http://www.gogoraleigh.com The Latest in Retail, Entertainment, and Development in Raleigh Thu, 11 Aug 2016 21:26:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.5
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/08/22/hunt-library-is-american-architects-project-of-the-week/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/08/22/hunt-library-is-american-architects-project-of-the-week/#comments Thu, 22 Aug 2013 22:39:05 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/?p=6993 This year American-Architects.com is profiling one building per week, each from a different state. This week the survey reaches North Carolina, and NCSU’s Hunt Library is the feature project. The short interview for the piece features some of the background and goals Snøhetta felt were important in the design process. The Hunt Library is open to the public. Free tours begin at the Floor 1 entrance and are at the following times: Wednesdays at 9:30 am Fridays at 3:00 and 4:00 pm Second Saturdays at 10:30 am...
]]>
This year American-Architects.com is profiling one building per week, each from a different state. This week the survey reaches North Carolina, and NCSU’s Hunt Library is the feature project.
The short interview for the piece
features some of the background and goals
Snøhetta
felt were important in the design process.
The Hunt Library is open to the public. Free tours begin at the Floor 1 entrance and are at the following times:
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/08/22/hunt-library-is-american-architects-project-of-the-week/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/24/elon-named-most-beautiful-college-campus/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/24/elon-named-most-beautiful-college-campus/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:49:12 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/24/elon-named-most-beautiful-college-campus/ Congratulations to Elon University for being named #1 in the Top 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses by thebestcolleges.org. Other area colleges were named to the prestigious list, too: #49 Wake Forest #35 Duke #27 UNC #1 Elon Note to NCSU’s designers and planners: Plenty of these universities have new campus areas featuring modernist buildings. Get your act together and make that campus...
]]> Congratulations to Elon University for being named #1 in the Top 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses by thebestcolleges.org. Other area colleges were named to the prestigious list, too:
Note to NCSU’s designers and planners: Plenty of these universities have new campus areas featuring modernist buildings. Get your act together and make that campus attractive!
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/24/elon-named-most-beautiful-college-campus/feed/ 5
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/09/southern-living-taps-durham-as-souths-tastiest-town/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/09/southern-living-taps-durham-as-souths-tastiest-town/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:46:39 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/09/southern-living-taps-durham-as-souths-tastiest-town/ Good news, Durhamites! Southern Living concluded its voting for the Tastiest Towns contest, and you won! Author Paula Disbrowe describes the city as “A scrappy scene of artisans devoted to coffee beans, brews, and the craft of humble foods.”...
]]> Good news, Durhamites! Southern Living concluded its voting for the Tastiest Towns contest , and you won! Author Paula Disbrowe describes the city as “A scrappy scene of artisans devoted to coffee beans, brews, and the craft of humble foods.” Congratulations!
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/09/southern-living-taps-durham-as-souths-tastiest-town/feed/ 2
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/01/01/broughton-band-featured-in-tournament-of-roses-parade/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/01/01/broughton-band-featured-in-tournament-of-roses-parade/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:08:24 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/01/01/broughton-band-featured-in-tournament-of-roses-parade/ Tomorrow morning (Monday) the Broughton Band will take another long-awaited step into the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. The Golden Regiment first marched this parade in 2008 and ever since rumors have floated about the actual retirement date of the band’s director, Jeff Richardson (“JR”). It was this second shot for which JR held out, and it was completely worth the wait, according to JR. After becoming active in the hosting process of the parade in recent years, the band was invited to not only return to the parade, but to march in the parade's coveted final band slot. JR’s retirement is for real, this time, however, as his replacement will take the reins on February 1.. The parade will be aired from 11am to 1pm. While NBC is the more prominent network covering the event, HGTV (TWC Channels 1350 and 350) blows NBC’s coverage away year after year. Not only is their commentary about the craft of each float superb, they also show the marching bands for more...
]]> Tomorrow morning (Monday) the Broughton Band will take another long-awaited step into the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. The Golden Regiment first marched this parade in 2008 and ever since rumors have floated about the actual retirement date of the band’s director, Jeff Richardson (“JR”). It was this second shot for which JR held out, and it was completely worth the wait, according to JR. After becoming active in the hosting process of the parade in recent years, the band was invited to not only return to the parade, but to march in the parade’s coveted final band slot. JR’s retirement is for real, this time, however, as his replacement will take the reins on February 1..
The parade will be aired from 11am to 1pm. While NBC is the more prominent network covering the event, HGTV (TWC Channels 1350 and 350) blows NBC’s coverage away year after year. Not only is their commentary about the craft of each float superb, they also show the marching bands for more then 5 seconds each.
Take a look at the Broughton Band during their first pass of the Raleigh Christmas Parade six weeks ago:
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/01/01/broughton-band-featured-in-tournament-of-roses-parade/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/08/29/solas-named-to-top-50-late-night-finds/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/08/29/solas-named-to-top-50-late-night-finds/#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:31:26 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/08/29/solas-named-to-top-50-late-night-finds/ OpenTable Diners have spoken, and they have named Raleigh’s Solas among their list of best late night eats in the country. No other restaurants in North Carolina won the...
