Raleigh Philosophical Society

'I can't wait to tell people about this place!' - January 2012 edition

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Boy, did I pick a bad night to try out Tyler's Taproom at Seaboard Station in Raleigh. A bunch of us went last night -- the night of the State-Carolina game. Yeesh. The place was packed -- which is always good to see in a new place -- so it took a while to get a seat. (Took about 2 hours, actually; they don't take reservations, apparently.)

Honestly, that's my only beef with the place. The beer selection is great. On a "normal" night, you should have no trouble finding a seat. And the Pork Belly Sandwich was fantastic. Oh, and they have their own beer store attached to the back.

If only the score had been reversed.

Raleigh has the healthiest women ... and a healthy film industry too?

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:44:00 +0000

The accolades continue to pour in for the City of Oaks. Along with recently being tabbed as the Best Place to Live in America by Businessweek, the city was also recently named the healthiest city in the country for women. The ranking comes from the January/February issue of Women's Health magazine.

The magazine looked at 30 categories of health for women in 100 U.S. cities -- from obesity and breast cancer rates to commuting times and hours spent working out, says the Birmingham (Ala.) News.

The top 10 cities for what Women's Health calls "the fittest, happiest females" were Raleigh, N.C.; San Jose, Calif.; Madison, Wisc.; Boise, Idaho; Burlington, Vt.; Plano, Texas; Virginia Beach, Va.; Portland, Maine; Austin, Texas; and Minneapolis.
In some of the individual health categories, Raleigh was highest for Pap smears and mammograms for women older than 40, Madison women were the happiest, Austin women had the healthiest diets and Minneapolis women were low in heart disease and stroke.

But there's even more good news. The Raleigh Telegram reports that motion picture production in the Triangle in 2011 was around $4 million, according to Triangle Regional Film, a new non-profit aimed at promoting film making in the Research Triangle area.

“This rise was capped by the scenes shot in Raleigh and Durham in November for the independent feature Arthur Newman, Golf Pro starring Colin Firth, an Academy Award winner in The King’s Speech and Emily Blunt who has appeared in The Adjustment Bureau and The Devil Wears Prada,” said the Triangle Film Commission in a statement released to the media.

The film commission said that the filming of Arthur Newman, Golf Pro alone accounted for at least reported $500,000 of the total spent in the Triangle Region during the shoot.

“We have seen significant growth in producers’ interest in North Carolina filming locations due to the increased incentives offered this year to the film industry by the state, and we have been able to focus a large amount of that interest in the Triangle region” said Commission Executive Director and filmmaker Rob Shoaf. ...
In the Triangle, one of the goals of the creation of the Triangle Film Commission was to catalog more locations in the Triangle so that film producers would be more likely to choose spots in the Triangle for as film sets.
“The Reelscout location search engine, which contains images of locations in the 13 county region served by the Triangle Regional Film Commission, has been expanded from approximately 166 listings at the beginning of the year to over 700 by December,” said the TFC. “This image library is a primary tool in marketing the region to motion picture and television producers nationally and internationally.”

The film commission said that due to some film projects being postponed from 2011, that “spending [in 2012] could easily double from the reported 2011 level."

Some Fayetteville Street food additions coming

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:15:00 +0000

To some it was a complete shock that Krispy Kreme's Fayetteville Street location never made it. (It's doughnuts! Who doesn't love doughnuts?) But to others, the fact that there was another, more historic "KK" just a few blocks up Person seemed like bad mojo from the get-go. So not long after opening, the Fayetteville St. Krispy Kreme "klosed" it's doors. (See what I did there?)

Soon to be filling the space at City Plaza (442 Fay. St.) will be Fire Wok, according to signage. The interesting thing is that the ownership of Fire Wok is the same folks that own La Volta Italiano across the plaza at 411 Fayetteville Street. This is good news; this means those folks feel confident in opening another restaurant. That's ALWAYS a good sign (even if we were once politely harassed -- yes, there is such a thing -- by a waiter from La Volta who was desperately trying to get us to go in on a Thursday evening).

In other F Street news, Hylton Hospitality is working on a $325,000 project at 301-110 Fayetteville Street, which will be the sight of Oro.

