It's Labor Day Weekend in Raleigh!

Hey Enclave at Crossroads Apartments! Get excited, because the three day weekend is finally here! I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this weekend, especially since it can kind of be considered the end of summer. At any rate, I hope it’s the beginning of cooler weather!

Since it is Labor Day Weekend, you know that the city of Raleigh had to deliver some options for you to enjoy. The list is courtesy of about.com:

Friday:

• Catch a game: The Carolina Mudcats and Durham Bulls baseball teams are both at home all weekend as are the Carolina Rail Hawks (soccer).
• First Fridays: First Friday in Raleigh is one of the Triangle’s favorite events and all of downtown Raleigh gets into the act.  There are free self-guided tours of local art galleries, and a number of the museums including Marbles Children’s Museum and IMAX theater are open late.

Saturday:

Raleigh Brew Week, 2010

For the longest of time, it seemed like every city in the nation had a beer week but Raleigh. Even Charlotte boasted of one! This week, all of that changed with the inaugural Raleigh Beer Week.

Raleigh Beer Week spans from August 30 to September 3rd, and has different events at different venues around the city that patrons can partake in.  Since this is being billed as an “inaugural” event, it looks like the city of Raleigh can look forward to this being a recurring event downtown that can only continue to grow. Here are the events for the rest of the week courtesy of New Raleigh.com:

Wednesday, September 1

• 7:00 pm - Brooklyn Beer Dinner at The Flying Saucer: Join Steve Hindy, co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, for a night of food & brews.  Enjoy a 5 course dinner paired with 5 beers.  Also in attendance is Daniel Bradford from All About Beer magazine. Tickets are $40 if you’re a UFO member, $50 if you’re not, and can be purchased at the Saucer.
• 9:00 pm - Cask Night at The Borough: Stop by to enjoy a cask of dry hopped French Broad’s ESB.  The Borough is working in conjunction with The Flying Saucer’s beer dinner that Wednesday.  Every ticket to the Saucer’s beer dinner will include a pint of the ESB, so save your tickets and bring them to The Borough.

Thursday, September 2

• 7:00 pm - Brewers Forum at the Busy Bee: Join Spike Buckowski from Terrapin Brewing Co, Sean Wilson from Fullsteam, and others for a panel discussion on brewing and the beer industry.
• 9:00 pm - Ballast Point Cask Night at The Flying Saucer: The folks at the Saucer will be tapping an uber rare cask of Black Marlin Porter with cocoa nibs.

Friday, September 3

• 6:00 pm - Cask at the Landmark Tavern: Join Darren Quinlan of Coney Island/ Schmaltz Brewing to tap a special brew.

photo credit: Wikipedia

I am a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance! I think that one of my favorite routines was the Bollywood routine performed by Katee and Joshua. Their moves were so fluid and precise, and the routine itself just seemed so fun to learn! If you felt the same way, you can step into their shoes (kind of), with Bollywood Dance Lessons at Lake Lynn Community Center right here in Raleigh, about 20  minutes from the Enclave at Crossroads Apartments.

The hour long classes start on September 7th at 7 pm.  You’ll learn low-impact dance moves to famous Bollywood movie songs. You’ll also learn short choreo at each 8 week session. This is a full body workout, so be prepared!

Bollywood is a fun form of dance that is rooted in classical and folk dances from India. These Indian dances have been updated with influences from other styles of dances including Middle Eastern belly dance. Registration can be done when you get to class.

Check out the video from So You Think You Can Dance below to get a glimpse of the Bollywood style!

Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week!

Get your taste buds ready everyone, because Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week is here once again! Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week is a weeklong dining extravaganza showcasing the culinary talent in the heart of the city! If you’re a true foodie, or just enjoy great food, head out this week and feast! The event lasts from August 23th – August 29th, so you have about 6 days left of the ultimate restaurant hopping!

Certain restaurants downtown will offer tantalizing, three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30, depending on the venue. Tax, tips, and drinks aren’t included in the $20 or $30 price. The list of restaurants participating is pretty long, so you have a good variety of restaurants to choose from. There’s nothing better than having a favorite local eatery, especially if that eatery is one you normally would not visit because the prices may not be in your price range.

Restaurants on the list include: 18 Seaboard, Cafe Luna, Sono, Dos Taquitos Centro, and many more! If  you click on the hyper link above, you’ll be directed to the menus featuring the foods that they’ve specially selected for restaurant week.

This is a big event for Raleigh, so partake while you can! The best thing about it is that all of the restaurants are mere minutes from Enclave at Crossroads! It just doesn’t get any better.

photo credit: Wikipedia

Enclave at Crossroads Apartments

Many people don’t take advantage of renters insurance because of a common myth: the cost. Renters insurance is surprisingly inexpensive. For a small fee a month, normally between $10 and $20, you can save thousands of dollars in case you have to replace your belongings. In all honesty, I’d much rather pay about $10 a month than to pay over $200 to replace a lost television or over $500 for a new laptop.

Renters insurance also covers liability for anything you’re found negligent to have caused an accident or a fire. Basic renters insurance may run you as little as $100 a year. In my opinion, that’s a small price to pay for piece of mind and the reassurance of securing your precious belongings. This video shows what happens when people choose not to invest.

If you do not already have renters insurance, contact a leasing agent in the Enclave at Crossroads leasing office, and they’ll be glad to help.

Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Image via Wikipedia

Hey Enclave! Looking for something fun to do that’s also a great way to lose weight? Try Belly Dancing classes at Belly-Works Dance Academy right here in Raleigh! If you’ve never done it before, don’t worry; they have absolute beginner classes just for you!

