Midtown Magazine

Raleigh Denim op Worksh y or + Curat

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a note FROM the publisher Publisher/Editor Sioux Watson Advertising Sales Sioux Watson | Charis Painter Kathleen Moran | 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

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tailgating tips • apps • recipes

september/october

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2012

2/22/12 8:29 PM

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

Diamond

YouR CoMFoRt ZoNe

FooD KS tRuC with the what’s new craze?

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

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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

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AWARDS 2012 STEPPING OUTSIDE

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Sioux

Photography Davies Photography Jennifer Robertson Photography Sean Junqueira Photography

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

Additionally, we’ll give busy guys creative ways to sneak in workouts, keeping the whole family happy and healthy.

Who doesn’t love a bargain lunch or dinner? Cheap eats that taste good are always in fashion, and I am happy to tell you we’ve found some spots that can provide you with both. Send us more ideas and we’ll share those with readers in the future.

Hopscotch founder Greg Lowenhagen is on hand to explain how Raleigh’s homegrown, nationally recognized music festival (now in its fifth year), has grown, and why there is something for everyone this year. Locals love it, and so do local businesses that enjoy increased revenues from visitors who attend.

I hope you enjoy some of our newest features; Sunday Supper visits Midtown Grille’s Benjamin Harris this issue and Our Giving Back nonprofit focuses on Activate Good, a locally grown nonprofit started by a NC State student that matches volunteers with other nonprofits.

Love your city? We do too; send us ideas of stories worth covering.

FALL

S

cience is fun! Later this month, on July 31st, 2015 we’ll be having a rare “Blue Moon”, when a second full moon falls in one month. It happens only every two to three years, and the last time we had a Blue Moon was August 31st, 2012.

I hope you are reading our magazine every issue, and not just once in a Blue Moon. Pick up a free copy – they are on stands throughout town, and Midtown is the only magazine available in the North Hills Shopping Center. Did you know you could also have Midtown Magazine mailed directly to your home for only $20 a year?

Go to our website to order or give us a call.

Since Raleigh is a hub for visitors, business travellers, politicians, real estate developers, services seekers, shoppers and diners from all over the state and country, and many of these folks pick up Midtown, we want to make sure everyone that lives and works in Raleigh never misses an issue.

Downtown dweller Karlie Justus Marlowe shares six of her favorites of the many hidden gems of Raleigh. Check out what’s worth exploring in your downtime, or during your summer staycation in town.

Raise your hand if you love going to the doctor for your annual physical!

Men are especially guilty of putting those annual health checks on the back burner; we’ll explain why that is not a good idea.

Contributing Writers Christa Gala | Kate Turgeon Watson Dan Bain | Jenni Hart | Illyse Lane Kurt Dusterberg | Dave Droschak Elie Rossetti-Serraino | Anna Churchill Karlie Justus Marlowe | Adam Sobsey Julie Johnson | Carol Wills | Paul Savery Paul M. Stone | David Fellerath Greg Lowenhagen

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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

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contents july/ augus t

2015

features 70 DOCTORS WARN: PROCRASTINATING CAN LEAD

TO HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR MALES

Most, if not all of these procedures, are painless and can save your life, with early detection being the key.

80 MEMO FROM A MAN ON A MAT

Studies show that yoga strengthens immunity, relieves back pain, improves sleep, and boosts brain function. Should you try yoga?

We’ll show you six hidden gems in the capital city.

86 under the raleigh radar 92 cheap eats

Raleigh’s affordable restaurants are just around the corner.

98 hop up

Hopscotch Music Festival returns for a sixth year.

102 A cappella music breaks out in the Triangle

The Catch 22 group is part of the Triangle’s expanding a cappella scene.

home is where the heart is 110

Living the sweet life in a retirement community.

76

MUD AND GUTS

Obstacle races are demanding – and messy – but they’re the latest craze in making fitness fun.

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contents july/ augus t

2015

departments 20 on the scene 30 Midtown reviews 38 ask elie 40 bain’s beat 44 beauty style 46 beer & barrel 48 close to home 52 financial focus 54 giving back 58 pack your bags 60 raising the bar 62 sunday supper 66 young makers 68 COMPLETE THE ROOM 84 Calendar of events 118 midtown downtown 122 healthy you 125 midtown mingles 130 everyday places

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on the taste scene

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Raleigh Denim WoRkshop + CuRatoRy

special thanks to david davies of davies Photography for our beautiful cover photo

j u ly / a u g u s t

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The scene

on

Taste

Braided Husk; It’s a Must DOWNTOWN RALEIGH’S jose and sons reinvents the cob

By Kate Turgeon Watson / Photography By Sean Junqueira Oscar Diaz grew up in Chicago, where the corn was served with plastic, yellow corn-on-the-cob holders. There was nothing wrong with the boiled corn, skewers, a pat of butter and a dash of salt. But, really, he said it always looked naked.