In non-Fayetteville Street news, the city is planning a nice (4,600 sf) "Carousel Building" for the historic carousel at Chavis Park, and Grubb Ventures has submitted plans for a 400,000-plus redevelopment of parcels at 401 Oberlin Road.

Tyler's at Seaboard now (finally) open

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:48:00 +0000

According to an email floating around most of the downtown email listservs, the long-awaited Seaboard Station location of Tyler's Taproom is now open. (And there was much rejoicing.)

I just wanted to let the neighborhood know that Tyler’s at Seaboard Station is open. In talking to the manager it sounds like they aren’t going to publicly announce it until Sunday but I just had a few beers and a nice meal over there. They have tables with taps that you can pour yourself and it just tells you how many pints you have had at the end of the night!!! (Dangerous!) Only way the night could be better is if the Hurricanes can win for once… [Note: That actually did happen.]

FYI, the place was only half full but the parking lot was overflowing. The street parking on Halifax was unused but on busy night you’d have to park over by Peace China to get a spot, unless you are lucky.

Thanks to "Ryan" for the update.

Check out 'The Point,' the new home for NCSU's chancellor

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:24:00 +0000

The home for N.C. State's chancellor appears to be completed (or very close to it). The new building on Centennial Campus replaces an older structure just off Hillsborough Street near the Belltower that, well, has apparently been in need of repair for some time.

This link will take you to some great photos of the new building, called "The Point." It was designed by College of Design Dean Marvin Malecha.

Images by Dustin Peck Photography

Quick hits: Innovation summit coming, and CAM gets awards

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Raleigh, NCSU partner to spur entrepreneurial innovation
City leaders and North Carolina State University are teaming up to create a “unified vision” for developing Raleigh as an “Innovation Center.”

With Durham having firmly established itself as the Triangle’s hub for new and emerging companies through a variety of efforts focused on entrepreneurs, Raleigh is attempting to get in on the development game, says WRAL.

A first step is an “Innovation Summit,” which is set for the Raleigh Convention Center on Jan. 18, 2012. The one-day program is being put on by the city, N.C. State, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Raleigh Economic Development and Wake County Economic Development. Sponsors include Rex Healthcare, the Poyner & Spruill law firm, the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and Springboard, which is N.C. State's innovation initiative.

CAM six architectural design awards

CAM Raleigh announces that it has received six architectural design awards since opening in April 2011. A partnership between the community and North Carolina State University’s (N.C. State) College of Design, to date CAM Raleigh has received a 2011 AIA Design Award (Merit), an AIA Tower Award, the 2011 Carraway Honor Award of Merit from Preservation North Carolina, the 2011 Sir Raleigh Walter Award for Community Appearance, and a Downtown Raleigh Alliance Imprint Award.

Located in an early twentieth-century structure in the Depot National Register Historic District, the museum’s 25,000 square-foot home inside a downtown warehouse was designed and renovated by the architectural team of Clearscapes and Brooks + Scarpa.

Celebrated highlights of the building’s new design include a dramatic deconstructed roofline, new lobby, and state-of-the-art gallery spaces.

A doomed location?

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Not unlike "The Cafe" episode of "Seinfeld," the fortunes of 410 Glenwood South seem to be, well, not good, no matter what people try. Hard Times seemed like a good fit and was really a pioneer for Glenwood South, but for whatever reason it didn't make it. Now the same goes for The Diner.

From The Diner's website:

Thank you for the support you have shown The Diner.

The dining room will be closed as of Monday, November 21^stas the restaurant is in the process of being sold.

The Diner Catering/Delivery Service is still operational at this location until the new owner/operator takes over and we move to our new catering kitchen. Call 919.614.1991 for information or to place a catering or delivery order.

All outstanding Diner gift cards will be honored at Hibernian Restaurant & Pub at 311 Glenwood Avenue (one block south of The Diner).

Should you have questions, please direct them to info@thedinerraleigh.com

Delivery personnel: The Diner is still receiving deliveries for our catering operation. Call 919.835.9010 if you need assistance.

Have ya heard? Colin Firth's in town!

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:13:00 +0000

My wife managed to snap this photo on her phone this morning along Fayetteville Street.

Despite the fact that Colin Firth's movie is being filmed in several spots in North Carolina (Raleigh, Fairmont, Alamance County), it actually takes place in ... Indiana. Go figure.

