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You're misremembering the art museum. It's not anywhere near downtown. It's a nice place to walk around, though. The history and science museums are in downtown Raleigh. Maybe you're remembering one of those instead?
We were in downtown Raleigh today. There's usually something happening. We stopped at the history museum and Videri Chocolate Factory.
Come back and visit sometime! Downtown Raleigh, downtown Durham, and downtown Chapel Hill usually all have pedestrian life going on.
The Art Mueseum did actually use to be Downtown. Not sure on the exact timing of the move and it might have been a bit more than 25 years ago, but I went there as a kid on a school trip in elementary school.
Honestly there really ain't no comparison as Raleigh's warehouse district and NoDa and Southend in Charlotte all have completely different feels plus NoDa and Southend are their own areas while Raleigh's warehouse district is part of downtown. In Charlotte often and was just in NoDa and Southend
well I got a bunch of pics but don't feel like finding them but southend is a bigger area than both, but noda has better community feel than both, all are growing though, but southend is probably about to start building up big time and southend is starting to blend into uptown. The warehouse district will get a whole lot busier when the dillon is finished as well as the morgan street food hall and union station.
As a area I like NoDa and Southend better tho.
I realize these are all distinct places. People keep saying they're bad comparisons, but they aren't understanding what I'm looking for. I highlighted it in your comment above: community feel. A gathering place where there's visible activity everywhere, very walkable with great people watching, lots of energy with things going on all around you, very social, very diverse, a variety of unique restaurants, pubs and shops. No chains! The kind of place that gives a city its heartbeat, like Greenwich Village or Times Square and so many other places in New York; Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and many other neighborhoods in DC. The kind of place tourists visit to find out what the city is all about. These places normally emerge organically and give a city a sense of identity. When I was last in Atlanta, which has been a long while (October 2001) I was surprised at the lack of areas like this. I was in one neighborhood called Virginia Highlands that was sort of in this vein, but I thought it was rather low key and not much was there. I came away with the sense that Atlanta, at least at that time, was still little more than a mass of sprawling suburbs which, to me, spells absolute boredom. Atlanta could very well have changed since then. Phoenix (where I lived for a year) is also devoid of any such area. Pure suburbia. Blech!
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppydog
You're misremembering the art museum. It's not anywhere near downtown. It's a nice place to walk around, though. The history and science museums are in downtown Raleigh. Maybe you're remembering one of those instead?
We were in downtown Raleigh today. There's usually something happening. We stopped at the history museum and Videri Chocolate Factory.
Come back and visit sometime! Downtown Raleigh, downtown Durham, and downtown Chapel Hill usually all have pedestrian life going on.
I'm sure you are correct about the art museum not being in downtown. So it's quite possible I have not actually been in downtown Raleigh since a fourth grade field trip to the science museum and capitol, which would have been around 1972! That is unless the NCSU area counts as downtown. I was certainly over there in 1983.
The reason I was at the museum is that my uncle had made some dismissive remarks about the Mint Museum in Charlotte. He was from Richmond and had been to Charlotte to see the King Tut exhibit (1989?). He had taken me to the Virginia Museum in Richmond, which was very nice and, hence, his remarks about the Mint, which he didn't think was the same caliber. I thought the comparison was unfair as the Virginia Museum is a state-run museum, whereas the Mint Museum was just a municipal museum. So I felt I needed to go to Raleigh to see the state's art museum to see how that compared to the Virginia museum.
Speaking of Richmond, though, the big Richmond-defining gathering spot is Shockoe Bottom. Great area with a great vibe, and beautiful old architecture.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pierretong1991
brichard, where do you even live? Do you even live in either Raleigh or Charlotte?
I grew up in NC and lived in Charlotte for six years, long ago. Since then I lived in DC for many years, but for most of the last 15 years I've been in San Diego. My parents are aging so it's got me thinking about moving back to NC. So anyway, I'm thinking where could I move back to in NC where I could have access to a throbbing walkable neighborhood like I'm used to, where it wouldn't require a big lifestyle adjustment.
The advent of the automobile did wonders for the U.S economy and elevating the power and stature of this nation. But it also led to the emergence of suburban development, which took hold, and pretty much took over, the post WWII growth of U.S. cities. Cities that were already large prior to the automobile have that built-in infrastructure of urban density and, thus, an abundance of lively neighborhoods. But most cities in the South and West that developed after the automobile and grew as masses of suburbs are now trying to play catch-up with the more established urban cities. I think this is being driven by millennials, who have little interest in suburbs. I thank the millennials for that!
That said, San Diego is full of neighborhoods that built up in the late 1800s through 1930s, so they have this "happening" environment. It surprises me that there is so much of that in San Diego, but so little in (especially) Charlotte because up until 1920, San Diego and Charlotte were roughly the same size and were growing about the same rate (see the comparison below). So I would think that Charlotte would have the same vibrant urban feel that exists in so many San Diego neighborhoods (North Park, South Park, Little Italy, Gaslamp Quarter, Old Town, Normal Heights, City Heights, Coronado, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Hillcrest, Banker's Hill, Kensington, to name some) but it doesn't. Charlotte and San Diego were roughly the same size from 1880 through 1920.
