Fun in the Bull City for $6 (kind of)

The Setting: Durham, NC.

The Time: From 6 to 11 p.m. Friday night

The Goal: Have as much fun as possible on a budget.

Here’s how it went down: One of my friends had tickets to the Durham Bulls game. I accepted his invitation. Then I got an e-mail from another friend reminding me the Bulls game was on the same night as the final concert in the Warehouse Blues series. What to do? How about both.

I’ve told you about the city-sponsored Warehouse Blues series before. It’s held on Friday nights during the summer at West Village. Anyway, the performers are top notch and it’s completely free. You can even bring your own beer.

Even though the concert series is over, it’s still worth heading over to West Village if you’re around downtown Durham. The developers have done an outstanding job transforming the shuttered Liggett & Myers tobacco factory into a gorgeous place to live, work and even play.

After the concert, we walked along the railroad tracks to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, at which point we realized we had forgotten our tickets in the car. Oops. No worries. For $6 you can buy yourself a spot on the lawn behind center field.

The Result: So for $6 we had five hours of outstanding entertainment and people watching on a Friday night.

The Bonus: I got to meet Lucky AND Friday nights at the DBAP always end with fireworks.

(OK, technically, I spent more than that b/c beer and dinner was involved, but I could have easily opted to eat before going out and not drink).

The Question: Any suggestions of other inexpensive ways to spend a Friday night around the Triangle?

Take your Breathalyzer on-the-go

You’ll be able to get more than a hot dog and bag of chips at a vending cart in downtown Raleigh this weekend.

If you’re drinking at one of the bars in the Glenwood South district Friday night, you’ll have a chance to take an alcohol breath test, but it’ll cost you.

Yes, for $5 you can take an alcohol breath test (the term “Breathalyzer is a brand name, or I would just say that instead) at a push cart. The cart will be set up by Alcohol Educators, Inc. The service will let drinkers determine their blood alcohol concentration to help them determine whether they should drive home or not. The company’s slogan is apparently “DWI = $10,000. Knowing what you’d blow = Priceless.”

My guess is there will be more than one group of buddies who stumble upon on the vending service and challenge each other to see who can blow the highest BAC. But who knows, maybe the service will discourage someone from driving home with a BAC over North Carolina’s 0.08 percent legal limit.

The cart will be on the corner of Glenwood and Johnston Avenues (the same corner where Bogart’s is located) from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to a news release I read today. It won’t be there if there’s “inclimate weather” though.

Do you think this service will lead fewer people to drive home intoxicated or do you think it will spark more binge drinking among competitive friends?

It’s no shimmer wall, but it’ll do

I had Raleigh’s new shimmer wall on the brain when I walked past the Durham Performing Arts Center last week. The shimmer wall adorns the side of Raleigh’s new convention center, providing an artistic splash on the wall that covers the center’s air conditioning system. So, when I passed Durham’s new arts center last week, I was initially disappointed to see that the side of the center facing the American Tobacco complex was concrete and vacant.

I was prepared to suggest that the city (which funding the $44 million arts center) sponsor a mural contest, encouraging local artists to submit their designs, with the winning one being selected to cover the blah wall. But I contacted city spokeswoman Amy Blalock first to make sure the city wasn’t ahead of me, and it looks like the city already has a plan to hide the concrete. Here’s her e-mail response:

According to Alan (DeLisle, assistant city manager with the Office of Economic & Workforce Development) the South and West sides of the deck will be covered with long banners from the Broadway plays until the development occurs around the deck.  Eventually, the deck will be wrapped with development and you won’t be able to see the concrete.  In the meantime, the banners will cover the concrete.

I’m also excited about the Broadway shows that will be appearing at the Durham Performing Arts Center during it’s debut season. Among them are Rent, The Color Purple and Legally Blonde. The city’s huge downtown investment in this project is about to take off.

And while there are some naysayers who didn’t support the city’s decision to invest so many tax dollars into this project, now that the center is nearly complete, it would be lovely if Triangle folks would come together and support yet another Durham leap into the arts.

Raleigh’s shimmer wall is stunning

The shimmering oak tree that lives on the west facade of Raleigh’s new convention center is simply stunning. The sprawling tree is made up of nearly 80,000 light and dark aluminum squares and was completed a couple weeks ago. When the wind blows, the squares flap and it looks as if waves are rolling over the tree.

Soon, the tree will be backlit by LEDs, allowing the tree to glow and reflect a ton of colors. That won’t happen until the convention center officially opens on Sept. 5.

The success of this public art piece (or design feature, depending on who you ask) is apparently a big deal in Raleigh, which has had some hangups with other public art attempts, the News & Observer reports.

Two years ago, Raleigh officials rejected a hydro-electronic abstract sculpture planned for Fayetteville Street that was designed by Jaume Plensa, an internationally known Spanish artist. The decision led businessman Jim Goodmon to withdraw his offer to pay $2.5 million to help fund the project.

And then, in the mid-90s, there was a debate over the Time + Light Tower located in the median of Capital Boulevard north of the Fairview Road ramp, the N&O reminds us. The 40-foot tower is made up of glass panels that reflect rainbow colors.

