Fine
images matt, thanks for your efforts.
Raleigh is
starting to look
terrific.

I am addicted to this website! That RBC light really makes an impact, more than I would have imagined.

WHOA. THESE…ARE…COOL.
THIS is the stuff I come to this website for, thanks a lot, Matt R., amazing shots once again.

Nice! It finally starts taking away from that old monotonous “bookend” effect on the skyline. Can’t wait for the LEDs on the shimmer wall…

Looks great Matt. Now if they had just left the spire that was originally planned for the Wachovia bldg on there, It would look even better.

The word “outstanding” cannot describe these photos - I knew you were going to be there to record history during its making Last night was a moment when DT Raleigh started a new chapter. Not only it is evident that we are heading towards a new direction, but with the lighting of the RBC Plaza crown we showed that we are not afraid to admit it… Nothing spectacular, yet it makes a statement that somewhere in the horizon there is a little skyline, in an area that is about to become a true center in a few years. RBC Plaza is like a Beacon, and I hope other developers and property owners show the same kind of pride. DT Raleigh’s skyline has been dark and “silent” for many years, and I see no reason why this could go on. Naturally, with the addition of more high-rises, we can anticipate the skyline to become more dynamic, but we have already talked about it many times and I won’t bore you…

Thanks, Matt!!!

Matt, you are the best

I just rushed to the site to see the pics … AWESOME as usual!

That building is one seriously nice addition. It’s really grown on me and I think it will age very gracefully. Hopefully it will encourage other developers to “light up” as well. I cannot wait for the shimmer wall to be turned on - and when the Edison is finished we could be in another level of territory as far as skylines.

Next up - downtown state of the art MLB Stadium for the Carolina ‘Somethings’ Imagine the skyline as the Fox cameras pan the stadium exterior before settling in on the field. NICE!

“Next up - downtown state of the art MLB Stadium for the Carolina ‘Somethings’ Imagine the skyline as the Fox cameras pan the stadium exterior before settling in on the field. NICE!”

Or a state of the art arena for the Carolina Hurricanes! Cameras panning across the skyline during intermission on HNIC during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Semi-related question: does anyone know why Progress doesn’t light the “fin” on their building anymore? Or do they do it late at night? That would really help a night shot from the Hammond Road area.

I rode home on the school bus ever day as the City Plaza/CP&L/Progress building went up, and was always amazed by its height, and how it dominated the skyline for close to 20 years. Now, its looking almost as lost as the Briggs Hardware Bldg use to look.

Best thing about the RBC Bldg is how it breaks up the book end look we had going.

Awesome pictures, Matt Did you need a press pass or something to get in or did were they letting everyone in? Just wondering. Also, I wasn’t born until the 90s but my dad has been here off and on since 1970, and I have been trying to find photography of Raleigh 1970 - forward. I have struggled doing this, and so far have only uncovered about a dozen photos. If anyone should know where I can find photos of Raleigh from the 70s ad 80s in particular, please let me know. For those of you who think I’m being too lazy, I’ve search pages and pages of Google and have found barely anything. Ok I’m gonna go eat lunch now.

Yeah, I cannot wait to see what The Edison will do for the skyline. These pics are great. I’m lookin’ forward to seeing the spire lit up tonight while im downtown…

Ari, there are only a few photos of DT Raleigh from the 70’s and many of them are used in books already published. I probably haven’t seen more than a handful from the 80’s, but I have seen some from the 90’s, before and during the construction of the two bookends. I am sure someone was kind enough to capture this city during those times and I surely hope to see some of downtown.

Looking good…now if we could just get a few more buildings in that big hole in between the Wachovia building and the RBC building, it would even better….Thanks Matt!

Wow Matt, how do you get access to these places? I love that shot from the AC units.

Amazing photos.

I saw it lit up IRL for the first time tonight…it was sweeeeeet.

A typo in one of the captions made me wonder: How often will the crown be struck by lightning on average each year? It is the tallest thing around. The Empire State Building is supposedly struck about 100 a year.

I doubt that it will get as many strikes as the Emipre State Building. Here, we have three 2000 foot towers out near Clayton that suck up most of the lightning.

My brother Dan and I figure it has a decent chance of getting struck by lightning. In fact, one of my goals was to capture the tower crane getting hit during a storm (since it was even taller than the spire), but I never witnessed it- and I covered it a lot.

While shooting this rainbow back in April, we both felt a static charge from our heads from the Boylan Avenue bridge while an anvil crawler crept across the sky. Dan mentioned in his 15 years of chasing and covering storms that he never had experienced such a feeling. One would think if ever was there a chance of a leader leaping off the crane and connecting for a full strike into the stratiform precipitation, that was the chance.

