Midtown Magazine

a

r a l e i g h

n o r t h

c a r o l i n a

l i f e s t y l e

the

Spring

Style issue page 68

+

spring

arts

preview ma r ch / a pr i l

2 0 1 5

page 86

a note FROM the publisher Publisher/Editor Sioux Watson Advertising Sales Sioux Watson | Julie Shaw | Charis Painter Michelle Palladino Creative Director Travis Aptt Graphic Design Jennifer Heinser | Lori Lay

Sioux watson Publisher/Editor

Your opinions matter to us. Let us know what you think of this issue of Midtown Magazine.

Please email sioux@midtownmag.com with your comments.

6 | midtownmag.com

Distribution Manager Jeff Prince Midtown Magazine is published six times annually. Any reproduction in part or in whole of any part of this publication is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.

Midtown Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or art. Unsolicited material is welcome and is considered intended for publication. Such material will become the property of the magazine and will be subject to editing. Material will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Midtown Magazine will not knowingly accept any real estate advertising in violation of US equal opportunity law.

10 top

for the summer of

2010

the most spectacular

AT NIGHT THE MUSEUM

Fall

THE NEW NIGHTLIFE

INSANE

FASHIONS

MALE BONDING

PAcking

WORKING OUT AND STAYING FIT WITH FRIENDS

the

perfect lunch

FASHION

it’s that time of year

BOLD & COLORFUL SPRING IS HERE!

Football

2012

J U LY / A U G U S T

M A R C H / A P R I L

2 0 1 0

mm 001 cover.indd 1

6/28/10 11:42:13 AM

2 0 1 2

tailgating tips • apps • recipes

september/october

mm 001 cover_outlines.indd 1

2012

2/22/12 8:29 PM

GRILLING, SK YDIVING, BEER, APPS, MUSIC, MOVIES & MORE!

Diamond

the what’s with new craze?

STEPPING OUTSIDE

YouR CoMFoRt ZoNe

MENS’

guiDe to VALeNtiNe’S DAY J A N U A RY / f e b R U A RY

PLUS

Adding ContemporAry touChes to your trAditionAl home

2 0 1 2

THE spring MODERN MIDTOWN ST YLE MAN? FASHION WHO IS

iphone VERSUS droid S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R

2 0 1 0

M AY / J U N E

2 0 1 1

50

AWARDS 2012

FooD tRuCKS

P.

sioux

Photography Davies Photography Jennifer Robertson Photography Sean Junqueira Photography

UT -O NG LL DI PU ED DE W UI G

spots to drink ale and cheer on their favorite team – have you chosen your EPL team yet and found the right pub to cheer them on with like-minded mates? Or perhaps women’s roller derby is more your cup of tea? Either spectator sport is fun and suitable to take the kids (or dog) to.

For those of you who have never been, may we suggest a road trip to Pinehurst/Southern Pines for either a steeplechase or antique car show? Take a picnic or eat out at one of the many fine restaurants in the area, leave time for shopping in the many charming one-of-akind shops, and be sure to pick up a copy of our sister publication, Pinehurst Magazine!

We’ve got a plan for each of you for a beach getaway to the Crystal Coast – a short couple of hours from the Triangle, and nice to visit any time of year.

And if you don’t have a thing to wear to any of these events, we’ve got that covered too; our biannual fashion issue will make both the ladies and gents want to head out and shop for some trendy new styles in locally owned, independently operated retail stores all over town. We shot on location in the heart of Raleigh at the Merrimon-Wynne House on N. Blount Street.

No more excuses, it’s nearly spring and time to get out of the house!

FALL

N

o matter your age, familiar rituals are said to make us humans happy; we each have individualized regular and comforting ways to amuse ourselves when we have free time.

But it is easy to get in a rut and just do the same things over and over again, without infusing new adventure and new places and mixing with new people. For many, finding pastimes that do not include our beloved electronic gadgets while sitting on the sofa can be elusive. As we wend our way out of the winter months and into the spring ones, it is time to stretch our imagination and find new things to do and places to explore.

Midtown Magazine can help you get started with a whole issue full of ideas to get you out of the house and into the great outdoors. Start out by discovering some gems downtown – some public mural artwork gorgeous enough to show off to the out-of-town relations and historic carousel in Chavis Park, an area that is undergoing revitalization and offers fabulous views of downtown Raleigh.

When was the last time you saw live music? We’ve got ideas, from classical to rock, in our first ever Spring Arts Preview, including many top-notch ideas for arts and culture in the area. Buy your tickets now and get some nighttime events on your spring calendar.

English Premier League football, or soccer, as we Americans like to call it, is alive and well – and free to watch on television. Triangle fans gather at regular

Contributing Writers Christa Gala | Kate Turgeon Watson Dan Bain | Jenni Hart | Page Leggett Kurt Dusterberg | Dave Droschak Elie Rossetti-Serraino | Anna Churchill Karlie Justus Marlowe | Adam Sobsey Adam Wamsley | Julie Johnson | Paul Savery Paul M. Stone | Corbie Hill

mm 001 cover.indd 1

12/21/11 11:16:11 AM

mm 001 cover.indd 2

8/26/10 11:29:18 AM

mm 001 cover.indd 1

4/29/11 10:54:25 AM

Subscriptions 6 print issues (1 year) only $20 Available online via paypal ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4818 Six Forks Road, Suite 204 Raleigh, NC 27609 Phone 919.782.4710, Fax 919.782.4763 www.midtownmag.com

contents m arch/ april

features 86 spring arts preview

There’s plenty to keep you busy in Raleigh this Spring.

We’ll highlight the best offerings in the categories of music, theater, visual arts and dance.

96 The Crystal Coast

For most North Carolinians a spring or summer beach break beckons each year, and in this issue we take a closer look at the middle portion of NC beaches.

After years of a sluggish real estate market, buying is back. But with low inventory, it may be hard to find what you’re looking for.

A buying and selling frenzy 102

114

football at fever pitch

117

hitting close to home

Fervent English Premier League supporters cheer for their teams in the Triangle

Roller derby is fast physical and very real – and the Carolina Rollergirls thrive on the competition.

68

spring styles 2015

20 | midtownmag.com

2015

contents m arch/ april

2015

departments 24 on the scene 34 Midtown reviews 42 ask elie 44 bain’s beat 48 beauty style 50 on trend 52 pack your bags 54 raising the bar 56 suds & spirits 58 sunday supper 62 young makers 65 COMPLETE THE ROOM 84 Calendar of events 122 midtown downtown 130 healthy you 134 midtown mingles 138 the back page

58

sunday supper

22 | midtownmag.com

The scene

on

Taste

From Scratch Raleigh’s sweet cupcake scene

By Kate Turgeon Watson / Photography By Sean Junqueira You probably heard the rumors. The cupcake has had its proverbial day in the sun. It was a trendy food that’s about to be dethroned by some sort of doughnut-croissant hybrid. The cupcake bubble, some say, burst.

Tell it to my sister’s birthday party. Tell it to the school cake walk.

But, most importantly, tell it to me on a Tuesday when Edible Art offers cupcakes at half price.

For those looking for a Raleigh cupcake, three shops are icing their individual-size cakes as if the papers never reported a dessert doomsday.

Sugarland

Hello, mango margarita. You read that correctly; this cupcake is carrying some serious flavor. The mango margarita cupcake is a lime pound cake with mango and key lime filling. And topping it all off is an icing of mango buttercream.

The Cupcake Shoppe

Meet the strawberry cupcake. Both the cake and buttercream icing are made with fresh strawberries. “We puree them down. And that’s added in a sort of wet form, kind of like what you would find in a smoothie,” owner Sara Fitzpatrick explains. The typical cake-to-icing ratio is 1:1, but the shop will accommodate those who order with a little or no icing request.

It’s a testament to the strawberry cake, Fitzpatrick says.

Edible Art

The lemon cream cupcake has a lighter texture than the signature pound cake that’s made Edible Art a mainstay for 33 years.

Think: light, refreshing and citrus. The lemon cake is filled with a naturally-flavored lemon mousse, owner Todd Mozingo says, and topped with lemon buttercream with a hint of lemon juice whipped in. The sweetness continues with a dusting of graham cracker crumbs, which offers a little crunch, too. Mozingo suggests a dark roast coffee or Sauvignon Blanc wine as a complement to this cupcake.

24 | midtownmag.com

The scene

on

Think Thin, See Smart ThinOptics make technology readable again

By Dan Bain Low-tech meets high-tech this month, with an update on a technology that’s at least 750 years old – eyeglasses. As we demand more portability from our smart devices, we have to sacrifice readability. The smaller the screen, the tougher the reading. Now, after two and a half years, hundreds of prototypes, thousands of test subjects, and millions of investment dollars, comes a long-needed smartphone accessory called ThinOptics.

These glasses are thin and light, eschewing normal eyeglasses’ earpieces for special nose pads that allow the user to clamp them directly onto his/her nose. Their bridge is made of a strong, flexible titanium alloy that keeps them in place and stays comfortable while doing so. Thinner than a nickel, they slip into a non-obtrusive storage pod on the back of the phone case when not in use. The lenses are made of shatterproof glass, so they hold up despite their thin stature.

ThinOptics come in black and clear, with a choice of +1.5, +2.0, or +2.5 reading strength. The glasses plus a custom phone case and attached storage pod are $38.95, the glasses with a universal storage pod are $24.95, and the glasses alone are $19.95. Please visit www.thinoptics.com for more information or to order.

26 | midtownmag.com

photography © thinoptics.com

TECH

midtownmag.com| 27

The scene

on

style

(left) High Cotton’s spring collection is full of cheery pastels suitable for the company’s biggest event of the year – Columbia, SC derby, the Carolina Cup. (below) Lumina Clothing’s first collection consisted solely of neck wear, and has since expanded into button-downs, trousers and custom clothing.

Fit To Be Tied

The Classic Bow tie Gets a Cotton Twist

By Karlie Justus Marlowe / Photography By David Davies Black tie, meet white cotton.

The fussy, formal bow tie gets a makeunder for spring with help from the easygoing, easy-to-wash fabric. When paired with fancier pieces at derbies, formals and weddings, cotton’s laid-back vibe is popular with Southern urbanites.

“Our customer is looking to create a juxtaposition – a dressed-down vibe, finished with a bow tie,” said Barton Strawn, co-founder of Raleigh’s Lumina Clothing. “We focus on a slimmer, rectangular cut so the bow tie is not overly intrusive – and it can act as the accessory that it is.”

Strawn, who “got sick of doing straight lines” after finishing a degree in architecture at NC State’s College of Design, started the first iteration of the menswear brand in late 2009 with friend Paul Connor. What started as a hobby is now a brick and mortar storefront in the newly refreshed Person Street Plaza.

Lumina stocks bow ties made from simple cotton solids, stripes and checks in traditional navy, red, and green color ways. Nearby on Hargett Street, High Cotton turns up the volume with a wide range of colorful bow ties crafted 28 | midtownmag.com

from Southern staples like seersucker, madras and batik instead of the usual silks.

“When my son was in medical school, a study came out about doctors’ silk ties carrying germs,” said founder and owner Judy Hill. That inspired her to create washable cotton versions with coated hardware to withstand repeated washings.

The company, sold in more than 275 stores in addition to its downtown Raleigh outpost, uses a boll weevil in its logo, and hosts an annual paisley design competition for students at NC State’s design and textile colleges. This year’s winning design features cotton bolls surrounded by bright blues, pinks and yellows.

Hill expects High Cotton’s saturated colors to be popular for spring, especially in oversized stripes and in pairings with pocket squares – a modern combination of traditional pieces also seen at Lumina.

“Our customer is a Southern gentleman, but not the stereotypical version – a software coder who also duck hunts,” said Strawn. “We see guys in the creative and tech fields looking for something for a special occasion.”

midtownmag.com| 29

The scene

on

arts

If you go…

A Home

Out of the closet, into the gallery

What: The Local Color Gallery Where: 311 West Martin Street, Raleigh 27601 When: Open WednesdaySaturday 11am-4pm; First Fridays, 6-9pm More info: localcoloraleigh.com

By Christa Gala Sometimes bugging the heck out of someone works.

A few months ago, local artist Adrien Montoya spotted something she really wanted – space for rent in the Warehouse District in downtown Raleigh, perfect for The Local Color Gallery, a co-op of 12 female artists of which she’s a member.

The rent was affordable, and she liked the location.

Montoya put in her application, but then she didn’t go away.

“I started bugging them after an article in USA Today came out, about the Warehouse District being one of the top 10 art districts in the United States. And I just kept bugging them; every month I would say, ‘Don’t forget about us.’”

It worked. The Local Color Gallery held its grand opening at 311 Martin Street in early February; rent is half what the group paid at its former location.

Montoya, who’s retired, formed the group more than a decade ago after wondering what to do with her completed acrylic paintings and collages.

“About 12 years ago I was taking art classes, and I’m talking to the people in the class saying, ‘What do you do with all these paintings when you finish?’ And everybody 30 | midtownmag.com

said, ‘Put them in a closet.’”

That didn’t make sense to Montoya, so she set out to find a group of like-minded artists. Originally, it was a co-ed co-op.

“We started out with a couple of men, but they wanted to take over everything, so I got rid of them,” she says. “All these women, we all get along. We have a meeting once a month, and we talk about all the things we need to do, what’s coming up.”

The gallery showcases a wide variety of artwork; its website features pictures of each artist’s work as well as a personal statement.

Lizzie Bailey specializes in stained glass. Margo White paints in her garage – with the door up – entertaining the occasional passerby. Potter Mary Beth Owen has a degree in biology; her work is influenced by the shape of human cells.

Linda Kimball works in mixed media, putting fabric, wax and magic marker to canvas.

Others make jewelry, sculpt animals from mud or wield a camera.

Different mediums with one common goal: keeping their art out of the closet.

midtownmag.com| 31

The scene

on

sports

Some say it’s a reach that the Carolina Hurricanes are close to putting a winning team on the ice, as players like Jeff Skinner have yet to taste playoff hockey.

The struggles can be traced to a few cold, hard facts.

Where To Go From Here?

•

The signing of “cornerstone” players Eric Staal and Cam Ward to lucrative long-term, no-trade contracts, in retrospect, was not wise. Both players would not be considered superstars, yet are paid as such for their respective positions. Case in point: Staal failed to make the Canadian Olympic team in the prime of his career and Ward has been injury prone and statistically at the tail end of a list of his goaltending contemporaries.

•

The firing of coach Peter Laviolette less than two and a half seasons after winning the Cup was confusing at best, and short-sighted at worst. Since leaving the Canes, Laviolette has taken the Philadelphia Flyers to the Cup finals and energized a Nashville franchise in the rugged Western Conference.

•

A playoff drought has translated into an inability for the club to land any big-name free agents of note. The one scorer the Canes did sign in the last five years is a player – Alexander Semin – who hasn’t lived up to his billing. After one successful shortened season here, Carolina gave the Russian winger a long-term deal, but heading into mid-February Semin had just two goals … and hasn’t participated in media functions in three seasons.

•

A lack of talent development in the minor league system is alarming. The team’s promising young players – Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk and Elias Lindholm – mostly received “on-the-job” training in the NHL and logged little developmental time in the minors. The rest of the once top prospects – Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman, Zac Dalpe, Brian Dumoulin, Jon Matsumoto, Jerome Samson, Jeremy Welsh, Bobby Sanguinetti and Bryan Rodney – are no longer in the organization or have not panned out.

carolina hurricanes miss playoffs for sixth straight season

By David Droschak One can argue that no professional franchise in sports history has failed to capitalize on a major championship like the Carolina Hurricanes.

Next season will be the 10th anniversary of the Stanley Cup team.

Maybe the Caniac fan base can “celebrate” that accomplishment since they’ve had little else to cheer about over the last decade.

After an 0-6-2 start for a team that many predicted would finish last in the entire league anyway, the probability of the Hurricanes making the playoffs never rose above 20 percent, attendance plummeted at times to Greensboro Coliseum levels, and for a sixth straight campaign the club packed up the sticks, pads and pucks by mid-April.

Carolina has qualified for the postseason just once (and they had to rally to do that in 2009) since stunning the hockey world, bringing one of sport’s most coveted trophies to the Tar Heel state in June 2006.

What has gone so wrong on the ice at the PNC Arena since then?

Perplexed fans, once loyal to a fault, have stopped tailgating in masses, put their car flags in the trunk and mothballed their jerseys, wanting to know if and when the franchise will field a winning team again.

32 | midtownmag.com

Hall of Famer Ron Francis now holds the key to the car as the team’s general manager. Many believe it’s time to map out a different direction for a franchise that’s seemingly lost since reaching the pinnacle of the sport a decade ago.

midtownmag.com| 33

M

reviews

Cinderella

the gunman

Home

FUrious 7

Starring: Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Helena Bonham Carter Rated: PG Opens: 3/13/2015 Plot: Starring Cate Blanchett as The Wicked Stepmother, this story is inspired by the fairy tale Cinderella and largely follows Disney’s 1950 animated adaptation, with several new twists.

get hard Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Rated: R Opens: 3/27/2015 Plot: When millionaire hedge fund manager James King (Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison. Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other. *Opening dates and ratings are subject to change.