This can only be good news

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:20:00 +0000

The latest news from West Raleigh (that doesn't involve Tom O'Brien and Everett Withers) is that the Carolina Hurricanes have secured a couple of handfuls of new minority owners -- and almost all of them are from North Carolina. From the N&O:

Canes owner Peter Karmanos Jr., today announced a group of 10 partners in the ownership of the team. Nine of the team’s 10 new investors are based in North Carolina.
Eight of the ten partners are: Michael Kahn, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. (James Goodmon, A.J. Fletcher Foundation), Matthew Szulik, Ice Puck LLC (Orris Temple Sloan, Jr.), Clancy & Theys Construction (David Tim Clancy, Joel Thomas Irving Clancy, Kathryn Virginia Clancy, Robert Todd Clancy, Sarah Elizabeth Sturm), Jim Rutherford, Hurricanes Investment, LLC (Abel Zalcberg, Barbara Zalcberg) and Whitney Holdings Inc. (Frederick J. Whitney, Timothy M. Whitney).

For as much success as the Canes have had (often being labeled a model franchise in the NHL for ownership stability, its GM, and its fan support), one question has always plagued the franchise: what happens if Karmanos can't find suitable support in the North Carolina business community. Well, he has it. Nothing is ever certain in pro sports, but this certainly helps put to rest any scenarios where the Canes pick up and leave ... at least in the near future.

A newsstand coming to Hargett Street

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:25:00 +0000

DTRers can now have a spot to pick up the morning paper.

Cimos Newsstand is slated to open at 111 East Hargett Street, Suite 100, sometime in the near future. (The property is currently under renovation.) The newsstand will take up approximately 900 square feet.

And in not-necessarily-DTR-related news, there will soon be a new brewery over in Saxapahaw. Owner Ben Woodward is slated to open Haw River Farmhouse Ales in an undisclosed location in Saxapahaw. The brewery is targeting a May 2012 opening.

One of the best chuckin' burgers I've ever had

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Ashley Christensen is a busy woman these days. Despite a "meh" review here or there, her Poole's Diner seems to be chugging right along quite nicely. As if having one successful restaurant is not enough, she has managed to open up three new spaces in the span of about three month (and snag a spot on "Iron Chef America" as well).

Beasley's Chicken & Honey was the first of Christensen's "newbies." I've personally not eaten anything there yet; however, the reviews have so far been mixed. "Good chicken -- not GREAT chicken," is how one friend put it. "There was barely any honey on my lonely piece of chicken" said another. To be fair, the menu is limited. One person was also perturbed that he couldn't get chicken and waffles at anytime.

A minimal menu is also the order of the day at Chuck's, Christensen's burger joint right next to Beasley's on Wilmington Street. (Her third new spot, Fox's, a liquor bar, is open around the corner.) A group of about six of us went to Chuck's for lunch the other day and were all blown away. "Easily the best burger I've had in this town" said one. I may agree.

I had the Bear In Heaven, which comes with a roma tomato, lettuce, onion, pickle (the thickest pickle slice I've ever seen on a burger), "Switzamerican" cheese and Duke's real mayo. Nothing crazy about it, but it was fantastic. Most everyone else in our group got the Dirty South burger, which is essentially a Carolina-style burger but with chili made from pork shoulder and Anson Mills Sea Island red pea chili, as well as Ashe County Mountain Cheddar cheese. Folks could not stopy oohing and ahhing over it.

We split two orders of fries ($4 a piece) between us, and it was plenty. Burgers are steep at $9, but well worth it. I can't wait to get back to try one of the milkshakes. It will hopefully be soon.

Best local place you've never been?

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:48:00 +0000

OK, I'll admit: the title of this post doesn't make a whole lot of sense. After all, how can you judge a place if you've never been there?

However, I was thinking about this the other day in relation to the ever-changing Raleigh restaurant/bar scene and how some places that are good (in my opinion, at least) and seem popular don't seem to make it, yet some other places soldier on.

Then there is the aspect of those places that have a great reputation, but you have personally never been to (or maybe you've only been once or twice).

So this is essentially a two-pronged question: What are those places that you can't believe are still open? And what are those places that you just must believe are pretty good because they've been around for forever, even if you've never been?