While the three ~2,000 foot tall towers near Clayton do initiate plenty of lightning, I’m not sure that they are close enough to downtown to rob RBC Plaza of similar phenomenon. Its main disadvantage is that it is not tall enough for strikes to be more common. This isn’t to say that it can’t or wont get struck, though. My friend William Coyle in Virginia Beach, VA recently caught their new building of similiar height (510 ft versus 538 feet for RBC) getting struck here.

I would be happy with a nice 1000 foot building in downtown Raleigh for lightning. Look at Chicago and the Sears Tower/John Hancock Building as an example (add the new Trump Tower to that soon). They act just like the Clayton towers when it comes to lightning. My brother and I took a trip in 2006 attempting to capture it getting struck without any luck. Dan made a second trip and had success, which you can see here.

Does anybody else think that the First Citizens Bank building on F St. would look cool if it were about 25-30 stories tall?

No, it would still be ugly. I still can’t believe we sacrificed a mid-rise for that…..that THING. I think FCB should blow that thing up and building the tower that they were supposed to a decade ago on the same land. Or closer to the Wachovia to help fill in the gap between RBC Plaza and WCC.

phaty

IMHO, it looks okay, but if it had windows on all sides instead of just one side, and it were obviously taller, then it would look pretty nice.

I vote in favor of leveling the FCB building for anything else. A Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts would be an improvement. I’m certainly glad no one’s considering that thing historical - when it’s gone, no one will miss it. LOL

Matt R., it’s funny that you mention the Sears Tower - didn’t you have a photo of DT Raleigh with the Sears Tower photoshopped into it at one time? LOL For some reason that particular picture crossed my mind the other day and it gave me a chuckle. A 1000 foot tower would be awesome not just for Raleigh, but for NC as a whole, I think. However, I think I’m curious to wait and see just who will be next to break that 600 foot/50 story mark downtown. And I don’t mean 550 feet with a spire on top, either. It would be really nice to have a genuine 600+ ft building on the skyline.

Though I said the building looks KINDA nice, I agree that they should torch that building. Stick a 40-story in its place and i’m happy.

Raleigh is getting a nice skyline and RBCs lighted spire helps, but Raleigh has a long way to go to match Charlotte’s skyline.

Of course Charlotte has a long way to go to match Atlanta’s skyline.

I think Raleigh ranks well with Winston Salem now.. I am not liking the Christmas tree look on the RBC.

….and Atlanta has a long way to go to match New York’s skyline, so what’s your point?

Raleigh doesn’t need to compare itself to Charlotte. 3 or 4 tall buildings (in Charlotte) doesn’t make a “big city”. Charlotte is way too churchy and home to televangelist and stock car racers and way too close to South Carolina. Raleigh and the triangle region has a more urban diverse feel of a big city than Charlotte and the Charlotte region.

I feel the same way as New York transplant…I travel to Charlotte and to numerous cities around the US….And NO I am not biased. Growing up I wanted to LEAVE RALEIGH, but after my travels…I realize that Raleigh is a JEWEL. For those that don’t like Raleigh..simply LEAVE….because I LOVE Raleigh!

I whole-heartedly agree with Raleigh Native…in my opinion, the only good thing about Charlotte is Carowinds, and even at that, Kings Dominion is still better to me, but Raleigh is a really nice city to me.

Here we go again, Raleigh people always have to make themselves feel better about our skyline.

Oh great…ANOTHER basher…

Yeah, they just keep on coming. What’s your problem, Tim?

i will never understand Raleigh’s obsession with Charlotte. I mean the jealousy is just so obvious. Just be proud of your RBC tower and leave it at that.

To Tim….we I LOVE my skyline, I don’t have to feel better about it, because IMO it is PERFECT !!! To CONGO SHADE…There is no obsession with Charlotte, …that is why us RALEIGH folks are on a RALEIGH site. Seems to me that the Charlotte-eans have an obsession with Raleigh…I mean..you CONTINUE to visit our RALEIGH site..it’s okay…..just DEAL with it.

AND don’t worry, once you start up your little Charlotte site… I will NEVER visit it, NEVER, bash on your city, and NEVER really care about it. We honestly don’t care about whats going on in Charlotte!!! I can PLACE BETS that a Charlotte site isn’t even gonna be about Charlotte…..it will be about ATLANTA!!! LOL/LMAO!

Mongo QUIT TROLLING.

Raleigh person save that crap about who can view this site because you have no clue of anything about me. I just know your silly comments on Charlotte are getting very old.

The teens and pre teens on this site are funny..LOL

You know what’s really getting old? You trolling on this site talking about how we are jealous of Charlotte and crap like that, but you are just looking for attention.

No the Charlotte jealousy crap on this thread started well before I posted. But again with so many kids on here it is to be expected.

How does age have anything to do with anything at all?

It is the childish way folks have to whine and throw temper tantrums if someone does not think Raleigh is the greatest city in the state. Age is also reflected in the ridiculous and really just stupid comments on North Carolina’s largest city. It is also the high school or Jr high like attitude that only pro Raleigh residents can post especially when a post is an opinion that the kids may not want to read.

