Yeah, a lot of businesses closed during COVID, but the article doesn’t mention how many new ones opened up too. All the spots I’ve visited in the past few years are still around. I don’t think Durham’s in as bad a place as it sounds, but I get what you’re saying!
4 Likes
in Winston Salem…the West End area. Hanes Park hosts a USTA tennis tournament as part of the Tarheel Trail tennis series, Cary, Boone, Greensboro, Ashveille and Charlotte also participate. at the end of the West End some outdoor dining options and nearby boutique shops. according to NC MOdernist Winston Salem, the designer of white house on S. Hawthorne was a fellow student of G. Matsumoto, of NC State fame. also a shell shaped Shell station.
3 Likes
North Hills meet your older bigger taller, more established edge city. Tysons Corner VA home of the tallest office building in VA the Capital One Center.
12 Likes
Couple more from there and this great rooftop park at the Capital One Center office complex in Tysons Corner.
8 Likes
My girlfriend lives in the West End! Really beautiful, fun neighborhood. It’s like if Oakwood and the Person Street strip had bigger houses, actually interesting commercial architecture, and more dramatic terrain.
3 Likes
Durm
14 Likes
The more active sibling, we love them.
I’m in Paris all week and here’s an interesting NIMBY story. Is it for good or not? I’ll let you decide.
In the Montmartre neighborhood in the 1930s, residential development was increasing. Existing neighbors were concerned over all the change and shown here is what was an empty lot. The neighbors banned together, formed an association, and bought the lot. They then turned it into a vineyard. French law says that any property that is a vineyard can only remain a vineyard in perpetuity.
We took a food tour of the area and according to the guide, the wine isn’t very good. 
10 Likes
So what you’re saying is, eventually, if given enough time, all of France could slowly move to all vineyards…
3 Likes
Or, we’re about to get a Smoky Hollow vineyard.
7 Likes
I think in Raleigh, once a property is a parking lot, you can’t build anything else.
12 Likes
9 Likes
Didn’t they just displace all the lower middle class and poor people to demolish their homes and businesses to create nicely laid out boulevards and stately city blocks? See, and people here act like gentrification is a bad thing…
There’s a reason gentil is the French word for nice.
6 Likes
the Former Campbell Court Transit center in downtown Roanoke, VA…was the oldest existing public center in VA, now converted into condos.
10 Likes
See there is hope yet for turning parking garages and old run down hotels and funeral parlors and unused churches (they do this in Charleston) into living spaces. If we start thinking outside the box, we might start solving some of our affordable housing problems through adaptive reuse. Togue in cheek but seriously this is a great use of an existing structure.
3 Likes
There’s a former church on St. Mary’s St that’s now a house.
8 Likes
There’s a former funeral home that’s now a bar/distillery. Much more fun use.
4 Likes
This makes my heart happy. 
Thanks @GucciLittlePig and @John for making me feel much better that we too are doing this sort of thing around here. We just need to do more of it. LOL.
2 Likes