Inside Raleigh’s Jose and Sons, where Diaz is executive chef, the corn is dressed. And the flavor? Let’s just say Midtown’s impressed.

Served as an appetizer or as part of the chef’s picnic entrée with grilled meats, market greens, salsas and corn tortillas, Jose and Sons’ corn on the cob was inspired by Diaz’s time in Mexico with his family.

“They would always rub the corn with lime or put lime in the mayonnaise and put a little bit of mayonnaise on top,” he said.

“It was a completely different experience … a lot of the corn they 20 | midtownmag.com

would throw directly on the grill. And my family … they’d throw the husks on the fire, so it would be a constant smell of burning corn. It’s nostalgic to me. It smells really good.”

When he’s in the kitchen today the grilled corn is dressed with mayonnaise mixed with lime, queso fresco (fresh cheese), chili powder, salt and cilantro. The delicacy is served with a braided husk that Diaz created for appearance, although it has its roots in how Diaz’s uncle would tie husks for the children so the husk was small and easy to hold.

“When I char this … I get that smell and that flavor, and it’s a little more rustic. I’m not, by any means, trying to refine corn on the cob. I’m not making caviar corn.” he said. “I want people to have the experience I had. It’s kind of a messy event.

Get a little bit of the charred; it’s a country, outdoorsy dish.”

The scene

on

TECH

photography © Hello Games

No Man’s Sky the Game of a Lifetime?

By Dan Bain I’ve intentionally stayed away from video games in this column, instead focusing on gadgetry and, when necessary, its related software. But sometimes something so big comes along, it breaks rules and smashes preconceived notions. Such is the case with No Man’s Sky, the brainchild of Sean Murray, cofounder of Hello Games.

A space exploration game, No Man’s Sky is too farreaching to be described as merely “a space exploration game.” Players will explore a fictitious universe so large, no one can possibly visit every planet available. As they do so, they collect resources, upgrade ships and weaponry, and encounter infinite alien life forms – for commerce, diplomacy, or war.

One wouldn’t expect infinite possibilities to spring from only 1400 lines of code, but this game is procedurally generated – the environment is created by computer equations, from random numbers. Not to worry, though, because the randomized environments are still rendered in stunning visuals, and the game will proceed realistically.

No Man’s Sky was originally built from a 32-bit number processor, but Murray wanted to increase that to 64 bits. The result is a universe filled with planets numbered at two to the 64th power, or more than 18 quintillion unique planets.

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In other words, a player will start at the edge of a galaxy with 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 planets to visit. If you spent only one second on each of them, it would still take you 5.8 billion years to see them all – longer than the life expectancy of the sun. That’s right – if it were even possible to play this game to its fullest extent, it would last longer than our own solar system. That’s as close to infinite as any game comes.

The game is playable offline, but will have online features allowing players to share details of their own experiences, and a galactic map will be available once a player has upgraded their ship with hyperdrive. Murray hopes to release it for PlayStation 4 and PC before the end of this year. Price information and a specific release date were not available at printing, but watch for updates at no-mans-sky. com as you anticipate the adventure of a lifetime – that will last a lifetime.

The scene

on

style

Parlor Dry Bar tries out the latest braided styles. (clockwise from left) Three dutch braids weave into a bun; a “down” braid is weaved into a fishtail; a full, texturized braid keeps hair up when temperatures go up.

Three Tips for Beautiful Braids

1. Get your hands dirty. Day-old hair holds best, so plan on styling the day after a shampoo. If greasy roots take hold, use a texturizing spray like Bumble and bumble’s dryspun – it works like a lightweight hairspray and creates a malleable texture for hair to stick.

Plait and Serve

Keep Cool with the Latest Braided Styles

By Karlie Justus Marlowe / Photography By Davies Photography Just call it the Elsa effect.

Gone are the days of the simple three-part weave or the prim and proper French versions of braiding, thanks in part to the Frozen character’s catchy rocket to fame and her intricate, over-the-shoulder power plait.

