Shipping & Receiving At Tire Supply

It's difficult to tell in the photo, but there is a set of ghost railroad tracks in the foreground. That yellow patch of grass running diagonally marks one of the tracks. If you were to follow it straight in the opposite direction, you'd run in to the Clarion Tower.


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The Staudt Bakery

I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to 'Raleigh Boy' who has filled in many of the gaps of the history section of the site as well as other posts about lesser known parts of the city. For a good read, check out the Raleigh Connoisseur's post about the old Meredith College. I've wondered about that particular "set of stairways to nowhere" for a long time now.
The point of mentioning Raleigh Boy is that he provided great insight to another longstanding curiosity of mine--the history of the building at the Hillsborough St/Morgan St split:

The building at Hillsboro/Morgan is the old Staudt Bakery. The Staudts began operating a bakery in Raleigh in the 1910s. This building was put up ca. 1940 and was very "modern" for its time. (It's been vacant for decades.) The Staudt family home, a substantial brick house, stood up on the corner @ Hillsboro St. where a small parking lot is now. It was demolished in the late 1970s when when Morgan St was converted to one-way and the traffic connector put in, usurping the old Harrison Ave., which once occupied this route. You can still see a small section of Harrison Ave. down by the tracks at Charlie Goodnight's building (which was originally built as an ice plant and icecream factory)

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Peace Street Market

This topic has come up several times at work between people on my team, so I thought I should finally create a post about it.
Beer enthusiasts far and wide know of Peace Street Market. I don't know of another shopping outlet in the area that has the diverse array of beers that they have. The 6-12 in the Mission Valley Plaza comes close, but a couple of years ago I got burned by getting stale beer. Could have been bad luck, but Peace Street is closer. It is now where I go to get something out of the ordinary. It received an A- from Beer Advocate too. Check it out sometime if you've never been. The phrase on the sign has been unchanged for as long as I can remember:

BIG ENOUGH TO TO SERVE U - SMALL ENOUGH TO KNOW U

804 W Peace St
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 834-7070
Get directions

The Violinist Of Hillsborough Street

David McKnight has been playing beautiful music on Hillsborough Street for a long time. Many street performers are somewhat transient in nature with regard to where they play, but David isn't. He is always near the stairs to Mitch's Tavern.
Dana over at gogoraleigh suggested that the "no hands king" should get a statue dedicated to him, or at least agreed with the idea. While I don't disagree with the awesomeness of the no hands king, I think that David is slightly more deserving of such an honor. He has exposed college kids to music they would otherwise never hear, in addition to adding an element of class and sophistication to an area that is usually devoid of it. I've been wanting to get a photo of him for some time, but the spring semester Hillsborough Hike presented the first opportunity for me to do so. He's almost out exlusively during the day.
This was David's tenth Spring Hillsborough Hike performance. For the past 10 years he has graced passersby with his playing. He plays lunch sets at Global Village on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Hillsborough Hike - Part 4

Hillsborough Place Parking Garage

I never was entirely sure what Hillsborough Place was used for, but it appears to be a commercial office building, and is owned by NAI Carolantic Realty. I always like going by their parking garage at night because of the cool effect the lights have on the floor. It's also much bigger than I initially thought. Also, it makes for some cool experimentation in cropping.

225 Hillsborough St
Raleigh, NC 27601
Phone: 919-832-0594
www.naicarolantic.com

Hillsborough Hike - Part 3

Hillsborough Hike - Part 2

Hillsborough Hike - Part I

Pictured above are Kaci Torres and Katie Magee while performing during the Hillsborough Hike on Friday night. Just recently they were featured in the News & Observer. They are a part of Streelight Productions, which is a group of street performers that aim to

Cultivate public space to promote the arts, strengthen community, and enrich downtown business

For more Hillsborough Hike photos, check out the ones from last Halloween.

UPDATE: Kaci was also featured on this blog back in October in the Sadlack's Heroes post.