Nobody throws “temper tantrums”. You just have a habit of REALLY pissing us off. And no, we are not jealous of Charlotte, as we are the capital of the state, and if anything, everyone else is jealous of us. And we have no obsession with Charlotte, I don’t know where you got that. But please, stop trolling before we get an obsession with proving half the stuff you say about us to be a lie. We did it once, and we aren’t afraid to do it again. Also, Raleigh native, please calm down, you are creeping us out. Alright, that’s all. I’m going to go consume something, I feel so out of it

Ari, Yes you are one of the posters I was talking about.

Ari, Also I dare you to prove me wrong on any post I made. Please do.

Oooh, daring?? Who sounds like the kid now?

List of false accusations Mongo Slade has made recently

“It is the childish way folks have to whine and throw temper tantrums if someone does not think Raleigh is the greatest city in the state.”

No one does that.

“Ari, Yes you are one of the posters I was talking about.”

I’ve never thrown a “temper tantrum”.

“Ari, Also I dare you to prove me wrong on any post I made. Please do.”

OWN’D ROFL

And so, the debate begins!! LOL Matt H., I think it’s your turn to say something.

Ari, Yeah that is the type of response I expected..Just silly nonsense that includes some sort of attempt to rally other posters to come help you out

Thank you, Ari…and he doesn’t need anybody’s help to prove that you are nothing but an annoying troll on this site, he could easily do that on his own, as could myself…It’s a little thing called “strength in numbers.”

Also, Mongo, why do you CARE? You keep coming back just to tell us how childish we are being, but in all honesty, what about that makes you care so much? If anybody, you are obviously the most immature person on these forums. We all come here to view talented art from Matt R. and you are here to see how we react and then criticize it. Why? What keeps drawing you back to this site?

Ernest or Ari, your turn to take the floor.

Thanks, Matt H. I’m not sure Ernest will be able to make it, as he hasn’t been on for several hours.

“Ari, Yeah that is the type of response I expected..Just silly nonsense that includes some sort of attempt to rally other posters to come help you out”

You asked for it when you started messing with us. We are all Raleighites and we do not take insults lying down.

Mongo Slade, Matt H., Ernest or Raleigh native, now your turn to take the floor. Sorry for the variation, it’s just that I would like to hear statements from all four of you, and anyone else who wishes to participate.

Team Raleigh
Ari
Matt H.

Team Basher (LOL)
Mongo Slade

Stop whining Matt H. I can view the website just like you can. Also nothing immature about thinking the focus should be on Raleigh and not trying to bash or measure up to Charlotte. Focus on RBC and not silly comments on what is wrong with Charlotte.

Team Raleigh FTW BABY

Raleigh native, I would like to see your side of the story.

But Mongo, please answer my question…why do you care? What pulls you back to this site? Because it’s sure not the photography…

And also, I haven’t said one word about Charlotte during this entire thread, or any others. So i’m not the one who’s whining.

Well Matt H. someone is posting under your alias. You can’t be serious..

LOL WUT

Read the thread first and look for your posts. Now laugh..LOL

ಠ_ಠ
…touché…but at least I don’t bash in EVERY post, and I don’t mean just bashing the city, I mean bashing the people who admire their cities.

Your turn, Ari.

You can twist all you want Matt H but I will admit it takes some real you know what to keep posting after that. The average poster here would have ran in shame or posted under something else. But to answer you like I have said before the guy here does a great job with his photos and really makes DT Raleigh look good. Also my work and family has me here often so I take an interest in the progress here. Obviously I hate the Charlotte bashing.
It is great that Raleigh has taken steps to improve its DT. I think it is something happening across the country and it is good that this city is taking some steps to get things going. Getting outside the DT areaa no one can argue that this region is one of the best in the country. Folks brag about places like NYC but the cost of living in comparison with well paying jobs in the triangle and Charlotte kicks butt against anybody.

Thanks, Matt H. Mongo, why do you bash in every post? And, don’t evade this time, just answer the question.

This will be my last post tonight, I will resume tomorrow around noon. Good luck Matt H.! Team Raleigh WOOO

Team Raleigh
Ari
Matt H.
Team Basher (still LOL)
Mongo Slade

Man people here are so thin skinned. I have a new slogan for the CC “Welcome to Raleigh, if you don’t think it is the best thing this side of Heaven, LEAVE”

Update:
Team Raleigh
Ari
Matt H.

Team Basher
Mongo Slade
Tim

You asked for it

Ari, Hopefully you are telling the truth and that was your last post because you get a little more silly with each post. Childish but this was fun..LOL

Yeah they are funny, and if you think I am bashing anything you have no clue.

