GREETINGS

As a visionary who loves to yield results, I am excited to join the Downtown Raleigh Alliance as the new President and CEO during a period of unparalleled momentum and promise. The combination of continued residential and commercial development, both public and private, coupled with the spirit and enthusiasm of downtown residents, patrons, employees, businesses, and visitors alike, serve as the catalyst for unprecedented growth. 

Downtown is already a destination offering a myriad of restaurants, museums, cultural arts, events and more. The strategic balance between economic growth and historical preservation, a combination that is essential to a downtown, is evident and will further enrich the area and animate the city’s core. 

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance staff is focused on advocacy, marketing, ambassadorial services, and economic development.  We use the newsletters as a marketing tool to feature special events, business openings, and developments to showcase downtown as the hub of a community that fosters creativity, innovation, and advancement.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy the newsletters. If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to e-mail us at info@downtownraleigh.org.

-David A. Diaz,
President and CEO of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance

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FIRST FRIDAY BANNER AUCTION
When: First Friday, July 6 (6 pm-9 pm)
Where: Blake Street in City Market

Friday, July 6, 2007 will continue the silent auctions of the Fayetteville Street Art banners. Coinciding with downtown Raleigh’s First Friday Gallery Walk, the auction of the beautiful 'spring' themed banners will be held on Blake Street in City Market from 6 pm to 9 pm.

The brainchild of Raleigh Arts Commissioner Jessie Cannon—the art banners are a wonderful way for local artists to display their work. “I am so pleased that the response from our local artists has been so positive,” said Jessie Cannon. Half the proceeds from the auction will go back to the artists and the other half will fund future banners along Fayetteville Street. Throughout the year, the banners will be auctioned off during the First Friday Gallery Walks.

The artists’ spring banners were hung on lamp posts lining Fayetteville Street during the months of May and June.  The twelve artists participating in the ‘spring’ banners project are Karin Baumeister-Rehm, Bill Burch, Douglas Clark, Jose Manuel Cruz, Larry Dean, Barbara Jacobs, Lisa Jones, Carol Lancaster, Stacy Lewis, Starr Oldorff, Martha Thorn and Emily Weinstein. Artspace and Visual Art Exchange were instrumental in recruiting the artists for these projects. “This is a great way for local artists to have a presence in downtown and a wonderful way to showcase Raleigh’s talent,” said Sarah Powers, Executive Director of Visual Art Exchange.

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FIRST FRIDAY
When: The First Friday of every month (6 pm-9 pm)
Where: Downtown Raleigh

First Friday is one of Raleigh's most popular evening escapes.  Join us on the first Friday of each month for a fun-filled introduction to Raleigh's exciting art, music, and dining scene.  Enjoy the gallery walk and take advantage of the First Friday Specials provided by participating restaurants. 

Look for the First Friday Flags (see rendering) to easily locate participating merchants.  A detailed map/guide will be available at each location.  Pick up your very own FREE copy for easy event navigation. 

On July 6, enjoy live music and swing demonstrations and instruction on the outdoor patio of Exploris Museum from 6 pm-8pm.

Also, stop by the First Friday Banner Auction on Blake Street in City Market and bid on the beautiful banners painted by local artist

For more information, click here.

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MOVIES IN MOORE SQUARE
When: Select Saturdays (July 7; July 21; August 4; August 18; September 1-Movies begin around 8:30 pm)
Where: Moore Square

Enjoy an outdoor evening movie in Moore Square. The movies start around 8:30 pm (as soon as it gets dark). Admission is free. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers. No alcohol, please.

2007 Schedule:
Saturday, July 7: Moulin Rouge
Saturday, July 21: Dream Girls
Saturday, August 4: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Saturday, August 18: James Bond film (TBA)
Saturday, September 1: TBA

For more information, click here.

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MOORE SQUARE FARMERS MARKET
When: Wednesdays through October (10:30 am-2 pm)
Where: Moore Square

Join us on Wednesdays for Raleigh's only downtown Farmers Market located in Moore Square on the corner of Blount and Martin Streets. Support your local growers and artisans and enjoy chef series, music, and rotating wineries (wineries present on select dates). The market now also features a variety of delectable lunch items prepared by our main market sponsor Whole Foods Market.

Join us on Wednesday, July 11 for a musical performance by Bull City 6 Shooters, chef demonstration by Patrick Laird from South, and wines from Round Peak Vineyard.

For more information, click here.

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DOWNTOWN WAYFINDING OPEN HOUSE-PUBLIC INVITED
When: Wednesday, July 11(12 noon-2 pm)
Where: Raleigh Urban Design Center

On July 11, Raleigh residents are invited to review and comment on design concepts for proposed wayfinding signs in downtown Raleigh. The open house will be held from 12 pm to 2 pm at the Urban Design Center located at 133 Fayetteville Street.

