Living in the Triangle

Ever since Money magazine touted the Triangle as one of America’s hot spots, it’s grown faster than the national debt. The Triangle is a great place with grade-A academics—(Duke, Carolina, NCSU to name a few), RTP—the high-tech mecca, lots of big business (Glaxo, IBM, the list goes on), cultural events, luxury and affordable housing and more. Raleigh makes up a third of the Triangle but what many people may not know is what makes the Triangle so great can be found right inside the beltline.

Yes, in that area spanning from downtown Raleigh to Interstate 440, you’ll find a bustling, ever-evolving downtown. Conceptualized by planner William Christmas in 1792, downtown Raleigh has seen major growth in the past 30 years. The Odell Plan of 1972 created the Raleigh Civic Center and pedestrian malls, making downtown more accessible. Today, the city’s program, Livable Streets, assesses the variety of growth potential in this budding area. It focuses on “5 in 5,” the top five areas that will have the greatest impact in the next five years: the Fayetteville Street Mall Renaissance, a new convention center, a more pedestrian-friendly downtown, better business regulations, and a new approach to downtown management.

Part of what makes downtown Raleigh special is the historical City Market, a cobble-stoned street with shops, art galleries and good eats, like country breakfast at Big Ed’s. Not far is Exploris with its brand-spankin’ new IMAX theater, Pan-Asian at the Duck and Dumpling, or a Broadway show at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. On the First Friday of every month, the city’s art galleries open for tours celebrating area artists.

Moving out from the heart of downtown, you’ll find the Warehouse District, a mass of large, abandoned brick buildings converted to hot clubs, bars and restaurants. Glenwood Avenue South and Powerhouse Square house the nightlife scene. With loads of restaurants (from French to Japanese to Tex-Mex), bars (be it wine, art, cigars, pubs or pool), clubs and condos all within walking distance, it’s no wonder this is the place to be for Raleigh’s twenty-and-thirty-somethings. In the daytime, this spot is popular for lunch with cool places like the Rockford and Sushi Blues and shopping at art galleries and antique shops.

Two neighborhoods in the heart of Raleigh are Five Points and Oakwood. Both are walker-friendly vicinities with charming old homes. The buck doesn’t stop there though. Raleigh is a much bigger city to explore. No matter where you are in town, be it shopping at Cameron Village or Crabtree Mall, NCSU basketball or the Carolina Hurricanes, a Broadway show or the Carolina Ballet, the North Carolina Museum of Art or the Museum of History, you don’t have far to go to find things to do. Though the Triangle has it all, you don’t need to leave your own backyard. Great entertainment, food, shopping, sports and everyday living is right here inside the beltline.

Written by Dina Di Maio