So uh, can’t wait to see the next line of outstanding photos!!! I have come to realize that wether you like Raleigh, or want to bash Raleigh…that we ALL love Raleighskyline.com!!! Lets leave it at that.

I don’t think anyone was bashing Raleigh.

Guys—can we get back on topic? THis thread is about the RBC Center’s spire lighting. Let’s discuss that and take the tit-for-tat stuff elsewhere. People from Raleigh are generally smarter than that.

I live in Washington, D.C. (I ran across this site doing some research on urban planning on the Internet), and have been to both Charlotte and Raleigh. I can tell you, Charlotte is a far better city than Raleigh. Charlotte feels much more urban, with a much livelier and happening city center and less of a small-town feel and attitude. In fact, I have been to many cities large and small across the country and have perhaps never been to a downtown as dead as Raleigh’s. Charlotte, with its new light-rail line, extensive bus system, and ambitious plans for the future is much further ahead in its commitment to public transit and improving its urban landscape; public transit is virtually nonexistent in the Triangle, and sprawl is out of control. And the skylines — and the business communities they represent — don’t even compare.

Charlotte’s reputation on the national stage is gleaming — in business, in city planning, in transit, and in other fields. In fact, from an outsider’s perspective, I can’t quite figure out why North Carolina doesn’t change its capital to Charlotte. At least then it would be in a city people elsewhere in the country have actually heard of.

Well now that was bashing LOL

Dustin, please use your last initial along with your name when you post, as we have a moderator named Dustin here already. Also, Mongo, shut up. Calling me and the rest of us childish is not helping your dumb case. We do not and have not bashed Charlotte (at least I haven’t) or you, so you’re just messing with us now. I have a healthy respect for both cities. Also, everyone remember, if you bash Raleigh you just joined Team Basher. Seriously. Also this really will be my last post, as I have to go to bed. Another thing, Don, I would love to get back on topic but I have to set these guys straight. L8rs.

Team Raleigh
Ari
Matt H.

Team Basher
Mongo Slade
Tim
Dustin (not the moderator)

Nuts, we’re outnumbered. LOL Goodnight.

Yes I agree that is bashing but as Ari would say “You asked for it” LOL

Ari, if you are team Raleigh, we have already lost.

Ari, I am a raleigh person, but you are really annoying. I’m sure you will jump on my case. But I will not respond. Have funat high school tomorrow.

Dustin may live in D.C., but I suspect he has strong ties to Charlotte. He seems to know just a little too much to be a casual observer. I don’t believe Charlotte has ever made the number one place in the nation to live by several highly regarded magazines, as well as the best place in the country to do business. Well, Raleigh has the distinction of having achieved both, and more. Due to the Research Triangle Park, and many universities and colleges, Raleigh is a more cosmopolitan and diverse city than Charlotte. I enjoy visiting Charlotte, but to say that it a much “better” city than Raleigh is like comparing apples and oranges. Also, I don’t believe Dustin has been to downtown Raleigh recently. It is quite the buzz.

Yea and dowtown is defintely not DEAD. Dustin’s comments lost validity with me when I read that one statement.

In the 80’s Charlotte used to rank high in places to live, just like Raleigh does now. I hope Raleigh can learn from the mistakes of trying to grow at any cost. We do have the RTP and colleges but I don’t think we are more cosmopolitial or diverse, but like you that is an opinion. I was in Charlotte this weekend, like most, for the Panthers game and to me their downtown is fun place to people watch.

whoever said raleigh’s dt is dead doesnt know what he or she’s talkin bout! somebody needs to dust dustin!

“Have funat high school tomorrow.”

I’m homeschooled. OWN’D

BTW, I think we can call an end to the debate. I think Dustin (not the moderator) just became the enemy. My goal for this debate was accomplished. We pushed you and pushed you until “Mongo the Troll” left. And I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about the troll part of you. Alright, I’m gonna go back to the NHC, I’m monitoring Invest 94L for possible development into Tropical Cyclone Seven A.K.A Tropical Depression Seven.

Please keep the comments related to the photo series topic. Save the flame war-ish posts for internet message boards. This is not the place for these kinds of comments. Don’t abuse the comment system we have on this site. If things continue down this road, we may rethink how comments are handled on this site (ie. - we approve all comments/no comments).

Civil discussions of Raleigh and Charlotte are welcome in that thread, since that’s the topic. Think before you post.

I had a feeling there would be some responses to my post, so I’ve come back to check. Horatio is right; I’m not just a casual observer. While studying urban planning at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, I did research into the resurgence of rail through the United States, particularly on the planning and construction of light-rail systems in several major cities. Among these were Seattle, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, and St. Louis, as well as Charlotte and Raleigh. Being in the West, we in Utah were already familiar enough with what was going on in western cities, and I believe the systems in Minneapolis and St. Louis had already opened, making comparing the expected results and the actual results a bit more difficult. So that left Charlotte and Raleigh.