For me, one that comes to mind is Tasca Brava on Glenwood South. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has actually eaten there, but it must be pretty good. (It just has never worked out that I can go there, or we just don't think about it.)

I'll also throw The Mint, La Volta and Spize (all on Fayetteville Street) into the mix as well. Never been to any of them for dinner, and none of them ever seem that busy, but they must be good ... right?

One place's success that I'll never quite understand: Vic's in City Market. Can someone explain it to me?

Looks like a normal night at The Mint to me.

Bakery coming to Cameron Village

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:19:00 +0000

The Sugarland Bakery, which currently resides on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, has designs on a move to Raleigh's Cameron Village, according to sources. The move is slated for early 2012; the new location will take up about 3,000 square feet. No word yet on where in CV it will actually be located.

In other retail news, Capital Club Properties is beginning to renovate about 3,400 square feet of space on the 12th floor of 16 W. Martin Street for what is being dubbed "Grand Ballroom" operations. Hopefully more details will emerge.

Cheetie Kumar of King's Barcade is slated to open up the Garland Restaurant at 14 W. Martin Street -- formerly the site of Martin Street Pizza.

A nice Scotty review from Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0000

I can't claim to be a huge fan of country music, but I am nonetheless excited and proud of the accomplishments of Garner's Scotty McCreery. He sounds like a genuinely nice guy, and he's a Wolfpack fan, so he's A-OK in my book.

In case you live under a rock, then you don't know that his debut album shot the top of the Billboard charts. Not too shabby. So far, the reviews of that album, Clear As Day, have been very good. Here is a bit of one from a blog in Seattle, of all places.

I always wanted to hear more uptempo numbers from McCreery during his time on Idol, and he has more than made up for it on Clear As Day with songs like "Better Than That" and "You Make That Look Good." Both selections really showcase his personality and a whole different side to his vocals.

That said, the two big standout tracks on the album for me are "Water Tower Town" and "Dirty Dishes." When I first listened to "Water Tower Town," I just knew it had to be some sort of tribute to McCreery's hometown of Garner, North Carolina. Turns out I was right. "[The song] reminds me of Garner, which has a big water tower right across from the baseball fields where I grew up playing ball," McCreery said in a press release. "It has a lot of elements in there that remind me of Garner."

Hands down, this song has the catchiest chorus on the album. It's the one track that I still catch myself humming along to. I also like how McCreery utilizes multiple aspects of his vocals in singing it. You hear the deep, rich side of his voice that we fell in love with on Idol, along with a slightly higher range during the chorus, which allows him to show off more of a contemporary sound. ...

Clear As Day is a 12-song snapshot of who McCreery is not only as a country music artist, but also as an 18-year-old guy ready to leave his mark on the world. With his album debuting last week on multiple Billboard music charts at Number One, I think the young singer is well on his way to being a country music star.

Go, Josh, Go!

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:15:00 +0000

In case you haven't noticed (and, I'll admit, with it being baseball, I haven't really paid close attention), Raleigh's Josh Hamilton is back in the World Series for the second straight year. Hamilton's Texas Rangers will try to earn a ring this year when they face St. Louis. (First game is Wednesday night in St. Louis.)

"Consider this an old-school World Series: top names on both sides, many of them facing each other for the first time - the way it was before AL and NL clubs began playing each other all through the summer.

"Think of Ted Williams vs. Stan Musial, maybe," writes the AP.

Musial, in fact, might even be at the ballpark next week. The 90-year Hall of Famer who helped the Cardinals win three World Series crowns was at Busch Stadium during the playoffs for pregame ceremonies.
Stan the Man and the Cardinals beat Williams and the Red Sox in the 1946 Series. More than a quarter-century later, Williams became the first manager in Texas history after the franchise moved from Washington.
It took a lot longer for Texas to finally reach the Series. Hamilton, Cruz, Michael Young and the Rangers made their first appearance last year, only to get shut down by San Francisco's pitching in a five-game wipeout.

Calling Raleigh home

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:48:00 +0000

Every now and then, we like to highlight the good work of a friend, either a blog they've created or some cool work they've done. This time around, we want to give a little shout out to Calling Raleigh Home, a blog by a Realtor friend of ours, Matt Nowak.

