analysis of life science research talent clusters.
Further contributing to that growth is ProPharma Group, an international pharmaceutical consulting org setting up camp at 107 W. Hargett St. (aka the historic 1924 building that housed the iconic OG Father and Son Antiques, which moved locations in 2018), and bringing with it up to 100 (!) new life sciences jobs over the next two years—think biotech, medical device and diagnostics, and pharmaceutical organizations. After recognizing the growth Raleigh has experienced as a social and professional hub—NTM the area’s natural talent pool—ProPharma Group chose Raleigh for its global headquarters.
“The growth in Downtown Raleigh over the past few years has been monumental, and we’re excited to add another dimension to the city’s expanding commerce and life sciences scene,” says ProPharma CEO Michael Stomberg. “We are also proud to be the first-ever Research Consulting Organization (RCO) to call Downtown Raleigh its home.”
Adds Downtown Raleigh Alliance President and CEO Bill King in an interview with ABC11: “Life science is an area the Triangle is really strong at. We haven’t traditionally seen as much of that in Downtown Raleigh, so we’re really excited about this announcement.”
An MO of patient health, wellness and safety as its No. 1 priority led Stomberg to create the company—previously located in Overland Park, Kansas—in 2001. Now, ProPharma provides pharmaceutical and medical advice to their clients and partners across the globe.
It’s also the world’s largest RCO—meaning they partner with international companies to work toward different goals in the science world, from helping produce a vaccine against COVID-19 to providing pharmaceutical information for medical companies. This RCO model—the first of its kind—is designed to focus more on “orphan drugs,” or drugs for people with rare diseases.
“Working in close partnership with our clients to improve the health and safety of patients, our global teams are committed to quality and excellence in everything we do to support clients throughout the full product lifecycle,” says Stromberg. Talk about looking at the glass—er, beaker—half-full!
by Grayson Haver Currin | Dec 8, 2016 | Buzz, December 2016 / January 2017
Father & Son’s building is under contract. Is the vintage institution the next member of the Raleigh diaspora to Durham?
On a weeknight at the busy Person Street Bar, Brian Ownbey recognizes the chair he pulls from beneath a secluded corner table. He sold it to them—just as he did a lot of the colorful, mid-century furniture in the dimly lit room—before it opened in 2014.
In fact, for nearly two decades, Brian and Kiyomi Ownbey—who pulls out another familiar chair a few moments later—have sold innumerable pieces of vintage furniture and clothing, tchotchkes and curios, records and books to people around the world from their downtown Raleigh institution Father & Son. But that could be changing just before the business turns 20. A month ago, the Ownbeys learned from their longtime landlords that Father & Son’s four-floor building at 107 Hargett Street was going to be sold. They’ve since turned their eyes to big parcels of cheap property in Durham.
“We looked at a couple of places just today in Durham, and those guys were really excited about the shop and knew a little bit about our history,” says Brian, his voice halting, as if he’s offering a guilty confession. “It really just comes down to [the fact] we’ve got a business here, and we’d like to stay here. But can we afford to?”
Just before Thanksgiving, a representative at Quail Properties, the Ownbeys’ longtime landowners and landlords, called to inform them that the space would soon be sold to a group of investors. (Dan Austin Jr. at Quail Properties did not respond to two weeks of requests for comment.) The Ownbeys had occasionally toyed with the idea of buying the building themselves, even making a few attempts to do so. But it never seemed to be for sale. These new investors, they were told, had deep pockets and their papers in order. When Brian heard the news, he was in the car as soon as he could hang up the phone, prowling nearby Raleigh blocks for spaces that Father & Son might call its future home.
“We felt safe, actually. James Goodnight is here beside us with Death & Taxes, and McClatchy’s digital office is on the other side,” says Brian. “What would they want with us?”
So far, no one seems to know for sure. As the Ownbeys understand it, their building, built a little less than a century ago, may be leveled to make way for an entrance into the redevelopment of The News & Observer’s headquarters, purchased by investors for $20 million last November.
Kiyomi has met a few architects who have come to Father & Son to take preliminary looks at the building during recent weeks, but they remain tight-lipped. She also met Joe Whitehouse, a real estate developer who is part of the group behind The News & Observer project. He left his card but couldn’t say much about the project or plans.
“I do not have a comment yet,” Whitehouse says now. “We do have it under contract.”
Father & Son became a successful downtown Raleigh retail emporium long before that concept served as the theme of seminars, special municipal committees, or themed shopping nights in the city center. The business grew at a rather astonishing clip, too, expanding beyond the original basement and ground level into the space’s top two floors after only about five years. Ever since, Father & Son has sprawled through nearly 9,000 square feet, making it one of the biggest downtown storefronts in Raleigh. By comparison, DECO, a block away, is 1,700 square feet. The size, says Kiyomi, is one of its greatest assets.
“The thing that I really love about our shop is that there is something for anyone who comes in,” she says. “We have pieces that are very high-end, but then we have vintage clothing that is reasonable, and records. We appeal to a diverse population, and we’re an interesting experience.”
Right now, the Ownbeys have no timeline for moving out of their longtime home and for signing a new lease elsewhere. They’ve simply asked that they be informed about progress on the sale so that they can minimize the timespan during which they’re closed.
If they do head west to Durham, they’ll be the third Raleigh institution in less than a year to announce such a move, following the diner Finch’s and the Hillsborough Street bowling hub, The Alley. In recent years, the Ownbeys had considered opening a second space in Durham to complement the original Raleigh store. They never considered it to be an either-or proposition.
“It’s going to be sad, really sad,” says Brian. “A lot of it has to do with being in that spot. I love that building.”