]]>
OpenTable Diners have spoken, and they have named Raleigh’s
Solas
among their list of
best late night eats in the country
. No other restaurants in North Carolina won the award.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/08/29/solas-named-to-top-50-late-night-finds/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/20/renaissance-north-hills-gets-four-diamonds-best-marriott-award/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/20/renaissance-north-hills-gets-four-diamonds-best-marriott-award/#comments Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:19:00 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/20/renaissance-north-hills-gets-four-diamonds-best-marriott-award/ In a press release (.pdf) from earlier this week, Concord Hospitality Enterprises announced that their flagship hotel, The Renaissance Hotel at North Hills, was offered the Four Diamond award by AAA. The hotel was also named a Marriott International, Inc. 2010 Hotel of the Year. Each year AAA awards Four and Five Diamond ratings to the finest hotels in the nation. The Resnaissance joins this list of Four Diamond hotels in North Carolina: ASHEVILLE: 1900 Inn on Montford (2009), Albemarle Inn (2003), Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville (2009), Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park (2010), Inn on Biltmore Estate (2001), The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa (2001), BOONE - Lovill House Inn (1997), CASHIERS - Innisfree Inn By-The-Lake (1994) CHAPEL HILL - Carolina Inn (1997), The Siena Hotel (1996) CHARLOTTE - Hilton Charlotte Center City (2007), Marriott Charlotte SouthPark (1989), Omni Charlotte Hotel (2001), The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte...
]]>
In a press release
(.pdf) from earlier this week, Concord Hospitality Enterprises announced that their flagship hotel, The Renaissance Hotel at North Hills, was offered the Four Diamond award by AAA. The hotel was also named a Marriott International, Inc. 2010 Hotel of the Year.
Each year AAA awards Four and Five Diamond ratings to the finest hotels in the nation. The Resnaissance joins this list of Four Diamond hotels in North Carolina:
The state has three Five Diamond Award winners:
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/20/renaissance-north-hills-gets-four-diamonds-best-marriott-award/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/26/raleigh-celebrates-mccreerys-wins-a-new-perspective/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/26/raleigh-celebrates-mccreerys-wins-a-new-perspective/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 16:17:10 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/26/raleigh-celebrates-mccreerys-wins-a-new-perspective/ A crowd of around 8,000 was on hand last night at the RBC Center to watch as garnernorthcarolina–native Scotty McCreery was named the American Idol for Season 10. Congratulations to Scotty! I had a chance to be in that crowd and saw the event from an unexpected perspective. As is evident in the video, the crowd went nuts when Scotty’s name was announced. As you watch the video, however, note the general amount of noise in the room as Ryan is leading up to the pause, then notice the total silence as the Idol monotone sound effect is finally heard. With 8,000 waiting with baited breath, all it took was the “Sss” sound by Ryan Seacrest to send the room into a frenzy. We never even heard “cotty McCreery”. This was a special aspect of the evening that local news outlets have missed. Here are a few other points: Production The RBC Center staff welcomed the crowd with a lower level of security than we typically see at NCSU and Hurricanes events. As the crowds filed in ushers...
]]>
A crowd of around 8,000 was on hand last night at the RBC Center to watch as garnernorthcarolina–native Scotty McCreery was named the American Idol for Season 10. Congratulations to Scotty! I had a chance to be in that crowd and saw the event from an unexpected perspective.
As is evident in the video, the crowd went nuts when Scotty’s name was announced. As you watch the video, however, note the general amount of noise in the room as Ryan is leading up to the pause, then notice the total silence as the Idol monotone sound effect is finally heard. With 8,000 waiting with baited breath, all it took was the “Sss” sound by Ryan Seacrest to send the room into a frenzy. We never even heard “cotty McCreery”. This was a special aspect of the evening that local news outlets have missed. Here are a few other points:
The RBC Center staff welcomed the crowd with a lower level of security than we typically see at NCSU and Hurricanes events. As the crowds filed in ushers guided people sequentially filling each lower level section in order to get the best flying camera shots on the national television production. A few concession stands were open selling basic concessions including beer, however probably 70% of the crowd was under 21 years of age.
With the hockey season over, the RBC Center floor has no ice and the hockey walls have been removed. Therefore we got the unusual view of an empty, gray arena floor that was dotted with a few chairs and a boom camera. Sections 106 thru 117 of seating were completely empty, so the empty seats and empty floor presented some odd acoustical problems for the RBC Center’s presentation on the scoreboard video screens. The audio was loud, but somewhat shrill and echoing, so the sound quality would have been much better in my den. However the crowd on hand cheered at the exact times the crowd in Los Angeles did, so it made the event unexpectedly come to life.
American Idol sent Matt Rogers , a Season 3 Idol contestant, to be the Master of Ceremonies. Matt’s banter with the crowd and crew during commercials was refreshing. One of the biggest responses of the night came when he noted that the cameraman was on the floor of The Pit the night of April 4, 1983.
The highlight of Rogers’ duties came at the end of the night. Swarming with elated fans, Matt was pictured on the video boards holding and kissing a cardboard cutout of Scotty. If only National had time to show that hilarious moment.
Rogers also alerted the crowd to times that National was possibly going to cut to Raleigh, and kept us apprised of the finale’s timing difficulties. One of the planned acts for the show was to include live interviews from both Lauren’s and Scotty’s home crowds, but these segments were cut due to overruns. During one of the TV show’s acts, the Raleigh crowd was told to be silent as Rogers and the production crew blocked a revised Raleigh cut, however that segment was cut, too.