I remember riding down Capital with my friend Graham when I first moved to Raleigh and asking him what that tower was. When he told me it was a public art piece, I laughed. It’s actually pretty cool (compared to most things in the Capital Boulevard median, anyway). When the Time + Light Tower went up, it “was called an ‘old derrick with mirrors’ by Tom Fetzer, Raleigh’s mayor at the time,” the N&O reports.

If you haven’t had a chance to see the shimmer wall for yourself, check out this hasty video I made.

The easiest place to pull over and view it is on Cabarrus Street, which is sorta closed for construction right now. Just head down South Dawson Street and turn left on Cabarrus Street to park. Then get out of your car and admire it’s beauty. An oak tree, of course, is a fitting shimmer wall stamp for the City of Oaks.

Have you seen the shimmer wall yet? Do you love it or are you underwhelmed?

Find out what happens when 7 Tweeple take on a downtown Raleigh scavenger hunt

In hindsight, I see how naive I was. I truly thought our 7-member team had a chance to win the Raleigh Typhoon 2 scavenger hunt. To win, we had to decipher clues that lead us to more than 25 businesses in downtown Raleigh and complete a series of laughable tasks to earn puzzle pieces. Those puzzle pieces were the key to success, because they revealed additional clues that led to mega-bonus points.

Our team, “Tie-phoon Tweeple”, featured several Raleigh residents who use Twitter: @dtraleigh, @dimambro, @nematome, @kitch and two non-Tweeple.

I approached the adventure with an “in it to win it” attitude. As the only chick on the team, I was grateful that the guys let me take over the planning and execution of our strategy. You can watch a 1-minute video of us planning things out here. I had no idea that approximately 85 teams had entered, and it’s a good thing too because I don’t think I would have been as hardcore about our efforts If I knew that tidbit.

We managed to complete all but one of the tasks on the list, although it took us seven hours to do so. Here are some of the tasks we had to complete:

* Throw two bullseyes, bounce a quarter in a cup, win at Connect Four, toss two ping pong balls in a cup (beer pong style), sink a trick shot at the pool table all at Alibi Bar.

* Act out a white collar crime using props (we acted out blackmail, I played the role of a News & Observer reporter, while Kitch pretended he was running for city council) at a hip bar I’d never been to before appropriately named “White Collar Crime.” (Footage of this exists somewhere and if it makes it online, prepare for laugh).

* Count all the Frieda Kahlo images at Dos Taquitos (this was tricky b/c they were everywhere, including the bathrooms). There are 47, in case you were wondering. I think this was actually the most difficult challenge.

*Answer a bunch of questions about various things hanging on the walls at Napper Tandy’s, then sing karaoke as a team (the DJ picked Shaggy’s “Angel” for us, we were truly horrible).

*Take a picture of a hidden marker at 101 Lounge + Cafe and then put together a puzzle.

*Find a business card hidden in some pants pockets and take a picture of three palms at Vintage Nation (a vintage clothing shop that also sells plants).

And much, much more. To read all about our day, please check out @nematome’s blog about it. He truly captured the essence of the day from beginning to end.

Our team did not win, however. Although Leo (aka @dtraleigh) was able to decipher one of the clues after we put together our puzzle pieces. Thanks to him, we snagged 40 bonus points by locating the fountain on Fayetteville Street that is below ground.

In the end, I think we needed to start earlier in the day. We also needed to put together our puzzle much earlier. I had no idea there were more than 85 teams participating until we finished, or I might have lost some of my motivation. But I’m glad we put forth a solid effort. See more pictures here.

If you were there, what was your favorite memory? Mine definitely was acting out our skit at White Collar Crime.

If Dwight Schrute were in charge of a Christian coffee shop…

These would be the rules.

This poster was hanging at the open mic event Friday held at a church that meets above Adam Cave Fine Art on Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh. The poster is referencing Dwight from the Office, who is big on rules. I had to give props to the clever person who posted this sign. I wish I had taken better notes on what church is located on the third floor of the building and what their mission is. If anyone is aware, please fill me in. It’s an awesome venue, and an interesting pick for a church.

The only other interesting sign I spied during this month’s First Friday festivities was at Father & Son Antiques. The steamy weather kept the retro shop from staying open for the evening’s wandering art seekers. In case you didn’t know, there are artist galleries/studios on the third floor of this shop that seem to always be open whenever the store is open. If you haven’t made it that high up in the business, I’d suggest taking a peak.

Here’s why you shouldn’t plan your weekends

I had no plan when I headed to downtown Raleigh Saturday afternoon. I didn’t even glance at the Indy to see if anything was going on. I figured I’d find something on such a lovely day. Here’s how my random Raleighness unfolded:

First I saw signs for the Handmade Market on West Street, so I had to pull over and check it out. I’m glad I did b/c I snagged some rad, crafty jewelry, an awesome piece of art and this cool seahorse shirt from Sew Bliss Sew.