34 | midtownmag.com

Starring: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin Rated: PG Opens: 3/27/2015 Plot: When Oh lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.

Starring: Idris Elba, Sean Penn Rated: R Opens: 3/20/2015 Plot: A former Special Forces soldier and military contractor suffering from PTSD tries to reconnect with his long time love, but first must go on the run from London to Barcelona and across Europe in order to clear his name.

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwyane Johnson, Jason Statham Rated: PG-13 Opens: 4/3/2015 Plot: Deckard Shaw (Statham) seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his family for the death of his brother.

Once again, the crew teams up to prove all you really need in your corner is family.

M

reviews

Rebel Heart (Madonna) Release Date: 03/10/2015 Rebel Heart is the 13th studio album by Madonna. After a flurry of unexpected album content leaks, including thirteen early demos in December, the record’s release was locked in for March 2015, and six of its tracks were officially released onto iTunes on December 20th, 2014. On the same day, Living for Love was released as the album’s lead single. The six songs have sold a combined 146,000 digital downloads and the pre-orders for Rebel Heart were estimated at around 50,000 to 60,000 copies, according to industry prognosticators.

Piece by Piece (Kelly Clarkson) Release Date: 03/03/2015 Piece by Piece will be the seventh studio album by Kelly Clarkson. The follow-up to her first Christmas album, Wrapped in Red, it is her first studio album to completely contain original material since Stronger (2011). Piece by Piece was preceded by the release of its lead single Heartbeat Song, which became a Top Forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Strangers to Ourselves (Modest Mouse) Release Date: 03/17/2015 Strangers to Ourselves will be the band’s first studio album since We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank was released in 2007. This marks the longest gap between studio albums in the band’s career. The album’s cover features an aerial image of Venture Out RV Resort, located in Mesa, Arizona.

No Pier Pressure (Brian Wilson) Release Date: 04/07/2015 Original Beach Boys members Al Jardine and David Marks will be featured alongside former group member Blondie Chaplin. Following the group’s 2012 reunion album That’s Why God Made the Radio, No Pier Pressure will be the first solo Wilson LP devoted primarily to new and original material since That Lucky Old Sun in 2008. *Release dates are subject to change.

36 | midtownmag.com

Handwritten (Shawn Mendes) Release Date: 04/28/2015 Handwritten is the upcoming debut album by Canadian singer Shawn Mendes.

Before the album is released, Mendes is set to release five songs through pre-order. The first song, A Little Too Much, was released on February 2nd, the same day the album pre-order started. A music video for the song premiered on Mendes’s Vevo on February 4th. Mendes announced through Instagram that the second promotional song would be Never Be Alone, and it was made available on February 16th.

M

reviews

BY michael gallo, CSW, Wine Manager – Total Wine & More

Homage to Heritage Pouilly Fuisse

Homage to Heritage Cotes du Rhone

Homage to Heritage Cotes du Rhone RosĂŠ

Governors Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Macon-Villages, Burgundy, France

Pouilly-Fuisse, Burgundy, France

Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France

Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France

Marlborough, New Zealand

best served in:

Homage to Heritage Macon Villages

A well balanced wine with lightly floral and fruity aromas, with a warm hint of citrus fruit that finishes with a gently nutty character. You will find a smooth character that is the perfect complement to any dish.

Elegant, Apple, Mineral, Medium-bodied

Hand crafted from Chardonnay vines, delivering a marvelous complexity of mineral and melon flavors. This is very elegant and poised with an approachable, generous finish that delivers fine depth and length.

Elegant, Apple, Peach, Medium-bodied

Tradition radiates from this mediumbodied, well developed wine.

Unveil black cherry, raspberry and spice with subtle earthiness in this Rhone blend.

Elegant, Cherry, Pepper, Medium-bodied

This Rose is blended to deliver the true characteristics of refreshing acidity and red fruit flavors. This wine pairs beautifully with seafood and lighter fare.

Crisp, Cherry, Strawberry, Light-bodied

This light-bodied wine carries intense flavors of gooseberry, passionfruit, capsicum, along with a hint of melon. Both fresh and crisp to the taste.

Crisp, Gooseberry, Passionfruit, Light-bodied

$14.99/bottle

$19.99/bottle

$9.99/bottle

$9.99/bottle

$11.99/bottle

38 | midtownmag.com

midtownmag.com | 39

M

reviews

Manual • $1.99

If you like to manually adjust camera settings, you’ll love Manual. A powerful camera app with full control over your image. Quickly and simply adjust all parameters of your image.

No more tapping and hoping automatic can understand what you want. Take full control of shutter, ISO, white balance, focus and exposure compensation.

Human • Free

The world is your gym. Human is an all-day activity tracker that inspires you to move 30 minutes or more, every day. Human automatically picks up your walks, runs, bicycle rides, and other activities of a minute or longer. Just put the phone in your bag or pocket, and go about your day!

Flic • $2.99

Flic is the easiest and fastest way to delete photos from your camera roll. It was named “Best New App” in Apple store and raved about in 30+ publications. Clean up valuable storage memory on your phone by easily deleting pictures from your camera roll with ease. Just swipe left to delete, right to keep. It saves you valuable time and memory storage space.

JetSmarter • Free

The JetSmarter app connects you with a private jet at the tap of a button. Request, fly, and pay with your mobile phone.

Hail a jet in seconds by creating custom travel routes, and search for the exact aircraft that fits your needs. Transactions are all cashless, paperless and convenient!

Camoji • Free

Create animated gifs with your camera and text them to friends with the Camoji Keyboard.

Make your own memes and reaction gifs. Post gifs to Camoji and check out popular gifs from the community.

Upvote your favorites and share them with friends. Angry?

Happy? Flirty? Show your friends how you really feel with a gif of your face.

DrinkControl • $4.99

DrinkControl tracks and converts your alcohol intake quantities, such as glasses, bottles or cans, into the standard units of alcohol, and lets you know when you are going over the limits (set by moderate drinking guidelines), as well as how much you have spent on drinks. Now that’s a sobering thought.

TouchCare • Free

CamCard • Free

Now doctor’s appointments can be as quick and convenient as a FaceTime call. TouchCare enables faceto-face video appointments on a triple-encrypted line for secure conversations between physicians and their own patients. A convenient and stress-free alternative to traditional office visits.

TouchCare takes privacy seriously, meeting HIPAA compliance standards.

CamCard reads and saves your business cards, remembering everyone you meet for business.

A perfect fit for those who have lots of business cards or who love business social networking.

Quickly and accurately read business cards and save to your phone. Exchange e-cards with contacts via QR Code, card radar or private group. Make a stand-alone contact from your personal one. Make calls, send messages and locate company addresses on map. *Prices are subject to change.

40 | midtownmag.com

midtownmag.com | 41

askelie

Elie

For all your answers on things fashion, style and trends

photography © getzstudios.com

Costumista & Wardrobe Style arbiter

I will be in a evening wedding at an Italian countryside venue in September, and the attire requested on the invitation is country chic. What does that mean?

Deborah, Raleigh The best thing to do is first ask what the mother of the bride is wearing. It is the perfect indication which style direction the bride is desiring for her day. Then, understand the venue; is it a remodeled barn or farm? Are the ceremony and reception indoors or outdoors? There is, of course, the practical understanding that you may not be able wear stiletto heels, or you may need layers as the temperature in the country drops in the evenings.

If it is a patrician villa in the country it is possible that its surroundings are paved and a bit less rustic, and therefore the clothing style would be less casual as well. There are many considerations, but country chic is basically a term to let the guests know that the event is not as formal as a 42 | midtownmag.com

Q

I have to buy a warm coat! Is the Moncler brand really worth the extra money?

Andrea, Raleigh

It may be a fall question, but the smart buyer purchases an expensive winter coat on clearance in the beginning of spring. Moncler started as a French-Italian ski and trekking apparel company, but became very fashionable for winter street clothing in Paris and Milan in the past 60 years.

The current styling is very runway fashion. Is it worth it to spend over $1,000 per jacket? Not sure for North Carolina, where the cold days are minimal and we’re not outside as much as in New York City or Washington, DC. If you travel extensively and would also use the quilted down jacket for skiing, or you opt for the longer style that looks like a classic coat, it may be worth it.

wedding in a country club or in the city would be. If it is during a warm season it means that men could wear nice khaki poplin suits with optional ties instead of the usual dark suit, and ladies could wear a cute shirt with pants or a skirt, sandals, nice jewelry and a shawl, for example; or, instead of a formal dress, a silk dress with a 1950s retro vibe in a cute print.

I work as a senior scientist for a major cosmetic company and I’m going to be featured in a national magazine. The shoot is in New York, and they asked

FollowElie Instagram.com/EliePhotoStylist Facebook.com/ArbiterElieGantiarum Twitter.com/EliePhotoStyle Vine: Elie Rossetti Serraino Blog: ArbiterEliegantiarum.typepad.com Submit your question info@eliephotostylist.com

that I bring my own clothing and look professional. I need help with what to pack, since on my job I generally wear a lab coat. Please help me!

Abena, Raleigh It is better if you pack a few classic, soft-looking designer blouses in different colors (stay away from any solid whites or blacks, and big patterns). Also, do not wear shining embellishments since they do not work well on small, cropped pictures in magazines. Choose jewel colors, like emerald or rich blues. Bring both small and dangling earrings.

Keep your wardrobe in solid colors or very small textures or prints. Bring plenty of dark and light options for the optimal separation from your background on set. Layers are good.

Make sure that anything you bring shows your real style, especially elements that would express your ethnicity, culture and nationality; you will photograph beautifully and professionally.

bain’s beat photograph Courtesy of Carolco Pictures

Sticks and Stones...

May Break Bones, but … Never Mind

H

by Dan bain, Best Sweller, danbain07@gmail.com

44 | midtownmag.com

enry David Thoreau once said, “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” Of course, he also said he’d rather sit on a pumpkin than a cushion, so his opinions on life might be called into question. But I believe the former quote is on the money. And I’m not the only one.

Triangle Area Freelancers (TAF) and its associates understand what Thoreau meant by standing up to live. Just ask David Morrell, the keynote speaker at TAF’s eighth annual Write Now! conference – scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd, at Wake Tech Northern Wake Campus (register at tafnc.com).

Morrell, the award-winning author of First Blood (from which the film series Rambo is based), The Brotherhood of the Rose, and more than 25 other action/thriller novels, plans to give a presentation called “Be Yourself: Finding Your Own Voice and Subject Matter.” For Morrell, finding that voice often entails putting himself

in a little bit of danger – but what else can be expected of the creator of Rambo?

Broken bones, for one thing. Before writing The Naked Edge, which includes an extended knife-fight scene, Morrell attended a knife-fighting class in order to be able to more realistically depict it. After the first day, which incorporated constant grappling and other hand-to-hand combat methods, Morrell says he was bruised from head to toe, with handprints covering his skin. Tired and sore the next day, he fell and broke his collarbone – and continued the course! “It was very painful, but the course was almost done, so I was able to sling it up and put ice on it and stay long enough to get my diploma,” he recounts. “I’m really, really committed to research.”

In addition to that understatement, Morrell says he has a set of criteria for judging whether to take on writing a new book. He estimates a novel takes two years to complete,

Morrell (left) chats with Sylvester Stallone on the set of Rambo III.

and with no guarantee of a big monetary pay-off, a book idea must pass his criteria before he will commit.

“There must be something about the topic that will give me the opportunity to do research, which will make my life fuller,” he says – which is all well and good, but with Morrell, it often seems as if the research has the potential to make his life shorter. “It’s almost like being able to have the adventures I write about.”

To wit, Morrell has undergone training in hostage negotiation, firearm usage, identity assumption, and more.

When he was researching the Marfa lights in Texas for a role they played in The Shimmer, he knew he would need to write about aircraft chasing the lights. “I don’t like to fake things, so I went down to my local airport and got a flight school to take me up,” he reminisces. “I got so interested in planes and flying that I eventually got my private pilot’s license.”

Morrell attended a week-long course in car-fighting for The Protector, a novel that also drew on the research he had done for The Fifth Profession – the principles of executive protection, which he studied at the G. Gordon Liddy Academy of Corporate Security and Private Investigation in Miami. (I couldn’t make this up if I tried.)

Before writing Testament, Morrell researched the plight of some of its characters on the run in the wilderness – by living for 35 days at timberline in Wyoming’s Wind River mountain range. He studied there with the National Outdoor Leadership School – an organization recently sued for wrongful death as a result of one of its courses – and was forced to climb the Continental Divide and wander for three days with no food. “For Rambo’s creator, I’m not a big person,” he admits, and says the Wyoming ordeal caused him to lose 20 of the 160 pounds on his 5'8" frame.

“I’ve really had a good time with research,” Morrell chuckles. Apparently, he and I have radically different ideas of what constitutes a good time.

Two local members of TAF have also had some hair-raising and/or compelling experiences when researching for their writing. Mark Cantrell, a Wake Forest resident and current vice president of TAF, and Raleigh resident and TAF founder and current treasurer Don Vaughan, specialize in nonfiction, but their stories are no less interesting.

Cantrell once paid to ride along with a group

Morrell’s latest book, released in March, is an historical novel about an assassination plot against Britain’s Queen Victoria during the Crimean War.

midtownmag.com | 45

of storm chasers in Happy, Texas, running down an F3 tornado for research on an article that no publisher had yet agreed to purchase. The tornado eventually leveled the town, with Cantrell and the crew just ahead of it. “I really never felt like I was in any danger, which is weird, because when you have a tornado coming at you, you would think you would feel endangered, but it’s like a movie,” he insists. “And it’s half a mile away, but you can’t hear it, because you can’t hear a tornado until it’s about a quarter mile away.”

While they were watching it form, he says, the tornado remained relatively stationary. But when it appeared to be getting bigger, Cantrell realized it was moving toward them. One of the crew said, “Get in the van,” which in those circumstances implies, “Sooner than now.”

But Cantrell survived, sold the story, and decided to face a bigger storm later that year – Hurricane Isidore.

Cantrell flew in a 50-year-old P3 Orion through Isidore’s 125mph winds, and into her eye. Breaking through the eye wall, he says, “was just like somebody took the plane and slammed it on a table – I mean, it was sudden and violent.” Violent enough to rip his appendix loose, it turned out. He didn’t realize that until the pain hit him the next day, while he was driving back to the 46 | midtownmag.com

Cantrell (left) and Vaughan (right) would be happy to share more tales of their writing adventures at the Write Now! conference on May 2nd.

Triangle from Tampa, Florida. But the good news is, he again survived and eventually sold the story – for just about enough money to break even on the cost of the experience.

While Vaughan has never faced imminent death nor lost an internal organ, he’s found himself in situations that were uncomfortable in that they were weird – like writing about male augmentation and finding himself a close-up witness to the actual surgery, or attempting to secretly photograph a shy capabara while being harassed by an overly friendly tapir.

Perhaps his strangest, though, was the story of a family that had raised an iguana that ate only marijuana – until the police confiscated the plants, and the iguana died. Vaughan came to their home to interview and photograph them, where the grieving, adult twin daughters forced him to listen to a song they had written about their erstwhile pet, and their mother attempted to channel God while sitting on the toilet upstairs. “It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever been through for an article,” he laughs. “This woman channeling God in her bathroom and these crazy twin daughters making me listen to this horrible song about this dead, dope-eating iguana.”

As for me, my biggest risk is not being funny. It’s fortunate, then, that in stories like Vaughan’s, the humor just writes itself. midtownmag.com| 47

beautystyle by anna churchill, synergy spa & Aesthetics, >> feelsynergy.com

Love Your Selfie noun | self·ie \'sel-fe\

A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media If you haven’t yet taken a selfie, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s all about that face, so here are my top four tips to look your best and step up your selfie game:

braces

invisalign

Flash your Pearly Straight Whites A gorgeous smile gives the impression of youth, vitality, health and happiness. Having a beautiful smile does not have to cost a fortune. There are several at-home whitening systems that you can purchase over the counter, such as Crest Whitening Strips, but for the ultimate smile consider a professional whitening and teeth straightening system such as Invisalign from a local cosmetic dental expert.

48 | midtownmag.com

Be Cheeky

Wow with the Brows

Stop making fake faces…

Make ‘em jealous with your radiant, youthful voluminous cheeks. I recommend Juvéderm® Voluma XC, because it is unlike anything else on the current aesthetic market for treating the cheek area for mid-face rejuvenation.

You can use Voluma XC to lift, sculpt and even reverse facial aging. Keep them guessing your “selfie” age with voluptuous cheeks that can last up to 18 months.

If eyes are the window to the soul, eyebrows are the window frame. Start with a professional brow shaping, either by tweezing or waxing, that accentuates your natural eyebrow arch.

Think of the arch of your brows as a facelift for your eyes. Add color, depth and highlights as the finishing touch with the Jane Iredale Bitty Brow Kit.

When All Else Fails, Put a Filter On It Nobody’s perfect, but anyone can achieve a perfect photo! If you need a quick fix to smooth out your complexion, enhance your lashes, or even fix the shade on your lips, check out the free smartphone app Perfect365. It’s easy and fun to artificially adjust your look, but aim to keep the tweaks as natural as possible.

on trend

Dare to be Bold story and photography By adam wamsley

W

ith the onset of spring, and summer right around the corner, it’s time to pack up your heavy sweaters and dig out the skirts and shorts. This is also a perfect opportunity to take a few minutes and reflect on what you own and refine your wardrobe. A little bit of maintenance now can go a long way when you’re scrambling to find the right outfit before running out the door. But, once you’ve nixed all of the worn-out tops, scuffed shoes, and those ever present few items that never get picked from the lineup – what next? I met with Raleigh-based artist Emily Brooks to ask her opinion.

After studying textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and spending some years in New York City working for brands such as Marimekko, United Colors of Benetton and Martha Stewart, Emily found her way back to Raleigh where she now spends her time creating out of her studio space located at the Litmus Gallery downtown. As an artist, it’s not hard to imagine that color and pattern play heavily into her wardrobe.

Pulling inspiration from vintage items, ’20s fashion and pictures of her great grandmother, she blends classic cuts with modern prints and color to define a style of her own.

50 | midtownmag.com

“When building or refining a wardrobe, it’s important to work within color palettes that you look good in and stick with clothes that fit,” says Emily, otherwise they’ll just wind up collecting dust in your closet.

“Start with pieces that work with your body type, play off your skin tones, and accentuate your hair or eye color.” Doing this will help to establish a cohesive and familiar framework to pull from each day. She finds accessible brands that fit her style, like Madewell and Anthropologie, to pull her core pieces from, and then looks to local boutiques, such as Dogwood Collective, for more unique prints, patterns and jewelry.

In the end, “Style is an expression of your personality, and what you wear is an extension of who you are,” explains Emily, who sits surrounded by her colorful washes of paintings, inspirations, and pigment-filled palettes that so appropriately mesh with her outfit. So when in doubt, she says, “Go with colors you love, and don’t be afraid to be bold.”

pack yourbags

So You Think You Know Disney?

A

re you considering a trip with your family that is a cut above the norm? Want a different kind of experience than a week at the beach, theme park or family resort, yet something more civilized than a camping trip? A challenge when traveling with children is balancing the wants and desires of all family members without having to alternate between what the children want and what the parents want. Both cruises and theme parks are great options, unless you aren’t in a theme park or cruise frame of mind. Surprisingly, Disney could still have the answer.

What many travelers, including diehard Disney lovers, don’t know about are Adventures by Disney – a family-oriented spectacular vacation not on Disney properties and available in 28 different packages spread over six continents.

Many Disney Adventures include once-in-a52 | midtownmag.com

lifetime opportunities to travel the world that include unique tours that take you off the beaten path, and appeal to the range of senses for all ages of travelers: the sights, smells, tastes, touch, and sounds for total cultural immersion. Let go of the image of hiking with Goofy along the Amalfi Coast, or multiple Frozen references on this trip; the entire family will be awed by a foreign country experience with a reassuring and familiar level of service, engagement and wonder that Disney consistently provides.

While Disney Adventures offers longer once-ina-lifetime trips to locations such as Egypt, Ireland and South Africa, not everyone has the time and resources necessary, so Disney has created unique long weekend experiences a bit closer to home, including New York City, San Francisco and Yellowstone National Park.

Included in the New York City four day/three night tour are behind-the-scenes access to Good

backstage at a new york city Broadway theatre

Morning America, options to dance a choreographed number in a real Broadway show, and guided tours of Harlem, including the Apollo Theatre. You’ll get a real sense of the great history of where some of the most influential musicians of our time got started.

In San Francisco a guided bike tour by the sea includes great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, tours of lush Napa Valley and Silverado Vineyards with both adult and junior activities offering engagement and education at the forefront. Finish the weekend with a tour of the high-tech Lucasfilm campus, experiencing Star Wars from a totally different point of view.

One cold weather option is a winter retreat in Yellowstone and Wyoming and includes dog sledding and a soak in Granite Hot Springs with snow all around. Hop aboard an all-terrain snow vehicle, more like a snow tank that takes you deep in the park where you’ll see no one other than wildlife in abundance in this great national treasure.

The trips are not so much tourist tours, but true adventures aided by dynamic and knowledgeable guides who help you immerse the family in cultural activities, with all details taken care of so everyone can maximize their valuable vacation time. Once at your destination, Disney takes care of all transfers, transportation, lodging and most meals. Also included is a dinner and movie night just for the grown-ups.

Most trips have a minimum age of six for the kids, and all trips include adult-only options.

There is a whole world of options to choose with Disney Adventures when planning that special trip for you and your children, even for a long weekend. Your family can experience what are sure to be lifetime memories for everyone.

by Paul M. Stone, Expedia CruiseShipCenters, cruiseshipcenters.com/northraleigh

midtownmag.com| 53

raising thebar

ask You

ANSWER

we

Q

If I quit my job or get fired, does my employer have to pay me within 24 hours?

Lila, Raleigh No. In North Carolina, your employer is required to pay you no later than the next regular payday for the pay period in which you last worked. The employer may choose to pay you earlier than that, but it can wait until that payday if it wants to. ~ Paul Derrick

Some neighbors and I are upset about a new nightclub that has opened in the area. The music is loud and can be heard until 2am on the weekends. What can we do to stop this nuisance?

Matthew, Raleigh If you can hear loud music while in your homes, this surely qualifies as a noise ordinance violation. Call the police on every occasion that you hear the music. If the noise proceeds, the police will eventually charge the nightclub with criminal charges. If an establishment is convicted of noise ordinance violations three or more times, their amplified music permit can be revoked by the city. ~ Steven Saad Does my child’s opinion matter in deciding custody?

Sarah, Cary That depends on the judge hearing your case. Many times, judges feel it is best not to involve children in a custody matter. Children need to feel

54 | midtownmag.com

Have a question?

Let us hear it: raisingthebar@midtownmag.com

secure and loved by both parents in most cases, and should not be put in a position where they are asked to choose one parent over the other.

Furthermore, the stress of litigation can be a lot for a child to handle. There are some circumstances, however, when a child needs to have his or her opinion heard, or when he or she is mature enough to make a decision about where he or she wants to live and why. In these limited situations, a judge may give weight to the child’s opinion. However, the judge will ultimately decide what is in the child’s best interests, and that may or may not reflect what the child actually wants. ~ Emily Goodman

MeettheCounsel

Steven Saad

Criminal Defense

Do I have to pay employees in my small business time and a half for work done on holidays or weekends?

Kristin, Apex No. The law requires only that you pay them at least minimum wage or whatever rate you promised to pay them, whichever is greater, for the first 40 hours of any workweek, regardless of the days on which that work happened to be done. Time and a half must be paid only for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek unless the employee meets the criteria for one of the recognized exemptions. ~ Paul Derrick

Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP | www.cshlaw.com

Paul Derrick

Employment Law

Emily Goodman Family Law

This content has been prepared for general information purposes only. This information is not intended to provide specific legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of each situation. The information provided cannot replace the advice of competent legal counsel by a licensed attorney in your state.

suds& spirits

Bock Beers for Spring By julie johnson

It used to be whispered that German brewers made their bock beers from the gunk left in the tanks after spring cleaning. Happily, that scurrilous theory has fallen from favor; it kept otherwise rational folk away from the marvelous beverage that is bock.

Bock beers are strong, malt-accented lagers: rich, sweet springtime treats brewed in winter to see us through the last of the year’s chill. Once limited to imported beers and a few dubious domestic varieties, authentic bocks are now produced by American brewers, including some that appear as seasonal specials from North Carolina’s brewers.

Seventeen years ago, Carolina Brewing Company in Holly Springs selected the maibock style, a golden sub-style of bock, as a springtime offering. Co-owner Joe Zonin explains “One of the main reasons we started brewing this is because so few local breweries were making lagers.”

Carolina Spring Bock is pale straw in color, and lush and toffee-ish in flavor. At 6.5% alcohol, this is a great beer for the table, and a treat with grilled meats. It will be released on March 1; with luck, it will still be on draft at the brewery for the opening of CBC’s new taproom in May.

Olde Mecklenburg in Charlotte, a brewery founded on a commitment to authentic German-style beers, also favors the maibock style for their Fruh Bock released on February 27th. According to Ryan Self, director of sales with OMB, “Fruh Bock for us is a true ‘transitional seasonal.’ It’s about finding a beer that can handle Charlotte late winter/early spring, when the temperature could be anywhere from 25 to 65.”

56 | midtownmag.com

Fruh Bock is a deep golden color, firm and malty in flavor.

Long conditioning befitting a lager gives it roundness, which also threatens to obscure the 6% strength.

The doppelbock style, created by monks in 17th century Munich, gained a following as “liquid bread” that gave nourishment (and pleasure) during the Lenten fast. Paul Phillipon, founder of the Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville, echoes the monks’ purposes when he describes Duck-Rabbator Doppelbock as so full of malt and grain that “it’s like a whole loaf of bread in every glass. Is it a beverage or is it a meal?”

The brewery is tagged “the dark beer specialist”: accordingly, this doppelbock is colored a “rich mahogany.” At a serious 8.5% alcohol, Rabbator commands respect – or perhaps reverence – and appears in early May.

sundaysupper

Grow it, Serve it, Teach it Raleigh native Sean Fowler, gets back to his roots.

By Sioux watson photography by davies photography

S

ean Fowler grew up on the outskirts of Raleigh, with a mother who had horses, a large kitchen and a family garden. Extended family included two southern grandmothers who cooked large but humble family meals.

Sean was always around food prep – his father was involved in corporate Golden Corral restaurants for 30 years, but Sean felt early on he wanted nothing to do with following in his father’s footsteps and the food industry.

Instead, he went off to small, prestigious Washington and Lee in Virginia, got a BA in history and planned to apply for law school. As graduation neared, though, law school fell by the wayside and he was drawn to the nonacademic

58 | midtownmag.com 56

life, skiing the Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Like many avid ski bums, Sean took to the slopes by day and found work in restaurants by night. After a few years of serving, tending bar and kitchen work, he began to feel he’d found a “career path.” A budding interest in local, fresh ingredients had him foraging for morels in the woods near the Snake River, and that led him to culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Denver, while living and working in Boulder.

After graduation, he took a position back in Jackson Hole at The Alpenhof Lodge, working with highly respected chef Matt Secich. The focus there was local ingredients – both foraged wild and sourced from local farmers.

Knowing exactly where ingredients came from redirected his appreciation of food, giving him pause to reflect on the hunting and fishing he did with his dad and granddad during his youth, and the legacy of a family that grew and harvested their own food and game.

He fondly recalls having “dove and dumplings” and a freezer full of venison that first week after deer season opened.

In one story, he recalls sneaking into a Golden Corral with his dad early in the morning to make venison sausages in the commercial kitchen before the restaurant opened. Back in those days, they would butcher the whole animal and serve it up to family and friends.

Sean is enthusiastic these days about serving a more educated general populace that understands the limits and possibilities of seasonal fare. For instance, at Mandolin he tries to show alternative options, such as oysters in the winter months, when other favorite foods are out of season; it’s a chance to demonstrate the variety the changing seasons offer without being preachy. Mandolin is a natural forum to educate customers about the cycle of food. Right now, he is making vinegars, fermenting cabbages, curing charcuterie, and creating house-made cheeses.

On his occasional night off, he’ll cook for a couple of friends or his parents, who still live in the house where he grew up off Durant Road, where he and wife Lizzy have a good-sized garden in the former horse pasture on the family land. There, they grow vegetables for the restaurant and flowers for Lizzy’s company, Lizzy’s Flowers. midtownmag.com | 59

Fried Chicken

with Loaded, Smashed Potatoes Chicken Brine 1 quart water ½ cup salt ¼ cup sugar 3 cups ice 1 bunch of thyme Heat up the water, salt and sugar in sauce pot, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Bring the brine to a boil, cut off the heat and allow it to steep for 10 mintues. Add the ice to the brine to cool it down.

Chicken Breader 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups panko bread crumbs 1 ½ cups Wondra flour 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp cayenne powder ½ Tbsp sea salt ½ Tbsp black pepper Run bread crumbs through a food processor until extremely fine and smooth (the consistency of flour). Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together.

Fried Chicken free-range chicken, cut 1 large

into eight pieces ½ gallon buttermilk 1 gallon peanut oil

Large cast iron skillet Soak chicken in cold brine for two hours. Remove chicken from brine, rinse, and allow it to rest, refrigerated, for 20 minutes. Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk for up to an hour. Fill your skillet halfway with the peanut oil.

60 | midtownmag.com

Heat oil to 300 degrees. Meanwhile, dredge chicken pieces in the breader, packing it onto the meat so the chicken is thoroughly covered. Working in batches, add chicken to the hot oil.

Cook until golden brown on one side and then carefully flip them over with metal tongs or a metal slotted spatula.

Cook until chicken is golden brown and crispy and reaches an internal cooking temperature of 165 degrees. The breasts and thighs should take about 7 minutes per side. The legs and wings will take around 5 minutes per side. Carefully transfer chicken to a plate lined with paper towels and allow it to cool for five minutes before serving.

Loaded Smashed Potatoes 3 large russet potatoes 1 ½ cups milk ¼ lb butter ¹⁄3 cup crème Fraiche or

sour cream 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese 5 slices bacon, cooked and diced ¹⁄3 cup freshly sliced scallions

salt and pepper to taste Cook potatoes in a large pot of salted water, just below a boil, until they are soft throughout, approximately 45-60 minutes. Heat up the milk and butter in a separate large sauteé pan. When the butter has melted, add the whole potatoes to the pan. Begin mashing them with handheld potato masher.

Once the liquid is incorporated into the potatoes and the mixture is warm, add the bacon, scallions, salt, pepper, cheese and crème fraiche. Stir together until cheese is melted. When the potatoes are hot, they are ready to serve. midtownmag.com| 61

young makers photograph by Tanya Casteel

Cephalopod Ink Ceramicist Reveals What Lies Beneath

by Jenni Hart

A

childhood spent in the landlocked state of Kansas might seem an unlikely beginning for an artist known for ocean-inspired images. But Tanya Casteel creates ceramics that glisten with lifelike inhabitants of the deep: octopuses, squid, sea horses, sharks, jellyfish and sea turtles, just to list a few. “Growing up in the Midwest, I never really got to experience the ocean,” she says. Following a move to the East Coast to study photography at the Maine College of Art in Portland, Casteel found that marine life held limitless possibilities for artistic expression.

“I’ve always loved science and even spent my free time studying biology,” she says. Her fascination with sea life meant poring over centuries-old scientific drawings and gaining an intimate knowledge of 62 | midtownmag.com

photograph by Michael Gallagher

(left) Ocean bowl set.. (top) Tanya Casteel, Cephalopod Ink.

marine species. This academic approach lends her pieces such authenticity that one can almost imagine discovering them on a deep-sea dive.

Design Meets Utility In addition to their exquisite detail and rich, colorful glazes, Casteel’s plates, mugs, bowls and platters offer the unfussy ease of everyday ware. “All the pieces are food safe and can be used in the microwave and put through the dishwasher,” she says. Because the designs actually become part of the glaze through the firing process, colors will not fade and the graphics remain intact. The deep pigments are achieved using iron oxide in the glaze.

Only oven use is discouraged.

Working from her home studio and kiln shed in Fuquay-Varina, Casteel is the sole force behind Cephalopod Ink, the business she launched after moving to North Carolina in 2009. Selling almost exclusively through her shop on Etsy, Casteel has earned the site’s five-star rating from buyers who describe her pottery as “perfect,” “gorgeous,” and “exactly what I hoped for.”

One reviewer even gushed: “This is the most epic mug in the world! I shall proudly carry it throughout my office, and all other office mugs will cower in its cuttlefish awesomeness!” A common thread among the reviews is the promise of repeat orders.

An Artist Evolves Casteel didn’t fully fledge as a ceramicist until after she had earned both a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography and a master’s degree in elementary education. Her path, though circuitous, was one of necessary self-discovery and experimentation. midtownmag.com | 63

photograph by Tanya Casteel

Ocean tessellation, porcelain wall art.

“Photography was very serious and controlled, and I found pottery to be very freeing by comparison. It was okay to get dirty and to make mistakes; you could just start over. I felt a lot healthier when I was making pottery,” she says. “It was a better fit for my personality to be able to let go.”

Casteel and her husband, furniture maker Michael Gallagher, also agreed they needed to let go of Maine living, choosing instead the relative warmth and sun of North Carolina. In 2009, after living in Maine for seven years, the pair rented a truck and moved to Raleigh, for no particular reason, she says, than indulging a shared sense of adventure. Casteel found the mild weather made it easy to connect with the arts community and potential buyers. “After leaving the cold, dark climate of Maine, it was nice to get out and enjoy the craft and art shows in this area,” she says. “I also appreciated that North Carolina was known for its pottery and seemed very supportive of ceramic artists.”

Now that Cephalopod Ink has local and national buyers in its tentacled grip, Casteel says she has found her niche and is quite content.

“I still manage to do everything myself, from designing and making my pieces to packaging and shipping,” she says.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

If you’d like to see more of Casteel’s work, or to place an order, visit cephalopodink.com.

64 | midtownmag.com

Room complete the >>

BEDROOM

>> A

bedroom should be more than just a place to sleep, it should be your personal comfort zone – a retreat that beckons with privacy and coziness – a getaway spot right in your home. Put your feet up, read a book or just grab a few ZZZs after a hectic day.

Caldrea’s Pear Blossom Agave Home Candle

Rest easy with succulent melon, fresh pear blossom and ripe citrus wafting through your bedroom retreat. >> Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers, $20

midtownmag.com| 65

“Behind Byfleet Manor� Oil Painting

Create a relaxing feeling in the bedroom with a peaceful idyllic scene of a boat beside the water and garden at Byfleet Manor in England. Painted by Diane Rodger. >> Affordable Chic Shops, $315

Chinese Deco Rug

A luxurious Chinese Deco rug will add a beautfiul touch of color to any room. >> Robert Fritz Oriental Rugs Inc. at Hunt & Gather, Glenwood Ave., $2,350

Honeysuckle Vines Potpourri Add potpourri for a calming fragrance to the end of the day. >> Affordable Chic Shops, $22

Louis XV Style Bench

Retire to your bedroom and relax on this Louis XV style bench. >> Hunt & Gather, Glenwood Ave., $1,250

66 | midtownmag.com

Vintage Lucite Lamps

No bedroom is complete without a pair of lamps for either side of the bed. This pair of vintage lucite lamps with silk shades just arrived from auction. 30" high including the shade and finial. >> DT&Co., $725/pair

Nora Fleming Ceramics

Complete the look with the Nora Fleming ceramic vase with interchangeable mini decoration. With many Minis to choose from, you can showcase your style no matter what the mood of the day calls for. >> Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers, Vases $22, Minis $12.50 each

Walnut Chest

Circa 1810, this burled walnut chest not only looks great and gives your bedroom history plus glam, it is a working piece of art that will hold all your cashemere and lace while it continues to appreciate! >> DT&Co., $1,800

midtownmag.com| 67

Spring

Styles 2015 Photography Sean Junqueira Fashion Director and Photo Stylist Elie Rossetti-Serraino

68 | midtownmag.com

Dress – Lori + Lulu Necklace, Rings (LH) – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers Watch, Bracelets – Bailey's Fine Jewelry Ring (RH – gold), Earrings – Diamonds Direct Crabtree Ring (RH – burgundy) – Fink's Jewelers Bag – Le Feme Chateau midtownmag.com | 69

70 | midtownmag.com

Outfit, Shoes – BeYOUtiful Butterfly Rings – Hamilton Hill Jewelry Bracelet (LH) – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers Bracelet (RH) – Fink's Jewelers

Top, Skirt – dress Necklace (short), Bracelets, Earrings – Reliable Jewelry Necklace (long) – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers Ring (floral) – Hamilton Hill Jewelry Ring (pink stone) – Diamonds Direct Crabtree Bag – Le Feme Chateau midtownmag.com | 71

Dress, Wrap – Palm Avenue Necklace (pink pearls) – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers Necklace (dark pearls, long) – Hamilton Hill Jewelry Ring, Watch – Reliable Jewelry Bracelet – Fink's Jewelers Earrings – Diamonds Direct Crabtree 72 | midtownmag.com

Outfit – C.T. Weekends Necklace – Bailey's Fine Jewelers Rings – Diamonds Direct Crabtree Bracelets, Earrings, Hair Clip – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers

midtownmag.com | 73

Outfits, Stuffed Animals – GreenPea Baby & Child

74 | midtownmag.com

Outfit – At Ease Boutique Necklaces, Ring (RH colored) – Bailey's Fine Jewelry Ring (RH pearl) – Hamilton Hill Jewelry Ring (LH), Earrings – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers midtownmag.com | 75

Jacket, Shirt, Pants, Tie, Pocket Square, Shoes – Kannon's Clothing Watch – Bailey's Fine Jewelry Bracelet – Hamilton Hill Jewelry

76 | midtownmag.com

featured on the cover Outfit – House of Landor Necklace, Rings (RH pearl) – Hamilton Hill Jewelry Ring (RH purple) – Diamonds Direct Crabtree Rings, (LH) – Bailey's Fine Jewelry Bracelets, Earrings – Fink's Jewelers midtownmag.com | 77

Outfit, Jacket, Scarf – Cameron Clothing Co. Ring (diamond) – Diamonds Direct Crabtree Ring (colored) – Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers Earrings – Bailey's Fine Jewelry

78 | midtownmag.com

Jacket, Shirt, Sweater, Pants, Pocket Square, Shoes – Kannon's Clothing Watch – Bailey's Fine Jewelry

midtownmag.com | 79

Outfit – CoolSweats Necklace – Hamilton Hill Jewelry Watch – Fink's Jewelers Earrings – Diamonds Direct Crabtree Bag – Le Feme Chateau

80 | midtownmag.com

Outfit, Shoes – Kannon's Clothing Necklaces, Ring – Reliable Jewelry Earrings – Bailey's Fine Jewelers Bracelets – Fink's Jewelry Bag – Le Feme Chateau

midtownmag.com | 81

a very

Special Thanks to everyone who helped make our spring fashion shoot a possibility Photography Sean Junqueira > seanjunqueira.com

Makeup Artist Emily Temple > feelsynergy.com

Fashion Director and Photo Stylist Elie Rossetti-Serraino > eliephotostylist.com

Hair Styling Ashley Collins Erin Shebaugh Caila Gillespie > plumhairatelier.com

Photography Assistant Jennifer Lee Hall Wardrobe Coordinator Elizabeth Laquinta Photo Shoot Intern Shelby Thomas

Models and Agencies Lucy Trull > LOCKE Management Jeremiah Wood >Directions USA

our

Retailers At Ease Boutique Bailey’s Fine Jewelry BeYOUtiful Butterfly Cameron Clothing Co. CoolSweats C.T. Weekends Diamonds Direct Crabtree dress Fink’s Jewelers GreenPea Baby & Child

Hamilton Hill Jewelry House of Landor Kannon's Clothing Le Feme Chateau Lori + Lulu Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers Palm Avenue Reliable Jewelry

The Merrimon-Wynne House

A very special thank you to The Merrimon-Wynne House for hosting our spring fashion shoot. Located in the heart of historic downtown Raleigh, the house and grounds can accommodate over 200 guests making it an ideal location for hosting everything from traditional and classic affairs to modern and contemporary events. www.merrimonwynne.com

82 | midtownmag.com

calendar ofevents

March/April 2015

Sola Hot Mini 5k March 7 | Raleigh | secondempireseries.com NC Symphony Young People’s Concert: Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage March 7 | 1 and 4pm Meymandi Concert Hall at Duke Energy Center 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org Cooking Class: Globetrotters (Old World) March 10 | 6-9pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com Peter and the Starcatcher March 10-15 Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.996.8700 | dukeenergycenterraleigh.com Kinky Boots March 10-15 Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street | Durham 919.680.2787 | dpacnc.com NC Symphony: Grant Conducts Eroica March 13-14 | 8pm Meymandi Concert Hall at Duke Energy Center 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org ELO50 National Network Pilot Meeting March 14 | 9:15am-12:30pm NCSU McKimmon Conference Center 1101 Gorman Street | Raleigh 919.515.2277 | elo50.com Cooking Class: Fun with Fish!

March 16 | 6-9pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com Wine Dinner March 18 | 6:30pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com

84 | midtownmag.com

Sarah McLachlan March 19 | 8pm Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street | Durham 919.680.2787 | dpacnc.com

Easter Egg Hunt March 29 | 3pm Trinity Baptist Church 4815 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.787.3740 | www.tbcraleigh.com

Heirloom Silhouette Artist: CLay Rice (appointment only) March 19 | 3-6pm Paper Buzz | North Hills Shopping Center 4209-125 Lassiter Mill Road | Raleigh 919.781.0351 | paperbuzz.com

Cooking Class: Easter Menu March 30 | 6-9pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com

The Original Stars of American Bandstand March 20 | 7:30pm Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.996.8700 | dukeenergycenterraleigh.com St. Patrick’s Day at Lafayette Village “Patty on The Green” March 21 | 11am-4pm Lafayette Village 8480 Honeycutt Road | Raleigh 919.714.7447 | lafayettevillageraleigh.com SAFE Haven for Cats’ Tuxedo Cat Ball April 24 | 7pm–12:30am North Ridge Country Club | 919.872.7233 tuxedocatball.org Cooking Class March 24 | 4:30pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com Cooking Class: Brunch Ideas March 24 | 6-9pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com Bacon & Beer Fest March 28 | 12-6pm Koka Booth Amphitheatre 8003 Regency Parkway | Cary 919.462.2025 | boothamphitheatre.com NCSU Run. Dance. Glow. 5k March 28 | Raleigh | secondempireseries.com Easter Cantata March 29 | 8:45 & 10:55am Trinity Baptist Church 4815 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.787.3740 | tbcraleigh.com

NC Symphony: Grant Conducts Eroica March 15 | 7:30pm Memorial Hall | Chapel Hill 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org Live Music every Wednesday in april Lafayette Village April 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 | 6-9pm Lafayette Village 8480 Honeycutt Road | Raleigh 919.714.7447 | lafayettevillageraleigh.com Maundy Thursday Service April 2 | 7pm Trinity Baptist Church 4815 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.787.3740 | tbcraleigh.com Sunrise Worship Service April 5 | Sunrise Worship Service at 7am Easter Worship Service at 8:45 & 10:55am Trinity Baptist Church 4815 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.787.3740 | tbcraleigh.com Easter Brunch April 5 | 11am-3pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com

S

1 8 15 22 29

7 14 21 28

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival April 9-12 Historic Downtown Durham 919.687.4100 | fullframefest.org NC Symphony Friday Favorites: Symphonie Fantastique April 10 | 12pm Meymandi Concert Hall at Duke Energy Center 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org A Drag Queen Prom April 10 | 7pm Koka Booth Amphitheatre 8003 Regency Parkway | Cary 919.462.2025 | boothamphitheatre.com NC Symphony Friday Favorites: Symphonie Fantastique April 10-11 | 8pm Meymandi Concert Hall at Duke Energy Center 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org World Beer Festival April 11 | Afternoon Session: 12-4pm Evening Session: 6-10pm Moore Square | Raleigh 919.530.8150 | visitraleigh.com

S M T W T F

APRIL

MARCH

S M T W T F

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24

S 4 11 18 25

NC Symphony: Best of Broadway April 17-18 | 8pm Friday 3pm and 8pm Saturday Meymandi Concert Hall at Duke Energy Center 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org

Wellness Wednesdays April 22-June 10 Wednesdays | 6:30-7:30pm Midtown Park at North Hills Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | northhillsevents.com

The Capital City Gift & Garden Show sponsored by The Woman’s Club of Raleigh April 17-19 | Friday, Saturday: 10am-6pm Sunday: 11am-5pm The Woman’s Club of Raleigh 3300 Woman’s Club Drive | Raleigh womansclubofraleigh.org

Midtown Beach Music Series: The Embers Featuring Craig Woolard April 23 | North Hills Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | northhillsevents.com

Midtown Farmer’s Market April 18-November 7 Saturdays | 8am-12pm The Commons at North Hills Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | northhillsevents.com Midtown Bluegrass Series April 19-October 18 Third Sundays | 5-7pm Midtown Park at North Hills Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | northhillsevents.com

Cary Road Race 10k April 11 | Raleigh | secondempireseries.com

Southern Women’s Show April 24-26 North Carolina State Fairgrounds 1025 Blue Ridge Road | Raleigh 800.849.0248 | southernshows.com/wra Midtown Music Fest 2015 April 25 | 3-9pm Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | northhillsevents.com Brewgaloo April 25 | 2-10pm Raleigh’s City Plaza 400 Fayetteville Street | Raleigh 919.256.3640 shoplocalraleigh.org/brewgaloo/

“Sitting Pretty: North Carolina Furniture 1700-1850” Lecture by Ken Zogry April 12 | 2pm Joel Lane Museum House 160 South Saint Mary’s Street | Raleigh 919.833.3431 | joellane.org

NC Symphony Sound Bites at Humble Pie April 27 | 6pm Humble Pie Restaurant 317 S. Harrington Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org

Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon April 12 | 7am South Salisbury St | Downtown Raleigh runrocknroll.competitor.com/raleigh Cooking Class April 14 | 4:30pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com

NC Symphony: Appalachian Spring April 24-25 | 8pm Meymandi Concert Hall at Duke Energy Center 2 E. South Street | Raleigh 919.733.2750 | ncsymphony.org

Midtown Beach Music Series: Liquid Pleasure April 30 | North Hills Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | northhillsevents.com Wine Dinner April 22 | 6:30pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com

Have an important event? We would love to hear about it. Please send the details of your calendar events to: travis@midtownmag.com. midtownmag.com | 85

86 | midtownmag.com

sprin

g

s t r a preview

by david fellerath

It may have been a mild winter, but we’re always grateful for the arrival of spring – its lengthening days, emerging flowers, and of course, March Madness. In Raleigh this spring, the major arts performance groups hit the business ends of their seasons, with exciting shows from North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera and the Carolina Ballet. In the clubs, several noteworthy bands make visits to the area. And in the museums, CAM Raleigh features an important show while the North Carolina Museum of Art unveils a new exhibition designed to highlight the glorious symbol of emerging spring: flowers.

midtownmag.com| 87

M U S I C 88 | midtownmag.com

Photograph © Abby Nardo

(left) Passes for Hopscotch, which runs September 10th-12th in downtown Raleigh, are already on sale. (above) Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, which plays the Ritz on April 22nd.

If it’s spring in Raleigh,

it’s a good time for music fans to make sure they’ve bought their Hopscotch wristbands.

Who’s playing? We don’t know, but we’re positive the three-day and VIP wristbands, priced at $145 and $215 respectively, will be worth their weight in sweat stains and spilled beer. The festival, which recently was purchased by Travis Janovich, founder of the Morrisvillle-based online ticket seller eTix, will run September 10th-12th.

Go on, get your wristband at hopscotchmusicfest.com. We’ll be right here.

OK, done?

There’s live music every night of the week in Raleigh, and there are several exceptional offerings for every taste. For those of a certain age – say between 28 and 48 – there are few bands more important and generation-defining than Sleater-Kinney, the trio that emerged from the grunge scene of the early-1990s Pacific Northwest. Formed by Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, SleaterKinney’s self-titled debut appeared in 1995.

Initially pigeonholed as another riot grrrl act in the mold of Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney

proved to have more staying power, releasing one strong album after another built on smart songs and serious chops. After the band went on hiatus in 2005, Brownstein achieved a measure of celebrity as a writer and actor, with Fred Armisen, in the celebrated hipsterspoof TV series Portlandia.

In January, the trio re-emerged with a new album, No Cities to Love, that was received with uniform critical hosannas. “Their songs guide us through the restless process of figuring out who we are... they charge our consciousness, occupy space in our relationships, symbolize what we want to become,” raved a writer for Pitchfork. On Wednesday, April 22nd, SleaterKinney will perform at The Ritz, and if their sizzling performance of “Surface Envy” on Conan in January is any indication, they’ve not lost a step. ($35.68; ritzraleigh.com) If Sleater-Kinney has somehow come to the precipice of being a legacy act, there are numerous enticing shows by upand-comers. We’re especially intrigued by the Young Fathers, a combo from Edinburgh that defies description. Or almost defies it. The

(left) Get a head start on Red Hat Amphitheater’s outdoor music with alt-J on April 3rd. (below left) Diana Krall appears at Memorial Auditorium on April 24th. (below right) Grant Llewellyn conducts Beethoven at Meymandi March 13th-14th

Guardian gave it a shot, calling Young Fathers a “Liberian/ Nigerian/Scottish psychedelic hip-hop electro boy band.”

After listening to Dead, the group’s intoxicating 2014 release, we can only say that that’s about the beginning of it.

Young Fathers plays Kings Barcade on Tuesday, April 14th.

(Advance tickets $12; door, $15; kingsbarcade.com) Season tickets for Live Nation’s outdoor concerts at Red Hat Amphitheater don’t go on sale until May 1st, but you can get a head start on your tan Friday, April 3rd, with the prog-indie noodlings of alt-J. This English act recorded a song for the hit film Silver Linings Playbook and will be touring in support of its late 2014 release This Is All Yours, which received mostly strong reviews. Tycho opens. ($34.61-$48.19; redhatamphitheater.com) Want some class on your night out? Well, if Diana Krall were any classier, she’d be a blackboard. In early February, the five-time Grammy winner released Wallflower, in which her cover choices ranged from the sunny pop of the 1960s (California Dreamin) to the sunny pop of the 1980s (Don’t Dream It’s Over), with detours through 1970s softies like Jim Croce, the Carpenters, Gilbert O’Sullivan, the Eagles and, in the title track, Bob Dylan. On Friday, April 24th, Krall will be in Raleigh, backed by a five-piece combo. The venue is the acoustically diverse Memorial Auditorium, so buy your tickets soon. ($67.48-$177.65; dukeenergycenterraleigh.com) Lovers of opera and classical music have several calendar highlights this spring. The NC Opera rolls

out one of the greatest, by the greatest, of the 18th century: Mozart’s Don Giovanni. First produced in 1787, Don Giovanni was a multicultural project even at the beginning: Taking a legendary Spanish character better known as Don Juan, an Austrian composer and a Venetian librettist (who would later die in America) conjured an Italian-language opera that premiered in Prague. Since then, this tale of a shameless cad who seduces and betrays his way through more than 1,000 females has never gone out of style. Running April 18th-26th, NC Opera’s production at A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater will be fully staged, with English surtitles. Met veteran J.C. Cha will play the lead. ($35.28$105.95; ncopera.org) NC Symphony has several compelling programs this spring. On two mighty nights at Meymandi Concert Hall, March 13th-14th, longtime conductor Grant Llewellyn shares top billing with Beethoven in Grant Conducts Eroica. Also known as Beethoven’s Third Symphony, this 1804 composition was originally dedicated to Napoleon, so expect a grand meeting of Corsican, Austrian and Welsh influences.

