Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Raleigh | |||
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| Nickname: "City of Oaks" | |||
| Motto: You Can See the Whole State from Here | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | North Carolina | ||
| County | Wake County | ||
| Founded | 1792 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Charles Meeker (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 115.6 sq mi (299.3 km²) | ||
| - Water | 1.6 sq mi (2.5 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 434 ft (132 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 359,332 | ||
| - Density | 2,409.2/sq mi (930.2/km²) | ||
| - Metro | 914,680 | ||
| Time zone | Eastern Standard (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern Daylight (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: City of Raleigh | |||
Raleigh (IPA: ['ɹa li], rälē or rah-lee) is the capital of State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 276,093, making it the second most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up the three cities of The Triangle, so named in 1959 with the creation of the Research Triangle Park, a research park between Durham and Raleigh (mostly located within Durham County). The Triangle is a regional population, equivalent to the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. Its estimated total population as of 2005 was 1,509,560. The estimated Raleigh-Cary metropolitan statistical area population, as of 2004, is 914,680. While almost all of the city limits is located in Wake County, a few small portions of Raleigh are actually in Durham County as a result of annexation [1].
The City of Raleigh estimates its population to be 359,332 as of January 1, 2007, making it one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Raleigh placed fourth on MONEY Magazine's 2006 list of Best Big Cities.[2] In February 2007, Raleigh topped the list of the best U.S. cities to find employment, according to a survey by Forbes.
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[edit] History
Raleigh was chosen as the site of a new state capital in 1788 and established in 1792 as both the new county seat and the new state capital. It was named in November 1792 for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of the Colony of Roanoke, which was also known as the "Lost Colony" (today, the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site).
The site was chosen as being within ten miles of Isaac Hunter's Tavern, which was apparently popular with the legislators of the time. No city or town existed on the site before it was chosen to house the capital. Raleigh is one of the few cities in the U.S. planned and built specifically to serve as a state capital.
The North Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and within one month, the legislature officially granted the city a charter, with a board of seven appointed commissioners (starting in 1803, elected by the people) and an "Intendant of Police" (what would later be called "Mayor") to govern it.[3] John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.[4]
Despite being spared destruction in the Civil War, Raleigh grew very little from its original 1792 size until the introduction of streetcar lines in the 1920s, the establishment of the Research Triangle Park in the 1950s, and a freeway known as the Beltline (I-440/US-1/US-64) in the 1960s. IBM became a large force in Raleigh in the 1960s and greatly influenced growth.
[edit] Law and government
Raleigh has operated under a council-manager government since 1947. The city council consists of eight members; all seats, including the mayor's, come up for election every two years. The current and 7 council members (5 district representatives and 2 at large).
[edit] City council
- Charles Meeker Mayor
- Tommy Craven (District A, north-central Raleigh)
- Jessie Taliaferro (District B, northeast Raleigh)
- James West (District C, mayor pro tem, southeast Raleigh)
- Thomas Crowder (District D, southwest Raleigh)
- Philip Isley (District E, west and northwest Raleigh)
- Russ Stevenson (at-large)
- Joyce Kekas (at-large)
[edit] Crime
In 2004 only 16 murders or non-negligent manslaughters were reported within city limits, per the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports. In 2005, Raleigh's murder total grew to 21. The homicide rate is low for a city with 350,000 people, but certain parts of the city are known for having higher than average violent crime rates.
Raleigh has 469.2 motor vehicle thefts per year per 100,000 residents. The average for metro areas in North Carolina is 528.4 motor vehicle thefts per year per 100,000 residents.
According the FBI's Crime in the US 2004, there were 99 forcible rapes, 661 robberies, 1,091 aggravated assaults, and 12,126 incidents of property crime.
According to the Uniform Crime Reports, crime in Raleigh has been steadily decreasing, as has the trend been nationally. In 2004, there were 580 violent crimes and 3768 property crimes reported per 100,000 population. Nationally there were 466 violent crimes and 3517 property crimes reported per 100,000 population. However, it can be difficult to compare local averages to a national number as a number of urbanization levels are present across the nation. Cities with between 250,000 and 500,000 population reported 978 violent crimes and 5631 property crimes per 100,000 population, well above Raleigh's reported crimes.