We can’t understand how a 2 hour production runs so long that acts are cut. There were no free-form blocks in the acts outside of Ryan Seacrest’s introductions. All of the musical performances were preblocked with the lighting crews, and all of the video packages are all a finite length.
As the Raleigh segment was cut, we noticed Ryan Seacrest blowing through the introduction of performances and even wondered if the abbreviated performance of “Dream On” by Steven Tyler was a late change. It seemed to be the only act in the second hour with flexibility, as production crews could not cut Lady Gaga’s song or that dreadful Spiderman performance.
Early numbers are in and it appears that last night’s finale drew 29.3 million viewers, so it will likely be the #2 watched television show of 2011, falling second only to the Super Bowl. For reference, the NCAA National Championship Football and Basketball games drew 15 million and 12 million, respectively. Dancing With The Stars’ Finale drew 21 million.
It was an exceptional night for the town of Garnernorthcarolina, as Scotty calls it. The Blue Crew of Scotty’s high school friends completely filled section 119 and did a good job of cheering on the rest of the crowd. The Wave even made an appearance during one of the show’s final commercial breaks.
One of the great moments of the show was the introduction of Lauren and Scotty’s most influential teachers. Not only did the two get invited to the AI Finals, they were acknowledged on international television and given new Ford cars. Garner High School choral director Meredith Clayton was stunned and elated as one of her greatest moments as a teacher got even better.
I’m here to say that any male at Garner High School who isn’t in that woman’s program is a complete idiot. She is adorable and added to the fantastic presentation of this area. Oh, and she’s probably a pretty good choral teacher; it’s in her pedigree. (Clayton’s mother was Clay Aiken’s choral teacher.)
Raleigh native and Broadway star Lauren Kennedy was ecstatic watching the American Idols finale. She even went to Twitter wondering if there is something in the water in North Carolina given, yet another, American Idol impact performer. Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, and Anoop Desai were all sensational on the show, but Scotty is the area’s first champion. Kennedy’s point makes one wonder if the area has even more to give in future seasons…
The reason I took my family to the RBC Center last night is because I had a strong inclination that Scotty was going to win. Scotty never gave me “WOW” moments like other contestants did, however winning Idol depends on getting votes, and getting them from the people who vote. A lot more goes into this equation that simply soaring vocals. One of the interesting facets to Dentistry is getting a sense of the buzz in the general population. After the last 5 seasons, I think that American Idol has become something that is largely determined by middle-aged, strong Christian women who would like to lose 20-50 pounds. This demographic has been right on par with who wins in each of the last 5 seasons. The result is a clean-cut, somewhat talented singer who doesn’t show off. Let’s look at those last 5 seasons:
Jordin Sparks vs. Blake Lewis – Jordin Sparks is an All-American type woman with a great voice. Blake Lewis is a good singer, but his beat-boxing, rap-leaning music did not resonate with the demographic. Had Lewis been a more of a smiling pop singer, he could have won.
David Cook vs. David Archuletta – At first one would think that the devout Christianity of Archuletta would excite the demographic, but that isn’t what totally excites them. They actually like rock-leaning pop music over vanilla pop.
Kris Allen vs. Adam Lambert – No one will argue that Adam Lambert doesn’t have a phenomenal voice, however he was too flamboyant and screamed too much to overcome that smile that the demographic loves.
Lee Dewyze vs. Crystal Bowersox – Crystal was the one that blew everyone’s doors off in Season 9. However when it came down to two, the grunginess of Crystal didn’t excite the demographic as much as Lee’s moderate pop and smiling eyes.
Scotty McCreery vs. Lauren “Alaina” – (Lauren’s last name is not Alaina, btw) Season 10 featured an accurate singer with low, but narrow range winning over a beautiful voice that needs more seasoning. That’s not what swayed the vote at all, though. Genre was a wash as both singers exclusively sang Country songs. Scotty has a big smile and never projected a cocky demeanor. That’s difficult to overcome, even for a really good voice. Lauren was my family’s early pick based on who would get the cascading loser votes, however that was based on Scotty finishing around 5th. In the end it appears that Scotty is the only person that Lauren could not beat. Match Lauren against any of the other 11 final contestants, and The Demographic picks her every single time.
So, the demographic I mentioned seems to be the set that is most likely to pick the winner, but they are swayable each year, and this was no exception. In each of the last 4 finals, the judges have unofficially anointed the better voice as the winner. However in each of those nights, we’ve seen a huge backlash. This season the backlash was exacerbated by the show’s emphasis on Lauren’s vocal injury in rehearsal. The result was: people who would have voted for Scotty 10X voted 150X. This is exactly the case with someone I know, and I’ll venture to say those numbers were repeated throughout The Demographic.
We did some digging and found where Lauren Alaina lives. It’s at the dead end of a country road near Chattanooga. Sounds like the beginning of a country song, doesn’t it. Lauren’s family has obviously struggled financially and it is great to see Lauren get this chance. She has been gifted with an excellent voice and has noticeably improved as a performer over the last 3 months. Lauren had serious confidence issues in the first half of the competition, and learning more about her background helped to explain this. She still needs to perform past the first two rows of the auditorium and she still needs to work on hitting the climax of a song correctly. I have complete confidence this will come with more training and maturity, and fully see Lauren Alaina having an excellent career in Nashville along the lines of Lee Ann Womack or LeAnn Rimes.