Among other NC Symphony offerings, guest conductor Michael Francis will oversee a program featuring Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, April 9th-11th at Meymandi. And April 24th-25th, the Symphony will perform Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, featuring a world premiere orchestration of Judd Greenstein’s work Change, plus soprano Shara

Worden singing Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Three Songs from Unremembered.” (Eroica: $25.21$75.95; Symphonie Fantastique and Appalachian Spring $25.21$85.95; ncsymphony.org).

From March 10th-12th, on the NC State campus, the music offerings of the spring Center Stage series culminate at Titmus Theatre with three performances by violin virtuoso and MacArthur “genius grant” recipient Regina Carter. Carter’s jazzy influence has been felt on recordings by such diverse artists as Cassandra Wilson, Wynton Marsalis, Dolly Parton, Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige. ($10-$42.16; ncsu.edu/ centerstage) Over at the NC Museum of Art, International Women’s Day is March 15th, and it’s honored with a concert by Fire Pink Trio. In a 3pm show called The Goddess in Every Woman, musical compositions by women are paired with works in the permanent collection, “to explore expressions of female power and divinity,” according to museum communications specialist Emily Kowalski. (free; ncartmuseum.org) Looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without threatening your liver – or your reputation when the photos end up on Facebook?

Look no further than Cary Arts Center, which presents The Celtic Tenors on March 20th.

Okay, that’s three days after St. Paddy’s, but you’ll still be in the mood for auld Éire, no? ($27.76-$29.90, townofcary.org) midtownmag.com| 89

theat The PETER AND THE STARCATCHER company. Photo by Scott Suchman

although much of the

Broadway touring action has relocated to Durham’s DPAC, Raleigh and Cary are blessed with a vibrant local theater scene. This spring, there are several enticing productions worthy of a spot on the theatergoer’s calendar.

In Raleigh, first on our list is Burning Coal’s Sunday in the Park With George, an effervescent musical finale to a main stage season that included Shakespeare and an ambitious staging of David Edgar’s Iron Curtain Trilogy. Burning Coal’s Jerome Davis sounds positively giddy at the prospect of staging Stephen Sondheim’s 1984 musical imagining of the life of pointillist painter Georges Seurat as he worked on his masterpiece, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” Davis tells us that he’s particularly excited about the casting of area newcomer Natalie Reder as Dot, the mistress and model of the painter. Of Reder, a recent graduate of University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Davis says, “She’s got a voice like a cannon. An angelic cannon, mind you, but a cannon!” Sunday in the Park runs four weekends, April 9th-May 3rd. ($5-$25; burningcoal.org)

90 | midtownmag.com

atre

Not to be outdone, Theatre in the Park rolls out a regional premiere of comic playwright Paul Rudnick’s Regrets Only. This madcap romp traces the political awakening of a famous gay fashion designer as he navigates high-society mores with his close confidante and best friend, a Park Avenue socialite.

Of the play’s 2006 premiere, New York Times critic Ben Brantley wrote, “Like Noël Coward, [Rudnick] makes a case for frivolity as an existential choice, for the necessity of laughter in transcending an often grim world.” No word yet on the casting, but the show runs three weekends, March 27th-April 12th. ($16-$22; theatreinthepark.com)

Duke Energy’s Broadway Series South has only one musical this March and April, but it is the exceptionally promising Peter and the Starcatcher, a 2012 prequel to the Peter Pan story that opened in New York to rave reviews. Adapted from a novel co-written by humorist Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, this coproduction by Broadway Series South and NC Theatre should impress children and adults alike with its aerial feats and accessible jokes. It runs one week only, March 10th-15th, at Memorial Auditorium. ($26.69-$90.74; dukeenergycenterraleigh.com) Over at Titmus Theatre on the NC State campus, we’re intrigued by Teatro Hugo & Ines, a pair of Peruvian puppeteers famed for “memorable characters created with knees, feet, elbows, fingers, a few props, amazing dexterity, and delightful imagination,” according to publicity materials. They’ll perform four shows, April 10th-12th. ($10-$34.76; ncsu.edu/centerstage) In Cary, our hopes are high for the “bends and snaps” of Legally Blonde, which Cary Players will mount for two weekends at the Cary Arts Center’s lovely performance space, April 24th-May 3rd. ($18$20; caryplayers.org)

(top) Natalie Reder, seen here in a Burning Coal production of Brigadoon, plays one of the leads in Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George. (bottom) Broadway Series South and NC Theatre present Peter and the Starcatcher March 10th-15th.

midtownmag.com| 91

Party Boat (Arctic Wonderland series) Scratched chromogenic print, photospotting and acrylic inks, gouache and marker Courtesy of the Collection of Allen Thomas, Jr., Wilson, NC

the art offerings in Wake County are reliably fresh, engaging, and the main attraction of the popular First Friday series of gallery walks. On the museum side, there are no major shows opening this spring, but we urge a visit to CAM Raleigh in the warehouse district for a major mid-career retrospective of Sarah Anne Johnson, a show that opened in early February to winegripping throngs.

In one of the most politically thoughtful shows in a major Raleigh institution in some time, Wonderland: Sarah Anne Johnson 2002-2014 engages with themes of indigenous people in the modern, environmentally degraded world. But that doesn’t tell the full story of her astonishing technical range and capacious vision. In the downstairs Independent Weekly Gallery, there’s “House on Fire,” a haunting series from 2009 inspired by her grandmother’s

92 | midtownmag.com

visual art

unwitting victimization by CIAdirected psychiatric experiments.

Upstairs on one wall, there is Arctic Wonderland, a series of photo-illustrations of the arctic wilderness, but Johnson has altered them with overlays of watercolors, to varying effects.

One image features a schooner in the distance, near an iceberg; above it, she has painted something that looks like a starburst of a cloud, or an aurora borealis. But the payoff – and testimony to the artist’s range – comes in the next gallery, where she has constucted a roomsized model of the same image.

According to Marjorie Hodges, director of the Contemporary Art Foundation, the latter piece is owned by Cirque du Soleil Montreal, which flew its own representative down to Raleigh to install the piece. The show remains on view until May 5th. (camraleigh.org)

Courtesy of the Artist

(top) A signature image from Sarah Anne Johnson’s “Arctic Wonderland” series at CAM Raleigh. (bottom) “Asleep in the Forest,” 2012, a multimedia installation by Sarah Anne Johnson at CAM Raleigh.

Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Art

al

Art in Bloom runs four days in March at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

This spring, the North Carolina Museum of Art will be cycling three solo shows out of galleries: Jason Mitcham’s video installation, images from the Allen G. Thomas, Jr. Photo Collection and Line, Touch, Trace, a drawing exhibition of 13 North Carolina artists.

But there are new things happening, too – first and foremost Art in Bloom. This, museum spokesperson Kowalski tells us, is NCMA’s inaugural festival of art and flowers, featuring “floral masterpieces inspired by the Museum’s permanent collection and created by world-class floral designers.” Running March 19th22nd, Art in Bloom is timed perfectly with the vernal equinox that marks the start of spring. It will feature master classes, demonstrations, lectures, family activities and other events. At the end of the month, there will be a free exhibition of modern and contemporary art from the private collection of Jim and Mary Patton, including works by such artists as Richard Diebenkorn, Helen Frankenthaler, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Motherwell, Frank Stella and Wayne Thiebaud. (ncartmuseum.org) As always, art lovers can hit the town on each month’s first Friday. On March 6th and April 3rd, put on the clothes in which you want to be seen and visit Artspace, Lump Gallery, Lee Hansley Gallery, Flanders Gallery, Visual Art Exchange and more. For monthly details, visit godowntownraleigh.com/first-friday-raleigh. (godowntownraleigh.com/first-friday-raleigh) midtownmag.com| 93

Master Composers: Music for Dance photograph © black horse

fifteen years after its

founding, the robust presence and artistic discipline of the Robert Weiss-led Carolina Ballet continues to impress. Two big shows dominate the company’s season this spring. The first, Master Composers: Music for Dance, is a new production choreographed by Weiss and Zalman Raffael that runs March 5th-22nd in A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater. It will feature dances set to classics by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Stravinsky and others, according to marketing manager Elizabeth Parker, who tells us the program “will trace the evolution of dance from the Middle Ages to the 20th century through the music of these composers.”

The following month, April 16th-19th, the company moves over to Memorial Auditorium (and later, DPAC) to make room for the big dog. Or the black swan. Yes, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake runs April 16th-19th in Raleigh, with live accompaniment by Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. Kudos to the Ballet for its tagline: “Love conquers all. Except evil sorcery.” (Both shows $37.11-$88.88; carolinaballet.org)

94 | midtownmag.com

d a n c e

swaN LAKE photograph © russ howe

(top) Carolina Ballet’s Master Composers: Music for Dance runs March 5th-22nd at A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater. (bottom) Carolina Ballet’s Swan Lake runs April 16th-19th at Memorial Auditorium.

Over at NC State’s Titmus Theatre, dance students give their spring concert April 16th-17th. (free; ncsu.edu/dance) In Cary, the Cary Ballet Company and 3D Jazz Project present an evening called Coppelia and a Taste of Broadway. In three performances March 13th-14th, the artists will explore variations on the popular 19th-century themes of dancing dolls and automatons. ($12$15; townofcary.org)

Spring Road

Trip

Durham’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival photograph © Charlotte Claypoole

photograph © Alex Boerner

Like the swallows of Capistrano, the world’s best documentary filmmakers in the world converge on downtown Durham each April for a weekend of powerful films and vibrant socializing.

Past festivals have seen such stars as Martin Scorsese, Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock, while documentary stalwarts such as D.A. Pennebaker and Barbara Kopple are regular visitors.

While some of Full Frame’s offerings go on to mainstream theatrical success, many other unforgettable films will find their only public screenings in one of the theaters in downtown Durham. At press time, programming director Sadie Tillery hadn’t completed the schedule of this year’s festival, but we have as much confidence in recommending this event as we do Hopscotch. The festival runs April 9th-12th. Passes are on sale, but hurry – the two cheapest options have already sold out. Individual tickets go on sale April 2nd. (fullframefest.org)

midtownmag.com| 95

the coast

N o r t h C a r o l i n a’ s Southern Outer Banks

ere in the middle of North Carolina we have the best of both worlds for weekend getaways; in a car it is three hours east to the beaches and west to the mountains. Eastward the shoreline is divided into three segments: The Outer Banks from Virginia to Cape Lookout spans about half, The Crystal Coast in the middle, and the southeast coast running from The Brunswick Islands to Sunset Beach bordering South Carolina. For most North Carolinians a spring or summer beach break beckons each year, and in this issue we take a closer look at the middle portion of North Carolina beaches.

96 | midtownmag.com

Photograph © Brad Styron

Photograph © Stephen Beaudet

Photograph © Stephen Beaudet

The 85 miles of gleaming beaches only begin to tell the story of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast.

The authentic “coastal experience” features waters of crystalline purity bordering sandy, sparkling beaches, allowing adventure-seekers to let their imaginations run free. It is both a place and state of mind; a departure from the ordinary and an arrival at the extraordinary. From its history steeped in pirate legends and ghostly encounters, to exotic wild horses that have roamed the same shores for centuries, the Crystal Coast today continues to reflect Southern tradition and charm.

This favored Atlantic beach destination of generations represents one of the only remaining natural barrier island systems in the world. The islands are strung together along the southern Outer Banks – 56 miles of which are in the protected Cape Lookout National Seashore. With beaches that course east and west, visitors can admire the dazzling bright sunrise to greet the day, and end it with a spectacular late evening North Carolina sunset.

Mother Nature must have spent a little more time on the Crystal Coast, giving the frothy blue waters that caress its shores an indescribable clarity often compared to the waters of the Caribbean. Also attributed to Mother Nature’s kindness, the Crystal Coast is one of two places on the Eastern Seaboard where the Gulf Stream tickles the coastline, bringing clear, warm waters that are perfect for active salt-water adventures. Unlike other beach destinations, the Crystal Coast is not lined with concession stands or admission ticket offices. Natural and uncommercialized are two of the most cherished attributes of the destination.

Some of the “gems” of the Crystal Coast include Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle and Morehead City, each one as distinct and beloved as the next. midtownmag.com | 97

Atlantic Beach is home to wide pearlescent beaches and plenty of sunshine. Part of the Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach is the oldest of five resort towns. Visitors can choose from a range of accommodations to suit all budgets and lifestyles, from a seven-bedroom Victorian mansion to a “no frills” beach bungalow. Fort Macon State Park, the site of a historic Civil War skirmish (and more than a few tales of ghostly encounters with uniformed soldiers), is located at the tip of the island and is part of the Civil War Trail (friendsoffortmacon.org).

Beaufort (pronounced BOW-Fort, as in bow tie) boasts more than 300 years of historical legacy to capture the hearts of all who visit. It was recently named “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel magazine, as well as one of “America’s Favorite Beach Towns” by Travel + Leisure. Offering beach days and haunted nights against the backdrop of many Nicholas Sparks novels and movies, Beaufort transports visitors and residents to a time long forgotten, with deep roots entrenched in both history and adventure. The air contains the same ancient salty-sweet ocean scents that have wafted over the coast for centuries. It is not uncommon while dining at a waterfront café to see wild horses roaming freely on Carrot Island, just across the waters of Taylor’s Creek.

The salty-sweet ocean scents wafting over the coast evoke the town’s swashbuckling pirate tales, romantic mysteries, ingrained maritime 98 | midtownmag.com

Photograph © Brad Styron

Photograph © Brad Styron

heritage and wartime triumphs and tragedies.

The air of Beaufort is alive with memories of the past, from spectral tours through the Old Burying Grounds and leisurely strolls among the preserved buildings at Beaufort Historic Site, to a gentle ferry ride to the seashore to view historic Cape Lookout Lighthouse and get a firsthand look at the treasures excavated from Blackbeard’s infamous flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge (which still rests in its watery grave just three miles off the island’s sandy shores).

For a sneak peak into the historic luxury of “America’s Coolest Small Town,” head downtown and experience Hungry Town Bike Tours, where groups can hop on retro-chic bikes and pedal their way on unique guided tours.

Photograph © Scott Taylor Photography

Pine Knoll Shores was once owned by America’s own royal family, the descendants of Theodore Roosevelt, and is known as a peaceful residential community with an eco-friendly focus. The area was designed with minimal disturbance to the native maritime forest and sand dunes, and is one the state’s most environmentally sensitive towns. Explore the North Carolina Aquarium, where more than 3,000 specimens of North Carolina’s most colorful aquatic life reside, making it the largest saltwater aquarium in the state. midtownmag.com | 99

Photograph © Stephen Beaudet

Emerald Isle is built on the most prominent of the banks on the Crystal Coast. Named for the lush greenery that covers much of the area, Emerald Isle is located at the western end of the Bogue Banks.

Of all the housing available at this destination, the most popular is its astounding collection of oceanfront cottages and estates. Sitting right on the sand, these accommodations offer visitors the chance to wake up each morning and take in the spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and Bogue Sound. Ranging from cozy beach cottages to majestic villas, these homes, used primarily as vacation rentals, offer no shortage of quiet but luxurious amenities included in your stay.

Prospective guests can contact one of the area’s several realty agencies and reserve a seaside mansion or one bedroom condo by the week or month for family reunions, wedding weekends, birthday celebrations, or even just a family vacation.

Morehead City sits along sparkling clear water with rows of charter fishing boats gently bobbing like fishing lures, waiting to usher passengers to their first “big catch.” Known for the most diverse fishing on the coast, Morehead City is home to the annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, where fisherman from all over the world compete for the top honor, while supporting local charities that have received more than $2,300,000 in donations from the tournament in the past 15 years.

100 | midtownmag.com

Photogra

For dinner that is equal parts exquisite and eclectic, head to Morehead City’s Circa 81 and try Chef Clarke Merrell’s menu of tapas, like a bowl of his Covington Sweet Potato Bisque with goat cheese marshmallow, crispy potato, candied walnut and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette. Nestled along the downtown strip of Morehead City is a narrow, rustic building that houses Arendell Room, a craft cocktail bar that might be at home in any major city.

Photograph © Stephen Beaudet

Photograph © Scott Taylor Photography

Cape Lookout is a place reminiscent of times past where wild horses roam freely on deserted beaches. With its famed lighthouse, the island offers escapists a 56-mile stretch of undeveloped shimmering beaches accessible only by boat. Sea oat-laced sand dunes and miles of large unbroken conch shells seem to have been resting there for centuries. In harmony with the natural scenery are fisherman patiently waiting and watching, like shore birds looking for their next meal to spring out of the frothy blue waters.