I am an outsider. I was neither born nor raised in Raleigh. Of course, many people who live in Raleigh can also state that fact. (From the year 2000 to 2010, approximately 127,999 have moved to Raleigh.) The one commonality that we share, whether we are a transplant or a native, is this: we are all calling Raleigh home.
Almost ten years ago, after my girlfriend and I packed up all of our belongings, our two cats, and hitched the car to a back of a U-Haul, I thought to myself: I wonder what Raleigh, North Carolina, is like? Will my girlfriend and I be able to start the life together that we want? Will we gain the opportunities that we could never get if we stayed where we are now? Simply put, driving to a brand new place with nervous optimism was easily one of the scariest moments in my life.
A home is more than walls, a roof, and a floor. When a person asks you where you live, you usually don’t state your address. You mention the city. Living in a specific city can define a person. The diversity within this city of ours is not found only in its people, but also its schools, businesses, religions, politics, social causes, sports, hobbies, and anything else you would say is important to you. If a person can’t find what they are looking for in Raleigh, I simply don’t know where else to suggest.

It's brand new, but check it out.

My guess is it will be called 'Something Something 18' or '18 Something Something'

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:20:00 +0000

The word on the street is that Cantina 18 and 18 Seaboard owner/chef Jason Smith has a third restaurant in the works. No word yet on what type of food or its location. Stay tuned.

And though not necessarily Raleigh related, former N.C. State basketball player Cameron Bennerman has opened up a retail store in Greensboro. Bennerman, a native of Greensboro, recently opened The Pines (241 E. Market St.) in downtown.

The shop sells things such as beverages and chips and his line of hats and T-shirts called LiKuid Nation, with styles influenced by hip-hop music, sports and art, writes the News & Record's Mike Fuchs.

“Along with what I feel can best represent my brand, I also want to be able to make available other kind of products, as well,” the 27-year-old Greensboro native said. “Magazines. Food. Snacks. Accessories. Toys. A wide range.”
He also plans to have a fitting room and televisions displayed throughout the shop.
The Pines, which pays homage to North Carolina’s official state tree, also can be rented for events including wine tastings and after-hours parties.
The interior is filled with reminders of the shop’s namesake, including pine panel walls and a few pine logs from Bennerman’s property in Kernersville.
Friends and family spent the summer helping Bennerman remodel the 60-plus-year-old building, which is across the street from the News & Record parking lot.
His grandfather laid the concrete.
His father, Rik Bennerman, owner of the Masters Grill at Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro, also pitched in.

New life for Blount Street

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:03:00 +0000

Looking back, the Blount Street Commons redevelopment project was probably about 1 year too late. I remember talking to a friend who was on one of the committees involved with the project, and she was discouraged at the slow pace of the project. There was momentum -- at least from a community interest standpoint. But apparently the developers were dragging its heels and the city wasn't really on board. This was probably around 2007. Well, we all know what happened within the next couple of years.

Several years later, there is slow but tangible evidence of the Blount Street project. There are condos and a few row houses, but the big, old Victorians remain vacant and highly overpriced.

But there may be new momentum.

Now, a new developer is hoping to breathe life into the historic area, according to WRAL.

When the project began in 2008, it sought to not only preserve historical homes, but bring the people back.
Joe Adams moved into the project’s first phase of condominiums on Blount Street two years ago.
Not long after, the builder of the project went bankrupt, leaving Adams with an empty lot next door. ...
“It’s not exactly going according to plan, but it’s still fun to live down here,” Adams said Friday.
A new builder has signed on for the project and said he hopes to start building next year. Any plans will have to go before a before a public hearing in January.

There is still a lot of promise to Blount Street. It was envisioned as Raleigh's new "grand boulevard," and could still be it. Here's to hoping it happens.

The Glenwood South Carolina Ale House. Finally

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:25:00 +0000

For months (years?) there was a sign on the door at 500 Glenwood Avenue promoting the future site of a Carolina Ale House, but there never seemed to be any progress, so people began to doubt it would ever happen. (And then, for a while at least, even that paper sign was gone.)

Well, the site plans for construction of the restaurant (yes, at that site) have been submitted. It will be a three-story restaurant with a rooftap bar. No word on when it is slated to be completed.

In other retail news, Papa Murphy's, a pizza chain, is slated to renovate a 1,500-plus space at 1028-226 Oberlin Road -- aka, Oberlin Court. Papa Murphy's is based out of Washington state.