Raleigh appealed to me at first. I knew that it, like Salt Lake City, was a state capital. And I was also somewhat familiar with its educational institutions and the Research Triangle Park. (I have since realized that the Research Triangle Park is nothing but a glorified business park, much like the University Research Park at the University of Utah.) But in my further research, I found that plans in Raleigh had floundered. Raleigh had been unable to prove its need for rail transit to the Federal Transit Administration, which left the region without much hope for federal funding. From what I could tell, that failure was a result both of immediate and longer-term local politics and land-use planning and the lack of support for transit funding under the Bush administration. (Hopefully that will change under a new president, but probably not if McCain gets elected.) Whatever the reason, that left one city open for me to study: Charlotte.

Let me also say that in doing this preliminary research I looked up photos of both city’s skylines. When I saw Raleigh’s I thought, That’s nice, but it’s a bit like Salt Lake’s: A skyline, yes, but not particularly impressive or memorable. Then I saw Charlotte’s and thought, Wow, that’s really quite the city. I also dug a little into statistics about the business communities and other aspects of both cities. Again, Raleigh wasn’t bad, but Charlotte was very impressive.

I tracked the planning and development of light rail and, in turn, the overall city and its planning for about a year. I became very familiar with what was going on in the city. In the process, I was really very impressed with Charlotte’s commitment to good urban planning, effective government, public transit, and correcting the mistakes made in the past. Things, of course, came to a head last year, when there was an effort to repeal the .5-cent sales tax that made the expansion of public transit possible. Having already followed the city’s plans for so long, I followed the referendum closely and was once again impressed to see the city’s commitment to public transit when voters there overwhelmingly voted in favor of keeping the tax. (I’ll note that Seattle rejected a similar tax to support expansion of its public-transit system the same day. And Seattle is generally regarded as a fairly well-planned city.)

I kept following Charlotte’s progress as I continued my studies in The Netherlands. Because by that point I already knew so much about its transit and other plans, I even included it in a presentation I was asked to make on American cities. My classmates and professors there in Holland were even very impressed by this American city. One professor even singled out Charlotte in speaking with me afterwards; he said that it seemed like a “global city”.

I recently visited North Carolina, in part finally to ride the light-rail system, LYNX, that I’d followed for so long. I was thoroughly impressed seeing Charlotte in person. The skyline is more impressive in person than in almost any photo I ever saw in my research. (I noticed most photos of the skyline available online are outdated.) And, yes, there are problems with sprawl and being too car-oriented, but the city’s urban areas are just that: thoroughly urban, vibrant, walkable, and great places to spend time.

Raleigh, by contrast, was about what I expected. Similar to Salt Lake, but without the mountains and without, as far as I could tell, much in the way of transit and change toward become more urban and livable. While Downtown Salt Lake City is not as “happening” as downtown Charlotte, it is certainly more lively and vibrant than downtown Raleigh. And, as I said previously, I have been to many cities across the country, and from Seattle to Miami and from Portland, Maine, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, found that Charlotte measures up well.

That said, Raleigh is a growing place with a lot going for it. It isn’t a Rust Belt city, after all. But in recent news about high gas prices and their impact on Americans’ lives, I noticed that Raleigh was cited by The Brookings Institution (a prominent D.C. think tank) as one of the cities where a failure to commit to rail transit and city planning that would allow people to live without a car — in other words, what most urban planners would call becoming a better city — would likely hamper its livability and future growth. And, from my research, things don’t seem to be changing much there.

So why post something here? In my visit I got a little tired of speaking to Raleigh residents about their city and seeing how thoroughly stuck up they seemed to be about it and how snide they were toward Charlotte, even when I didn’t bring up Charlotte in conversation. So when I saw this discussion here, I just had to add my perspective as an outside observer — though by no means a casual observer.

Last of all, Laryea, suggesting that North Carolina change its capital to Charlotte is not akin to suggesting that the United States move its capital to New York City. It would seem to me that any state or nation would want its capital to be, at least symbolically, a physical manifestation of its highest aspirations. With its thoughtful planning; broad boulevards; extensive, clean, and modern subway system; and vibrant neighborhoods, Washington, D.C., would seem to me to be just that. (I’ll also point out that D.C. willingly chooses not to have skyscrapers within its bounds.) Likewise, with the characteristics I commented on earlier — commitment to public transit and good urban planning, a healthy city center, good government, self-reliance, and a committed business community — it would seem that Charlotte would represent to a much greater extent than does Raleigh what North Carolina wants to become, or, at least, what it should want to become.

DC:

Ever heard the phrase ‘less is more’?

For some reason, the majority of the public just will not get behind any type of transit, even theough they will cvomplain about traffic and not being able to get around.

