To follow on to Leebowitz’s post … one of the good things about the pre-boom ITB was how the rich, the middle class homeowners, and the renters were mingled. While the racial dividing lines are still easy to see, subdivision by economic class is much more difficult. Developers like Gordon Grubb are working on this non-problem, though, with the goal of homogenizing Raleigh’s old neighborhoods into zones of housing stock for the wealthy.
Point for future research: when was the phrase “inside the beltline” first used?
Witness the bulldozing and the bland-to-hideous structures going up in Whitaker Park. This teardown and infill probably won’t even increase density, given reasonable extrapolations on the before/after numbers detailed in this Triangle Biz Journal article from 2006. Isn’t the increased density what all the armchair urban planners call for with these teardowns, when they trot out the tired and false dichotomy of infill versus sprawl? A similar fate is foretold for the venerable Country Club Apartments, home to schoolteachers and retirees, waiters and budding artists, folks in their first jobs out of college. The “Now Leasing” sign is still up at the office there, but one wonders how lengthy or binding a lease could be signed at this point. Is the density going to be higher there? Doubtful. Are those old growth trees going to survive when the existing structures are demolished? Doubtful.
It’s not just happening in Raleigh. Now word comes that the Glen Lennox neighborhood in Chapel Hill, also owned by Grubb, is headed for the chopping block. Say goodbye to another big chunk of friendly, affordable housing, within cycling distance of UNC.
Where are these folks supposed to go? Is Raleigh going to end up like Aspen, where the hired help has to be trucked in?
Published by Robert E Leebowitz December 12th, 2007
in Raleigh, Music, RDU and Chapel Hill.
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These two videos are great documents of an earlier time in the Triangle. The first is a 1984 documentary filmed by Alan Hervey, a rising junior at Enloe High School at the time. The next is a local news feature about Triangle Rock becoming the “Next Seattle” in the early 90’s and features Steve Noble, later of Inside Edition fame.
We bore personal witness to both of these phases in Triangle history and these videos are probably of more interest to us than most, especially the 1984 documentary. Both reminded us of some forgotten moments and faces and are a testament to the concept that a large stock of cheap housing near universities can create student ghettoes that teem with creativity. Continue reading ‘How North Carolina Lost Its Punk Accent’
Apropos of nothing, does anyone out there remember the Club Morocco, in Chapel Hill years ago? That might not even be the right name. This was a place above the Cat’s Cradle, back when the Cat’s Cradle was located where The Bookshop is now. It might’ve been called the Morocco Club, or even the Casbah or something similar. It seemed pretty much like a speakeasy operated for the benefit of Cradle insiders and touring musicians.
Hipster elitism (usually) sucks, but we need more places that like that in the Triangle, and fewer like, for instance, the Depot Complex.
Published by Robert E Leebowitz October 1st, 2007
in RDU and Chapel Hill.
Of the three points of our Triangle, it’s Chapel Hill that gets short shrift from our writers. It’s not that Chapel Hill is the bastard stepchild, undeserving of our attention. On the contrary, The Cat’s Cradle, Local 506, Orange County Social Club and a long list of good restaurants are all regular destinations for RDUwtf. Some stereotyping for you: people from Raleigh go to Chapel Hill at night, people from Chapel Hill do not come to Raleigh. We’ve asked Chapel Hillians to contribute articles or ideas about subjects for this blog but we haven’t received a single tip. Sutton’s Drugstore? The Carolina Inn? Ye Olde Waffle Shop? We don’t know! We do know the bar at Lantern is one of the best places in the region to have a drink. We’re assuming that you already know about Andrea Reusing’s award-winning restaurant on Franklin Street, because you should. Lesser known is the lovely bar in the back of the restaurant. Enter through the restaurant, down the long hallway to the back, or use the side alley entrance. The room has dark paneled walls, soft amber lighting, banquette seating and bartenders that actually know what they’re doing. The obscured location doesn’t create a speakeasy feel as much as it adds to the decor of the room to create a timeless, placeless quality - very removed from the day-to-day and that’s a great quality for a bar. It’s a comfortable and deserving destination independent of the Lantern Restaurant. The bar gets crowded on most nights (we said it’s lesser known, not unknown), so plan accordingly. And try the Junebug or The Big O.
Enthusiast George Smart, Jr. has uploaded his research on modernist houses built in the Triangle. Some less well known houses appear here, along with publicly available information on the owners and some of the sale data, and photos jacked from sonic matrix. Let’s hope this site spurs further enthusiasm, and doesn’t give errant developers ideas for more teardowns.
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