I realize these are all distinct places. People keep saying they're bad comparisons, but they aren't understanding what I'm looking for. I highlighted it in your comment above: community feel. A gathering place where there's visible activity everywhere, very walkable with great people watching, lots of energy with things going on all around you, very social, very diverse, a variety of unique restaurants, pubs and shops. No chains! The kind of place that gives a city its heartbeat, like Greenwich Village or Times Square and so many other places in New York; Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and many other neighborhoods in DC. The kind of place tourists visit to find out what the city is all about. These places normally emerge organically and give a city a sense of identity. When I was last in Atlanta, which has been a long while (October 2001) I was surprised at the lack of areas like this. I was in one neighborhood called Virginia Highlands that was sort of in this vein, but I thought it was rather low key and not much was there. I came away with the sense that Atlanta, at least at that time, was still little more than a mass of sprawling suburbs which, to me, spells absolute boredom. Atlanta could very well have changed since then. Phoenix (where I lived for a year) is also devoid of any such area. Pure suburbia. Blech!
I'm not sure that the Warehouse District is really what you are looking for, at least not yet. There's much more of a concentration of people, bars, restaurants, etc. in the heart of downtown around Blount/Wilmington/Fayetteville. City Market, Moore Square, The Raleigh Times, Slim's, Beasleys/Chucks, the bus station, etc. The next block over to the west, Salisbury St, is *mostly* government buildings, although a few signs of life (Ruby Deluxe, for instance). One more block over is McDowell and Whiskey Kitchen has brought a lot of people to that street and started to better tie in the stuff in the heart to the Warehouse District.
But in the Warehouse District itself, it really depends when you are there. On a First Friday or during Hopscotch, it can be slam packed with people. I've stopped by Crank Arm in the afternoon before had only like a dozen people. Street parking has gotten difficult over there. The Dillon may change things significantly. But with Urban Outfitters and other chains, I'm not sure it will be welcome change. We'll see.
Yeah, is there some reason you're focused on the Warehouse District rather than downtown? I think what you're looking for is Fayetteville Street, etc in downtown Raleigh.
I'm not sure that the Warehouse District is really what you are looking for, at least not yet. There's much more of a concentration of people, bars, restaurants, etc. in the heart of downtown around Blount/Wilmington/Fayetteville. City Market, Moore Square, The Raleigh Times, Slim's, Beasleys/Chucks, the bus station, etc. The next block over to the west, Salisbury St, is *mostly* government buildings, although a few signs of life (Ruby Deluxe, for instance). One more block over is McDowell and Whiskey Kitchen has brought a lot of people to that street and started to better tie in the stuff in the heart to the Warehouse District.
But in the Warehouse District itself, it really depends when you are there. On a First Friday or during Hopscotch, it can be slam packed with people. I've stopped by Crank Arm in the afternoon before had only like a dozen people. Street parking has gotten difficult over there. The Dillon may change things significantly. But with Urban Outfitters and other chains, I'm not sure it will be welcome change. We'll see.
Thanks for the info. I wonder about the possibility of converting some of the Warehouse District streets to pedestrian only. Perhaps that might encourage more activity and more people.
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Originally Posted by poppydog
Yeah, is there some reason you're focused on the Warehouse District rather than downtown? I think what you're looking for is Fayetteville Street, etc in downtown Raleigh.
No, not really. It's just that that I keep seeing people mention the Warehouse District. I haven't read much here about Downtown being an exciting place to hang out. I think I read there are plans to have light rail connecting Downtown and NCSU. That should have a big impact.
I honestly don't think you would like living in Charlotte or Raleigh. Both are much more like Atlanta and Phoenix than they are like San Diego, New York City, Washington DC, etc... that you mentioned as places you like.
Charlotte and Raleigh are both going to have too suburban a mindset for you. Both have people that live downtown and pockets of urbanity, but the vast majority of the area is going to be single family homes in wooded neighborhoods. I don't think it will be as urban as what you are trying to find.
If you like living in San Diego and can afford to stay there, I would recommend staying put.
I honestly don't think you would like living in Charlotte or Raleigh. Both are much more like Atlanta and Phoenix than they are like San Diego, New York City, Washington DC, etc... that you mentioned as places you like.
Charlotte and Raleigh are both going to have too suburban a mindset for you. Both have people that live downtown and pockets of urbanity, but the vast majority of the area is going to be single family homes in wooded neighborhoods. I don't think it will be as urban as what you are trying to find.
If you like living in San Diego and can afford to stay there, I would recommend staying put.
I love living in San Diego, but I'm about to be transferred to rainy Seattle even though I need to be closer to my parents. I'd be fine in DC, but that's still 5 and 1/2 hours away and has terrible weather much of the year. I'm okay with a mostly suburban city as long as I still have the option of a walkable, active and interesting neighborhood somewhere. I'll cross my fingers that DT Raleigh or NoDa in Charlotte keep expanding. Or maybe (if I'm retired and don't need a job) Asheville?
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