In 2004 and 2003, Raleigh has posted a 10% and 6%, respectively, decrease in violent crime per 100,000 population and a 21% and 14% decrease in property crime. Nationally a drop of 2% and 4% were registered for violent crime and 2% and 1% for property crime. The drop for cities between 250,000 and 500,000 population is not able to be measured yet as 2004 was the first year that the Uniform Crime Report broke data down into city size categories.
The NC Department of Correction is based in Raleigh and two of the state's largest prisons are also located here. The sprawling, maximum security, Central Prison in Raleigh, is the location for "Death Row" and for executions by lethal injection in N.C. There were 5 executions in 2005 and 4 executions in 2006. There are currently 197 persons on Death Row, including 4 women. According to the NC DOC, as of 1/17/07, the total prison population in NC was 37,652 (34,946 male and 2,706 female). In addition, the state lists 114,444 probationers and 2,843 parolees.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 299.3 km² (115.6 mi²). 296.8 km² (114.6 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²) of it (0.84%) is water.
Raleigh falls in the northeast central region of the state, where the piedmont and the coastal plains regions meet. Its central Piedmont location makes it a 3-hour drive west of Atlantic Beach and 6 hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains. The city is 135 miles from Richmond, Virginia, 232 from Washington, D.C., 143 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, 77 miles from Greenville, North Carolina, 78 miles from Greensboro, North Carolina, 59 miles from Fayetteville, North Carolina, 47 miles from Wilson, North Carolina, 123 miles from Wilmington, North Carolina, 380 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 450 miles from New York, New York, 400 miles from Atlanta, Georgia, 250 miles from Charleston, South Carolina, and 230 miles from Greenville, South Carolina.
[edit] Climate
Raleigh has a moderate climate during spring, fall, and winter. Summers are hot and can at times be semi-humid. Winter temperatures range from highs in the low 50s°F (10-13°C) to lows in the upper 20s-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C). Spring and fall days are usually in the low to mid 70s°F (low 20s°C) with nights in the 50s°F (10-14°C). Summer days are often in the upper 80s and low 90s °F (30-35°C) with high humidity. The rainiest months are July and August. Light to moderate snow is occasional, and it can occur in January and February.
| Climate in Raleigh | |||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F (°C) | 38.9°F (3.8°C) | 42.0°F (5.6°C) | 50.4°F (10.2°C) | 59.0°F (15.0°C) | 67.0°F (19.4°C) | 74.3°F (23.5°C) | 78.1°F (25.6°C) | 77.1°F (25.1°C) | 71.1°F (21.7°C) | 60.0°F (15.6°C) | 51.2°F (10.7°C) | 42.6°F (5.9°C) | 59.3°F (15.2°C) |
| Avg high °F (°C) | 48.9°F (9.4°C) | 52.6°F (11.4°C) | 62.1°F (16.7°C) | 71.7°F (22.1°C) | 78.6°F (25.9°C) | 85.0°F (29.4°C) | 88.0°F (31.1°C) | 86.8°F (30.4°C) | 81.1°F (27.3°C) | 71.6°F (22.0°C) | 62.6°F (17.0°C) | 52.7°F (11.5°C) | 70.1°F (21.2°C) |
| Avg low °F (°C) | 28.8°F (-1.8°C) | 31.3°F (-0.4°C) | 38.7°F (3.7°C) | 46.2°F (7.9°C) | 55.3°F (12.9°C) | 63.6°F (17.6°C) | 68.1°F (20.1°C) | 67.5°F (19.7°C) | 61.1°F (16.2°C) | 48.4°F (9.1°C) | 39.7°F (4.3°C) | 32.4°F (0.2°C) | 48.4°F (9.1°C) |
| Rain (inches) | 3.5in. | 3.7in. | 3.8in. | 2.6in. | 3.9in. | 3.7in. | 4.0in. | 4.0in. | 3.2in. | 2.9in. | 3.0in. | 3.2in. | 41.4in. |
| Snow (inches) | 2.3in. | 2.5in. | 1.3in. | 0.0in. | <0.5in. | <0.5in. | <0.5in. | 0.0in. | 0.0in. | 0.0in. | 0.1in. | 0.8in. | 7.0in. |
| Sources for climate statistics: Southeast Regional Climate Center (Raleigh-Durham), climate-zone[5] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Cityscape
Cities that are considered Raleigh suburbs are cities that are part of the Triangle metropolitan area. Greater Raleigh consists of all Raleigh neighborhoods outside of downtown, and the surrounding Triangle cities.
