Goodnight Raleigh - a look at the art, architecture, history, and people of the city at night

Café Helios: From Plebian to Posh

The workers inside the North Carolina Association for Plumbing Heating and Cooling Control building at 413 Glenwood Ave. most likely prepared coffee that was barely strong enough to defend itself.  Workers quaffed cup after cup of mediocre coffee and were just fine with it.  Years later, that very same building would house Café Helios, a coffee house on Glenwood South.

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Reader’s Corner: 29 Years Later, a Dream is Realized

If you’ve ever listened to This American Life on WUNC, you can thank Reader’s Corner for being able to hear the program. The store known for the large selection of books for 10 and 25 cents on the west end of Hillsborough Street paid for the show to be brought to North Carolina Public Radio. Over the course of the past couple of decades, they’ve donated several hundred thousand dollars to the station from the proceeds of the books out front. There’s quite a bit more to this used book store than the inexpensive books available 24/7, though.

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Cycle Logic: A 35 Year Passion for Alternative Transportation

Located in an older business block next door to the Jackpot and the big abandoned green house is Cycle Logic, a bike shop that’s been in business on Hillsborough Street since 1974. Owned and operated by Ed Gaddy, it’s a no-frills type of place but has everything I’ve ever needed to stay riding.

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