Also, due to some political issues, Raleigh got behind on some subimissions to the feds and in that year’s time, they upped the standards for rail money. If they had gotten their crap together and submitted on time, we would have rail right now or within the next year. Charlotte’s system likely would not have been approved under the revised criteria either, from what I have read. Of course, their half cent sales tax definitely helped as it showed some commitment to the sytem, something we have never been able to drum up in this area.

DC Dustin I don’t think you’re giving the American public much credit. I have been in Austin for 3 weeks (I am moving to San Diego though) and I have been around and met a lot of people recently. On my drive I stopped a few times in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and I seem to get a lot of attention in the South due to my haircut and the way I dress. When asked where I’m coming from, I have been saying Raleigh. Just Raleigh, and most people will smile and say “Carolina, huh… that’s a long drive, bud.” Moreover, I would say most people I’ve spoken to in Austin know that Raleigh is the capital of this state.

I have a college degree in engineering, not urban planning, but after traveling a lot and connecting with people all over, it has come to my attention that I am starting to realize what makes cities distinct. Each area has its own people, way of life, methodologies, culture, etc… it forces the environment to react to this in a different way for each location. And this goes for anywhere in the world, really. DC in particular has grown nicely and I have visited my friend in Georgetown at least twice a year for the last 5 years, but I have never and will never consider living there. Too many people and the weather isn’t kind enough in the winter. The things I would take from DC though and you are correct about it are the Metro system, the concentration on street-level feel and density (because of building height restrictions), and the emphasis on its youth.

And your Dutch professor clearly knows nothing if he calls Charlotte a “global city”. Charlotte has nothing to appeal to an international crowd. DC is the capital of the United States… Atlanta had the Olympics… Orlando has Disney World… but both Charlotte and Raleigh don’t have anything near the level of these attractions.

Very well put JR

I think JR just owned D.C. Dustin’s statement. As Mongo said, good job JR

At least DC Dustin forced intelligent conversation!

Having lived in or close to the cities of Phenoix, SLC, Charlotte, Philly, Boston, Bangor, Cheyenne, and Raleigh I would say that Raleigh is the most comfortable of them all to live in. That however does not mean it is better than any of the others. I like the atmosphere here. I like the feel of DT, even though it could REALLY use some public transit! Charlotte is nice… but its a matter of preference. Is Charlotte a better run city? probably… but I think a lot of that has to do with less politicians, and a the addition of richer residents to add to the economy.

I have to strongly disagree with Dustin on the Research Triangle Park being little more than a glorified business park. RTP is one of the oldest and largest science parks in North America situated on 7000 acres with over 170 companies. It’s a high tech research park that is globally prominent. I do, however, think I would agree with Dustin’s politics…..just sayin.

What’s with this “my city is bigger than yours” stuff? This argument is going way over my head.

It is with sadness that I follow this conversation, which is in fact waaaaaay off topic and totally unrelated to RBC Plaza’s recently lit crown. Many of us have lived in big cities - I, for one, was born and lived in NYC - but to make bold statements about either Raleigh or Charlotte is just that: bold… Neither city, regardless of the areas they may lead when compared to each other, is a big city, nor it offers big city feel. An impressive skyline and a light rail line doesn’t make a place big city, I am sorry to say. I cannot speak for everyone, as I have not perfected my ability to read minds, yet, but when most of us discuss Raleigh and Charlotte, we do so because there are a lot of things we can learn from the Queen City’s strong and weak points. We do so because we recognize that while we lack in some departments, we make up by offering something else. Neither city is the best, or the worst, nor a person coming from a big city can easily declare a winner. It is all subjective.

While I enjoyed D.C. Dustin’s presentation, I couldn’t help identifying some errors, along with some cheap propaganda. First of all, Raleigh has received far more recognition than Charlotte, whether people like it to admit it, or not. The endless lists that place Raleigh highly, even when compared to major urban centers show that we are moving to the right direction, even though we fall behind in urban amenities. I am sure Charlotte deserves some recognition, as well, but for some reasons it is not getting it.

DT Raleigh may not be a “happening” place when we discuss sports and conventions, but it does VERY well, even without such events. This will ONLY get better as the new convention center promises to bring a ton of people downtown. Of course, we have yet to see whether we can keep these people coming in the future, but I surely remain optimistic that the need for hotel space may actually speed things up for some developers who struggle with residential projects. 630 North is an example of such project - it is being reworked to exclude the condos but add hotel space instead. During the day, DT Raleigh is pretty lively… I know because I work here and I can see things on a nearly daily basis. DT Raleigh simply feels GREAT!!! Keep in mind it is still a work in progress and judge it accordingly. As for the evenings, I am sick and tired of hearing people underrating this cities nightlife options. We may not be Portland, or Baltimore, but put it in your thick heads once for all: We don’t play second fiddle among the big cities. Asheville and Wilmington feel better than any other major city in the state for most of the year, but Raleigh does well throughout the entire 12 months and doesn’t depend on tourism, business, or otherwise. It is all local people having fun. I have been following the progress consistently and I drive around every week, just to see how things feel. Before anyone brings Charlotte, let me acknowledge that I am happy to see things getting better and better every year in the Queen City. Nice to see not only Uptown, but also NoDa, Plaza Midwood and South End also getting transformed into small entertainment centers for Charlotte. However, we are not behind in Raleigh.