Now, the only limits are your fingers’ dexterity. There’s the waterfall braid, which spans ear to ear and seems to flow like its namesake; the dutch braid, an inverse of the normal braid; and the endless combination of braids within braids.

The many variations are a natural way to show off highlights and bright colors. And the style isn’t just for long hair – braids can be a way to showcase shorter cuts as a great way to tuck in pieces and master loose flyaways, or a savior for the in-between stages of growing out bangs around the hairline and crown.

“Combining braids is popular for special events like weddings, galas and prom, and we’re seeing more highfashion looks with volume and texture” said Kelly Thompson, marketing director at Parlor Dry Bar. “Whatever ideas people bring in, we’re always down for the challenge.”

Since opening in August of last year after a pop-up “dry” run on Lake Boone Trail, Parlor has been an anchor in the new wing of Cameron Village, offering only blowouts and styling for men and women – no cuts or color. Owners Emily Cutts and Allison Conley had worked in cities like Washington, DC and 24 | midtownmag.com

2. Recruit models – and mirrors. Even the pros have to practice on models, since everyone’s hair length and texture is different. Try out the braid on a friend before tackling your own head, and have a mirror handy to review your work from all angles.

3. Embrace the mess. Feathered, textured versions of braids are in style, so don’t expect perfection. Rough up the braid for texture, and pull out pieces to frame the face.

New York, where dry bars have become staples in women’s beauty routines – but were nowhere to be found in the Triangle.

“They wanted to provide an affordable luxury, a moment out of the day to enjoy,” said Kelly Thompson, Parlor’s marketing director. “It’s also healthy for hair to get a regular scrubbing and conditioning.”

On top of beachy waves and top-knots, the salon has also become known for its wide range of braided styles. Three of its most popular styles, the crown braid, down braid and fishtail, are listed on its regular services menu, but Thompson credits popular social sharing site Pinterest with the recent explosion of intricate designs and combinations.

“Most braid styles were invented by trial and error,” said Thompson. “Don’t be afraid to try it out.”

The scene

on

arts

(clockwise from below) Among the works on display at CAM Raleigh are pieces

by Casey Cook, Ken Kagami, Bill Thelen and Neil Whitacre.

Drawing the Line Indie art makes a big show at CAM Raleigh

The Nothing That is: a drawing show in five parts CAM Raleigh 409 W Martin St, Raleigh Now through September 7th www.camraleigh.org

By David Fellerath / Photography Courtesy of Bill Thelen If art can be said to have an entry point, it might be drawing. Budding artists find themselves taking initiative when class is over, grabbing a pencil or pen and a piece of paper, and beginning to develop their imaginations. The discipline stays with the artist as she matures, either into a painter or sculptor or something else, or as a committed drawer.

It’s a truly ubiquitous form, from cave images to the papers of Leonardo to the post-modern mail art of Ray Johnson.

As it happens, the great neo-Dadaist Johnson figures in The Nothing That Is, a large, rambunctious exhibition that claims most of the walls at CAM Raleigh. Curated by Bill Thelen, the force behind Lump Gallery, the defiantly independent space on South Blount Street, this is a drawing show with a little bit of everything.

This is Thelen’s first collaboration with CAM, and as such it is a welcome sign of an institution of contemporary art joining forces with a local scene that has been vibrant, active and contemporary for many years. “We went to them with a proposal,” Thelen says. “They liked it, but they said, ‘Can you make it bigger?’ I said, ‘Hell, yeah.’”

Thematically organized, loosely speaking – between straightforward drawing, local drawing, conceptual drawing and the like – the show features many familiar local names, including Stacy Lynn Waddell, Casey Cook, Jerstin Crosby, 26 | midtownmag.com

Amy White and David Eichenberger.

But there are contributions from the big world of art, too – notably Jason Polan, a New York artist who gets a co-curator credit and is currently on a mission to draw every single person in the five boroughs (his conquests include Kristen Wiig, who has written a forward to his forthcoming book).

One of the show’s highlights can be found in the “conceptual” gallery, also known as the Independent Weekly Gallery. Chicago artist Deb Sokolow’s “A Case Study in Schematics, Surveillance and Murder” is a vivid expression of conspiracy theory as a uniquely American art form. With careful research, occasional fabrications and a dark sense of humor, Sokolow has produced a schematic rendering of the apartment of long-forgotten JFK mistress and confidante Mary Pinchot Meyer, who was murdered under eternally suspicious circumstances in 1964.

