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

The (Sweet) Person Street Walking Tour

Corner of Jones and Person Streets

On the edge of where Oakwood brushes up against the various institutions of state government lies a beautiful and often overlooked part of Raleigh: North Person Street. The area is one of the oldest parts of the city, and likely has the most diverse array of Victorian architecture.

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Raleigh’s Merrimon-Wynne House: A Win-Wynne Situation

 

Often, one’s first impression of Raleigh’s Merrimon-Wynne House is its size — it is huge! Ever since I first photographed the house with my trusty Kodak Instamatic camera back in the 1960s, I have been intrigued by its architecture and beguiled by what wonderment possibly lay within. Now, many years later, I finally got my wish. Goodnight Raleigh had the opportunity recently to photograph the interior of the mansion, and I can tell you — it’s, well, huge!

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The Many S’s of Side Street Restaurant [updated]

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Oakwood lies a restaurant specializing in all the S’s: soups, salads, sandwiches, and sweets. Continuing on the “Side” theme, the menu is broken down according to what type of “Side” you’d like: “A Bit on the Warm Side”, “The Green Side”, “The Lighter Side”, “Our Best Side”, and “Side Kicks”.

Side Street Restaurant is a sole proprietership run by Mary Lu Wooten, although both of her brothers also work there. She bought the place in the summer of 1979, which means that this year will mark the 30th year in operation. Previously named the Corner Cupboard, the name was changed to Side Street by the previous owner prior to her taking over. When she first began running the restaurant, there were only 4 or 5 places to eat in the downtown area, including the Capital Room in the now gone Hudson Belk on Fayetteville Street.

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