This is why we need more housing in these nodes and in downtown. You either suburbanize and make parking a priority or you urbanize/densify and reduce the parking requirements. For this location just a mile north of Glenwood & Peace streets, I think that the answer is urbanize/densify.
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I went there once for a MNF game a year or so ago and I guess it didn’t register because I was there for hours to watch the game, but I do recall it taking f’king FOREVER to get my food, which was JUST OK.
However, I also just think this location is simply C U R S E D lol
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Anecdotally I have been like 5 times in the last 6 months and each time have been able to park right in front of the front door. Can’t win if you don’t play.
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The Mac’s location seems cursed much like Brookside Bodega and Wye Hill locations before their current iterations. The best version by far was The Point. Lone Rider and Mac’s both had the problem of terrible food and terrible service so whatever goes in next needs to solve that. That was a much bigger issue than parking considering really no other places in 5 points seem to be impacted by the parking problem.
I’m not totally sure what the best play is going forward considering 3 straight very similar spots failed, but it’s a very prominent location and would love to see it succeed
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True - I do remember when Mac’s first opened it was packed. The slow service must have pretty quickly killed any momentum.
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Lonerider and Mac’s were both a joke of an operation. This location can definitely work with the right operator parking here is not the issue if the place is well executed. Its like the revolving door at Mellow Mushroom before the right concept got in there.
It’s a shame they closed. I haven’t been in a few months, but I thought the food was decent (not great, but good enough) and I loved having BBQ in walking distance. Honestly, this space is tough. They likely aren’t going to get any walk-in traffic so whatever comes next needs to already have an established reputation in the area (it needs to be somewhere that draws people to the spot). Honestly, Coopers would have probably been perfect, but I guess that ship has sailed.
Actually you just don’t know John. John loves to walk. John would totally walk to Costco and then Uber home with all his purchases. See problem solved. Think like John.
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In fact I do know John. He has been to my house in West Raleigh. He walked the entire way. 
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I would actually take my rolling shopping bag with me and walk home. 
3.3 miles each way. I’ll have to take that challenge. I did 9.5 miles yesterday. It’s not unrealistic.
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I didn’t have too bad of a time at Lonerider. I went a few times and it seemed ok. I wouldn’t say great, but not terrible. The last time I went in was during the winter. It was so cold in the place. The bartender mentioned that it was due to the building and something along side the owner not taking care of it (if I remember correctly). I think there was also an issue with the oven. They had stopped selling food towards the end of them being there.
Separately, we were told that that Neuse River Brewing stopped selling their duck due to them having an oven issue (which is what the waitress had said). I thought it was weird because they still sold other food. So I’m not sure if it was a specific type of oven.
I never made it Mac’s but had wondered from the beginning if that place would last based off what we were told by the people who worked at Lonerider.
As far as Wye Hill goes, I still count it as being the same as Boylan Bridge Brewpub except trying to be a bit pricier. I wasn’t super impressed with Boylan Bridge Brewpub in the same way that I’m not that impressed with Wye Hill. They just have a nice outdoor eating area although the last two times I went, it seemed like there was a bad natural gas like smell. I had a friend who tried to go there during NYE. They had an event that seemed to have no one at it.
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Two 6-story buildings on either side of a central parking deck. Some added density to extend the footprint of the district, but other than that not much interesting? So much for the 20 floor rezoning.
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Are we being so for real, right now? Good god enough of this crap. 20-story rezoning for WHAT??? MAXIMIZE USE!!! WTF
For today, 6 stories makes sense over a randomly placed 20 story building among warehouses. It would make more sense (to me) for taller buildings to be built when more mid-density buildings are in the general area for connectivity reasons. This area needs major sidewalks and other infrastructure improvements, which will probably only come from private development .
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Also note that this is only slightly over half the sight by acreage. The rest is labeled as “phase II.” I’m sure they did the rezoning for flexibility and maybe some density bonus, but it may not pencil to build higher out there yet.
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Where is this exactly?
It’s the SW corner of the intersection of Capital and I-440. IMO, it’s a real stretch to call this part of either the Midtown East or the Iron Works districts.
For real old timers, this is where the Pontiac dealership used to be back in the day.
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and hey at least they put the surface parking in the back
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Oh goodness..
Tough location
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