In the absolute beginner belly dance class at Belly-Works, you learn the basic movements and isolations associated with Belly dance. To gain familiarity with the moves, simple choreography may be taught. This is so you can get used to the moves and commit them to muscle memory. Muscle memory occurs when  you perform one move so often for a certain period of time that your body automatically completes the activity without you having to think about it. After a couple of rounds, you’ll be switching your hips like a pro in no time.

During the classes, yoga attire, or work out attire is recommended. This way you won’t be restricted by heavy clothing or get overheated. Water bottles or some kind of liquid to replinish you is also recommended. I’ve taken a belly dance before, and let me tell you, it’s no walk in the park. It’s a lot of fun, but you’ll definitely be feeling the effects of the class the next day. At least you know that after continuous sessions, your body will look and feel great!

Have you ever attended any other type of dance class?

Wine Tastings Every Weekend!

Hey Enclave! Do you enjoy a good wine tasting every now and then? I’m sure there are a few of you out there that do. If you are one who partakes, then you’d like to know that every weekend, Total Wine (Raleigh) offers a free tasting of fine wines from around the world.

The fun thing about the wine tastings at Total Wine is that there is a different theme every weekend. If you go enough times, you’re sure to be a wine connoisseur in no time! If you’re just looking to find a nice wine to relax with, wine associates will be on hand to help  you find one that’s perfect for you.

The tasting takes place today, August 13th at 4 pm. They occur every weekend, so if you miss the one today, you can catch the one next weekend, no problem. Grab some friends, sample some wine, and relax. It’s the weekend!

photo credit: Wikipedia

Farmers Markets always serve fresh produce!

Hey Enclave! If you don’t really shop at Farmers Markets, you should definitely give it a try. This Saturday, August 14, you have a chance to do that at the Midtown Farmers Market in the heart of North Hills in the Commons in Raleigh.

Farmers Markets are great because prices are lower, and the quality of food bought there is much better than that of regular grocery stores and super markets. Often times, the produce is much more fresh, and in buying them, you’re also supporting local businesses.

The Midtown Farmers Market will have a wide variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, flowers, meats, homemade desserts and baked goods, crafts, and a myriad of other things. For you enjoyment, every Saturday features live entertainment.

The market officially opens at 8 am, and I would advise that you get there sometime during the morning to get the pick of the litter so to speak. After your trip to the market (and if you haven’t bought any perishables), you can get some shopping in at the Commons. There’s nothing that North Hills doesn’t have!

Happy shopping!

Directions from Enclave at Crossroads:

Head northwest on Crossroads Crest Way toward Jones Franklin Rd. Take the 1st right onto Jones Franklin Rd. Merge onto I-440 E via the ramp to Raleigh. Take exit 8B for 6 Forks Rd N toward N Hills. Merge onto Six Forks Rd. Turn left at Lassiter Mill Rd. The Commons at North Hill Shopping Center will be on  your left.

photo credit: KirrilyRobert

Sheryl Crow

Hey Enclave! Are there any Sheryl Crow fans out there? If so, you’ll be excited to know that she and Colbie Caillat will be performing at the Koka Booth Amphitheater on August 15th!

Sheryl Crow’s music blends rock, folk and pop into one mainstream sound, and she has won nine Grammy Awards. She has released seven studio albums, two compilations, and a live album, as well as contributing many songs to film soundtracks. She has sold 16 million albums in United States and 35 million albums worldwide and her newest album, 100 Miles from Memphis, was released on July 20, 2010.

Colbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat is an American pop and country singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles “Bubbly”, “Realize”, and “The Little Things”.

This is sure to be an awesome concert! Be sure to get your tickets soon as concerts like these tend to sell out rather quickly. There are only two ticket prices left at $40 and $60.

Are you a Sheryl Crow fan?

photo credit: guckuck, wikipedia

Hey Enclave! This blog post is going out to all of our new residents, those of you who are new to the Raleigh/Triangle area, and for those who just enjoy the great food of Raleigh. Since you’ve been living in Raleigh, have you had a chance to sample all of the food that she has to offer? If not, here’s your chance: on Saturday, August 7, (as well as subsequent Thursdays and Saturdays) there will be a Walking Food Tour of Downtown Raleigh.

This guided culinary tour spans all 5 downtown districts to sample a cross-section of some of Raleigh’s unique local restaurant venues.

You can actually take a walking food tour around the Triangle as well! There are now five delicious, food tasting, walking tours- two in Downtown Raleigh (the original), Chapel Hill & Carrboro, Downtown Durham and now in Downtown Cary.

The tours typically last about 3 hours. During this time you can go on either of two journeys: The Comfort Food Edition of the tour, or Raleigh’s Global Gastronomy. (I think I’ll go with the Comfort Food Edition). With the Comfort Food tour, you’ll be sampling some of the home-grown recipes that has been in Raleigh’s culture for a long while. You’ll also get to hear stories about how life was in Raleigh before everything became so hectic. This tour is only on Thursday mornings.

Saturday’s tour, the Global Gastronomy Tour, will have you walking and using the R-Line circulator to make your way through each district. You’ll be  stopping numerous times for sample tastings and inside stories from 6-8 local establishments, such as a contemporary restaurant that takes you to new heights of dining & entertainment, or a new German restaruarant where the bratwurst are the absolute best!

Tickets must be purchased in advanced. Hurry because tickets sell out quickly, as there is a 10 person max per tour! Please meet at the Old Depot in front of Jibarra at 327 W. Davie St. Parking is free.

photo credit: stevendepolo, ~ezs