Nearby, in a vitrine in the middle of the gallery, there is a small monument to Raleigh’s history with contemporary art. It’s a display of correspondence between Ray Johnson and Richard Craven; the latter curated an important Johnson show at the NC Museum of Art, way back in 1976.

The NCMA was located downtown in those days. Happily, with this latest strong show at CAM Raleigh, provocative art is within walking distance once again.

The scene

on

sports

something a bit different in terms of customer entertaining, in terms of creating a unique experience. So we thought this is such a great, unique business idea since I’ve got a foot in both of those worlds.”

In addition to Berry, one of the caddies in the stable is Mike Hicks, the former caddy for the late Payne Stewart. Hicks recently retired and lives in Mebane.

Inside the Ropes Cary-based firm’s new Caddies on Course program offers a unique look inside life of PGA Tour loopers

By David Droschak / Photography Courtesy of Caddies on Course Ever wonder why a PGA Tour player suddenly changes clubs? Or what’s behind the art of reading greens? Or why the Europeans have dominated recent Ryder Cup competitions?

All that knowledge – and countless stories – are at the fingertips of the right-hand guys – and even some females now – who carry the bags for the pros. Cary-based The Special Event Company has tapped into that unique sports database with an exciting new concept in entertainment and motivational speaking called Caddies on Course.

The program, which was launched in December 2014, uses some of the world’s top Tour caddies in various customized business settings.

The idea was formulated by Special Event Co. CEO Sally Webb and her husband Grant Berry, who has caddied for some of the world’s best golfers over the years, including Henrik Stenson, Thomas Bjorn, Carl Pettersson and Jesper Parnevik. He currently carries the bag for Daniel Berger.

The two Brits were married in 2011 after Webb opened up a North Carolina branch of her successful event business, which is based in London … and started connecting the dots.

“All these caddies are great orators and storytellers because they have to be in that mind-set with their golfer. I’ve never met one yet that wasn’t a great communicator,” Webb said. “I felt Grant had this great resource of caddies, and I had this great set of clients who all want 28 | midtownmag.com

(left) PGA Tour caddie Grant Berry (left) walks with Steve Williams, former caddie for Tiger Woods. (above) Mike Hicks jumps into the arms of Payne Stewart after he won the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

“Mike is the perfect person to help us spearhead this with us because he now has the time and he knows everybody,” Webb said.

“People want the inside scoop,” Hicks said of the Caddies on Course program, which has been implemented so far by such companies as SAS and the North Carolina CEO Forum.

Hicks is not asked about his former boss and friend – Stewart – as much as he is a current golfer.

“They all ask me, ‘Do you think Tiger will make it back?’” Hicks said. “My answer is always the same – Father Time is undefeated.”

Webb, 56, says the new program incorporates varied offerings, from Q and A sessions to swing lessons to coaching and leadership skills – and everything in-between.

“It is just so different,” she said. “Every time we roll this program out it’s going to be different because there will different stories, different outcomes. It’s like no other program that exists.

“It is so flexible, and it’s unusual to get that level of expertise like the caddies in our stable,” she added. “They’ve worked for everybody from Greg Norman on down. You don’t often have that access to the people who are truly at the top of their profession. We know our caddies are some of the best in the world, and they are actually more interesting than the golfers because they tend to have outgoing personalities.”

M

reviews

self/less

Minions

Southpaw

masterminds

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Goode Rated: PG-13 Opens: 7/10/2015 Plot: A man undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into a young man. But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body’s origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg Rated: PG-13 Opens: 7/31/2015 Plot: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is the fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible series. With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt out in the cold, a new threat – called the Syndicate – soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust, a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation. *Opening dates and ratings are subject to change.

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Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams Rated: Not Yet Rated Opens: 7/24/2015 Plot: When tragedy strikes Billy Hope and his lifelong friend leaves him behind, he hits rock bottom. With his future riding on Tick’s guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and tries to win back the trust of those he loves.

Starring: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Jon Hamm Rated: PG Opens: 7/10/2015 Plot: A trio of Minions embark on a journey that leads them to Scarlet Overkill, the world’s first-ever female super-villain. From there, they travel around the world trying to save all of Minionkind from annihilation.

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis Rated: PG-13 Opens: 8/19/2015 Plot: A night guard at an armored car company organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. After leaving behind a glaring trail of evidence, the bandits must dodge the authorities and evade a hilarious hit man.

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M

reviews

Kill The Lights (Luke Bryan) Release Date: 8/7/2015 Kill the Lights is the follow up to 2013’s Crash My Party, which has been Bryan’s most successful album to date.

The album has placed six consecutive No. 1 singles, been certified double platinum and sold more than two million copies, along with eight million digital downloads overall. The project’s lead single, “Kick the Dust Up,” is currently available at digital retailers. Bryan will also perform on Good Morning America on August 7th as part of the show’s 2015 Summer Concert Series at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.

Hysteria (Katharine McPhee) Release Date: 7/24/2015 In anticipation of her upcoming album, McPhee says “there’s been searching, there’s been heartbreak, there’s been longing,” and, for the first time, she feels motivated to find stories within her own life to write about. Collaborations include “Isabelle” Summers (of Florence + the Machine), which brought her lead single, “Lick My Lips.”

Water for Your Soul (Joss Stone) Release Date: 7/31/2015 Water for Your Soul is the seventh studio album by English recording artist Joss Stone. It will mark her first full-length studio album since 2011. Musically, its music incorporates reggae and hip-hop with influences from many different genres, including soul, R&B, world, gospel, Latin and even some Indian and Irish influence.

I Cry When I Laugh (Jess Glynne) Release Date: 8/14/2015 House-pop diva Jess Glynne is finally ready to unleash her first full-length studio album. The UK superstar burst onto the scene in 2014 with two chart-smashing Clean Bandit singles, as well as her own debut solo release “Right Here”.

And earlier this year Jess hit the Vodafone Big Top 40 number one spot with her first single of 2015, “Hold My Hand”. *Release dates are subject to change.

32 | midtownmag.com

Depression Cherry (Beach House) Release Date: 8/28/2015 Depression Cherry is the fifth album by American band Beach House. The album will be a return to the simpler style of dream pop from their first two albums. “In general, this record shows a return to simplicity, with songs structured around a melody and a few instruments, with live drums playing a far lesser role. With the growing success of Teen Dream and Bloom, the larger stages and bigger rooms naturally drove us towards a louder, more aggressive place; a place farther from our natural tendencies,” the band stated.

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M

reviews

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

La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon

Cruz Alta Chardonnay Reserve

Five Branches Chardonnay

Caleo Nero d’Avola Terre Siciliane

Conte Fini Pinot Grigio

Sicilia, Italy

Valdadige, Veneto, Italy

90 best served in:

Wine Enthusiast

Argentina

Mendoza, Argentina

Aromas of graphite, lavender, licorice and cocoa accent core scents of blackberry on this nicely balanced value Cabernet. The palate is ripe, well oaked and deep, while flavors of toast, chocolate, baking spices and fruitcake finish with good feel and character.

100 percent Chardonnay sourced from exceptional vineyards at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Tree fruit flavors are balanced by light oak aging which ends in a long finish.

Enjoy chilled on its own or with crab cakes.

$14.99/bottle

$11.99/bottle

34 | midtownmag.com

Oak, Pear, Apple, Full-bodied

California

This medium-bodied Chardonnay contains enticing flavors of tropical and citrus fruits, a kiss of vanilla oak, topped off with brilliant clean finish. Pairs nicely with grilled fish, chicken, or creamy pasta dishes.

Oak, Tropical, Citrus, Medium-bodied

$7.99/bottle

This medium-bodied wine features black cherry and raspberry fruit in an easydrinking style. Made from 100 percent Nero d’Avola grapes, the wine also offers some hints of Mediterranean herbs. Try it with lasagna or veal.

Dry and crisp with characteristic almond overtones, this 100 percent varietal wine features lively fruit flavors and a smooth finish.

Try this wine with appetizers, seafood and light pasta dishes.

Fresh, Black Cherry, Raspberry

Crisp, Apple, Pear, Medium-bodied

$8.99/bottle

$12.99/bottle

midtownmag.com | 35

M

reviews

DayCost • Free

DayCost makes entering transactions as fast as possible – just in three steps. That’s thanks to its iOS widget. Pull down the Notification Center, enter the amount of your transaction and the category, and you’re done. The app automatically generates easy-to-understand graphs so you can see where all your dough is going. Fast, secure and easy to use!

,

SubscriptMe • Free

Hotel My Phone • Free

Never lose track of your subscriptions again. Understand your monthly and annual subscription spending and keep on top of your bills.

SubscroiptMe gathers all your services into a personal subscription list so you can see what you pay for in one view.

Finally, set reminders for all upcoming service bills and never incur an unwanted charge again.

Ever run out of phone battery or forget your phone? Hotel My Phone lets you temporarily borrow a friend’s phone and use it as your own! Download the app with your closest friends. Next time your battery dies, simply borrow a friend’s phone and login with your profile. You’ll have temporarily access to your contacts and messages and you can even call out with your number. When you’re done, logout permanently, with peace of mind that all your information has been removed.

Funny Or Die Weather • Free

A new app that blows the doors off your stupid, boring old weather app. FOD Weather guides you through the uncertain world of changing weather.

Share jokes and weather with friends via text, email or social media. Because if you’re going to get struck by lightning while checking your phone, you might as well do it with a smile on your face. Right?

Normal: Battery Analytics • $.99

Normal is a battery diagnosis service that suggests personalized actions you can take to extend your battery life. By aggregating data from hundreds of thousands of users, Normal is able to accurately and precisely pinpoint the battery hogs on your device, tell you whether or not this is also happening to other people, and project by how much time you will extend the battery by killing each hog.

DeeDay • Free

DeeDay counts down days to and since your events. It provides an easy import from your calendar and Facebook. People are usually looking forward to events with somebody. With this app you can create a countdown and share it with a certain person. This way you can get excited together! Set your own dates and combine the list with prescheduled events. The app is packed with interesting days in six categories: holidays, sports, movies, TV shows, events and video games.

36 | midtownmag.com

Hopper – Airfare Predictions • Free

Save up to 40 percent on your next flight. Hopper analyzes billions of flight prices daily to predict how prices will change, and tells you when to buy your tickets. Hopper constantly monitors prices to find great deals, and notifies you the instant you should buy. It’s like having a travel agent in your pocket.

pocket drive • $1.99

Transfer your files to your iPhone or iPad and access them anytime, anywhere with Pocket Drive. With a built-in ZIP archiver, web file downloader, MP3 player and photo viewer, Pocket Drive lets you manage files on your devices the same way you do on your computer – hassle-free. *Prices are subject to change.

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askelie photography © GetzStudios.com

Elie

For all your answers on things fashion, style and trends

Costumista & Wardrobe Style arbiter

Q

After having twins, I’m not comfortable wearing a two-piece swimsuit at the beach or pool anymore. Any ideas beside the one-piece and tank top styles?

Deborah, 43, Raleigh

inserts or nice, girly prints, definitely improving the boring look of the surf shirts that have a more technical, masculine look. If you can’t find them at the mall or big sport stores try Vineyard Vines, L.L. Bean, Lands’ End or Nautica. I’ve found a couple I really like, one in a gingham print and one that looks like a French Riviera striped shirt.

I’m 5’ 3” tall and size 8, with a long torso. I always felt one-piece swimsuits do not flatter my body type.

I’ve seen really cute one-pieces with fringe on the top in magazines, but I’m not sure I can wear them.

Melissa, 29, Raleigh In my experience as a petite framed woman and as a wardrobe stylist, I can say one-piece swimsuits can actually flatter women of any shape and size. To give a slimmer and taller effect, opt for: 1. A high leg cut. It may have less coverage in the lower back, but it 38 | midtownmag.com

gives the illusion of longer legs.

2. A v-shape or a low, round neckline on the top front. It gives the effect of a shorter torso, giving you good proportions if you want your legs to look longer.

3. A solid color or small print.

4. Find one that has a low-cut back, or a back that is as low as the waist with a little strap across the middle of the back.

5. Avoid any dangling embellishments.

Keep it simple.

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

photography © vineyard vines

After pregnancy, finding a swimsuit can be the most difficult shopping challenge.

This year I’m adopting the swim shirt style consisting of a bikini bottom and a surf type shirt. It serves two purposes for me: it’s a young and refreshed look at the pool, and it also protects my ultrasensitive neckline from the sun. The top can really look like a regular cotton top, but they are usually made with a quickdrying material such as Lycra© or synthetic jersey, like any swimsuit. They can have three-quarter length, short, long or cap sleeves. Some have front zips, mesh

I’m planning to buy some trunk swimsuits and shorts for my 58-yearold husband, but the selection at the mall looks like they are all made for college kids (too short) or to go skateboarding (skinny and long). I’m confused on age-appropriate length and cut.

Pam, Cary If your husband is the classic type, go longer than what the magazines suggest lately – but to keep him current, do not buy anything longer than the knees (especially long swim trunks which look too teenager) or shorter than above the half tight. The hemline on mens’ shorts is definitely shortening every summer, and I can see how older men are a bit reluctant to go back to the Eighties (I’ve been there/done that!). But if he doesn’t want to look completely out of style, I suggest finding a slimmer cut for both street clothing and beach attire.

Pleated shorts are also back in, but in a tighter and shorter leg cut.

photograph © mdl70, flickr.com/photos/8459320@N03

bain’s beat

Dancing in September Hopscotch Gives Raleigh an Annual Dose of Culture (And Other Bacteria)

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by Dan bain, Scotch-Hopper, danbain07@gmail.com

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hank you, Max Yasgur and HuffPo, for guaranteeing a fantastic weekend in downtown Raleigh this September.

Yasgur for having provided the venue for Woodstock, arguably the most famous music festival in US history, and HuffPo for having ranked the upcoming Hopscotch above some of the other famous ones from more recent history.

Hopscotch, the sixth iteration of which is taking place September 10th-12th, was number three on HuffPo’s recent list of “12 Music Festivals You Should Actually Attend This Summer.” Justifying the position, the author wrote, “From rock and punk to hip-hop and dance to alt-country and folk to heavy metal and noise, this North Carolina festival has it all. Skip Lollapalooza and head to Hopscotch.”

So please do. You’ll be able to catch 160 musical acts performing at more than 15 venues downtown, along with a healthy dose of counterculture, warm weather, and fun. You’ll see hair in every color of the rainbow, bare feet dancing in evaporating beer puddles on hot

asphalt, glow bracelets, neckbeards, tattoos… even tattoos of neckbeards. (That’s true; I saw a guy last year sporting a tattoo of his own fully bearded face on the body of a dog.)

This year’s performers include Dwight Yoakam, TV on the Radio, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pusha T, Deerhunter, Tycho, Battles, Godflesh, Lydia Loveless, Flock of Dimes, Big Ups, Wildhoney, Grandma Sparrow, Wizard Rifle, Cloud Becomes Your Hand, Wymyns Prysyn, and Must Be the Holy Ghost, among others. Don’t know some of those acts?

Doesn’t matter. Just go and listen. Pop into one of the venues for a day party, where dozens of bands perform 30-minute sets to keep musiclovers primed. If you’re lucky, you’ll even be able to get your hands on one of the printed schedules of said performances.

I mock, but I love. I’ve been attending this festival since the first one took place in 2010, and it’s a blast. Two years ago, John Cale performed. Yes, that John Cale. Co-founder of one of the most influential, oft-cited rock and

Local Natives at the Memorial Auditorium during Hopscotch Music Fest in 2013.

roll bands of the 20th Century. And in addition to seeing old heroes, I’ve gained several new favorite acts.

When I wasn’t having fun listening, I was having fun watching. Hopscotch is an amazing cultural experience, ripe for the art of people-watching. To prove it, and because I’m lazy, I asked readers to submit their own tales of counterculture, about the funny or enjoyable things they’ve witnessed or experienced at Hopscotch over the years. In short, I was looking for anecdotes that show what makes Hopscotch, Hopscotch – like this tweet from an organizer several years ago: “Got hit by a car yesterday.

Dude offered me a bag of weed for my trouble. I passed. #hopscotchmistake”

Here are some of the responses: “One time I was at a day show outside of Lincoln Theatre, and it was really bright outside.

I popped inside to see what was going on, and before my eyes adjusted to how dark inside it is, I heard a female voice say, ‘If you want to touch my gator, you just have to ask.’ It was super dark, so I could not see where the voice was coming from at all, or if she was even talking to me, so I said, ‘I’m sorry, what?’ And she repeated, ‘If you want to touch my gator...you just have to ask.’ ‘What??’

‘IF YOU WANT TO TOUCH MY GATOR, YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK!’ At this point, my disorientation due to not being able to see and not knowing what was going on got the better of me – I panicked and said, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t have any idea what you are talking about,’ and ran back outside. To this day, I wonder what her gator was and whether I would have wanted to touch it.”

(Kevin B., Raleigh) “My favorite Hopscotch show ever was The Everymen (whom I’ve seen at least three times since then; they’re AWESOME). They bill themselves as New Jersey Hardcore, so not surprisingly there was some moshing at the show.