The location of the former ESS Lounge is about to get sweet. The Videri Chocolate Factory will be moving in to 327 W. Davie St. The chocolate shop is slated to open in either late November or December.

And, finally, Locopops is renovating its space at 2604 Hillsborough Street.

A stadium for St. Aug's

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:38:00 +0000

It looks like the new football stadium for St. Augustine's College is a "go," according to WRAL.

For the first time in its 144-year history, the football and track teams at St. Augustine's College will have a stadium to call their own.
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, Raleigh City Council approved plans to build a 2,500-seat stadium around the college's track and field. About 100 students took buses to attend the meeting, where they cheered college president Dianne Boardley Suber's presentation to the council.
"We have a world-class track, world-class football field, a nice scoreboard, two perfectly straight goal posts and no place for anybody to sit and see them," Suber said.
The college had previously asked for 5,000 seats but scaled back after neighbors voiced concerns about traffic, noise and parking.
"Lights will be shining and they'll have three entrances for them to go in... There's no way it can keep off from our place," said neighbor Sarah Olive. "My street will not be affected, so they say, but I'm sure they'll be parking on it."
Mayor Charles Meeker mandated that the stadium have 50 feet of landscaping buffer around it, no concerts, no lighting higher than 80 feet and no more than 15 events per year. He is also requiring the college to offer free parking at the stadium to deter students and fans from parking on neighboring streets to avoid paying.

Didn't the college discuss a stadium before? Why, yes, they did. (In fact, one discussion had Shaw and St. Aug's sharing a facility on Glascock Avenue.)

This is the second time in seven years that St. Augustine's has asked the city to build a stadium. In 2004, Suber asked the council to approve a 5,000-seat stadium, but agreed to a downsized, 2,500-seat version of the proposal. A location change, however, sent that plan back to the drawing board.

I'm a State grad, but I love having St. Aug's just a few blocks away. I'm excited the possibilities of a new stadium.

The end of the suburbs?

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:22:00 +0000

The Atlantic has posed that very question in this piece.

In the years following World War II, the United States experienced an unprecedented consumption boom. Anything you could measure was growing. A Rhode Island-sized chunk of land was bulldozed to make new suburbs every single year for decades. America rounded into its present-day shape.

Along the way, there were three inexorable trends at the base of the societal pyramid. First, we plowed more energy into our homes each and every year. We cooled and heated our houses more (sometimes wastefully, sometimes not), brought in more and more appliances, added televisions and computers and phones. Per capita electricity shot up from about 4,000 kilowatt-hours per US resident to over 13,000 kilowatt-hours by the 2000s. Second, we needed more electricity because our houses got huge. The median home size shot up from about 1,500 square feet in the early 1970s to more than 2,200 square feet in the mid-200s. Third, we drove more and more miles every year to get around and between our sprawled-out cities. Back in 1960, Americans drove 0.72 trillion miles. By 2000, that number had reached 2.75 trillion miles. In 2007, vehicle miles traveled hit 3.02 trillion.

Now, though, the relentless growth in those figures is coming to an end. The AP's Jonathan Fahey reported last week that the utility company research consortium, the Electric Power Research Institute, projected that residential electricity demand would drop over the next ten years. ...

Meanwhile, the number of miles that Americans drive fell in 2008 and 2009 -- even as gas prices fell off their highs. In 2010, Americans drove a little more, but so far in 2011, we're driving less. In other words, the growth in total vehicle miles traveled has stalled. And if you look at vehicle miles traveled per person, the picture is even more clear. On a per capita basis, people have been driving less for almost a decade. Now, with gas prices creeping back toward record high territory, we can expect the new downward trends to continue.

Taken together, the end of growth in residential electricity consumption and vehicle miles traveled form a momentous signal. The United States we all grew up with is changing, or rather, it's changed and the numbers are beginning to reflect that. The growth in housing size, electricity demand and miles traveled were the hallmarks of the suburban/exurban era. They were the statistics of sprawl -- but also of economic growth. ...

For what it's worth, I think there was a movement "back" to more compact living before the Recession.