The one overriding question in the American Idol aftermath is whether Scotty can overcome the Idol Curse. Of the nine Idols, only Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have been able to advance their career’s beyond “Idol Winner” status. Scotty has a very decent chance of being the third, not because of his talents per se, but rather because of the market.
Country music used to be only popular in rural areas and the South. However since Garth Brooks’ breakthrough, the genre has steadily seen growth in other areas of the country and social strata. With Rock being as dead as it has ever been and stations like G105 forcing Lady Gaga and Kanye West into pop radio, a very serious backlash is about to occur. Teens are quickly turning toward Country music in droves, and there really is no end in sight.
Scotty’s new single, “I Love You This Big” was released this morning, and the producers have done a sensational job of capturing the powerful portions of his voice. The song will be a hit this Summer in Country radio. Scotty is hitting the wave at the perfect time, as there aren’t any big teen country singers right now. Paired with good songs (and that has been a problem for so many Idols), Scotty can be the next Idol to break through.
This year’s show produced an extremely good group of finalist. James Durbin is quite likely to have success in the dormant Rock realm, Pia is likely to be a hit in Adult Contemporary, and the sky is the limit for Casey and Haley. Casey is enormously talented and keeping him focused will be a key while Haley showed with her version of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” that she doesn’t have to shout to be outstanding. Paul McDonald and Jacob Lusk are a couple of others who, if matched with the right songwriters, could also see good careers. We’ll see.
* * *
It’s crazy that we are even talking about this. Two months ago many of us thought we had an versatile, typical young country voice on our hands. Now here we are talking about Scotty McCreery being the next in a long list of Springtime major, national successes in the Triangle area. The Idols tour comes to the RBC Center on July 27, and you can expect one of the longest ovations in that building’s impressive history when McCreery takes the stage.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/26/raleigh-celebrates-mccreerys-wins-a-new-perspective/feed/ 5
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/12/raleigh-area-in-championship-hunt-again/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/12/raleigh-area-in-championship-hunt-again/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 02:42:24 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/12/raleigh-area-in-championship-hunt-again/ With Scotty McCreery’s appearance in next week’s American Idol Semifinals, the Raleigh area has, once again, found itself as a factor in a national Springtime competition. Given all of the hoopla surrounding Duke’s lofty ranking for most of the basketball season, and with UNC’s genesis once Larry Drew II mercifully withdrew from school, it looked like this area would once again celebrate another Final Four event. However this year it’s the world’s most famous Garnerian that has captivated us. Over the past 50 years, the area has had a local competitor in a large-scale national event during 36 of the past 50 Springs, and 22 of the past 24. The only down years since 1962 have been 1962*, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1996, and 2007. Click after the break for the detailed events per year since 1962 1962: *Wake Forest in Final Four (6-yrs after their move from the town of Wake Forest) 1963: Duke in the Final Four 1964: Duke in the...
]]>
With Scotty McCreery’s appearance in next week’s American Idol Semifinals, the Raleigh area has, once again, found itself as a factor in a national Springtime competition. Given all of the hoopla surrounding Duke’s lofty ranking for most of the basketball season, and with UNC’s genesis once Larry Drew II mercifully withdrew from school, it looked like this area would once again celebrate another Final Four event. However this year it’s the world’s most famous Garnerian that has captivated us.
Over the past 50 years, the area has had a local competitor in a large-scale national event during 36 of the past 50 Springs, and 22 of the past 24. The only down years since 1962 have been 1962*, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1996, and 2007.
Click after the break for the detailed events per year since 1962
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/05/12/raleigh-area-in-championship-hunt-again/feed/ 3
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:42:14 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/ An AP story by Tom Breen detailing the N.C. Barbecue argument was released yesterday, and shows up today at Forbes.com. It is a tongue and cheek response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s proclamations of barbecue as one of Charlotte’s assets earlier this week when the Queen City was named as the next Democratic Convention site. The article has a classic quote about Charlotte in the 4th paragraph that is worthy of a good chuckle. While it is a good-natured overview of the barbecue argument in North Carolina, the article also carefully explains that the art of wood-cooked barbecue, such as that at Wilbur’s, seems to be a dying art. Those who good steaks on charcoal instead of propane can relate to this “problem” all too well. They say that one of Charlotte’s assets is that it is an hour from Shelby, alluding to the prominence of excellent small-town outlets in the state, and the Raleigh area is no different. We have some good barbecue in Raleigh, but the best Eastern N.C....
]]>
An AP story by Tom Breen detailing the N.C. Barbecue argument was released yesterday, and
shows up today at Forbes.com
. It is a tongue and cheek response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s proclamations of barbecue as one of Charlotte’s assets earlier this week when the Queen City was named as the next Democratic Convention site. The article has a classic quote about Charlotte in the 4th paragraph that is worthy of a good chuckle.
While it is a good-natured overview of the barbecue argument in North Carolina, the article also carefully explains that the art of wood-cooked barbecue, such as that at Wilbur’s, seems to be a dying art. Those who good steaks on charcoal instead of propane can relate to this “problem” all too well.
