We’re No. 1—again! For the third time in the last four years, CNBC has named NC the country’s Top State for Business thanks in part to the state’s strong workforce and economy.
Raleigh also stays standing on business (IYKYK). During Q1 of 2025, 23 new storefront businesses opened Downtown, with 28 more businesses planning to bow soon. DTR also added 27,526 square feet of new retail space, and attracted 1.5 million unique visitors.
Taking off at RDU Airport are a slew of updates thanks to a $24.6 million grant from the USDOT. Think widening the John Brantley Boulevard to four lanes and replacing the stop-controlled intersection with free-flow movements, expanding the Terminal 2 sidewalk, and more.
Get ready to ride. The City of Raleigh is launching a new dockless bikeshare pilot mid-August in partnership with Spin and Lime, adding a fleet of 215 electric-assist bikes citywide. Bikes will be available 24/7, and new micromobility corrals will be installed for parking. The pilot will run through April 2026.
ICYMI, Crabtree Valley Mall is getting a makeover. According to plans from the new owner, the $60 million facelift includes enhancements like new lighting and signage, a revitalized food court and family play area, and new furniture and greenery in the common areas—plus upgrades to the site’s stormwater infrastructure.
NC State is full steam ahead on its $180 million Integrative Sciences Building—aka Woodson Hall—that kicked off construction in September 2023 and will offer crucial space for STEM teaching and research space at the university upon its anticipated completion in 2026.
Go on, hit the snooze button. GoTriangle is launching its first-ever 15-minute bus service—on weekdays from 5:45am until 7pm—Aug. 4 along Routes 400 and 405 in Durham and Orange counties.
Rent or buy? Raleigh ranked the No. 9 Best City for Renters—along with four other top 50 cities in the South: Wilmington, Charlotte, Durham and Asheville—according to metrics like apartment quality, economic strength, traffic and access to amenities.
Your evening commute might be deadly. … A new study found that the deadliest hour to drive in NC is from 6–7pm, with an average of 6.31% of the state’s fatal crashes occurring during the timeframe.
WHAT’S NOT
Suicides in NC prisons are at an all-time high—increasingly among those in solitary confinement. Now, Department of Adult Correction secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes is working toward adopting the Nelson Mandela Rules, which sets a max solitary confinement rule of 22 hours a day for 15 consecutive days.
Here are the highlights of City Council’s last meeting for over a month.
Raleigh’s City Council needs an occasional break too—but before they were able to get away, they had a hefty agenda stacked for July 1, the last session until Aug. 19… and a lot went down. Here are some of the biggest highlights.
With no ability to overcome the huge budget deficit the project faced, City Council canceled the Six Forks Road Improvement Project. The initial plans included a six-lane road with a median and bike and pedestrian paths with a budget of $60.1M.
After the cost escalated to $93.5M, Council found no feasible way to move forward. Opting to keep the money in the district, the project’s budget will now go toward closing the sidewalk gap in front of Carroll Middle School and funding design of the Midtown multi-modal bridge, followed by completing the Lake Wheeler Road and Barbell Road projects, and lastly, improving Old Wake Forest Road. $9.3M had already been spent on over a decade of work surrounding Six Forks.
RFD revealed only 54% of units made the first due NFPA target time—or arrived within 240 seconds to 90% of incidents—in 2024. Performance was highest in DTR (81%) and lowest near Station 23 in Northwest Raleigh (31%). To combat this low stat, station replacements and relocations were recommended to City Council, plus four new stations, more ladder trucks and strong recruiting strategies.
Newsworthy Notes
Red Hat Amphitheater is working toward a final design with utility work already underway, with the aim for a 2027 opening.
The Convention Center expansion is in the design phase with an anticipated 2029 opening.
Updated terms surrounding the Convention Center Hotel (Omni Hotel & Resorts) include additional rooms, a room block agreement of 50 years, a projection completion guarantee, and a land sale to yield property tax.
The new City Hall is 25% complete at Floor 8, with a final completion aimed for March 2027.
Fire Station No.1 is in its concept design phase with an amendment forthcoming for a safety-themed playground.
The Chavis-Dix Strollway honoring and uplifting the Fourth Ward is in the final design process with a detailed project design expected summer 2026.
Design is underway for pedestrian safety improvements for Downtown and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Hear that? The weather is warming and all your fave artists are rolling into Raleigh to bring only the best sounds of summer for you to dance and drink along to. Pro tip: Life is short, so just buy the ticket. Summer concerts is calling, and you must go.
Where to get sh*t done around town? We have your best bathroom lineup on lock (!).
Madre This mod-chic bathroom is either your best friend or your worst nightmare—the difference is made by ensuring the lock is turned all the way so the translucent door is frosted. Pro tip: If you can see out, they can see in. Possible flashing sitch aside, the neon-lit lavatory sports pink-ish hues, stacking up to be a prime squat (and selfie) spot. @madreraleigh
Clockwork If Beetlejuice were a bathroom, it would be this one. Stroll through the trippy black-and-white-striped Tim Burton-esque hallway—and a literal nod to its namesake A Clockwork Orange—for a mind-bending-meets-magnificent photo op you can and should take advantage of on the way to the Glenwood watering hole’s pinked-out powder room. @clockwork919
Photo by Raleigh Magazine
Stella’s Feeling frisky? So is the PG-13-rated bathroom at this girly Downtown dive. Get glam at one of two vanities under a glittering chandelier illuminating the plethora of risqué photographs and magazine covers coating the walls—and dry your hands under the colorful rhinestone-bedazzled paper towel holder. And don’t fret, there’s plenty of spots to stash your purse while you go. So, truly a bathroom for the girls. @stellasonwest
Watts & Ward Tucked away in an inconspicuous corner, these always-clean and never busy potty palaces are dark enough to make you think your makeup still looks great post-speakeasy romp—plus the gold-trimmed mirrors and tiled floors make for the perfect mirror selfie op. @wattsandward
Postino Step into a dark and moody time warp among retro Roy Lichtenstein-esque music prints (hey, Elvis!) and colorful concert-flyer collages coating the ceiling and melding with trippy tiled walls—more than enough vintage vibes to powder your nose in. @postinowinecafe
Photo by Raleigh Magazine
Johnson Street Yacht Club In your Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” era? This perfectly sleazy suite is a primo pick for an edgy pit stop. Feed into your nonchalant and detached attitude with wallpaper quipping your sentiments exactly—plus mints, magazines and feminine products, JIC. @jsyachtclub