Nonetheless, we have touched on that concept in the past (or, at the very least, the idea of people moving back to cities). As much as the facts show that MORE people are moving to cities and that more and more areas are becoming "urban" in nature, I do think there is an inherent American "pioneer" spirit that results in probably seven out of every 10 Americans pining for wide open spaces. It's not for me, so to speak, but for the majority of my friends, they like the idea of at least an acre of land and a two-car garage with a bonus room. It's not for me, but I don't fault them for it. To each his own.

Reckless rickshaws?

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:32:00 +0000

The other night, my buddy, Troy, was lamenting the fact that he has -- on apparently more than one occasion -- been almost run down by rickshaws in Downtown Raleigh -- while he was simply walking on a sidewalk. Troy and his wife have played "chicken" with rickshaws while walking down the sidewalks of DTR, and, in one instance, he described having to run defense so that a pedicab didn't run over his wife.

*Is this an issue? Have others had problems with Raleigh rickshaws seemingly having no regard for others? Are they allowed on sidewalks? Should they be allowed on sidewalks? Or is this a non-issue, and maybe the riders just have it out for Troy?

*Full disclaimer: I've never personally witnessed rickshaws riding on the sidewalk and have nothing but great experiences with them, but Troy is not the type to just make something up. Unless it involves shark bites.

Carolina RailHawks: Your regular season NASL champs

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:33:00 +0000

This is how dominant the Carolina RailHawks have been this season: they lost on Wednesday night and STILL won the regular season NASL title.

Let's go to the official release:

The Carolina RailHawks clinched the NASL Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the NASL Playoffs Wednesday night. While they suffered a 1-0 loss at Ft. Lauderdale, they cemented their place at the top of the table by virtue of Puerto Rico’s 1-1 home tie against Montreal.

The RailHawks (17-4-4) are eight points clear and have a game in hand on Puerto Rico, which has two games remaining on its calendar.

“It’s a big, big achievement for us,” said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie after Wednesday's match. “It was a goal for the season and we’re satisfied we’ve achieved it. To be the top team in the NASL is something the club can build on and it’s a reward for everybody’s hard work and the quality the entire organization has produced this season.”

The RailHawks have been at the top of the table since late April, and they saw their lead balloon to as many as 16 points over the course of their landmark season. Clinching their first piece of silverware adds to the list of club records the RailHawks have already set or are closing in on as the regular season draws to a close.

“Now we have to be the team to finish strong and accomplish our other goal, which is to win in the playoffs,” said Rennie, whose team will begin postseason play with a bye to the semifinals.

Super congrats to the 'Hawks. Here's to hoping they are equally dominant in the playoffs.

Faces Lounge/Round Midnight coming to S. Salisbury

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:38:00 +0000

Faces Lounge/Round Midnight, a new bar/restaurant, is slated for 126 S. Salisbury Street (Suite 102) in Downtown Raleigh. According to sources, the space will take up more than 4,000 square feet.

No word yet on when it is slated to open.

'I can't wait to tell people about this place!' - August 2011 edition

noreply@blogger.com (M. Lail) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Well, the title of this post may be a tad misleading. But I wanted to once again offer up my thoughts on a new place that has opened downtown (and provide another forum for those that have tried other new joints as well).

Some friends and I made it to The Draft last night. Someone had warned me that the place was "very loud," and they were spot-on. Even sitting at a booth, it was difficult to hear the person right beside you. (Yeah, I know, I know: I sound old writing that.) One friend described it as "sensory overload."

As for the food and drinks ... being that it's a Rocky Top place, they had their fair share of Mash House brews. But The Draft appeared to be out of a lot of beer choices last night. (To be fair, they do promote N.C. beers AND it was $6 mug night, which was a nice touch.)

We were all mainly there for drinks, but one friend got a burger and was pretty satisfied with it, especially since it was a HUGE. (Burgers start around $9 at The Draft.) I ordered a side of tater tots, which cost $3. There were roughly a dozen tots in the small bowl; they appeared to be out of a bag, to be quite honest.

In short, our experience at The Draft was both overwhelming (from the noise) and underwhelming (the food). Will we try again? Hard to say.

Been anywhere lately that you want to pimp or pillage? I'm interested in trying Babylon and Beasley's; have heard mixed reviews of both.

And, finally, be safe out there this weekend, everyone. Here's to hoping Irene heads east. FAR east.