Along with a wide range of experiential activities, the Crystal Coast offers a variety of accommodations to suit every lifestyle and budget, from mammoth beach mansion (known locally as “sandcastles) and quaint B&Bs to seaside cottages and comfortable condos, as well as campgrounds and cabins. For more information on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, check out the tourism board’s website: CrystalCoastNC.org. midtownmag.com | 101

A buying and selling frenzy After years of a sluggish real estate market, buying is back. But with low inventory, it may be hard to find what you’re looking for.

By Christa Gala

E

Ellen and Shane Richardson have been busy buying a new home – and selling their old one – in a fast and furious process that’s becoming the norm due to the lowest inventory in the market in years.

Like many couples, the Richardsons had to sell their home in order to buy a new one, and they were nervous about ending up with two mortgages.

But their 1,300-square-foot home in the Lakemont subdivision went fast.

The first weekend on the market, the home had 24 showings, says their realtor Bernette Stivers of Fonville Morisey’s Falls of Neuse office.

“We were on the market for 12 days, which was actually longer than we expected,” says Stivers, noting they received multiple offers on the property, which listed for $238,000. It’s set to

102 | midtownmag.com

close in early March. “I actually thought we’d sell within the first seven, but 12 days isn’t bad.”

A few weeks before their closing, the Richardsons bought another home in Midtown.

“We closed on our new home in Hickory Hills today; it’s 2,200 square feet on the corner of a cul-de-sac, and we love it,” says Ellen Richardson. The couple has two sons, Connor, 7, and Graham, 1. “It needs a whole lot of work – cleaning out the yard, painting, flooring, new kitchen, new roof – but it has the space we need, and it’s in the right location so we don’t have to change schools.”

The numbers Not too long ago, folks weren’t buying much at all, and they definitely weren’t

David and Brianna Bulzan purchased this home in the Northclift subdivision for $175,000.

buying “fixers”, but the market’s low inventory situation has changed that.

Active inventory in Raleigh’s Midtown area is down 32 percent compared with this time last year, according to Long & Foster’s Market Minute Report from December 2014.

Currently, the existing supply is just 1.9 months, compared to the height of the downturn when supply ran as high as several years.

The Triangle’s market has been on a terrifying and often confusing roller coaster ride for close to a decade and was calm compared to other markets such Florida and California.

Shane and Ellen Richardson recently closed on a new home in Hickory Hills with the help of their realtor Bernette Stivers (center).

A quick look at the “ride” so far: In 2006 and 2007, home values inflated to extremely high levels – so high that they weren’t authentic, which lead to the “bubble,” as many call it, bursting. That burst, around 2008, basically bottomed out the market.

Homes across the country foreclosed, and borrowing money became much harder to do. Home values plummeted and stayed flat for several years, with relatively few new home communities under construction. Homeowners were upside down in their loans, and people were scared; many simply weren’t buying as banks tried desperately to unload foreclosed properties.

Hills is 5.42 percent; and Quail Hollow is 6.47 percent.

“We were most surprised by how hot the market is in this area, thanks to North Hills,” says Ellen Richardson.

“Two years ago, our house didn’t appraise high enough for us to put on an addition that we had drawn up. Now our house sold in 12 days for way more than we had guessed it was worth.”

Stivers says the Richardsons bought and sold in the one of the best markets in the Triangle.

“The areas that they picked were hot areas. Everybody wants to get in there; that’s why they were able to sell so quickly,” she says.

Where are we now?

It’s taken a while, but today the glut of homes is gone, and the market is now veering in the opposite direction.

Inventory is low, meaning there are fewer homes out there for sale, which results in fewer days on the market, fast turn arounds and sometimes higher prices and bidding wars.

Appreciation is on the homeowner’s side again. In Wake County, the annual appreciation rate on property is just under three percent, according to Stivers. But Midtown neighborhoods are beating that; Lakemont’s rate is 4.58 percent; North

Timing and luck for first-time buyers David and Brianna Bulzan, both 26, lucked out and found a great deal in the Northclift subdivision, paying just $112 per square feet, while other listings they’d seen were running between $120 and $140 per square foot.

“It’s 1,600 square feet on .35 of an acre, recently overhauled, and we purchased it for $175,000,” says Brianna Bulzan. “We were only on day three of touring houses with our Realtor when we happened upon this one. Something about it just felt right – the right place, the quality of the spaces inside.”

The Bulzan’s Realtor, Gina Gilliam of Gilliam & Associates Realty in Apex, anticipating the competition in the market, is working with a new system to alert clients of available homes. Part of the success factor is making sure people have a prequalification letter.

“We have clients get pre-approval,” says Pam Kastl, with Gilliam & Associates Realty. “We set them up with a personalized home search that alerts them and us as soon as something comes on the market. We encourage them to tour homes immediately rather than waiting until the weekend. We run comps and carefully discuss options before we write an offer. We encourage them to respond quickly to counters and questions from seller. We try to understand what’s going to be the seller’s highest priority and help craft the best counter.”

The system worked well for the Bulzans.

“The house was posted on a Tuesday at noon; we had an offer in on it by 9:30 that night, and we found ourselves in a bidding war with another buyer,” says Bulzan. “We ended up paying a few thousand over asking, but the seller preferred us to the other buyer because we had our pre-approval in hand and had 20 percent ready to go.”

With this being their first home, the Bulzans didn’t have anything to sell and had been saving money for a while before purchasing. They, too, were willing to buy a fixer but ended up finding a home already renovated and at the right price.

“We’re very happy where we are,” says Bulzan. “The location is perfect; we have enjoyed cold nights by the fire and are hosting more parties than we ever anticipated. We were also happy to find that the mortgage lender appraised it for more than we paid, which is unusual.”

The lesson here In a market like this, it seems preparation is key.

“It’s a seller’s market right now, so buyers need to act fast,” says Stivers. “If you’re wanting to purchase, especially in the Lakemont and Quail Hollow/Midtown area, you pretty much need to have everything ready – a pre-qualification letter ready to go.

Once a property comes on the market, it’s going to get a lot of activity.” midtownmag.com | 103

special advertising section

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

Coldwell Banker Howard P Midtown Office

104 | midtownmag.com

special advertising section

d Perry and Walston Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston was established over 40 years ago by builder Howard Perry and real estate entrepreneur Don Walston.

Today, we are the area’s #1 full-service real estate company, with sales offices across the Triangle and over 800 real estate professionals producing over 13,000 transactions a year and over $1.9 billion in sales. Additionally, CBHPW is home to a nationally recognized, award-winning relocation division, the area’s premier new homes division, the HPW Foundation, a commercial real estate division, a title company, property management group and the area’s top real estate school.

We are deeply committed to being a part of the fabric of the communities we serve. Our foundation supports many local charitable programs in addition to our own organization, Turkeys For The Triangle, which has donated over 15,000 turkeys to Triangle residents in need over the past decade. Our company has been recognized time and time again by such publications as the Triangle Business Journal as being the top real estate firm and among the best places to work in the Triangle.

CBHPW has offices located strategically throughout the Triangle and beyond, meaning wherever you choose to make your home in the area, we can help. Many of our agents have lived in and served their communities for years, and are truly invested in their hometowns. Our

company has committed to giving our clients the best possible experience, whether buying or selling a home, and has invested in providing our agents with cutting-edge technology to enhance our sales process. Our mobile-friendly website and HPW mobile app allow clients to find their dream home from anywhere, as well as constantly communicate with their agent, and our HPW Luxury website and online magazine connect buyers with their dream homes.

Our Midtown office is conveniently located in the heart of North Hills Shopping Center, the hub of Raleigh’s Midtown neighborhood. Our beautiful office is nestled between top boutiques and restaurants, and an agent is always there to greet you and answer any of your real estate questions. Stop in and learn more about the area and all it has to offer! Many of our agents have called Midtown home for years, and have seen it blossom over the past decade; they have in-depth knowledge of the growing Midtown market and can help find the perfect home for you and your family.

Drop by the Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston Midtown Office in the heart of North Hills at 4350 Lassiter at North Hills, Suite 112, Raleigh, NC 27609 or visit our websites, www.hpw.com or www.hpwluxury.com, for more information on our company and office locations or to connect with an HPW agent.

4350 Lassiter at North Hills, Suite 112 Raleigh, NC 27609 919.789.5200 www.hpw.com | www.hpwluxury.com midtownmag.com | 105

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

special advertising section

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

The Jim Allen Group Col d

106 | midtownmag.com

special advertising section

ol dwell Banker HPW The nationally recognized, award-winning Jim Allen Group was built on one simple truth: our customers are our number one priority. Comprised of 32 agents and 15 support staff, The Jim Allen Group continues to receive accolades for its commitment to excellence in the real estate industry.

A degree in engineering has been especially beneficial in Jim Allen’s real estate success story. His first real estate position was with a firm very strong in new construction as well as resale properties.

Working with the finest custom home builders in the Triangle, the knowledge he has acquired is unequaled. His first year was one of great strides, and he soon became a sales leader in the firm.

Several years later the firm was sold and Jim decided to join Prudential Carolinas Realty, primarily for their nationally prestigious reputation and well respected relocation program. Former clients were very loyal and showed much approval by quickly starting to refer their coworkers and friends. During his time working at Prudential, Jim continued the upward spiral to top sales and top listing agent in the Triangle since 1998, and is currently ranked in the top 10 agents nationally. His trademark talent is finding solutions to clients’ concerns quickly.

In January 2009, Jim transitioned his business to Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston. During

his first few months, he won numerous awards including the International President’s Premier Award.

This prestigious award is the highest honor a Coldwell Banker agent can receive and is presented to less than one percent of sales associates globally. Jim has also been honored with the following awards during his time with Coldwell Banker: Mega Listing Team of the Year, Mega Volume Leader Team of the Year, Mega Sales Team of the Year, and Mega Team of the Year.

Jim attributes his success to a continuing commitment to the marketing and selling of new construction and the dedication of his support team – all personally selected and trained by Jim. The real estate business affords all the challenges needed to hold Jim’s interest. You can expect the most the Triangle’s real estate market has to offer with Jim on your side.

Jim will concede that he is only as successful as the members of his team. One of Jim’s greatest passions is leading with the mindset of helping each member grow to their fullest potential.

Come see why The Jim Allen Group is the number one real estate team in the country.

We sell a home every 10 hours...Let your home be one of them!

5000 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 100 Raleigh, NC 27609 919.845.9909 Info@JimAllen.com | www.JimAllen.com midtownmag.com | 107

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

special advertising section

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

Fonville Morisey Realty

Fonville Morisey Realty is a full-service real estate brokerage in Raleigh, North Carolina, marking 42 years of success in the Triangle in 2015.

Fonville Morisey’s parent company is Long & Foster, one of the largest privately-owned real estate brokerage firms in the country. Being a Long & Foster company allows Fonville Morisey to offer clients an even broader scope of resources and services to meet all of their real estate needs.

The company now proudly serves the entire greater Research Triangle market from 11 strategically located sales offices. With over 800 sales associates and staff, Fonville Morisey ranks as one of the

Triangle’s top employers. A wide range of real estate services are offered by Fonville Morisey, including basic home sales, relocation assistance and a Center for Real Estate Studies. In addition, FM Lending Services and Guaranty Title are integral parts of Fonville Morisey’s business services.

With annual residential real estate sales in excess of $1.75 billion and more than 6,900 area transactions, Fonville Morisey is the number one real estate company in the Triangle.

Fonville Morisey’s corporate headquarters are located at 1000 Saint Albans Drive in Raleigh. For more information, visit fmrealty.com.

Raleigh | Cary | Garner | Durham | Chapel Hill | Wake Forest

108 | midtownmag.com

special advertising section

The Rachel Kendall Team

Let our Family help your Family.

Thank you Triangle for helping us help over 250 families in 2014.

• • •

Dedication to relationships and committed to results Comprehensive, specialized team of caring Real Estate Professionals Helping Buyers find the right home and helping Sellers get the best price in the shortest time

5316 Six Forks Road, Suite 200 Raleigh, NC 27609 919.782.4505 www.rachelkendall.com midtownmag.com | 109

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

special advertising section

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

DT&CO Real Estate

D

T&CO Real Estate was started as an alternative to the “big box” real estate firms that have become the norm in the Triangle market. This multi-generational group of Realtors combines very experienced agents, new-to-the-business agents, and administrative personnel to provide a true one-on-one experience for the buyer or seller client.

As a boutique firm, we are able to change course to correspond with changing market conditions much faster than a larger, more traditional firm. The emphasis is on the individual agent and their clients, outstanding customer service and, above all, impeccable ethics. Our mantra is this…if we give more than 203-101 E. Whitaker Mill Road we take from every transaction, Raleigh, NC 27608 we will always have more than 919.720.4660 enough. We put the $$$ at the dt@dtandcompany.com end of the transaction…where www.dtandcompany.com it belongs.

The Glenwood Agency • • • • •

Specializing in the Raleigh area New construction developments Helping buyers find their perfect new home Helping sellers get their house sold Locating rental homes and condos for tenants

T

he Glenwood Agency is a full-service real estate company eager to assist you with all of your real estate needs! Whether it is finding the perfect home, selling your current home or finding a great downtown rental, our team is excited to assist you!

Our mission is to be your trusted real estate advocate, handling your transactions seamlessly throughout the process. Our vast knowledge of downtown and surrounding areas can be a great asset in your real estate transaction!

110 | midtownmag.com

700 W Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27603 919.828.0077 cabelldtr@glenwoodagency.com www.glenwoodagency.com

special advertising section

The Ida Terbet Group

I

da Terbet is known as a leader in the business community. She has been a top Real Estate Agent for over 25 years and has been consistently ranked at the top of her profession, both locally and nationally. Ida’s accomplishments in the business world are only surpassed by what she has achieved by giving back to the community. She donates both her time and money to local charities. Ida participates in mentoring students, supporting Duke Children’s Hospital and funding scholarships.

Michael Terbet, Ida Terbet and Colleen Terbet Sain

• • •

The Ida Terbet Group has helped over 7,000 families buy or sell their home She is the #1 Large Team at the #1 Real Estate Company in the Triangle, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston Ida’s approach is to turn all of her clients into friends and create lifelong relationships.

5000 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 100 Raleigh, NC 27609 919.846.3212 www.idaterbetgroup.com

midtownmag.com | 111

2015 Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals

PLAY

PARK for Preschoolers Springs Forward

Local preschool turns a playground into a play garden

W

By Kate Turgeon Watson

Where there are young children and parents, there’s negotiation. It’s practically a bargaining session for everything from snacks and naptime to television and what to wear.

For Dorothy Roche, director of Hudson Memorial Preschool on Six Forks Road, the delicate back-and-forth of negotiation is an after-school tradition she overhears almost daily as her young students file out of the building.

Child:

Can we stay and play outside?

Parent: We have to go … (insert boring

errand or other seeminglyunimportant task here)

Child:

Please. For just a little while?

Parent: Okay. Ten minutes. But you have to

promise to go when it’s time.

Deal? Deal.

112 | midtownmag.com

Here’s the thing: the deal, educators say, is a big deal. Playing outside encourages imagination, cooperation among friends, and development. A playground is an extension of a classroom. To many children, playtime is the best time of a school day. And getting to stay after school and enjoy a little bonus playtime? That may be even more popular than a Dixie cup full of Goldfish crackers.

For the children of HMP, playtime happens in a play garden. It’s a new space that was dedicated in September 2014. It has an amphitheater, playhouse and wooden boardwalk for children ages two to four.

Toddlers have their own section with a padded track for push and ride-on toys, a grassy lawn mound, and an earth play digging area.

The beginnings of the play garden date back more than three years, and it was the memory of one of HMP’s own students that prompted a conversation about a new play space. “A child who was in the preschool had died in a tragic accident,” Rev. Dr. Mac Schafer, pastor of Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, says. The family, he adds, was looking for community projects to support in memory of their child. As Schafer met with them and talked, one of the things that came up was improving the preschool’s playground.

Hudson Memorial Preschool dedicated its new play garden in September. Organizers created a space where children may use their imagination and enjoy natural elements. A twirling butterfly (above) is a functional play piece dedicated to the memory of a HMP student.

The nine-member preschool board began to research play areas. “We started thinking, ‘What would we really want to do out there if we could do anything?’ That’s when the idea of the play garden started … a natural space that used outdoor elements,” Schafer says. “It’s a way of really prompting the child’s imagination.”

The board held fundraisers until $80,000 was raised to begin construction on the project, which had a total cost of around $97,000.

Today, just five months after its dedication, the play garden is a bustling space that’s home to laughter, foot races and the occasional “are you okay?” when one of the students takes an inevitable tumble. Children walk along the boardwalk. They sit in the amphitheater and watch as friends take the main stage.

They get artsy at the chalkboard. They practice balance and coordination on a balance beam. And, when the weather warms up, they will use the water feature for play and science exploration.

