Comments on: Designing A Better Downtown: Part III http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/ The Latest in Retail, Entertainment, and Development in Raleigh Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:45:32 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: lee http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-9391 lee Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:37:42 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/#comment-9391 James - totally agree with you, but one cannot forget better parking! There are a handful of nights we'll drive through City Market or DT and cannot find a safe, well lit and easily accessible parking spot. It get's old when you have to walk a mile from your parking to a restaurant in DT. James – totally agree with you, but one cannot forget better parking! There are a handful of nights we’ll drive through City Market or DT and cannot find a safe, well lit and easily accessible parking spot. It get’s old when you have to walk a mile from your parking to a restaurant in DT.

]]> By: James http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-9352 James Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:56:26 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/#comment-9352 Downtown has such potential! But over and over I see that the "pedestrian experience" is left out. Raleigh has a nice, small scale that's perfect for pedestrians if only the city would put an emphasis on things like wide sidewalks, attractive landscaping (I walk a dog and find it very hard to find any small strips of grass anywhere), more upscale retail experiences and more sidewalk cafes (another area where "wide" sidewalks become critical). I can't wait to see the Wilmington St corridor spruced up. There are still so many historic, architecturally significant structures there. Please don't tear them down! Also, I'd like to see City Market (across from Moore Sq) spruced up. They have started to -- i.e., exterior painting -- but more needs to be done. There are still too many empty storefronts which have been empty for years, including the historic "anchor" property that used to be Greenshields. Getting that anchor space occupied is key. Something like a Trader Joe's would be a perfect compliment to the downtown area, and a much needed component for downtown condo dwellers and Oakwood, (soon to be) Blount Street Common residents. The only thing right now that attracts me to City Market are Vic's and Big Ed's for eats, and Triangle Segway, where I just took a tour and bought my Segway! (I live downtown and love exploring my neighborhood on my Seg.) As for other retail, I'd like to see some well-known upscale chains on Fayetteville St, to get shoppers to "think downtown" for shopping instead of the malls. Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and others like them... build them and the shoppers will come! And we need stores downtown to stay open on Sundays!!! Downtown has such potential! But over and over I see that the “pedestrian experience” is left out. Raleigh has a nice, small scale that’s perfect for pedestrians if only the city would put an emphasis on things like wide sidewalks, attractive landscaping (I walk a dog and find it very hard to find any small strips of grass anywhere), more upscale retail experiences and more sidewalk cafes (another area where “wide” sidewalks become critical).

I can’t wait to see the Wilmington St corridor spruced up. There are still so many historic, architecturally significant structures there. Please don’t tear them down! Also, I’d like to see City Market (across from Moore Sq) spruced up. They have started to — i.e., exterior painting — but more needs to be done. There are still too many empty storefronts which have been empty for years, including the historic “anchor” property that used to be Greenshields. Getting that anchor space occupied is key. Something like a Trader Joe’s would be a perfect compliment to the downtown area, and a much needed component for downtown condo dwellers and Oakwood, (soon to be) Blount Street Common residents. The only thing right now that attracts me to City Market are Vic’s and Big Ed’s for eats, and Triangle Segway, where I just took a tour and bought my Segway! (I live downtown and love exploring my neighborhood on my Seg.)

As for other retail, I’d like to see some well-known upscale chains on Fayetteville St, to get shoppers to “think downtown” for shopping instead of the malls. Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and others like them… build them and the shoppers will come! And we need stores downtown to stay open on Sundays!!!

]]> By: Robert E Leebowitz http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-315 Robert E Leebowitz Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:37:51 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2008/03/07/designing-a-better-downtown-part-iii/#comment-315 Great post! It is interesting to note that the Progress Energy building has succeeded in creating a pedestrian friendly experience with a street level that is broken into smaller retail spaces (Sosta!) and another two sides wrapped in condos. It is a single project but it creates multiple experiences on the same block and leads to the micro-neighborhood you describe - but only during the daytime. Great post! It is interesting to note that the Progress Energy building has succeeded in creating a pedestrian friendly experience with a street level that is broken into smaller retail spaces (Sosta!) and another two sides wrapped in condos. It is a single project but it creates multiple experiences on the same block and leads to the micro-neighborhood you describe – but only during the daytime.

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