The proposed designs are the product of Corbin Design, the City’s downtown wayfinding consultant. The firm will review public comments and further refine the signs before they are submitted for design approval in July.

For more information on the project and to review preliminary design concepts, please visit: www.raleighnc.gov/wayfinding. For more information, call Elizabeth Alley at 807-8477.

Raleigh Urban Design Center Department of City Planning

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RALEIGH WIDE OPEN 2
When: Saturday, July 21 (11 am-11 am)
Where: Fayetteville Street

IT’S BACK – Downtown Raleigh, that is; and to celebrate it, so is Raleigh Wide Open!

Raleigh Wide Open 2 (RWO2) is going to fill up Fayetteville Street from 11 am to 11 pm on Saturday, July 21.  It will be music to the max with the following lineup:

• 12:30 to 2:00         -- Mickey Mills & Steel (reggae);
• 2:20 to 3:05           -- Airiel Down (rock);
• 3:25 to 4:10           -- Kickin Grass (bluegrass);
• 4:30 to 5:45           -- Bio Ritmo (Latin);
• 7:00 to 8:00           -- Dillon Fence (pop rock); and,
• 8:30 to 10:00         -- Eddie Money (pop/classic rock).

The headliner of course is rock icon Eddie Money, whose long beloved tunes such as “Two Tickets to Paradise” and “Baby Hold On” are being joined by hits from his current album “Wanna Go Back” featuring 12 rock classics.

Notice, it’s non-stop music except for 6 pm to 7 pm. That’s parade time!

The RWO2 parade will begin at the Capitol and make its way down Fayetteville Street, ending at Davie Street. If you’re “tuned out” by mid evening, saunter on down to Moore Square and enjoy a free showing of “Dream Girls” around 8:15 pm.

Raleigh’s southern downtown sky will turn into a pyrotechnic pageant around 10:15 pm. when the boom and blast of fireworks signal the conclusion of the first anniversary of Raleigh’s downtown revitalization celebration.

The charge for parking downtown will be $3. The City has five convenient parking garages that offer approximately 5,000 parking spaces. The garage locations are as follows:

• Cabarrus Street Parking Lot, 100 E. Cabarrus St.;
• Convention Center Parking Deck, 429 S. Wilmington St.;
• Moore Square Parking Deck, 233 S. Wilmington St.;
• Municipal Parking Deck, Morgan Street entrance, W. Morgan St.; and,
• Wilmington Street Parking Deck, 327 S. Wilmington St.

For more information, click here.

Kirkpatrick Jayne (June 29, 2007). Raleigh Wide Open 2's Lineup of Performers is Announced. Press release.

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2007 KICKOFF TO KINDERGARTEN
When: Saturday, August 18 (10 am-12 noon)
Where: Exploris

Parents and rising kindergarteners, get ready for the challenges and joys of kindergarten!  Playspace and Exploris invite you to kick off your child’s successful school career at the 2007 Kickoff to Kindergarten celebration.  The first 500 rising kindergarteners will receive a free tote bag full of school supplies!  Families will also enjoy the following activities: 

• Explore the Wake County Public Libraries Bookmobile
• Board a real school bus  
• Enjoy entertainment and crafts  
• Try out the serve-yourself mock lunch line and enjoy a tasty meal
• Chat with kindergarten teachers
• And more!

This is a FREE event!  Exploris will offer FREE museum admission from 10 am until Noon.  

For more information, click here.

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COUPONS AND HALF OFF GIFT CERTIFICATES

Coupons:

To access the coupon for Caffe Luna, click here.


To access the coupon for Helios, click here.

To access the coupon for Gandolfo's, click here.

To access the coupon for Ornamentea, click here.

Half off gift certificates. Purchase a gift certificate for half the price of its value. (For example, buy a $50 gift certificate for only $25.) Limited supply available.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the gift certificate available for purchase, click here.

To access the certificate available for purchase, click here.

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TONY'S COFFEE AND WINE
Hours: Mon-Fri (9 am-11 pm); Sat-Sun (9 am- 12 noon)
Location: 309 Blake Street, City Market

Tony’s Café has long been a cozy place to enjoy a cappuccino in City Market amidst local art, funky antiques and bookshelves teeming with old books and games. This spring it reopened with a new interior and expanded menu.

Café Owner Tony Marino looked to his staff, two NC State design students, to come up with a unique, urban and comfortable design to match his upgraded food, wine and coffee offerings.

Tony says he saw “a need for a place for people to get together in a nice atmosphere and enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and dessert.”