Transportation initiatives in Charlotte are simply great, but they are also the result of the increasing population. A factual error is the comparison between the failed TTA vision and Charlotte’s LYNX line. There is a huge difference between the two lines and D.C. Dustin makes a factual error here. First of all, it was not a Raleigh transportation initiative… It was a Trianglewide effort, which failed NOT because of the political climate in Washington, but because the local powers-that-be were not together. We had both senators and the Feds behind this, until the very end when TTA’s plan became too expensive, too dysfunctional and had little support from the players that stood to benefit the most (RDU, Morrisville and Duke University). Compare that to the smaller, cheaper and more functional LYNX line and you will see where we failed. McCain becoming the president has NOTHING to do with us f*cking up at the local level. If the government proceeds with funding a failure, then what good is it? It may bring a little comfort to hear that the new plan has been received well, even by those who previously opposed it - many of them for good reasons. Right now, we are looking at a much bigger scale, with a vision that includes a regional rail as the backbone and a series of bus and light-rail connections. This vision is more evident that we are becoming a true metropolitan area. My congrats to the Queen City for taking the right approach and providing us with a major success story, but let’s not look down on the Triangle - and Raleigh.

While we may find D.C. Dustin’s comments disagreeable, we also need to recognize that his post was well presented. Not everyone will agree with us… However, to fully understand each city we need to explore what it has to offer extensively. Which city is better is subjective to what we seek in life. There are people who find the Queen City to be most suitable for them, while others consider the City of Oaks as the best choice. There are elements in both places that scream big city, but there is also a positive attitude towards maintaining the small town charm that made both cities attractive. The “small town element” may be more evident in Raleigh, but that is a good thing, IMHO.

Sorry for yet-another lengthy post.

Oh, I forgot to apologize for staying off-topic

I agree with JR Charlotte on many levels cannot carry the tag as a global city I will say that being the number 2 financial center in the nation puts the uptown’s financial district on a global scale. We are talking a couple of trillion in banking assets that follows only NYC. Yes the industry in some aspects is hurting but it is that industry that has sparked the explosive growth of Charlotte in the past 20-30 years. It is agreed Charlotte has not attracted global attractions mentioned such as the Olympics or even has the magnitude of a theme park comparable to Disney World as mentioned. (However I always enjoy Carowinds) I will say look at what the explosive growth has attracted and or accomplished. The NFL was huge like it or not and since most of this stuff is perception anyway having a NFL team certainly helps perception on at the very least a national scale. Getting the NBA twice will eventually be great for Charlotte especially with the arena uptown. The Light rail is further confirmation of a growth strategy that is working and exceeding expectation in terms of ridership. Getting the NASCAR Hall of Fame was huge for uptown. While I am not a nascar fan you can’t laugh at it. Their events can pack 100,000 people in a stadium easy. So when we have this huge fan base visiting uptown at the Hall of Fame they spend money uptown.

But again you are correct we are not a so called global city yet but I love the progress and easily dismiss the comment on magazine rankings. While I admit since folks in Raleigh_Durham keep count of this you guys do very well with this stuff. I will attribute much of that to the region and especially factors such as RTP in Durham and great schools of high of learning in or just outside of Durham. I will say Charlotte ranks high across the country on many of the so called magazine list. Charlotte has enjoyed much positive attention nationally. I mean I can show you rankings like Most Educated Workforce, hot job markets, best housing market, best place for African American families and best place to live. So to assume or suggest Charlotte has been ignored in these ranking is simply false information. Just depends on what magazine you read. LOL

Also since this is a skyline site I will say uptown has one of the most attractive skylines in the country and with all the construction it simply will continue to evolve and expand! I would say that the biggest drawback to skyline in Raleigh-Durham is due to your biggest asset and that is RTP. If you had either DT that could rival the focus of jobs like RTP I’d say you would see more corporate investment in your DTs and it also would be a little easy to get some sort of mass rail transportation. The explosive sprawl and so much focus on RTP hurts those efforts.

I can agree with that Mango… like I said though, I prefer Raleigh’s atmosphere.

Easy on the whole Raleigh-Durham thing!! These are TWO VERY DIFFERENT cities! We will probably take more offense to the R-D tag then to being called Charlotte’s stepsister!

Man… that crown is BRIGHT isn’t it?!

If you lose Durham then then attention falls back to being the state capital. It was the Raleigh Durham collaboration that put together your biggest asset in RTP as well as contributes to your highly educated work force, the lists of great colleges and of course your airport.