Then right up the street I noticed this huge beautiful American flag dangling over Dawson Street, so I had to see why it was there. Turns out there was a fallen firefighters memorial going on in the little square outside city hall. I was struck with how beautiful this flag looked as it flapped over the cars that passed by. It was entrancing. I started to head toward the Marbles Kids Museum because I wanted to check out that “Kids City Planning Day” meant to teach kids about the revision of Raleigh’s comprehensive plan. But before I got there, I spotted a rally on the Old Capitol grounds. Turned out it was a pro pot rally.

I finally made it over to the museum, and was impressed with the buildings the kids were creating out of boxes. Raleigh Planning Director Mitchell Silver looked like he was having as much fun as the kids building the box city. He’s the adult helping the kid attach the top of the building below: Then it was time to check out Vintage Nation, the new shop on Wilmington street that sells beautiful vintage dresses, skirts, shirts and pants at incredibly reasonable prices, along with houseplants and hip accessories. I was impressed. I’m told by the Raleigh Connoisseur that this marks the beginning of activity-packed weekends in downtown Raleigh. Sounds like it’s going to be a fun summer. See more pictures from my random Saturday on my Flickr.

So many beers, so little time

I arrived at World Beer Festival promptly at noon on Saturday. Organizers had caged off nearly every sliver of downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square with a chain link fence, and all I wanted to do was be inside it. But as my friend Graham and I rounded the corner, we saw the line of the other thirsty festival-goers snaking around a parking lot. We stood patiently in line waiting for our chance to turn over our tickets for one of the small, plastic beer glasses that would be holding our brews all day. The line moved quickly, and soon we were ushered into a tent lined on both sides with brewers ready to pour us as many different varieties of beer as we were willing to drink.

Soon we were sipping on stouts, pale ales and porters from the likes of the Starr Hill Brewery in Charlottesville, Va. to Left Hand Brewing Co. in Longmont, Colorado. And by sipping, I truly mean chugging. We walked downtown to avoid the inevitable parking hassle a festival-filled Saturday would bring and because of the inevitable beer buzz created by four hours of drinking. So after making the trek in the heat, we were thirsty. The day was punctuated by the sound of volunteers emptying recycling bins causing the glass bottles to clank together a medley that made the crowd erupt with cheers (take a listen below).

After throwing back a few tasty brews, it was time to leave the tent and see what the food vendors had to offer. Graham was satisified with some vegetarian samosas, while I opted for a chicken gyro. It was at that point that beer fest got three times better. Only after stepping outside our original beer-filled tent did I discover that there were TWO MORE huge tents filled with brewers and beer.We wandered in and out of the beer havens for the next four hours. Taking needed brakes in the shade, munching on food and, of course, braving the long bathroom lines. I wish I had kept better track of the beers I drank, because there were so many delicious brews I’d like to seek out again. But there was one that I was so smitten with, that I’ll never forget: the Vanilla Porter by Breckenridge Brewery in Denver, Colorado. It was chocolately with an smooth vanilla finish and was the only beer I got refills of.

As 4 o’clock rolled around, we were tired, bloated by beer and ready to go. I called Raleigh Rickshaw for a ride, and we rolled to the furthest edge of downtown, then stumbled the rest of the way home. Here’s a clip from the ride home:

And finally, here’s a cool video made with pictures I snapped throughout the day using animoto. I was introduced to this site a while back by blogger and beautiful picture taker Abby, and finally tried it out. See the rest of my Beer Fest pictures on Flickr.

Were you at beer fest? What did you think?

Who says nothing is free anymore?

About a month ago, I was walking in downtown Raleigh and happened upon an apple sitting on one of those newspaper-like boxes that litter city streets. I thought it was funny that someone set it down right above the “free” sign, so I had a friend snap a picture with his iPhone.

I didn’t think about it again until last weekend, when I again found myself walking downtown and happened upon another one of those boxes. Only this time, I found something different inside.

Can anyone top this? (I don’t think it would be too hard, so don’t be shy)…

Here’s another reason why Durham rocks

When Durham’s new $44 million performing arts center opens at the end of the year, it will be sporting a long, but cool name. City officials announced today that the venue will be named the “Mildred & Dillard Teer Stage.” Your initial reaction may be: “Huh? Isn’t that a mouthful?”

But here’s why this rocks. Durham is known for being completely community oriented. And so rather than have a theater named after something corporate and generic like Progress Energy Center for the Arts (sorry, Raleigh), it will be named after people who are a part of that community.

The Teers are lifelong Durham residents, according to a news release from the city. They’ve been married for more than 60 years (yes, 60) , and they’ve who have been involved in the community for a long time (Dillard sat on the Raleigh Durham Airport Authority for 31 years and served as a county commissioner, while Mildred once sat on the school board and her father was a tobacconist who ran Roycroft’s Warehouse on Rigsbee Avenue). The Teers’ children decided to honor their parents legacy by paying for the naming rights, which cost $1.2 million over 10 years.

The only thing that could taint this good news is a well-researched article revealing something unsavory about the Teer family. I’m not suggesting the Teer family is anything less than perfect, but knowing local Durham reporters and bloggers, I bet someone is doing some research to see if there’s anything less than desirable that could weigh down the theater’s new good name.

Check out construction progress on the live cam (pictured above).