Because of maintenance needs, organizers chose padded turf for the large portion of the play area. They chose Bermuda grass for what’s known

as the toddler hill that surrounds an in-ground slide. Crepe myrtles and other natural elements were added to give a park-like feel in a Midtown location that has a growing, urban atmosphere.

“Each area has multiple uses – playful and educational,” Shawn Jackson, HMP board vice chair, explains. A stone slab table with stump seats can be used as an outdoor classroom setting, a place to share a meal, or a path of stumps at varying heights for children to balance on.

The play garden includes a butterfly

structure that students may twirl.

Created by local artist Clark Hipolito and donated by play garden contractor Jason Edmondson, the colorful butterfly is a symbol of the presence of the child who loved to play and inspired the new play garden. Her name is written in script on the piece.

The boys and girls do twirl that butterfly, often spinning it and running off quickly to the next thing – the fire truck or repurposed play structure in the center of the play garden.

From their upper-floor offices that overlook the play garden, both Schafer and Roche say they can hear the sounds and see the sights of the fun, learning and growth that are happening below during the school day.

“This is like old-fashioned play. The kind of play I had growing up where you opened the door and you went outside and played,” Roche says. “That’s what this feels like. The children just have to come up with it. There are enough prompts, but it’s open-ended play.”

While imaginative play may be nothing new for children, there are some new elements that make a play garden different from a playground. See why organizers made their choices.

Old School

New School

Prevalent materials: plastic and metal

More natural materials: Wood, shrubbery, stone, trees, vines, mulch and sand

Playhouse with four sides

Facades only with window and door openings, plus front porches. Creating the “inside” is up to a child’s imagination.

Teepee

Open-air teepee creates sense of private space, but no child is left out because of a single entrance

Swings and merry-go-rounds

Trike track with necessary safety equipment. Teachers manage the traffic pattern. Hills and slopes make it a challenge.

midtownmag.com | 113

Football

at fever pitch

Fervent English Premier League supporters cheer for their teams in the Triangle

By Paul Savery | Photography by Davies Photography

114 | midtownmag.com

I don’t routinely find myself sitting at a bar at 9:45am, but this Saturday morning I am hanging out at The London Bridge Pub in downtown Raleigh waiting for the English Premier League (EPL) soccer matches to appear on the row of television screens above the English styled bar, festooned with soccer paraphernalia. The difference between Greenwich Mean Time and Eastern Standard Time accounts for the typically early start of soccer matches broadcast from England and shown in the US. I am here to watch the Tottenham Hotspur FC (aka Spurs) match and hoping some fellow random Tottenham supporters will join me.

The London Bridge Pub is a very friendly place and on this particular morning our host is the very convivial co-owner, Michael Ruiz. Michael played

Tottenham's scortching hot new english star, harry kane.

soccer as a boy and started watching televised soccer ten years ago at a local bar with his English friend and current business partner, Darren Bridger. Darren is a keen Liverpool FC supporter, so Mike adopted Liverpool as his team. Not surprisingly, London Bridge has become the local hub for Liverpool supporters, but supporters of all EPL clubs are welcome. The pub possesses six television screens and Mr. Ruiz is prepared to show every EPL soccer match simultaneously.

Unfortunately on this day no other Tottenham supporters turned up, and I sat rather forlornly alone while the Liverpool horde cheered on their team down at the other end of the bar. I regretted not bringing my lovely “lab” for company, as

this is a dog-friendly pub.

The Triangle has been at the center of the soccer revolution in the US over the past decade; soccer is played here at every level and by every age group. The local Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) is home to over 20,000 players. The Triangle Adult Soccer League is North Carolina’s largest adult soccer league.

Cary hosts the Carolina RailHawks, a professional men’s soccer team, founded in 2006. Interest in English soccer teams has also erupted. NBC, in return for paying $250 million for the US television rights of the EPL, is now providing unprecedented coverage of EPL matches which average nearly half a million American viewers (more than National

Hockey League games) across the USA.

Sport is ultimately a communal experience; it as about being part of the tribe. A growing number of fans have decided to create a home away from home for their EPL teams, and congregating at a local bar is a way of forging camaraderie and a sense of belonging. In the Triangle, supporters of several EPL teams regularly meet up at local bars, which they have staked out as their own, to watch their team play. A few EPL teams have "officially sanctioned" Supporters Clubs in the Triangle, such as the Liverpool FC who meet at the London Bridge Pub and Arsenal America’s Triangle Gooners who meet at Bull McCabe’s in Durham.

I am naturally interested in joining up with the Tottenham fans but their official Supporters Club gathering place, The Crabtree Tavern in Raleigh closed down a few months ago, and since then Tottenham fans have become something of a lost tribe in the Triangle.

With the increased availability of EPL matches on television, it has become easier for Americans to be an EPL soccer club fan. The larger question is how does an American fan make the fateful commitment to an EPL club “til death do us part”? Like Michael Ruiz, for most Americans the field is completely clear; they can support anyone they damn well please! They frequently have no attachment to a particular English city, nor did they inherit an obligation to a club that has been supported by their family for generations.

Tottenham does have a few players to tempt the uncommitted American fan.

Ohio native Brad Friedel was once the first-choice goalkeeper but at 43 years old he currently warms the bench. Seattle native Deandre Yedlin, a 21-year-old defender, joined the club this year and carries the weight of high expectations; and the Texas native, forward Clint midtownmag.com | 115

gladwell orthodontics_ma.pdf

1

2/7/14

9:18 AM

The london bridge pub is located on E. Hargett Street in downotwn Raleigh.

Dempsey joined Tottenham for the 2012-13 season making him the highest paid US soccer player of all time. (He has since moved on.)

The pledge of loyalty to an EPL club should not be taken lightly. Writer Nick Hornby, a long suffering Arsenal FC fan, writes in “Fever Pitch”, (one of the best books on soccer) “…loyalty, at least in football terms, was not a moral choice like bravery or kindness; it was more like a wart or a hump, something you were stuck with.” You don’t defect to another team when you hit a long losing streak or when you realize you hate the coach. You have to just deal with it. I have discovered that as a lifelong Tottenham fan, it is not a life of ease but a life of frequent, bitter disappointments, shattered expectations and ultimately bouts of pain and suffering. I’m serving a life sentence! I’ve been married to the Spurs longer than I have been to my wife.

I know for me as a young boy I did not choose the club, but the club chose me. I wasn’t kidnapped and tortured by the fans, but simply hypnotized by a particular player. To quote the writer John Crace, “And one man and one face stood out: Jimmy Greaves. Brilliant striker, stylishly Brylcreemed hair: here was the epitome of cool and glamour. I wanted to be Jimmy. I was Jimmy. I became the Spurs.” This was also how I became a lifelong Tottenham supporter.

Despite the wide television coverage of EPL matches, there are some challenges to even the most ardent of sports fan when you are separated from your team’s home stadium by 38,000 miles and a five-hour time difference. Unfortunately, distance and time do not buffer you from the agony of defeat. As a Tottenham supporter there are certainly days when, after a particularly poor performance by your team, you might be relieved that you are separated from your team by the Atlantic Ocean, and on occasions you might also be tempted to throw yourself in it! Such are the highs and lows of sports fandom. Today, Tottenham won and I let out a quiet cheer, “Come on You Spurs.”

116 | midtownmag.com

G N I T HIT c

e m o h o t lose Roller derby is fast physical and very � Rollergirls real – and the Carolina thrive on the competition.

by Kurt Dusterberg | photography by joshua craig midtownmag.com | 117

Bethany Perguson is a speech therapist who works on a preschool assessment team. Her position calls for the gentle and patient type, which she is. At least some of the time.

Outside of work, she’s got a mean streak. Thankfully, she has roller derby.

“I’m a total sensory seeker,” Perguson says. “I love that crashing feeling, and there’s nowhere else in my life where I can get that. I like getting knocked down, I like knocking people down.”

The Carolina Rollergirls is a sanctioned roller derby league made up of skaters from around the Triangle.

In previous generations, roller derby was more of a show, with scripted bouts and theatrical elements. There is nothing staged about today’s derby.

“That’s usually the typical reaction,” says veteran skater Leigh Salmon, a member of the Chapel Thrillers. “People think it’s fake. But we’ve been around for a while, so more people are picking up on it.”

The Carolina Rollergirls formed in 2004 after one of Salmon’s friends saw roller derby played in Texas. Intrigued by the idea, they made flyers, recruited players and formed a league. Today, the Rollergirls have three “home” teams – Raleigh Ruckus, Chapel Thrillers and Durham Crash. Two travel teams, AllStars and Bootleggers, play squads from other cities and states.

Local matches draw a few hundred regulars, but the regional games at Raleigh’s Dorton Arena draw as many as 2,000 fans. There’s no money in it 118 | midtownmag.com

for the athletes. In fact, they pay to play. The Rollergirls take pride in the do-it-yourself nature of their sport. It’s no-frills, right down to their practice facility – an unoccupied warehouse at an auto repair shop.

The game is played on a short track. Each team has five players with a designated scorer, called a jammer. The other players on both teams try to block the opposing jammer while helping their own to break free, playing offense and defense at the same time. The jammer scores points by breaking out to lap members of the other team.

If there is an obvious selling point to the game, it’s the physical contact.

Most of the women thrive on it. But there’s also a nod to the sport’s past, as many players have intimidating or clever nicknames. Carol Welsh embodies both ideas. In derby, she’s known as Deathica Rabbit. At six feet tall, she’s not someone you want to mess with.

“The hardest part about being tall is being able to get low properly,” says Welsh, a junior who is studying aerospace engineering at NC State. “If I can get low enough, I can hit someone in the legs, scoop them up and literally throw them off the track.”

While most of the players go for the intimidating monikers, you get the occasional Princess America. That’s Pergerson’s handle. She wears red, white and blue right down to her skates, making her one of the more memorable skaters during her seven years in the game.

“When I first started, it was all mean names and bad girls,” she says.

“That just wasn’t really me. I wanted to find a way to stand out from that. There were no girls who were, Hey, I’m the sweet patriotic girl! I felt like I could embarrass somebody if I knocked them down, and they were like, ‘I just got knocked down by Princess America.’”

Miki Rezentes, known as Miki Sixx on the track, is a mother of five. Like many of her teammates, she grew up playing sports like softball, volleyball and basketball. But as her playing days faded into the past, she realized that just staying active wasn’t enough.

“Everyone needs to have a physical outlet, and I hate running on a treadmill,” says Sixx, an Apex resident.

“I love being on a team.”

Taking on a fast-paced, physical sport at age 40 may not be the norm, but Rezentes confronts the challenge head-on.

“Even now sometimes I have to

The Carolina Rollergirls open their season at Dorton Arena on March 7th. For the complete schedule and tryout information, visit carolinarollergirls.com.

get past the mind game that goes on when you’re about to do something on your skates that scares you,” she says. “When you get older, you don’t push yourself that way. You forget how tough you can be until you’re pushing it all the time. “

The rough play leads to some bad outcomes. The knees take a beating with all the skating, and breaking a fall is hard on the hands. But the bumps, bruises and surgeries are just temporary setbacks. There’s an adrenaline rush that goes along with owning your own raucous corner of the competitive sports world.

“I’m very friendly, but when I get out there, there is this feeling that I have to do everything I can to help my team and to help my jammer,” says Salmon, whose derby name is Eva Lye. (Say it quickly a few times. It will come to you.)

“I absolutely love the physical aspect of it. I love to hit and get hit. Whenever I get hit and I’m not looking, I always praise the girl,” she says, with a laugh. “‘What an amazing hit!’” midtownmag.com | 119

© Chris Walt Photography

Stoneybrook

Steeplechase

A Tradition Evolves

By Corbie Hill

120 | midtownmag.com

T

Triangle residents look for any excuse to head down to the Pinehurst/Southern Pines area, and it’s often for things other than golf. One of those events is North Carolina’s proud tradition of a homegrown steeplechase where attendees dress up, pull out the fancy silver and set up a swank picnic spread.

Stonybrook Steeplechase is a Sandhills tradition dating to the 40s, when Irish rider Michael “Mickey” Walsh moved to Southern Pines and bought a stable. It’s evolved and moved – today it calls Raeford’s Carolina Horse Park home – though its survival hasn’t always been guaranteed. When events and logistics manager Abby Schlicht came on in late 2009 to plan the 2010 event, attendance had been flagging.

© Chris Walt Photography, courtesy of Carolina Horse Park

© Chris Walt Photography

“They had a pretty bad year as far as attendance – the year before it rained. It wasn’t great,” she says. Thinking memories were enough to bring people in, the park had stopped advertising; it didn’t work. “So I was brought in to bring it back.”

Today, the Steeplechase is a mix of local tradition and new ideas. Sure, it retains the reunion feel it has for years – some perennially reserve the same tailgating spot and others run into old classmates here – yet elements of Stonybrook continue to evolve. Case in point: 2015 is the first year the Steeplechase is using Etix.com – a more familiar website to concert-goers than horseracing fans – to sell tickets.

“One of the things with Stoneybrook is, we’re always looking at how we can make it better,” Schlicht says. “It’s not like it’s this

simple formula where every time we run it it’s the exact same thing.” New this year, too, is Frontstretch Fest – a hipper, trendier eventwithin-an-event. With a jazz band, vendors and bourbon and local beer tastings, the separately-ticketed Frontstretch offers a party for young professionals.

And then there’s the raison d’etre itself – the race, which many jockeys love because of the excellent turf at Carolina Horse Park. And though some racing experts attend, many come for the mix of equestrian tradition and social reunion. And Schlicht is glad she could help keep the Steeplechase going – 64 years and counting.

“I look back to 2010 and where we were then and where we are now,” she says. “I’m amazed that in five years we’ve taken it as far as we have.” midtownmag.com| 121

midtowndowntown

THE At the Intersection of Tech and Art, Downtown Murals Color Raleigh’s Past and Future

By Karlie Justus Marlowe / Photography by David Davies

122 | midtownmag.com

W

ith downtown Raleigh’s renaissance in full force, new breweries, dessert bars, restaurants, corporate headquarters and condos have begun to color the energy of the city center.

But what about the actual color?

Public art in downtown Raleigh takes on many shapes. There’s the winking silver of the Convention Center shimmer wall, which often makes its way into Red Hat Amphitheater performers’ on-stage banter; the green topography of the Daily Planet globe at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences; and the brassy brown acorn in the Oak City’s Moore Square.

But there’s another form of outdoor art that’s catching the interest of local historians and urban planners alike: the mural.

Historically, many early murals around Raleigh were commercial advertisements for classic brands like CocaCola and Pepsi – both of which battled within blocks of each other in Historic Oakwood, and were recently uncovered and restored. Businesses also put their own stamps on their buildings with painted renderings of their logos, like the warehouse district’s Dillon Supply Co. and the former Nehi Bottling Co. on Hillsborough Street.

(left) A Community group Beautifying Emerging Spaces completed this 200-foot-long mural at S. West Street in summer of 2013.

(Above) Hillsborough Street’s SubConscious advertises with a larger-than-life-sandwich.

Unlike today’s 140-character and 30-second digital marketing strategies, this type of advertising may be up for generations.

“A mural is a commitment,” said Jedidiah Gant, one of the founders of The Raleigh Murals Project.

Together with artist Sean Kernick and J.T. Moore, Gant started the organization to connect businesses with artists and spur along the creative and logistical process of putting pen to paper – or, in this case, paint to brick.

In addition to historic logo restoration and new business branding, The Raleigh Murals Project hopes to encourage original art designs that reflect the community and its residents.

“In Raleigh,” said Gant, “the design and art community is just as old as business and tech.”

It’s no surprise, then, The Raleigh Murals Project is a combination of both. Over the summer of 2014, Gant, who lives downtown and mans the cool-sourcing social sites of former blog New Raleigh, posted several pictures of buildings ripe for art to New Raleigh’s online channels and categorized them with #putamuralhere.

“A hashtag started it all,” said Gant. “We wanted to say – look at all these canvases. Let’s turn an unused facade into something beautiful.”

The movement quickly gained momentum, drawing a flurry of comments and tweets on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Gant, alongside partners Sean Kernick and J.T. Moore, recognized the opportunity and quickly set up The Raleigh Murals Project with the goal of promoting public artwork in Raleigh.

By September, the organization created a website designed to connect businesses with artists, offer design advice, and bridge partnerships with other local design and downtown organizations like the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

“It’s the right time, as young business owners are midtownmag.com | 123

(above) Colorful paintings take the place of street-level windows at the transportation-themed mural at the Dillon Supply Co., owned by Triangle Transit. (right) Urban meets rural at City Market’s painted ode to agriculture. (below) Artist Luke Buchanan repainted the Nehi Building on Hillsborough Street before completing the urban maze on the facade at restaurateur Ashley Christensen’s soon-to-be-opened Death and Taxes.

looking to make our community better,” said Gant. “Just like a business would hang art inside, a mural is like hanging art outside.”

Local artist Luke Buchanan has contributed both styles of mural art, restoring Hillsborough Street’s Nehi Building logo and designing an original piece for the site of Ashley Christensen’s new Hargett Street restaurant Death and Taxes.

Both projects were coordinated by developer James Goodnight, who met Buchanan at an art show, and careful consideration was made to fit each project’s environment.

