Show Off Things From Other Cities

They’re supposed to extend Trinity Rd from where it currently ends at WakeMed into the Fenton roads where it resumes. Apparently that’s like phase 5 or something tho, so I’ll probably be too old to drive by the time that opens. I’m not sure how that impacts the current trails and if they’ll connect as well. I would think at least a protected sidewalk would be feasible.

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The truly adventurous might be able to do that already, but yes there should be something a little more official.

I drove to Fenton yesterday afternoon and it felt like a downtown style shopping center that you have to drive to. It was full of shops but I did not see one person. I drove back home downtown and people were walking around everywhere but all the storefronts are empty. It’s a total disconnect to me.

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Hooomans = Paradox…characters

And we had City Limits… :upside_down_face:

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Don’t forget about whiskey rose, pink boot & the new bar opening up in five points later this year (all will probably be better than PBR, BTW) https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2022/08/04/new-raleigh-bar-five-points-honkytonk-nightlife.html
Also, a PBR and Sports & Social planned for Fenton? I honestly don’t understand this development sometimes. Its like they’re trying to be a cross between the ‘Avalon’ in ATL and the Battery… but without a ballpark? Because of course, my first thought that comes to mind when I think about soccer fans and Cary is… bull ridin’. Now rednecks and braves baseball, thats a different story. Sorry for all the ATL references btw, currently a GA resident.

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Lol i had the same thought. Would be funny if there was a bull riding spot between Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma.

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nearly a bull in a china shop.

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Since everyone is talking about music on the other thread, here is a plug for a music event coming up in two weeks in Greensboro. The NC Folk Fest is the weekend of Sept 9-11. Shameless plug: check at my daughter who will be performing on the Old Courthouse Stage at 6:00 pm on Saturday.

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Been an eventful past 30 days. About to spam this thread with a few trips/thoughts:

The first trip was Charleston, SC.

I felt the sidewalks were a little narrow on the streets. The architecture was pretty amazing. It was also cool seeing all the Palm Trees which gave a very nice different feel.

I was a little disappointed by the City Market. It felt like every other market that I’ve seen outside the fact that there was bad history of the building.

We took a ferry tour out to Ft. Sumter which was a neat little trip, but could have been longer. I didn’t get to go on the aircraft carrier, but that will be for another trip.

The highlight/favorite spot was the bridge. It’s kind of amazing how much a bridge can do for a city. I lived near San Francisco so trips out to the Golden Gate were nice. I haven’t been able to go across the newerish Oakland part of the Bay Bridge.

The bridge in Charleston (Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge) was probably one of our favorite places. We stayed near it and were there a couple of times. The walk underneath was nice. I would have liked to have walked across (or biked) it. The night photo looks way better here than it was in real life. I love the way the photo looks though.

Of course a trip to the beach was required. The water here was quite calmer than expected. I think the shelf extends out. It was pretty shallow for a while.

I’ll end the photo spam with something that I always hear people want in Raleigh, but haven’t opened yet. :wink:

Charleston is ranked as one of the best cities to visit. I really did enjoy the city and will probably visit to see the palm trees (for a shorter distance trip), however based off what I saw in Charleston, I think Raleigh could rank as a really good city to visit.

When I’ve had family and friends out to visit, they absolutely loved the Museums; Especially the Museum of Art Park. Duke is always a hit (even though it’s in Durham) and The Village is a nice little spot to walk around. Although it will take time, Dix Park and the park that’s part of the St. Albans plan will make it even better.

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Second trip takes me out to a suburb of San Diego.

Sidewalks end randomly here too. I walked over to a grocery store instead of staying on the resort. Going off the resort allowed me to explore a path as well. I ended up taking the bus back to the resort after. The bus was not free here, but I was able to easily download the app and use it to pay for the bus. I didn’t have to worry about getting cash.


I noticed quite a few people and kids using bikes and ebikes along the roads. Not surprised, I saw cars end up using these lanes to bypass traffic to make a right turn. I didn’t see too many but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was enforced here. Not the most bike friendly streets, but it’s something.

Beach photos. I always love the cliffs that come out to the beach.

Ending thoughts.
I know it’s been brought up quite a bit about having the light rail connect to RDU. In San Diego, the closest thing is the bus from the airport to downtown. To connect to light rail, you still need to connect via a shuttle called the “Flyer”. This is an example of using a bus or shuttle to connect to light rail. When we have light rail, I can see a shuttle going from RDU to a light rail stop along NC-54.

I also believe it was mentioned that it would be beneficial for companies who want to bring employees in. Our company booked rooms for everyone outside of downtown (similar to how companies might book at RTP instead?). Instead of having us use the light rail, the company opted for shuttles. I ended up in a 15 seat passenger van along with other employees from the same company. I’m not sure how much transit costs would be for a 15 passenger van, but I’m guessing the cost difference is doable. The shuttle in San Diego to the transit center is free, but if we look at places like JFK or Denver, the cost to go from the airport costs about $8-$10.50/person. I only bring this up as to explain why I always advocate for improving transit for residents vs travelers. The 100 bus is doable in a pinch, but chances are companies or hotel shuttles are available.

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Final trip: Denver

I’ll start the post off in response to my ending thoughts of the trip to San Diego (as far as transit goes). I will admit it was super convenient to take the train from the airport to downtown. It had 15 minute frequency and took 37 minutes to get downtown (plus a 6 minute walk to the hotel). It was free during the month of August, so I was able to save on a Lyft/Uber trip. I was also staying downtown near the train station which also contributed to the convenience.


There was a neat little alleyway which had some shops. In the adjacent buildings, there were other shops including what was similar to a food hall with restaurants. What set it apart from a regular food hall is that you could order at the table from any restaurant and they would bring it out to you.

Of course a river downtown always is a good advantage.

I was told that this development below (McGregor Square) used to be a parking lot. It is right next to Coors Field which I’m sure gets good business before and after the games.

The 16th Street Mall was under construction, but I still saw a bit of foot traffic. It was definitely less busy than closer to the ballpark.

The final photos help show how many people bike here. I ended up seeing Swedish House Mafia at Ball Arena. It was kind of nice to see a lot of people ended up biking to the arena. Of course being downtown helps, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a lot of bikes near Red Hat or Crank Arm (which has a bike rack right in front). I bike a bit, but don’t normally see too many bikes parked around Raleigh. The one time I did see quite a bit of bikes was at Raleigh Brewing Company during an event (my post here).

The second photo was near the river park (Confluence Park) just outside an REI and Starbucks. The bottom 2 photos are just showing what kind of bike lanes they had.


It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been to Denver. My parents live out that way and don’t like going downtown. It was nice to be able to explore the area for a change.

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Thanks @wanderer for your recent posts and all of your effort! :clap:

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I love downtown Denver so much. This post made me both happy and jealous :grin:

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Keeps people from killing themselves.

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At Cary Lazy Daze, for @Jake

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DOOOMMM…!!! MF, characters

Gosh Charleston is so so wonderful. Never had anything but the best time there. So pretty, so many good places to eat and drink and shop.

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Yep, Charleston and Savannah are both awesome.

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Wife and I are going to be in San Diego next week, staying pretty close to downtown. Goal is to avoid using a car the whole time we’re there, including Ubers. I’ll try to get some decent pics for a similar writeup (though I may be enjoying myself too much to remember to do so).

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