Mongo Slade, your last two posts have been really good… Keep it up Seriously, Charlotte’s successes make this state shine and help the rest of our cities prosper, in many ways. From the condo towers, to the light-rail and other transportation initiatives, we can learn a lot on what to do, what not to do and how to do it effectively. BTW, I always LOVED how the BofA Tower’s crown looks, particularly in the evening. Highwoods Properties lost a great opportunity for something similar for RBC Plaza, but the latter’s spire doesn’t look bad in the evening. Let’s hope that The Edison will have at least one inspiring design for one of its 4 towers. We are ready for something iconic

we can all go on and on and on about charlotte vs raleigh… its really all about opinion and preference. i could live in both( i have lived in both) but prefer raleigh. oh yea and mongo was actually right about charlotte making lists. it has made quite a few but still hasnt matched as many as raleigh has.

wow… I know I mistakenly put Mongo’s name on a post earlier… but did you guys really have to delete it?! It was probably my best so far!

Mongo- the RTP is a HUGE asset to R-D… and so are those other schools in Durham and Orange Co, but dont forget about what NCSU is doing for this state and region as well.

Centennial Campus now houses a lot of research here IN Raleigh that would have once been stuck somewhere between Raleigh and Durham. It was named the Top Research Park of The Year in 2007. NCSU also is the top school in the state (and for some things the COUNTRY) that teaches our farmers, engineers, textiles, parks and recreation, vets, design, biofuels, ag and sciences, and many more things that are important to this state. Those schools in Durham give us the media, politicians, and lawyers. Who the hell needs those?! =)

I agree Ernest. I think it is important for the Raleigh-Durham area to learn from the positives and negatives of Charlotte’s growth the past 20 years. It makes sense simply because Charlotte has already been were the Triangle is going in many ways. All the negativity and trying have some sort of rivalry when really there is none is silly unless it was sports related. Yeah Unfortunately UNCC can’t match the excitement of the ACC. There are talks or hopes of getting football at UNCC which I think would really help the image a little.

As for Edison Raleigh really needs all four to get built and hopefully for this area it is not just another proposal that never happens I think getting companies to move DT in those towers would really take raleigh to the next level and would help the area move away a little from being Raleigh_Durham tag since that seems to be the goal for some .

Pack, Don’t forget about those highly ranked MBA programs that produce countless business leaders as well as all the Doctors that come from those Durham and Orange county Universities. I’d say we need them. Also I do agree with laryea that is about preference when it comes to where you want to live. Preference in many cases for plenty of people has very little to do with the stuff discussed here. That can come down to where your families are or the location of a job that makes you happy. Depends on the individual and their personal circumstances.

ah… we dont REALLY need MORE people trying to figure out a way to get more $$$ out of us…. DO WE?! =)

of course I kid alittle… but you know!

Matt, just a quick note to tell you that these are wonnnnnderful! [per usual] and that it was awesome to finally meet you!

Wow has anyone seen the Edison renderings? It looks great but unfortunately probably will changed drastically or never happen because progress is so slow here.

I saw it on newraleigh.com

The Edison can only change for the better… Gregg - the developer - is a man of a few words and I am sure he will try to deliver the best project possible. The renderings are impressive, but the final product is more likely to look even better.

The released renderings for the Edison towers already show the proposed crown on top. Doesn’t look too “iconic” to me. I hope they come up to at least 600 ft without cheating (read: RBC Plaza spire) and then do something tasteful on the top to make it visible from all around the beltline.

Sorry I’ve been gone everyone, my Time Warner bundle (of junk) service failed yesterday after one of my neighbors either burned the tap up, hit it too much or did something else dumb to it. And yeah JR, I hope they come to at least 650 ft. without a crown. We need that office space!! LOL. L8rs.

Ernest I hope you’re right

JR it might not be as ionic as we all would like but atleast it looks as if it will help tremendously in distacting people from looking at the BB&T building

I would’ve loved to see the Solei Center DT

Wonderful site! Congratulations! Do you know when the Lobby will be open? I have a painting somewhere there and want to take a look.
Thanks!

Con Pappalardo

why did they turn the lights off on top of the progress plaza? when it first opened it was lit up for the first year and then after that u never see it lit… ever! rbc plaza better not turn the spire off after next year!

Guys, did I get a block or something? I haven’t been able to make ANY comments here for the past week.

Ari, I can still see your posts from this past week…

Really? That’s rather odd, I haven’t been able to see them AT ALL. I still can’t see them. I’m wondering if it may have something to do with my internet going in and out all this past week???

I love the pictures, I have been watching this building go up piece by piece on a monthly basis, this gives me the opportunity to see the finishing touches up close. Love the skyline. if there were only about two more bulidings between the new Paza and the Wachovia building, Raleigh’s skyline would be in the runnings.