“We used archival photographs to keep the Nehi logo as original as possible,” said Buchanan, who graduated from NC State University’s College of Design. Without the benefit of color photos, the artist looked to similar existing designs to keep the color story as authentic as 124 | midtownmag.com

possible. While he was at it, he also repainted neighboring coffee shop Cup of Joe’s logo.

It was Buchanan’s first large-scale mural, but not his last. It took a year and a half to conceptualize and execute the maze of ladders and landings on the Hargett Street facade, working around weather delays, busy parking lots and equipment malfunctions.

Harried nine-to-fivers and articulated boom lifts aside, Buchanan notes the hardest part is making sure the mural matches its surroundings and doesn’t get lost in the large scale.

The result: a real-life game of Donkey Kong, featuring a fire escape maze that Buchanan made sure was solvable.

“Fire escapes are very much part of the urban vernacular, but are something Raleigh doesn’t have many of. It stands out, but still blends in,” said Buchanan, who

used the same colors as the Nehi Building restoration for the design’s underpainting.

Buchanan’s recent additions to the downtown mural gallery join newcomers like the modern quilt at Boulted Bread and Oak City Cycling’s biking animals, rounding out mainstays like Lincoln Theater, City Market and the butterflies near Marbles Kids Museum – with more to come at a measured pace.

“We’re treating this less like the hare and more like the tortoise,” said Gant, who points to Miami and Richmond, Virginia as cities where the strategic pace of public art has proven successful.

Raleigh’s Urban Design Center echoes that call for careful planning, especially as demand increases.

“More and more, rather than plop art down with the goal of having a star on a map that shouts ‘public art

A mural at downtown newcomer Boulted Bread, located on W. South Street, draws inspiration from a modern patchwork quilt.

Unless located in a historic district, business owners face little design restriction from the city.

here!’, it’s being integrated into planning,” said UDC principal urban designer Grant Meacci.

“It’s that kind of richness that’s going to make Raleigh a desirable place to live.”

The UDC is a group of architects, landscape architects and urban planners that help create area plans, corridor studies and streetscapes to improve Raleigh’s urban areas – or, as Meacci notes, to “promote interesting urban fabric.”

The UDC hopes to be a resource for engaged community members and organizations, with the goal of engaging downtown Raleigh residents and employees in the public art discussion as new projects are planned.

“We’re looking for ways to activate lost space – and murals are perfect for that,” said Meacci. midtownmag.com | 125

midtowndowntown

HORSING around

With View of Raleigh’s Expanding Skyline, Vintage Carousel Readies for Chavis Park Renovations

By Karlie Justus Marlowe / Photography by David Davies 126 | midtownmag.com

T

here’s a different kind of public transportation readying for expansion in downtown Raleigh.

Perched on a hill in the city center’s southeast corner, 36 hand-carved, hand-painted horses dressed in brightly colored blankets and saddles make a circular commute to the tunes of a Wurlitzer 146 band organ. Inside a windowed carousel house, the striped and spotted wooden horses offer a spectacular view of Raleigh’s growing skyline.

The vintage carousel, a hidden gem tucked into the 23 acres of John Chavis Memorial Park, is one of less than 300 merry-go-rounds that still exist in the United States – and one of two in Raleigh.

“Raleigh is fortunate to have two carousels within the city at Chavis and Pullen Parks – it’s a total luxury,” said Troy Burton, administrator of the Raleigh Historic Resources and Museum Program. “And they’re two totally different experiences.”

The Chavis carousel stands apart from neighboring Pullen Park’s Dentzel Carousel, known for its menagerie of animals. It is an Allan Herschell design, explains Marvin Howell, manager of the Pullen and Chavis Parks historic attractions, and all of its horses are “jumpers” – horses that go up and down throughout the ride. Howell and his staff work with Illinois conservator Lisa Parr to keep the animals in shape, rotating each animal every seven years to maintain its appearance and mechanics. Their work midtownmag.com | 127

Conservator Lisa Parr checks in on the carousel horses twice a year, picking up and delivering the jumpers she has touched up.

is part of a bigger effort to restore the carousel, and encourage ridership and park attendance.

“The carousel was recently moved and renovated, reopening on April 20th, 2013,” said Howell.

And on the heels of the recent $91.775 million bond referendum approval for the city’s parks and recreational facilities, the carousel’s home will soon get a facelift of its own. As part of the bond, $12.5 million will be allocated to the park.

“As renovations kick into gear, we are excited for the opportunity in front of us to reinvest in Chavis Park,” said Burton.

Chavis Park is the largest community park located within walking distance to downtown – but its history reaches much further than Raleigh. Named after John Chavis, a Revolutionary War soldier, preacher and educator born to a free African American family in Granville County, NC, it housed barracks of black troops during World War II.

Under the Works Progress Administration, a Depression-era relief agency, it became a premiere destination for African American recreational activities.

Authorized in 1935 on the grounds of the former State’s School for the Negro Blind, the park opened to the public two years later. The grand opening for the carousel on July 4th, 1937 drew thousands. The original park also featured a swimming pool, refreshment stands, playground and picnic grounds.

128 | midtownmag.com

When and where to ride?

Chavis Park Carousel House, at East Lenoir Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Carousel Hours October-March Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm | Sunday 12:30-6pm April-September Monday-Friday 10am-9pm | Saturday 9am-8pm | Sunday 10am-6pm $1 per ride; children 12 months and younger free with paying adult.

Tickets may be used at both Chavis and Pullen Park carousels.

Through the 1960s, it served as a regional park for African Americans during segregation; it was the only major park between Atlanta and Washington, DC that allowed access to black families during the Jim Crow years.

“It was a great communal place for African Americans,” said Lonnette Williams, chair of the Central Citizens Advisory Council and longtime South Park resident. “It was vibrant.”

Williams recalls her father taking her to baseball games at the sports stadium in the park, and skating down the park’s hilly eastern edge. After downtown parades, she remembers, the park served as a celebratory gathering place that drew families to its dance pavilion, and hosted weddings and family reunions. During the summer, fans packed out the Chavis Community Center for Chavis Summer League basketball games, a semi-professional

league that drew collegiate and professional athletes.

But as integration opened up new recreational options and families migrated to Raleigh’s suburbs, the park closed. “It sat as a shell for many years,” said Williams.

Since reopening in the mid-seventies, the city attempted to improve the park throughout the eighties and nineties without gaining much traction. Williams helped lead a recent petition to restore the park, gathering more than 1,000 signatures from downtown residents in support of the park’s revitalization.

Using its bond allocation, Chavis Park’s redesign will be led by Raleigh design firm Clearscapes, and its master plan is set to include a cafe, historic exhibits and space for live music and events, in addition to a new pool and community center, upgraded outdoor sports facilities, and basic amenities like restrooms, which are currently missing from the park.

With the planned improvements, Burton likens the park amusements’ urban setting to that of Coney Island or Highland Park, and a prime place for educational opportunities.

“So much of what we learn is done digitally, so getting your hands on the carousel is such a tactile interaction,” said Burton. “Not many kids can have that kind of experience in a municipal park setting.”

Williams and her downtown neighbors are committed to improving the park and all of its resources, in addition to the carousel – which, she notes, is just one of the park’s many jewels.

“As long as there’s life and breath in us, we’ll see the plans through,” said Williams. “The community is excited about the plans to make it vibrant and usable, and to honor its history.”

midtownmag.com| 129

healthy you

Is Your Workout Not Working For Your Skin?

by Davis & Pyle Plastic Surgery

Y

ou know how great you feel after a tough workout – a long run or bike, time on exercise machines, or a good game of tennis. Though you’re sweaty and exhausted, you notice that the exhilaration shows in your glowing skin. Exercise is both your skin’s BFF (that glow) and its archenemy (sun damage, sweat-induced acne). And need we even mention a runner’s feet, with unsightly calluses and blisters? Don’t hang up your tennis shoes to save your skin just yet. The benefit to your mind, body AND skin by consistently raising your heartbeat far outweighs these preventable or treatable nuisances.

The stress relief provided by exercise wards off a rise in cortisol, which causes collagen in the skin to break down, and can cause wrinkles and sagging. Sweating also purges your body of toxins that can clog pores and plague your skin with pimples and blemishes. Making a few easy changes to your workout routine can help you reap all the benefits, and leave the negative side effects in the dust.

1. Shower after Working Out After working out, shower as soon as possible to help cleanse the skin of the excess oil and toxins that can remain on your skin after sweating up a storm. At the same time, be aware of the ingredients you’re putting on your skin. Sulfates, which are very common in soaps and body washes, can be dehydrating enough to trigger body breakouts.

2. Exfoliate Regularly Working up a sweat on a regular basis is actually a great way to keep your skin hydrated, but all that sweat can also result in a buildup of pore-clogging, blemish-causing dead skin cells

130 | midtownmag.com

on the skin’s surface. Use a gentle body scrub as a part of your post-workout cleanup routine to help slough away dead skin cells and other impurities that can contribute to breakouts.

3. Use Spot Treatment to Prevent Over-Drying Skin In the event of embarrassing body blemishes, use a spot treatment to help clear it up. Choose one with salicylic acid, and use only sparingly. This acid has the power to dry out pimples, but can also dry out surrounding skin if applied too generously.

4. Choose the right SPF Wearing sunscreen on a run is just as critical as wearing the right shoes. Do not limit regular SPF use to the summer months. It’s easy to associate winter with frostbite and windburn, but most people are unaware that UV rays can be every bit as damaging on the slopes as on the beach. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30 or higher whenever you spend extended time outdoors.

Apply 30 minutes before heading outside. You should apply at least one teaspoon to the face.

Be sure to cover often-missed spots: lips, ears, neck, scalp, hands, around the eyes and the underside of chin. Reapply every two hours, and immediately after heavy sweating. Using something convenient makes you more likely to remember to apply. We like Elta MD UV Spray SPF 46, a water-resistant spray sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection. It’s paraben-free, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free for those with sensitive skin.

If you are suffering from skin conditions such as rosacea or psoriasis, make sure to consult with your doctor before embarking on a new exercise regimen. Certain skin conditions may require you to add an additional layer of protection to your skin while you work out.

A few simple steps of prevention and after-care for the largest organ of the human body – your skin – goes a long way in keeping it healthy, conditioned, supple, and more likely to be trouble-free for years to come.

coming up in the next

+

HISTOR

ting a RALEIGIC H name to Put

a Place

DOsAND DON’Ts Of hOliDay DecOra TiNg

THE ESSENTIAL

GUIDE

73 amazing gifts for everyone on • 8 holiday your list stories yo disaster u have to read • 4 rec sure to im ipes • 4 perfectpress getaway ski spots • 14 pairs of musthave jeans • 5 tips to wear red lipstick

SPRING

TheHSummer Issue MARC MADNESS

d 1

PG. 40

e guid 88 page

2013

Beer RIL MARCH/AP

mm 001 cover.indd

10/24/13

sTyles

11:44 AM

12 breweries taste-tested for YOUR drinking enjoyme page 114nt!

for

fall 2014

o b e r s e p t e m b e r / o c t

2 0 1 4

l’s +Fal ’s ds And what Furry Frien

meR 62 SUmpage without jUIcY, delicious

j u ly / a u g u s t

2 0 1 4

1

2013

> MEN’S

TRIANGLE+ HEALTH:

An UpHiLL BATTLE AgAinsTsons rea 50 sTUBB ornnEss pAgE

Ice cream

july/aug ust

Who doesn’t love that cold, cReAmY goodness?

We’ve got you covered!

mm 001 cover.indd

2013

1

february january/

I

...we found 12 that are sure to please!

Ultimate Spa Gu ide N o. 9 parks, museums,

weather, location, and more! shopping, craft beer

cHOW’S Flatline Burger

Burgers

to LoVe the

2/21/13 9:43 AM

120

page 86

The Wea the r

+

6/26/13 10:51 AM

20 14

cover.ind

Pag e 40

DIA M WI OND NN A eR WA s! RD

mm 001

who mad e theelse list?

IT’S HERE! e privat l schoo

The musT-have Trends and

Ca tf sa nd wiish Ch

in to wn

PG. 72

2014

nove mber /dec embe r

the tas ties t

STYLE 2013

Planning for Financial Success Depending on where you are in life, financial planning may be on the fore of your mind or just a nagging afterthought. It is never too soon or too late to let a professional give you great advice on how to stop worrying and start planning your financial future.

mm 001 cover.indd

2014

Kids in Summertime Summertime is right around the corner, and kids of all ages want to know how they will wile away the steamy days of summer once SCHOOL’S OUT! We’ll give ideas for both indoor and outdoor adventures to help kids beat the heat while staying active and stimulated.

12/20/13 12:38 PM

1

Midtown Reviews | Bain’s Beat | Calendar of Events | Healthy You on the scene | Midtown Mingles | and much more!

midtownmag.com| 131

PINEHURST JANUARY/FEBRUA

RY 2015

MAGA ZIN E

All About Our

Southern

Food Sunday Supper with Chef Debailleul page 20

An Interview with 195’s Chef Nath

+

Senior Living

page 40

page 26 P I N E H U R S T

caryliving.com

132 | midtownmag.com

|

S O U T H E R N

P I N E S

|

A B E R D E E N

pinehurstmagazine.com

®

midtownmag.com | 133

midtownmingles On Wednesday, January 14th, Midtown Magazine hosted its seventh annual Diamond Awards party at Mura in North Hills. Almost 200 guests braved the cold to find out who the big winners were for 2015. The celebration included delicious food courtesy of Eschelon Hospitality. Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, Empire Eats, DPAC, Broadway Series South, Expedia CruiseShipCenters and the NC Retail Merchants Association capped things off with jewelry and gift certificate raffles.

Each guest received a swag bag that included gifts from some of our great local businesses. Thanks to everyone who made it out!

>>Photography

134 | midtownmag.com

by Sean Junqueria Photography

midtownmingles

midtownmag.com midtownmag.com| | 135

midtownmingles

diamonds direct crabtree hosts christopher slowinski

On February 13th and 14th Christopher Slowinski, designer and founder of Christopher Designs Inc., was in town to help Diamonds Direct Crabtree celebrate an amazing Valentine’s Day weekend. One lucky customer won a beautiful Christopher Designs, diamond pendant necklace!

Hot Chocolate Run & SPCA Doggie Dash

The Raleigh School helps with Stop Hunger Now Event

A group of over 175 individuals joined forces to package 10,600 meals for Stop Hunger Now. Students, parents, alums, grandparents and friends gathered to honor the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.and the MLK Day of Service.

On January 4th, 300 runners and nearly 100 dogs came out to support the Wake County SPCA. All participants in what turned out to be a mud run were certified “FIT & Able” and toasted their accomplishment with hot chocolate. Runners capped off the event with live music by CityFolk.

136 | midtownmag.com

midtownmingles

vip social at davis & pyle plastic surgery

Davis & Pyle Plastic Surgery hosted a VIP social on February 20th in honor of their new space, Skin Raleigh.

With a ‘shop local’ theme, guests dined courtesy of Rey’s Restaurant and sampled bourbon from The Oak and vodka from TOPO Distillery. With local business donating products and services, over $3,000 was raised for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham.

cocktail fundraiser

On Saturday, February 7th, the Poe Young Professionals hosted their third annual cocktail fundraiser to benefit The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education. More than 200 people came out to celebrate the “Poe Rodeo”, which featured a silent auction, raffles, drinks, barbeque and a photo booth. The event raised more than $20,000 to support the Poe Center’s health education programming for NC children.

annual team celebration

Synergy Spa, Aesthetics and Wellness held its annual team celebration at C. Grace. The crowd was treated to a private performance by celebrated jazz artist Yolanda Rabun. Catering Works provided the delicious food, while C. Grace offered a menu of delicious cocktails. The feeling of love and Synergy was shared by all.

midtownmag.com | 137

everydayplaces

ABOUT Everyday Places takes a close look at Raleigh’s urban fabric and its under-appreciated areas that are essential to a healthy city.

IN PRAISE OF ALLEYS Watercolor and Text by Frank Harmon, FAIA Unnoticed, random, and disheveled as they appear, alleyways are some of the most vital parts of a city.

One hundred years ago Raleigh’s Cameron Park, Oakwood, and Boylan Heights neighborhoods were all built with tree-lined streets and dirt-paved alleys. A home had two fronts: one to the street and another to the alley.

Alleys were the veins and arteries of these neighborhoods. Coal, ice and milk were delivered here; garbage, ashes and old furniture were taken away. Utility lines and telephone cables draped above the alleys while below wooden sheds housed cars, woodworking shops, or even a distant cousin who was getting divorced.

Because alleys were shady and car-free, children made their playgrounds here. And because keeping up appearances was not imperative, gardens were more dense and interesting, lawn chairs were arranged more comfortably, and a recycling bin was not out of place next to a patch of zinnias. As one resident said, “We have more friends on the alley than on the street. Why? We’re out in the alley all the time.”

Sometime around 1930 builders stopped making streets and alleys, and the cul-de-sac became the predominant building form. Yet today Cameron Park still flourishes and cities like Toronto have sponsored a renaissance of tiny houses on its alleys.

Long live the alleyway.

Online: Visit the archive at NativePlaces.org

138 | midtownmag.com