Snooker's

Snooker's is a pool hall in the same shopping center as Whole Foods, and one of the better pool halls in the city. They have 9 ball, 8 ball, and 8 ball express leagues every night of the week. It's a pretty chill place with some really dedicated players. Also in this shopping center is a Rite-Aid, some sport equipment stores, and All-Star Bike Shop, a favorite bike shop of mine.

Snooker's Sports Pub
3520 Wade Ave # B
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-7665

Liberty Fashions

It was in business at least as late as the fall of last year. Like many of the other clothing outlets on Wilmington Street, this one has gone out of business.
Isaac's Menswear is still selling stylish clothing, however.


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One More From The Alley

The image above was taken by me in May of last year as I was peering in to one of the windows on the right side of the wall, as shown below:



This is the perspective opposite the one in Walking By An Alley posted not too long ago.

Another Old Doorway

This particular doorway is attached to the First Presbyterian Church.

The new congregation erected a brick meeting house of colonial design in 1818 on the southwest corner of Salisbury and Morgan Streets at Capitol Square. This original structure was used for 80 years until it was razed to make room for the present sanctuary, which was completed about 1900. When fire destroyed the original State Capitol in 1831, the North Carolina Supreme Court met in the Session House of First Presbyterian Church until the present Capitol was completed in 1840.

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What Won't David Beasley's Do?

Let's go over what David Beasley's AAA does:

• bail bonds
• checks cashed
• notary public
• atm
• prepaid cellular
• moneygram
• after hours request service

However, one thing (obscured in the photo) that they won't do: give change. In the window is a sign that says "change not free".

Raleigh Printing, Inc.

I've never noticed this little place on East Martin Street before. Is this the old location of the current Raleigh Printing, Inc. located at 5415 Fayetteville Road?


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Wilmington Street Cityscape

Mecca Restaurant

Nureena and I just went here for breakfast today, so I thought it would be appropriate to post a photo of it I've had lying around for a little while. It was fairly recent that they began to serve breakfast (or again?)--and it was delicious. I know it's been here since 1930, and have heard that it is Raleigh's oldest restaurant. The Raleigh Sandwich Shop was established in 1929, but it is no longer in business.
I had a conversation with our server about the bustling nature of downtown recently because of the Earth Day celebrations near the Capitol. I mentioned how when I moved here four years ago, downtown was not a very happening place to be. It was a virtual ghost town on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and night life isolated to a few small corners. She said she has lived here over thirty years and had never seen activity in the area like there is today. She mentioned the familiar story of closing down Fayetteville Street to auto traffic as the nail in the coffin to retail and social activity downtown. I have also heard this story from the person I rent my house from. It comes as no surprise that a good part of the upswing has been shortly after the resurgence of Fayetteville Street after being reopened to auto traffic. It is very much likened to opening a main artery that was once blocked. Life returns to normal.

Gibbons Service - For Happy Motoring

Hillsborough Street must have the highest number of automotive service shops (both current and abandoned) of any street I've ever been on. Most of them are clustered around the campus area, but there are a few that are closer to the Capitol Building end of Hillsborough Street.
Even more peculiar is the brand new asphalt surrounding this otherwise decrepit building. What gives? This end of the road isn't exactly the hottest piece of real estate downtown, but I still don't understand how this property has been able to sit in this condition for this long--unless there are environmental issues requiring cleanup before redevelopment.
This building gives us a peek into Raleigh's past. With the development about to take place just around the corner, I can't imagine this will continue to be an abandoned relic.


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An Odd Place For A Doorknob

Over the years I've heard of really old hobbit-like doors in old cities that were short, rounded, and had the knob in the middle of the door. This is the first one that I've noticed (although not round nor short) in Raleigh.
It makes you wonder, what is really the advantage of placing the knob in the middle?

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RFD Ladder Truck In Motion

Raleigh Fire Department ladder truck heading down East Martin Street. This was taken from the same vantage point as the CAT bus in motion post.

Meet Alvin

This is Alvin. He's married and runs a landscaping business. He moved here in 1985 to seek better opportunities than were available in the small town he departed from. I was stuck here on Wilmington Street while trying to stay dry during the downpour Friday before last. Alvin came by and introduced himself, especially after noticing I was holding a camera. He wanted me to share his secret to life with everyone I know:

In all things, every day--be happy, be joyous, and be free.

He was saying it while raising his hands in the last photo. I'm really glad I got to meet Alvin, as his optimism and happiness were quite contagious. It was most welcome while I was initially bored stuck under an awning.

Walking By An Alley

It wasn't exactly planned, but today must be "alley day" as I also posted an alley shot for Goodnight, Asheville! too. This one in particular is by the old Water Works building in the Warehouse District. If you look carefully you can see the Clarion Building poking out above the horizon.

Obama Sets Up Shop In Raleigh

These photos were taken shortly before one a.m. on a Friday night. You have to admire the drive and passion to volunteer for something at that hour. Everyone was very friendly and nice and obviously trying to encourage me to come aboard.
The Obama Campaign office opened a week ago at 130 East Morgan Street. It was also covered in The Technician. Michelle Obama spoke just a few days ago at the Reynolds Coliseum at NCSU.

The Street Genie

This man was belting out some beautiful sounds on the corner of Hargett and Wilmington Streets on Friday night. The Street Genie is the name he gave me, and I can understand why after listening for a few minutes. He wanted me to make sure the lady in the background was in the picture, and I happily obliged.

Capitol Lights

(Capitol photographs by: Steve Wilcox)

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The North Carolina Capitol building is a great place to visit during the day and at night. Under the lights it takes on a new appearance.
Did you know Edenton and New Bern were both once the capital of North Carolina before Raleigh? Read more fun facts at the state's Capitol website.

Good Friends & Friendly Lab Enjoy A Warm Night

(photograph by Steve Wilcox)
Joe Battle, Jr. owns and operates the Skyy Dogs by Joe, Inc. vending truck. You will often find Tom and his lab, Bea, visiting with Joe downtown.

CAT Bus In Motion

The Base Of RBC Plaza

The two contrasting sides--RBC Plaza on one side and Reliable Loans and Isaac's on the other.

A Crane Framing The Skyline

Just another (partial) shot of Raleigh's Skyline. This was taken only a few feet from the spot at which I got the Convention Center that was previously posted.

The Convention Center

The last time I photographed the convention center, I focused mainly on the side minus the shimmer wall. This is a view as seen from South Dawson street. For more information, The Raleigh Connoisseur is always on top of convention center news.

What Is Up With The Arrow?

A coworker of mine bought a calendar and asked about this month's photo (not the one above) which had the arrow (as shown above). I have no idea as to its purpose, and nor does anyone else I've asked.
If you'd like to see it for yourself, climb to the top of the parking deck at Moore Square Station. It has appeared in a previous blog post, but I didn't really mention it.
Anyone know what the story is with this giant arrow?

UPDATE (4/09): My friend over at The Raleigh Connoisseur posted a photo of the same object on the same day as I. Check it out for a good look during the day!

Idlewild Ave: A Lesser Known Road

This is Idlewild Avenue. It connects to Edenton and is definitely an older part of the city. If you aren't familiar with it, I should warn you that people may want to talk to you if you drive down it. It looks normal and average enough in the photos, but you may encounter someone waving their arms and walking towards your car. It isn't a certainty, but has been frequent in my experience.
Many of the surrounding neigborhoods have undergone restoration or gentrification or whatever you want to call it. Neighborhoods one block away are peaceful and calm. In fact, I have friends that live very near this road. It's how I came to learn of it. Although I warned you of people approaching your car while driving down it, I must say that I didn't feel in any danger while taking these photos. I wasn't alone, but everyone that walked by was friendly and naturally curious as to why I was taking photos. The recent Raleigh news about Idlewild was of a house that burnt down very recently. I can't find any more than what was on the nbc17 web site, which wasn't much at all. It was a large abandoned house:

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And it's kind of eerie that now it's a burnt out shell. The wrecking ball is the only future for this giant old house. I have plans to take photos of it now and post at a later date.
I imagine that just like many of Raleigh's former 'hoods, this one will also undergo a transformation. It was sort of obvious to me from a question posed to me by a random passerby on Idlewild: "Are you buying up property here?". A second man asked me if I lived in the house across the street. Seems the word on the street is that property in this area is definitely in demand. There is still the issue of crack dealers and prostitutes, but I imagine that will rapidly decline as more of these houses are renovated, divided, and rented out to higher paying tenants.
It certainly is an interesting name for a road, isn't it?

Clearscapes (or Water Works Supplies)

This is the home of Clearscapes, located in the Warehouse District. The web site says that

Clearscapes is a multi-disciplinary design firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina that was formed in 1981 when architect, Steven D. Schuster, and sculptor, Thomas H. Sayre, combined their creative talents and energies to design environments for some of North Carolina's neediest citizens, the severely and profoundly retarded residents of Murdoch Center in Butner, North Carolina. Twenty four years later, the firm has matured to a broad-based, full service design firm comprised of twenty architects, artists, and support personnel with diverse educational, geographic and experiential backgrounds.

In addition to the design studio, the firm maintains a 4,000 square foot shop where material research, mock-up fabrications, and experimentation is done. The firm's public art is built in the shop as well as components for many of its architectural projects. This facility is unique and extends the firm's creativity beyond the confines of a traditional architectural firm.

There are several small sculptures and other art pieces around this building that make it one of the most interesting and attractive commercial spaces in all of Raleigh.

Wake EMS Goes Out On A Call

No, I wasn't ambulance chasing, I just happened to be walking by as the garage doors were opening and lights were blinking. Most days the garage doors are closed at night, but every now and then they are left open when work is slow. Back in August I got a photo of a few EMS workers Paramedics hanging out during such a period. This is also the second time I've captured an ambulance downtown.

The Ghost Of The Capitol Building

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I got this photo while pinned down under the downpour on Friday night. I was stuck under an awning waiting for the heavy rain to subside, and decided to get a photo of the Capitol building. I had thought the Vance Monument was the only human-like object in the photo, but if you look closely at the far left bottom window there is a shadowy figure in the rain. This was a longer exposure (1.5 seconds) so any person captured by the camera should be invisible. Additionally, people are never a solid dark color, especially with so many bright fluorescent lights around. If it was a person standing still, there would at least a few colors. I stood staring at the Capitol building for a long time, and there weren't any people standing around it or walking by it. I'm not a believer in the paranormal, but have no explanation for this photo.
To see more information on freezing/blurring people in movement, please check out this article at my night photography how-to site Dark Photography School.

Fayetteville And West Martin Streets

Another entry light on the words. This is looking down Fayetteville Street at the intersection with West Martin Street.

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The Intersection Of West & Peace

Not much to say about this one. Wachovia, BB&T, Progress, West (under construction), The Clarion Tower among most others are here, if not obscured or barely visible.

Overlooking The Riviera

So this makes the second time in one month that I have featured the Riviera. I also did back in August. It's a great bar/restaurant on Wilmington Street.

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The Tree House Of Hope Street

If you look carefully while walking down Hope Street, you can see a small field of wildflowers, a tree house, and a campfire pit with a circle of tree stumps. I've never known anyone that has lived in the adjacent apartment complex, so I don't know its history or how frequently it is presently used. There was a rotting hammock on the floor of the top level, and a decaying pulley rope as seen in the first photo.

The End Of West Davie: Sin City

I know nothing about Sin City, and their web site goes nowhere. According to their MySpace page the name has been changed to LC's downtown. The new MySpace page (warning! bad pop country music auto-plays) says Sin City. I'm not sure what the current name is. I haven't been to this side of town in a while so I'm not sure what the sign out front says.

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