They say that one of Charlotte’s assets is that it is an hour from Shelby, alluding to the prominence of excellent small-town outlets in the state, and the Raleigh area is no different. We have some good barbecue in Raleigh, but the best Eastern N.C. products are found in stores about an hour east of here.
I’ll risk all of my life-long Raleigh street cred to name my favorite, so here goes: The Blue Mist (Asheboro). I know, I know, it is a different style, but ohmygosh! I’ve only eaten there a few times, it was always to go, and I only had a pulled pork sandwich with slaw, but those times were fantastic and had me tempted to do a U-turn and go back for more.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/feed/ 4
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/30/2010-best-of-the-year/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/30/2010-best-of-the-year/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:16:51 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/30/2010-best-of-the-year/ As you may have noticed, the posts here have slowed down quite a bit. It’s a direct reflection on the dull year that was 2010. In retrospect, however, there were plenty of significant events that happened. Here are the Top 40 events of 2010: N.C. Museum of Art Opens New Building The Walt Opens Hopscotch Festival Begins as Huge Success Moore Square Redesign Approved Caniac Coach Begins Service Duke Wins National Championship Elizabeth Edwards Dies Ira David Wood IV Fills in for Ailing Father NHL Announces All-Star Game to Raleigh, Finally! Hillsborough Street Renovation Complete, with Roundabouts 90-Degree Heat Record Set The Container Store Opens John Wall is Selected First In NBA Draft NCSU Grad Loses Secret iPhone4 Josh Hamilton Named Major League Baseball’s MVP North Hills Harris Teeter Opens with Controversial Design Raleigh Loses Hamid Mohajer of Mo's Diner "Hudson Belk" Becomes "Belk", Gets New Image William D'Auvray leaves...
]]> As you may have noticed, the posts here have slowed down quite a bit. It’s a direct reflection on the dull year that was 2010. In retrospect, however, there were plenty of significant events that happened. Here are the Top 40 events of 2010:
We got a few new retailers and restaurants about which we’ll be excited for many years to come. Some others were lost and might be missed one day:
While we didn’t make a lot of big news, there was plenty of entertainment. I’ve always told people from bigger cities that there is more to do in the Triangle than I have the money and/or time for. Perhaps you got to spend an evening being entertained by some of these fine artists:
…and more! If you think that was good, just wait until you see what 2011 has in store for us!
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/30/2010-best-of-the-year/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/10/27/raleigh-chapel-hill-to-host-womens-2012-action/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/10/27/raleigh-chapel-hill-to-host-womens-2012-action/#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:00:22 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/10/27/raleigh-chapel-hill-to-host-womens-2012-action/ Congratulations to N.C. State and UNC as basketball venues were selected to host 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament action. Early round games will take place at UNC, while the RBC Center will be one of the four regional sites for the tournament. The Final Four for that season will be staged in...
]]> Congratulations to N.C. State and UNC as basketball venues were selected to host 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament action. Early round games will take place at UNC, while the RBC Center will be one of the four regional sites for the tournament. The Final Four for that season will be staged in Denver.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/10/27/raleigh-chapel-hill-to-host-womens-2012-action/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/09/30/broughton-band-selected-to-return-to-rose-parade/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/09/30/broughton-band-selected-to-return-to-rose-parade/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:12:59 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/09/30/broughton-band-selected-to-return-to-rose-parade/ Congratulations are in order for the Broughton High School band which tonight revealed their invitation to participate in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade. This is a true honor for the band as they recently participated in the 2008 parade. This was expected to be Band Director Jeffrey (J.R.) Richardson’s final year teaching. However his announcement before tonight’s homecoming game came as a shock to band members, parents, and alumni alike. Congratulations...
]]>
Congratulations are in order for the Broughton High School band which tonight revealed their invitation to participate in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade. This is a true honor for the band as they recently participated in the 2008 parade. This was expected to be Band Director Jeffrey (J.R.) Richardson’s final year teaching. However his announcement before tonight’s homecoming game came as a shock to band members, parents, and alumni alike. Congratulations BHS!
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/09/30/broughton-band-selected-to-return-to-rose-parade/feed/ 8
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/07/14/cary-chapel-hill-make-small-town-list/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/07/14/cary-chapel-hill-make-small-town-list/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:57:48 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/07/14/cary-chapel-hill-make-small-town-list/ Money Magazine has released its best small towns list, and two triangle towns are in the Top 40. Chapel Hill comes in at 40, and Cary ranks #23. The results are interesting. Living in Chapel Hill is a distinct experience. All residents definitely feel the center of the town, the Franklin Street/Carr Mill axis. However Cary feels more like a series of subdivisions and strip shopping centers. Cary certainly feels different than Chapel Hill and North Raleigh, but does Cary really have a distinct vibe, or is it just a coincidental collection of new developments in Triangle,...
]]> Money Magazine has released its best small towns list, and two triangle towns are in the Top 40. Chapel Hill comes in at 40, and Cary ranks #23.
The results are interesting. Living in Chapel Hill is a distinct experience. All residents definitely feel the center of the town, the Franklin Street/Carr Mill axis. However Cary feels more like a series of subdivisions and strip shopping centers. Cary certainly feels different than Chapel Hill and North Raleigh, but does Cary really have a distinct vibe, or is it just a coincidental collection of new developments in Triangle, USA?