Raleigh is divided into at least five geographic areas, each of which use the Raleigh address and postcode, starting with 276.
Old Raleigh ("Inside the Beltline") is home to many 20th-century neighborhoods, the City Market, Fayetteville Street Mall (re-opened as a thoroughfare in mid-2006), North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina State Capitol, Peace College, Meredith College, Raleigh City Museum, Raleigh Convention and Conference Center, Shaw University, and Saint Augustine's College. The neighborhoods in Old Raleigh include Boylan Heights, Country Club Hills, Five Points, Glenwood, Brooklyn, Hayes Barton, Moore Square, Mordecai, Belvidere Park, Woodcrest and Oakwood.
East Raleigh is along Capital Boulevard near the I-440 beltline to New Hope Road. Most of East Raleigh's development is along established corridors such as US 1 (Capital Blvd), Business US 64 (New Bern Ave), Poole Rd, Buffaloe Rd, and New Hope Rd. Enloe High School and Southeast Raleigh High School are both in this area. It is bordered to the east by the town of Knightdale.
West Raleigh is near Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard. The area is bordered to the west by the town of Cary. It is home to the North Carolina State University campus, Meredith College, Pullen Park, and Cameron Village. Also in West Raleigh are Avent Ferry Road, Blue Ridge Road, Lake Johnson, Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, St. Mary's School, and Municipal Rose Garden.
North Raleigh ("outside the beltline") is a large area containing several large and established neighborhoods, as well as quickly developing rural areas. Recently, the area that is considered true North Raleigh begins near the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest Roads and is bounded by Capital Boulevard (U.S. 1) to the east and Falls Lake to the north.
North Raleigh is the location of many of Raleigh's shopping malls like Crabtree Valley Mall, Triangle Town Center and newly redeveloped North Hills. Also located in North Raleigh are greenway trails Shelley Lake and Lake Lynn.
Neighborhoods and communities in North Raleigh include:
- Amberfield
- Alyson Pond
- Ashley Ridge
- Bent Tree
- Berkshire Downs
- Black Horse Run
- Brentwood
- Brookhaven
- Crossgate
- Dalton's Ridge
- Durant Trails
- Falls Village
- Farrior Hills
- Forrest Ridge
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South Raleigh is along U.S. 401 South toward Fuquay-Varina and US 70 into Garner. This is the least developed and least dense area of Raleigh, and is home to the last gristmill in Wake County, Yates Mill. It is bordered to the west by Cary, to the east by Garner, and to the southwest by Holly Springs.
- Lake Wheeler
- Penny Road
- Kentwood
[edit] Economy
Raleigh's industries include electrical, medical, electronic, telecommunications equipment, clothing apparel, food processing, paper products, and pharmaceuticals. Raleigh is part of North Carolina's Research Triangle, a center of researching and textiles. The city is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for food stores.
The following companies are based in or operated in Raleigh:
- Siemens Power Transportation & Distribution
- Progress Energy
- Red Hat
- IBM
- Parata
- Asea Brown Boveri
- First Citizens Bank
- Golden Corral
- RBC Centura
- Epic Games
- Lenovo
- Cisco
- Carquest
- Nortel Networks
- Dickinson,Logan,Todd & Barber, Inc.
- Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |
|---|---|
| Census year |
Population |
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| 1800 | 699 |
| 1900 | 13,643 |
| 1910 | 19,218 |
| 1920 | 24,418 |
| 1930 | 37,379 |
| 1940 | 46,879 |
| 1950 | 65,679 |
| 1960 | 93,931 |
| 1970 | 122,830 |
| 1980 | 150,255 |
| 1990 | 212,092 |
| 2000 | 276,093 |
| 2005 | 335,512 |
| 2006 | 353,604 |
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 276,093 people, 112,608 households, and 61,371 families residing in the city. The population density was 930.2/km² (2,409.2/mi²). There were 120,699 housing units at an average density of 406.7/km² (1,053.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.31% White, 27.80% African American, 0.36% Native American, 3.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.24% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.99% of the population. The Hispanic population continues to grow due to a large immigrant influx, both legal and illegal.
There were 112,608 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 36.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,612, and the median income for a family was $60,003. Males had a median income of $39,248 versus $30,656 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,113. 11.5% of the population and 7.1% of families were below the poverty line. Approximately one out of four (25.5%) Raleigh citizens are beneath 200% of the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The fourth largest Mexican American community is embedded in the Downtown Raleigh area. Many Mexican music festivals take place in the summer time, in Raleigh.
[edit] Education
[edit] Higher education
- North Carolina State University
- Meredith College
- Peace College
- School of Communication Arts
- Shaw University
- St. Augustine's College
- Wake Technical Community College
- ECPI College of Technology
[edit] Public education
Public education in Raleigh is provided by the Wake County Public School System. Raleigh is home to 134 schools in the system (84 elementary (K-5), 28 middle (6-8), 17 high (9-12), and 5 special/optional schools).
Even though the city has been focusing on schools, rapid population growth has made it difficult for the school system to keep up. The student population for Wake County Schools has doubled since 1985 and another 130,000 students are expected by 2025. Despite this, Wake County Public Schools continue to outperform other school systems in North Carolina. [1]
[edit] Charter schools
The State of North Carolina also provides for a certain number of charter schools. These schools are administered separately from the Wake County Public School System. Raleigh has 10 charter schools:
- Casa Esperanza Montessori School (K-6)
- Exploris Middle School (6-8)
- Hope Elementary School (K-5)
- John H. Baker, Jr., High School (9-12)
- Magellan Charter School (4-8)
- PreEminent Charter School (K-8)
- Quest Academy (K-8)
- Raleigh Charter High School (9-12)
- SPARC Academy (K-8)
- Torchlight Academy (K-6)
[edit] Private education
- Al Iman School
- Cary Academy
- Cardinal Gibbons High School
- Saint David's School (Previously St. Timothy's - Hale)
- Friendship Christian School
- Neuse Baptist Christian School
- North Raleigh Christian Academy
- Raleigh Christian Academy
- Raleigh Latin High School
- Ravenscroft School
- Saint Mary's School
- Saint Thomas More Academy
- Saint Timothy's School
- Trinity Academy of Raleigh
- Wake Christian Academy
- Word of God Christian Academy
[edit] Culture
[edit] Museums
Downtown: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh City Museum, Exploris, Playspace
West Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art
South Raleigh: Harley Davidson Bikes Museum
Under Development: Contemporary Arts Museum, Pope House Museum
[edit] Performance
The Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek hosts major touring popular musical acts. The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts encompasses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater, the Kennedy Theatre, and the Meymandi Concert Hall. During the NC State Fair, Dorton Arena, itself an architectural wonder when constructed, hosts headline acts. Theater performances are also offered at the Raleigh Little Theater and Stewart Theater of NCSU.
There are also many small music venues for touring and local musicians and performers such as King's Barcade, The Lincoln Theatre, The Pour House Music Hall, The Brewery, and Hideaway Barbecue.
Raleigh is the home of several professional arts organizations, including the North Carolina Symphony, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and Carolina Ballet. The numerous local colleges and universities significantly add to the options available for viewing live performance. Raleigh is also home to the North American Brass Band Association's 4 time Youth Division Champion Triangle Youth Brass Band.
[edit] Art
North Carolina Museum of Art, occupying a large suburban campus on Blue Ridge Road, near the State Fairgrounds, houses arguably the premier public art collection between Washington and Atlanta. In addition to fine collections of American, European, and ancient art, the museum has hosted major exhibitions featuring Rodin (2000) and Monet (2006-2007), attracting over 100,000 visitors each. Unlike many prominent museums, the NC Museum of Art received a large number of the works in its permanent collection through purchases with public funds.
[edit] Sports
[edit] Professional
The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes franchise moved to Raleigh in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut (where it was known as the Hartford Whalers), although the first two seasons were played in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the stadium built for the Hurricanes, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, now known as the RBC Center, took two years to be built. It is the only major professional sports team in the area. The Hurricanes are the only major league (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) professional sports team in North Carolina to have won a championship, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, over the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh and decisive game. Before the Carolina Hurricanes, several other professional sports leagues have had failed franchises in Raleigh including the Arena Football League, the World League of American Football, the United States Basketball League with the Raleigh Cougars, and the Women's United Soccer Association (in nearby Cary). The Carolina Railhawks of the United Soccer Leagues will begin play in 2007 in Cary.
On the individual professional sports side, Raleigh has been the host of the Nationwide Tour Rex Hospital Open since 1994, contested at various locations around the Triangle, with its current home being the TPC at Wakefield Plantation.
[edit] Amateur
The North Carolina Tigers, an Australian Rules football club in the USAFL, and competing in the EAFL are based in Raleigh. Raleigh is also home to the Carolina Rollergirls, competing members of the WFTDA, Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
[edit] College sports
Due to the number of colleges and universities in the area, NCAA sports are very popular. The Atlantic Coast Conference member North Carolina State University Wolfpack is situated in West Raleigh, and fellow ACC rivals, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels, and the Duke University Blue Devils, are no more than a 30 minute drive away. In addition, the Wake Forest University in nearby Winston-Salem brings the total number of ACC schools to four and is the Wolfpack's oldest rivalry while the Pirates of East Carolina University, another rival of the Tar Heels, Blue Devils, Wolfpack, and Deacs reside in nearby Greenville, North Carolina. North Carolina State won the NCAA basketball championship in 1974 and 1983, the latter under head coach Jim Valvano. In 1946, the arrival of head coach Everett Case at North Carolina State marked the beginning of the rapid growth of basketball in North Carolina.
The competition among North Carolina State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Duke is sometimes referred to as Tobacco Road by sportscasters. Two historically black colleges, St. Augustine College and Shaw University also provide a basis for the strength of college sports in the area.
[edit] Leisure
Raleigh’s award-winning Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of leisure services at more than 150 sites: 8100 acres of park land, 54 miles of greenway, 22 staffed community centers, a BMX champion race track, 112 tennis courts at 25 locations, 5 lakes, and 8 swimming facilities.
The JC Raulston Arboretum, part of N.C. State University, includes an impressive, year-round botanical collection and is open free to the public.
With the impending exodus of the Dorothea Dix hospital from Dix Hill it is largely expected that at least part of the property will be converted to a public park or gardens. As of 2006, the eventual use of Dix Hill is hotly contested, partly due of its proximity to downtown, but mostly due to the impressive and unique view of Raleigh's skyline.
The NC-DOT Mountains-to-Sea bike route goes through Raleigh, as does the U.S. Maine-to-Florida bicycle route #1. The NC-DOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600km brevet route.
The area also features a variety of amateur participatory sports as well, with an Australian rules football semi-pro team the North Carolina Tigers, and soccer, softball, flag football, basketball, and even dodgeball and kickball leagues operated privately or by the municipality.
[edit] Transportation
- Air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just northwest of Raleigh on I-40 between Raleigh and Durham.
- Interstate highway: I-40, I-440 Beltline, I-540
- The Beltline makes a loop around the city. Visitors and even long-time residents are frequently confused by the terms "Inner Beltline," "Outer Beltline," and "Outer Loop." The Inner and Outer Beltline (both I-440) are the same road; "inner" and "outer" refer to the positions of the lanes of traffic, the Inner Beltline being inside of the Outer Beltline (Inner/Outer labeling). The Inner Beltline runs clockwise; the Outer is counter-clockwise. The Outer Loop refers to I-540, which does not yet completely encircle Raleigh; it is still under construction. Most signs along the two loops refer not to destinations within Raleigh, such as "NC State Area" or "East Raleigh" but to outlying towns such as Wake Forest, Sanford, Rocky Mount, or Wilmington, lending little in the way of help to drivers unfamiliar with the region. Often, cardinal directions are posted along with the Inner/Outer designations; the directions however are not uniform throughout the beltline.
- United States Highways:
- U.S. Route 1 (known in parts of Raleigh as Capital Boulevard)
- US-64 (Business route: New Bern Avenue, Bypass route: Knightdale Bypass)
- US-70 (known in parts of Raleigh as Glenwood Avenue, and S. Saunders St)
- US-264 (cosigned with US-64 through east Raleigh)
- U.S. Route 401 (part of Capital Boulevard, and Louisburg Road)
- North Carolina Highways:
- N.C. 54 (known as Chapel Hill Road and Hillsborough Street, ends at I-440)
- N.C. 50 (known as Creedmoor Road)
- N.C. 98 (known as Durham Road, constitutes far northern limit of Raleigh)
- Passenger Rail: Bytrain.org: Amtrak Carolinian, Piedmont and Silver Star offer daily service to
- Charlotte, with intermediate stops including Greensboro;
- New York City, with intermediate stops including Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia; and
- Miami, with intermediate stops including Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa.
- Local Bus: Within Raleigh, the CAT, or Capital Area Transit system operates 37 bus routes and 1 trolley line (note that there is not one time during the day where all 37 bus routes operate). The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Durham and Chapel Hill; Efforts for the city of Raleigh to build a light rail from the downtown areas of Raleigh to the downtown area of Durham failed as TTA's projected ridership did not meet Federal Standards. The majority of Raleigh citizens failed to see the benefit of the light rail as the planned routes did not serve any of the major areas of need for citizen's. (The rail system plain failed to include RDU airport, the three major shopping malls or any of the suburbs who could use the rail to commute to the Research Triangle Park. The planned rail did pass near RTP however this left commuters with the problem of getting to their office building in the massive technology park from the planned station.
- Bicycle: Most public buses are equipped with bicycle racks. A small minority of roads are equipped with bicycle lanes.
- Pedestrian Bridge: Raleigh recently spent $3.8M on a pedestrian bridge spanning I-440. Because one terminus of the bridge is on private property belonging to a college, less that 1,000 people have used the bridge in its first eighteen months. [2]
Capital Boulevard is a significant road in Raleigh. Its southern terminus is near the capitol building in downtown Raleigh, where it splits into McDowell Street (one-way heading north) and Dawson Street (one-way heading south). The northern terminus of Capital Boulevard is at the Raleigh city limits (where the street changes its name). Because this road was the major route of traffic to and from the government buildings of the state capital, a great deal of light industry, commercial work, and service industry grew up along it, eventually creating an area known as Mini-City, which extends from I-440 to I-540. In recent years, this development has expanded northward. The portion of Capital Boulevard between downtown Raleigh and Wake Forest Road, originally known as Downtown Boulevard, is a limited access highway. The portion north of Wake Forest Road was originally known as North Boulevard. Major highways US-1 and US-401 follow Capital Boulevard until 401 splits off north of the I-440 beltline and becomes Louisburg Road.
Major streets in downtown Raleigh can be thought of as originating from the Capital on Union Square, and heading roughly in the direction of towns of historical significance. To the south run Salisbury, Fayetteville, and Wilmington Streets. To the east run New Bern and Edenton Streets. To the north ran Halifax Street, now only viewable as a walkway between two museums and as the Halifax Street Mall, the grassy plaza between State government buildings. To the west runs Hillsborough Street. Other downtown streets are commonly named after North Carolina counties, or the notables for which the counties were named.
[edit] Media
[edit] State
Raleigh and the Triangle are home to North Carolina Public Radio, a public radio station/NPR provider that brings in listeners around the country, and UNC-TV, also based out of UNC in Chapel Hill.
[edit] Local
There are several newspapers and periodicals that serve the Raleigh market:
- The News & Observer, the large daily newspaper owned by Sacramento-based McClatchy Co.
- The Raleigh Chronicle , the online-only daily newspaper.
- The Independent Weekly, the weekly independent paper out of Durham.
- The Carolina Journal, a monthly free newspaper out of Raleigh.
- The Raleigh Downtowner , the monthly free magazine focused on downtown Raleigh.
- The Raleigh Hatchet , a free monthly magazine.
- The Blotter , a free monthly literary magazine.
Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville Designated Market Area, and includes the following television stations:
- WUNC-TV (4), the PBS affiliate and flagship station of the UNC-TV television network.
- WRAL-TV (5), the CBS affiliate, licensed to Capitol Broadcasting Company
- WTVD-TV (11), the ABC affiliate, owned by ABC/Disney.
- WNCN-TV (17), the NBC affiliate, owned by Media General.
- WLFL-TV (22), the CW affiliate.
- WRDC-TV (28), the My Network TV affiliate.
- WRAY-TV (30), the HSN affiliate.
- WUVC-TV (40), the Univision affiliate.
- WRPX-TV (47), the Pax/ION affiliate for Raleigh and Durham.
- WRAZ-TV (50), the Fox affiliate, which is operated by Capitol Broadcasting Company.
- WFPX-TV (62), the Pax/ION affiliate for Fayetteville.
The market is also host to the state's first online TV station: RTP-TV - Research Triangle Park Television which has programs of local interest broadcast over the Internet as well as Fox50 (WRAZ) through paid air-time.
The city is also home to the Triangle bureau of News 14 Carolina
Raleigh is Arbitron radio market #43. Stations include
- WPTF-AM, owned by Raleigh-based Curtis Media Group
- WRAL-FM owned by Raleigh based Capitol Broadcasting Company
- WDCG-FM, owned by Clear Channel
- WQDR-FM, owned by Curtis Media Group
- WFXC-FM, simulcast and owned by Radio One
- WQOK-FM, owned by Radio One
- WKNC, owned by North Carolina State University
- WRSV-FM, Northstar Broadcasting Company
[edit] Sister cities
- Compiègne, France (twinning signed in 1989)
- Hull, England
- Kolomna, Russia
- Rostock, Germany
[edit] Notable Raleighites
- Josh Hamilton, baseball player
- Clay Aiken, popular music singer
- Loy Allen Jr., NASCAR driver
- Marshall Brain, writer/founder of HowStuffWorks.com
- Jason Michael Carroll, country musician
- Bill Cowher, Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach
- Josephus Daniels, newspaper editor, Secretary of the Navy
- John Edwards, US Senator, 2004 Democratic nominee for Vice President and 2008 Presidential Candidate
- Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards, writer, former lawyer
- Ron Francis, former Carolina Hurricanes player
- Justin Gatlin, Olympic athlete
- Kaye Gibbons, writer
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[edit] See also
- The Triangle (North Carolina)
- I-85 Corridor
- Hurricane Fran
- Raleigh Tornado of 1988
- Raleigh Boychoir
- Cary, North Carolina
- Capital Area Transit (Raleigh)
[edit] References
- ^ Raleigh Durham Annexation Agreement Lines
- ^ MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2006: Raleigh, NC snapshot. MONEY Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
- ^ City of Raleigh Years (1587 - 1844). City of Raleigh. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
- ^ About John Haywood. NSCDA. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
[edit] External links
- Official website of Raleigh, NC
- Wake County Real Estate Records
- The News & Observer
- Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitor's Bureau
- Downtown Raleigh Alliance
- Raleigh Metropolitan Area
- User editable map of Raleigh locations by Community Walk
- Raleigh List non-profit classifieds, jobs, movie listings, and personals for Raleigh
- Raleigh Channel by RTP-TV videos and event coverage of Raleigh, NC
- Raleigh Virtual Tours
- Raleigh Podcast
- Wake County SPCA
- Raleigh neighborhoods
- Raleigh's Brentwood neighborhood
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| Metropolitan area of Raleigh-Durham-Cary (The Triangle) |
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