The reason would be because they’re already doing demo and that is slated to be demo’d.
Also, it’s easier to do it now than wait until the tower is built and you have residents to complain about demolition next door and any associated damage/dust that could come from that.
They also kicked out all the tenants. I don’t think they would have done that, if they didn’t have the intentions to demo it.
The “Super Rad Retro Lounge” is set to open in October in the old Mojito Lounge. Here are some pictures from Downtown Raleigh’s social:
Looks retro - except for that 7-6 non-sense. WTF?
I think the stark white walls don’t do it favors - some paint and/or art/decor covering the walls would have more of a retro/arcade feel - but that can be developed over time.
@Kanatenah what IS “7-6” non-sense ???
My bad - I transposed the numbers. I thought it was that 6-7 nonsense all the gen-z teenagers think is so hilarious.
Nevermind….
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So, the city passed a new noise ordinance today, but depending on what I read, I get mixed messages about what this really means for Glenwood South residents. Does anyone have a clearer idea of what this ordinance really does?
It seems to be about permits and enforcement for areas that aren’t GloSo. I doubt it will impact your condo.
I just watched the YouTube of the council meeting, and while there are all sorts of objective data points being referenced in the ordinance, It is still unclear to me what that means for the lived experience of it. Early in the discussion, the council seemed to stray into talking about one particular business (Bowstring) and (apparently) one particular neighborhood who wanted a “distance from” component added to the ordinance. Fortunately, the mayor steered the conversation back to it not being about one particular business & neighborhood, and the council did vote in favor of hiring a sound engineer resource for the city to address specific noise issues from an objective perspective.
As for me, I do not support a distance requirement (buffer) as that neighborhood requested, but I do think that the city needs to find a balance that lets businesses operate without them creating a burdensome noise situation for residents. The issue is going to be where to place the needle on the objective decibel reading meter.
The ordinance does not address the issue of continuing noise post 2AM when the bars close, and I presume that addressing that noise is an ongoing topic.
They also made a commitment to continue to monitor, learn, and adjust the ordinance as necessary.
TBJ is reporting the new Ping-Pong bar replacing the former Carolina Ale house is set to open soon. Call me old, but I wish this was still a local sports bar and not some stupid Ping-Pong bar. Sometimes I just want to watch the Canes games with some friends and pound beers, not 24/7 club life, but I guess that’s where Gelwood South is going. I’m sure it will be very popular though.
Pingpong bar Smash Social Club to open in Raleigh - Triangle Business Journal
nothing screams 24/7 club life to me like trying to volley a little plastic ball back and forth.
i think this is good variety for glenwood south. things that make it more family friendly are things that lend themselves to around the clock activation. retro arcade, ping pong bar, escape rooms, mini golf, the case for bringing kiddos on glenwood during the day is getting stronger
I see your point and hope that way of looking at these things is accurate. But the pessimist in me tends to agree with Drew. I said as much when this was announced, and everyone made fun of me for apparently being Ale House’s bff. ![]()
I see the trend of Glenwood turning into lazy bars that are all slightly different enough for the early 20s crowd to bar hop 2-3 nights a week, and not much else.
Ok, you’re old (?) lol - I LOVE the idea of a ping-pong bar, a la Fat Cat (now named Cellar Dog) in Manhattan. However, I will say that this image already screams low-effort - like Fat Cat/Cellar Dog already had/has, a self-described PING-PONG bar should absolutely have netting around each table to keep loose balls close-by and away from other guests’ tables.
A bar with a ping-pong table or two, forgivable. But a PING-PONG BAR??? Come on y’all… get some damn netting around your tables or else let someone who knows wtf they’re doing manage a legit ping-pong bar. This is amateur hour.
It probably wouldn’t bother me as much if we weren’t losing the only real local sports bar in Downtown. Someone mentioned Brass Taps and I should check that out, but to my impression it isn’t locally themed.
Totally with you, Jake. Fat Cat was epic back in the day. A proper ping-pong bar can have real character. Would love to see a Raleigh twist - maybe some open jazz nights where local artists play while people grab a beer and hit some pong. Honestly though, this concept feels like it’d crush in Durham - Glenwood’s a little too “bro” for that vibe
I think that folks will be surprised by how much this might turn into league play at least a few nights a week.
I feel like Woody’s fills that niche and Tobacco Road (easily the best food of the three) is pretty close to it. But yeah, I am with you that sometimes you just want a classic sports bar and losing one downtown while already under limited options sucks.
That was me. It’s not local themed except for some NC state/Canes signs and banners. It honestly feels like an airport bar lol. But unlike other “sports bars” in Raleigh they actually put the games on and will have game sound. Pretty sure they are a Canes bar too. The GM and all their staff are really good as well.
I’m a Liverpool fan and they are the official supporters club bar since it moved from London Bridge. They also have Hofbrau on tap and cans of Carlsberg, so another reason I go.
the pics of the place with nets is giving basement-low-ceiling-improvised-space vibes vs Ale House on 3rd floor first-class real estate upstairs with huge windows and patio space. Nets would be practical but would look ugly AF, but of course it was THEIR idea to pivot from Ale House to Ping Pong, so ![]()
As much as I love ping-pong, the decision to pivot from the only CAH downtown to a half-assed ping-pong bar will forever be one of the dumbest decisions in Glenwood Avenue history.