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/07/14/cary-chapel-hill-make-small-town-list/feed/ 15
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/25/portfolio-ranks-raleigh-1/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/25/portfolio-ranks-raleigh-1/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 21:17:37 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/25/portfolio-ranks-raleigh-1/ Portfolio.com recently published their rankings for Quality of Life and Raleigh ranks #1 in the survey. The survey used a 20-part formula to assess 67 cities. Raleigh ranked high in areas like Adults 25-44 (#3), Growth (#1), Jobless Rate (#8), Jobs (#4), News Houses (#2), Houses with 9+ Rooms (#9), Adults with High School Diplomas (#13), Adults with College Diplomas (#6), and Adults with Advanced Degrees (#11). Other cities of interest are Austin (#9), Atlanta (#11), Charlotte (#16), Richmond (#20), and Nashville...
]]>
![4527158622_6665f918c3[1]](https://www.gogoraleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/4527158622_6665f918c31.jpg "4527158622_6665f918c3[1]")
Portfolio.com recently published their
rankings for Quality of Life
and Raleigh ranks #1 in the survey. The survey used a 20-part formula to assess 67 cities. Raleigh ranked high in areas like Adults 25-44 (#3), Growth (#1), Jobless Rate (#8), Jobs (#4), News Houses (#2), Houses with 9+ Rooms (#9), Adults with High School Diplomas (#13), Adults with College Diplomas (#6), and Adults with Advanced Degrees (#11).
Other cities of interest are Austin (#9), Atlanta (#11), Charlotte (#16), Richmond (#20), and Nashville (#22).
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/25/portfolio-ranks-raleigh-1/feed/ 4
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/raleigh-one-of-top-census-winners/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/raleigh-one-of-top-census-winners/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:04:27 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/raleigh-one-of-top-census-winners/ CNNMoney.com has named Raleigh as one of the early winners in population grown over the last decade. With a 41% growth in population, “Raleigh has benefited from Florida’s real estate bubble bust” and is “a sound alternative”. Only Provo, UT was a bigger grower (47%) ....
]]> CNNMoney.com has named Raleigh as one of the early winners in population grown over the last decade. With a 41% growth in population, “Raleigh has benefited from Florida’s real estate bubble bust” and is “a sound alternative”. Only Provo, UT was a bigger grower (47%) .
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/raleigh-one-of-top-census-winners/feed/ 1
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/14/forbes-ranks-raleigh-3rd-for-business/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/14/forbes-ranks-raleigh-3rd-for-business/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:32:37 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/14/forbes-ranks-raleigh-3rd-for-business/ Forbes magazine has named Raleigh as 3rd in the nation for Business and Careers. The list considered factors such as cost of doing business, economic growth projection, education, income growth, anticipated job growth, and net migration. Des Moines ranked 1st while Provo was 2nd. Charlotte ranked 17th, Asheville ranked 21st, Durham ranked #23, Wilmington ranked #32, Winston-Salem ranked #51, Greensboro ranked 90th, and Fayetteville ranked 159th in the survey....
]]> Forbes magazine has named Raleigh as 3rd in the nation for Business and Careers . The list considered factors such as cost of doing business, economic growth projection, education, income growth, anticipated job growth, and net migration.
Des Moines ranked 1st while Provo was 2nd. Charlotte ranked 17th, Asheville ranked 21st, Durham ranked #23, Wilmington ranked #32, Winston-Salem ranked #51, Greensboro ranked 90th, and Fayetteville ranked 159th in the survey.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/14/forbes-ranks-raleigh-3rd-for-business/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/09/canes-to-host-all-star-game/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/09/canes-to-host-all-star-game/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:52:55 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/09/canes-to-host-all-star-game/ Just for the sake of completeness, as reported earlier, the NHL did announce that Raleigh will host the 2011 All-Star Game. Read more about the story at the Hurricanes’ site. In the meantime, here is the link to add the event you your calendar....
]]>
![nhl_puck_thumb[1]](https://www.gogoraleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/nhl_puck_thumb1.jpg "nhl_puck_thumb[1]")
Just for the sake of completeness,
as reported earlier
, the NHL
did
announce that Raleigh will host the 2011 All-Star Game.
Read more
about the story at the Hurricanes’ site. In the meantime, here is the link to add the event you your calendar.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/09/canes-to-host-all-star-game/feed/ 1
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/07/nhl-set-to-announce-all-star-game-in-raleigh/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/07/nhl-set-to-announce-all-star-game-in-raleigh/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:03:04 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/07/nhl-set-to-announce-all-star-game-in-raleigh/ At 12:30pm tomorrow the NHL is set to announce their selection for the 2011 All-Star Game, and all reports show that Raleigh will be the big winner. Stay...
]]>
At 12:30pm tomorrow the NHL is set to announce their selection for the 2011 All-Star Game, and all reports show that Raleigh will be the big winner. Stay tuned!
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/07/nhl-set-to-announce-all-star-game-in-raleigh/feed/ 4
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/29/back-to-the-final-four/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/29/back-to-the-final-four/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:51:05 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/29/back-to-the-final-four/ On Sunday night the Duke Blue Devils Earned another trip to the Final Four. The win gives the school its 11th Final Four Trip. The Final Four is a national event, however it is so frequent that a team from the Triangle makes it, the event has become one of the Triangle’s most beloved cultural events. In the "Modern Era", the Triangle has had a team in 22 of the last 30 Final Fours. Going back further, the Triangle has placed a team in 32 of the last 48 Final Fours. The Triangle area is not short on national championships, either. In the last 28 years, 8 have come from the Triangle. Remarkable runs have occurred during that time, too. From 1986 to 1992, Duke only missed the Final Four 1 time (including 5 straight appearances). UNC went 6 times in a 10 year period from 1991 to 2000. No other state, much less metropolitan, can boast such experience at such a high level in any sport. Year Team Year Team 1963 Duke...
]]>
On Sunday night the Duke Blue Devils Earned another trip to the Final Four. The win gives the school its 11th Final Four Trip. The Final Four is a national event, however it is so frequent that a team from the Triangle makes it, the event has become one of the Triangle’s most beloved cultural events. In the "Modern Era", the Triangle has had a team in
22 of the last 30
Final Fours. Going back further, the Triangle has placed a team in 32 of the last 48 Final Fours.
The Triangle area is not short on national championships, either. In the last 28 years, 8 have come from the Triangle. Remarkable runs have occurred during that time, too. From 1986 to 1992, Duke only missed the Final Four 1 time (including 5 straight appearances). UNC went 6 times in a 10 year period from 1991 to 2000. No other state, much less metropolitan, can boast such experience at such a high level in any sport.
| Year | Team | Year | Team |
| 1963 | Duke | 1990 | Duke |
| 1964 | Duke | 1991 | Duke & UNC |
| 1966 | Duke | 1992 | Duke |
| 1967 | UNC | 1993 | UNC |
| 1968 | UNC | 1994 | Duke |
| 1969 | UNC | 1995 | UNC |
| 1972 | UNC | 1997 | UNC |
| 1974 | NCSU | 1998 | UNC |
| 1977 | UNC | 1999 | Duke |
| 1978 | Duke | 2000 | UNC |
| 1981 | UNC | 2001 | Duke |
| 1982 | UNC | 2004 | Duke |
| 1983 | NCSU | 2005 | UNC |
| 1986 | Duke | 2008 | UNC |
| 1988 | Duke | 2009 | UNC |
| 1989 | Duke | 2010 | Duke |
Bold indicates National Champion
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/29/back-to-the-final-four/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/23/norton-names-raleigh-among-riskiest-cities/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/23/norton-names-raleigh-among-riskiest-cities/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:37:38 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/23/norton-names-raleigh-among-riskiest-cities/ Symantec, the geniuses behind the Norton suite of computer security applications, name Raleigh as one of the Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities. Those name riskier for cybercrime are Seattle, Boston, Washington, and San Francisco. They cite the number of Wi-Fi hotspots and hi-tech offerings as key factors in these cities’ vulnerabilities. In other news…sluts are more likely to get an...
]]> Symantec, the geniuses behind the Norton suite of computer security applications, name Raleigh as one of the Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities . Those name riskier for cybercrime are Seattle, Boston, Washington, and San Francisco. They cite the number of Wi-Fi hotspots and hi-tech offerings as key factors in these cities’ vulnerabilities.
In other news…sluts are more likely to get an STD.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/23/norton-names-raleigh-among-riskiest-cities/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/17/raleigh-named-8th-best-value-destination/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/17/raleigh-named-8th-best-value-destination/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:42:30 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/17/raleigh-named-8th-best-value-destination/ TBJ is reporting that Raleigh has been named the 8th best value destination for visitors. Raleigh beat out Chicago and Miami. Atlanta, Orlando, and Phoenix were the top 3 on the list....
]]> TBJ is reporting that Raleigh has been named the 8th best value destination for visitors. Raleigh beat out Chicago and Miami. Atlanta, Orlando, and Phoenix were the top 3 on the list.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/17/raleigh-named-8th-best-value-destination/feed/ 9
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/16/raleigh-3rd-best-for-young-adults/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/16/raleigh-3rd-best-for-young-adults/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:36:22 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/16/raleigh-3rd-best-for-young-adults/ Porfolio.com has ranked Raleigh third in a list of best metropolitan areas for young adults in a recessionary economy. The survey considered factors such as population growth, employment growth, share of total population, jobless rate for people ages 18-34, and homeowners younger than 45 with annual household incomes over $100,000. Austin and Washington came in at #1 and #2. Charlotte was the only other city in the Carolinas, ranking at...
]]> Porfolio.com has ranked Raleigh third in a list of best metropolitan areas for young adults in a recessionary economy. The survey considered factors such as population growth, employment growth, share of total population, jobless rate for people ages 18-34, and homeowners younger than 45 with annual household incomes over $100,000. Austin and Washington came in at #1 and #2. Charlotte was the only other city in the Carolinas, ranking at #28.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/03/16/raleigh-3rd-best-for-young-adults/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/02/09/angus-barn-named-as-all-american-icon/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/02/09/angus-barn-named-as-all-american-icon/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:54:00 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/02/09/angus-barn-named-as-all-american-icon/ Today the leading foodservice industry publication, Nation’s Restaurant News, has named the Angus Barn to its list of 50 All-American Icon restaurants. The Barn has “become synonymous with hospitality and service excellence” according to Nation’s Restaurant News. That’s one of the primary reasons why the establishment made the NRN 50. The Angus Barn is the only North Carolina restaurant on the list, and joins such noted dining institutions as Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis and The Four Seasons in New York City. This comes as no surprise. The Angus Barn is known for going out of their way to present an outstanding experience. The restaurant has a rigorous training program for its waitstaff, and only hires people who make it their profession. Owner/manager Van will not accept customers waiting unnecessarily. Case in point: I recently stopped by at 5:30pm one day to buy some blue cheese dressing from the gift shop. The refrigerators...