Matt Wickwire and Katelyn Wells, the NCSU design students charged with creating this new atmosphere, focused on using recycled materials, creating a modern, urban look and keeping the eclectic feel, while paring down the art and antiques. The resulting look is clean and modern with subtle yellow walls and surprises like a chalkboard nook and exposed brick in the restrooms. The pair dismantled the lowered ceiling to expose the original tin ceiling and reconfigured many of the existing fixtures to create an elegant bar. They added a variety of textures using different woods and poured concrete elements. The black furniture and fixtures tie the interior together, and the diversity creates the non-pretentious comfort the team was after.

The Chief Wine Sommelier of Princess Cruise Lines for many years, Italian born Tony has built a unique wine list for the newly renovated café.

Tony’s will still sell select desserts, ice cream, smoothies, espresso drinks and has added gourmet sandwiches. He has also curated a collection of unique beers for the café. Tony’s Coffee and Wine will continue to feature local artists in rotating exhibits, and will focus on students from NCSU. Live, local music will be a big part of the atmosphere Tony created.

For more information, click here.

(June 2007). City Market Coffee Shop Transformed into Sophisticated Wine Bar. Press Release.

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"ABOUT DOWNTOWN RALEIGH" NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is pleased to announce that the fifth issue of "About Downtown Raleigh" magazine (published in partnership with the News and Observer) is now available for download. To download this issue of "About Downtown Raleigh," click here.

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NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR CITY OF RALEIGH APPEARANCE AWARDS
Deadline: Thursday, July 12

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance. 

The awards annually honor the projects and people that have made a difference toward enhancing the City of Raleigh’s visual character, natural environment, and overall livability.

The deadline for this year’s nominations is Thursday, July 12.

The awards program marks its 25th year in 2007.  Since the program’s inception, the City has honored more than 200 recipients for their efforts.

Award categories include:

• Residential—presented to new multi-family or multi-dwelling developments and neighborhoods.
  
  
• Commercial—for new office or retail development.
  
  
• Historic Preservation / Rehabilitation—recognizing outstanding rehabilitation of existing buildings, especially Raleigh historic resources.
  
  
• Community—for projects which enhance the appearance of highly visible public areas of the City, including parks, streets, neighborhoods, and churches.
  
  
• Institutional—for new local, state and federal development projects, including office, educational and transportation-related facilities.
  
  
• Industrial—offered to industrial, warehouse or corporate projects not normally open to the public that have a positive impact on the City’s visual environment.
  
  
• Site Enhancement—recognizing otherwise utilitarian site features (e.g., storm water facilities, lighting, etc.) that through outstanding design serve as public amenities.


• Tree and Landscape Conservation—awarded to efforts that significantly preserve Raleigh’s natural features and trees.


• Maintained Outstanding Appearance—for projects more than five years old that have consistently maintained a high-quality appearance.


• Individual—honoring individuals who over an extended time have exhibited concern, leadership, and vision in preserving and improving the appearance of the City.

To be considered, projects must be located in the City of Raleigh or its planning jurisdiction; individuals must be residents or maintain an established location in the City.  In addition, building projects must have been completed prior to the nomination deadline.

Recipients are chosen based upon their exhibiting a new standard of excellence, stewardship of the land, community involvement, innovation, preservation of natural, historic, and cultural features, and going beyond required City standards.

Selection is made by an independent jury, with confirmation provided by the Raleigh City Council.  Awards are presented in public ceremonies later in the fall.

Nominations may be submitted online at http://www.raleighnc.gov/SWRNomination.  Printed nomination forms are also available by contacting the Raleigh Department of City Planning, at (919) 516-2622.

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance are coordinated by the Raleigh Appearance Commission. 

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RALEIGH RICKSHAW COMPANY
Where: Downtown Raleigh

The Raleigh Rickshaw Company provides a fun and friendly transportation service new to Downtown Raleigh.  For trips that are too far to walk but too near to drive, hail a rickshaw and enjoy a clean, comfortable ride in a street legal, environmentally friendly vehicle.  For an introductory period, drivers are working for tips only.  The next time you see a green, bicycle carriage downtown, flag one down, and take a ride.

The Raleigh Rickshaw has extended its service hours to include: Mon-Wed (10 am-2 pm); Thurs-Sat (10 am-2 am); and Sun (10 am-2 pm).

For more information, call 623-5555.

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HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDES
Where: Downtown Raleigh

Enjoy an afternoon carriage ride. Pick-up is located on Edenton Street between the State Capitol and the North Carolina Museum of History from noon-5 pm (weather permitting) on Saturday and Sunday and at the intersection of Hargett Street and Fayetteville Street from 6 pm-11 pm (weather permitting) on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call 919.915.0378.

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For more information about Downtown Raleigh, visit www.GoDowntownRaleigh.com.

Special thanks to our sponsors: