If you’ve been down by the west end of Hillsborough Street recently, chances are you’ve noticed the rennovations taking place at the former North Carolina Equipment Building. Lulu will be occupying the building in the first part of 2009.
Read more »

A few days ago, I learned of changes in the works for one of my favorite hangout spots, Western Lanes. The News & Observer reported that the bowling alley with the long-unchanged décor recently came into the hands of new owners.

Trying to catch a Miller Lite while holding a camera isn’t as easy as it looks.

I was relieved to learn that the new owners would be keeping most of the interior elements that make this place special, but was concerned after reading this one bit of speculation from the article:

the mainstays — [Theresa] Fenner and Cathy Richards, who has waited tables for more than 40 years, even when the restaurant was segregated and she was barred from eating there — can stay when the place reopens. But whether they will is uncertain.The only certainty is the counter’s fate: Fenner will be taking it home once it is extracted.

If you’ve ever ordered a beer or had lunch here, you know the great service that the place provides. Luckily for patrons of Western Lanes, Theresa confirmed that they will remain on as a part of the staff once the restaurant reopens after rennovations. Whether or not her trademark sliding beer delivery will continue remains uncertain.
Read more »

This past Thursday while waiting for (a very delicious) Thanksgiving dinner at the home of some friends of mine, I decided to walk down to Big John’s Community Grocery, which is on the corner of Edenton Street and Idlewild Avenue. It’s within eyesight of their front porch, and I’ve witnessed some interesting activity there for some time. Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to walk down to the store and talk to some of the people hanging around outside. While on my way there, I noticed the historic ground marker above.

The inscription reads:

Idlewild Neighborhood, 1891. Idlewild Avenue is the center of Idlewild, an early area of African-American home ownership named after the Battle Family Estate on Cotton Place south of New Bern Avenue. The Raleigh Land and Improvement Company subdivided Idlewild, and the neighborhood grew in the early twentieth century. Bounded by Swain St. on west, Oakwood Avenue on north, Tarboro Road on east, and Edenton Street on south.

Read more »