]]> Today the leading foodservice industry publication, Nation’s Restaurant News, has named the Angus Barn to its list of 50 All-American Icon restaurants . The Barn has “become synonymous with hospitality and service excellence” according to Nation’s Restaurant News. That’s one of the primary reasons why the establishment made the NRN 50. The Angus Barn is the only North Carolina restaurant on the list, and joins such noted dining institutions as Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis and The Four Seasons in New York City.
This comes as no surprise. The Angus Barn is known for going out of their way to present an outstanding experience. The restaurant has a rigorous training program for its waitstaff, and only hires people who make it their profession. Owner/manager Van will not accept customers waiting unnecessarily. Case in point: I recently stopped by at 5:30pm one day to buy some blue cheese dressing from the gift shop. The refrigerators were out of stock, but the nice, helpful lady who was running the shop went to the kitchen to make a couple for me. When Van found out that I had been waiting 10 minutes for the dressing, she went to the back, got things rolling, and comped my purchase.
If one is paying attention, they will notice some of the many details that go into the experience at the Angus Barn. The restaurant’s Christmas Tree every year is the finest in any restaurant around. The relish station, an unnecessary perk that was put in place decades ago to placate those waiting for a table, is always fresh. Much of the wood from the restaurant was salvaged from barns in the area. Inset in the brick floor of the gift shop is a 6” thick disc of wood from the state’s largest loblolly pine tree. In the last couple of years, The Angus Barn opened The Pavilions, a rustic lakeside special events facility. A trip to the men’s room of the facility is another example of the fine detail that (along with the excellent, consistent food) has earned this restaurant’s status among the nation’s top restaurants.
The Angus Barn was already one of the early inductees to the publication’s prestigious “ Hall of Fame ” list. Magnolia Grill is the only other North Carolina restaurant to receive that honor.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/02/09/angus-barn-named-as-all-american-icon/feed/ 0
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/29/raleigh-aint-as-literit-as-before/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/29/raleigh-aint-as-literit-as-before/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:43:39 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/29/raleigh-aint-as-literit-as-before/ TBJ is reporting that a new ranking of America’s 20 most literate cities, conducted by Central Connecticut State University is out. Raleigh ranks #19. This is a 5-spot slip since the 2008 survey. At least we ranked higher than Charlotte, which was #27! The survey is based on six categories: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources. Raleigh took its biggest blow in the library resources category, which raises some questions, because it is a big source of error. While “number of bookstores” is a nice factor to include, it doesn’t actually account for the number of books consumed or the number of books available in the market; more accurate numbers. Furthermore, sales of online digital books are likely to be higher in this area than others, too, and those figures would not be included in the survey. There was a survey a few months ago which credited the Raleigh area for...
]]> TBJ is reporting that a new ranking of America’s 20 most literate cities , conducted by Central Connecticut State University is out. Raleigh ranks #19. This is a 5-spot slip since the 2008 survey. At least we ranked higher than Charlotte, which was #27!
The survey is based on six categories: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources. Raleigh took its biggest blow in the library resources category, which raises some questions, because it is a big source of error.
While “number of bookstores” is a nice factor to include, it doesn’t actually account for the number of books consumed or the number of books available in the market; more accurate numbers. Furthermore, sales of online digital books are likely to be higher in this area than others, too, and those figures would not be included in the survey.
There was a survey a few months ago which credited the Raleigh area for its high consumption of non-fiction book sales. With our high internet usage and high book sales, is a top-notch library system actually needed? Certainly a good system is needed, but does every book published really need to be available for a population that is already consuming these books through other means? Would we be more literate if our local governments forced the population to buy every book ever published, so that most can sit on the shelf unread?
Should we be penalized for low newspaper circulation when we are getting our news already from the internet from great sites like this one? Seriously, the N&O content is available online for free. Does my use of a free access point make the area less literate?
We ranked third in the most important of the factors: educational attainment. If we are doing well with that parameter, then the rest will take care of itself in most cases.
This survey is conducted with good intentions, however its criteria are not indicative enough of the tested parameter to be taken seriously.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/29/raleigh-aint-as-literit-as-before/feed/ 4
http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/16/raleigh-on-growing-wealth-list/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/16/raleigh-on-growing-wealth-list/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:43:34 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/?p=3906 Yesterday Forbes published their list of American cities where people are "getting richer". Raleigh-Cary placed 16th on the list. Factors such as median income and unemployment were considered. The survey lists Raleigh-Cary's median household income at $60,500, and unemployment at...
]]> Yesterday Forbes published their list of American cities where people are “getting richer”. Raleigh-Cary placed 16th on the list . Factors such as median income and unemployment were considered. The survey lists Raleigh-Cary’s median household income at $60,500, and unemployment at 8.6%.
]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/12/16/raleigh-on-growing-wealth-list/feed/ 0