A guy in the mosh area kept pushing people out of the way and yelling at them to stop. My friend asked, ‘Why is he trying to stop people from moshing at a hardcore show?’ I pointed and said, ‘Because that woman with him is pregnant.’ Now whenever the band comes to town, I text my friend and tell him I’m protecting pregnant women from moshers at the Everymen show.” (Emily S., Raleigh) “My friend Paul and I were sitting on either side of our buddy Matt at noise rock master Mike Shiflet’s performance at Kings Barcade. I noticed [Sonic Youth’s] Thurston Moore at the bar next to an attractive young woman; this was shortly after his saddening breakup with Kim Gordon.

From the left side, I leaned in to tell Matt to check midtownmag.com | 41

out Thurston Moore at the bar; from the right side, simultaneously, Paul leaned in to tell him to check out the hot girl at the bar. Between the two of us, Matt got the whole context.” (Rick R., Durham) “Best moment I wish I could have caught on camera was when a Goth crowd about to attend a session at Lincoln Theatre came face to face with the North Carolina Débutante Ball. Worlds collided for about 10 seconds. We all survived.” (Joe S., Cary) “We have friends that we’ve hung out with at Hopscotch three years in a row but have never talked to outside of the weekend of Hopscotch.” (John F., Raleigh) “It’s always interesting to watch people dance to noise music, as they close their eyes and bob their heads to a rhythm that isn’t always obvious, but they can somehow hear. Once at Merzbow’s set, a couple literally rode each other. That’s not a euphemism for anything vulgar; each took a turn riding the other like a pony. One would crawl on all fours around the nasty floor at Kings Barcade, as the other straddled and rode him/her through the crowd. I guess that’s how Merzbow moved them. And then he apparently moved them to dry-hump each other right in front of the stage.” (Don B., Knightdale) “Sun Kil Moon came out for their show at Lincoln Theatre and were having technical difficulties.

Everyone in the crowd was still talking while they were trying to tell us that they were working on it and would be back after they fixed the mics and sound issues.

They finally got a mic working, and Mark Kozelek, lead singer, said, ‘Hey you f---ing hillbillies, shut the f--- up’ and explained they’d be right back. The crowd did not take kindly to that, and by the time they got back, most of the hipsters had turned on them. They played a song, and before they started their second song, Kozelek admonished the crowd for not being completely silent, stating that the song they were about to play was ‘delicate’ and demanding silence from the crowd. He called us all hillbillies again, so the crowd started a lot of sarcastic shushing and things just to work him up. After a couple more songs with the same behavior from both Kozelek and the audience, he came back on the mic to say, ‘Look, we’re just trying to play some music for you guys. We’re this close to walking; we don’t care, because we get paid no matter what. We came all the way from New Jersey for this; let’s all just be cool and we’ll enjoy the rest of the night.’ As the next song started and the audience was still being tools, my friend and I made our way to the exit and caught the end of another couple shows. The next day I was reading some posts about it, and it turns out the rest of the show was actually really great – the audience chilled out, Mark chilled out, and it was smooth pretty much as soon as we left.” (Daniel S., Raleigh) So there you have it. Hopscotch is about perspective, and misunderstanding. It’s about subtext, and subcultures. It’s about music, and noise. But mostly, it’s about being there.

Make sure you are!

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Shoulders Dare to go bare! Did you know you shoulders can reveal your true age? If you are going to be exposing your shoulders this summer, make sure you eliminate unwanted damage before you bare it all. With safe, comfortable laser treaments such as BBL you can improve skin texture and tone as well as correct uneven pigmentation like age spots and freckles. >> Sciton.com for more information

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Toes Barefoot, wedges or strappy sandals – it’s okay show those toes.

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beer& barrel Scott Crawford (left) will open Standard Foods in Raleigh in early fall; Colin Bedford in the kitchen of Fearrington House.

Cooking with Beer

Add some sparkle to summer recipes By julie johnson

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his is certainly the season for drinking beer, as we gather on patios and back decks. But even in small amounts, that same beer included as an ingredient can give a discernable lift to a summer dish. Two well-known Triangle chefs share recipes and methods for beer in the kitchen or at the grill.

Scott Crawford, chef-owner of soon-to-open Standard Foods in Raleigh (and former head chef at The Umstead), wanted a condiment to serve with his Charred Beef Crisp Bread at a recent event. He made a fermented beer and onion mustard incorporating Hop Rocks sour mash IPA (brewed jointly by Fullsteam and Wooden Robot breweries).

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It featured shredded onions fermented in beer instead of water, with pickled mustard seeds. Chef Crawford sometimes adds a prepared mustard, too (such as Lusty Monk’s mustard from Asheville) to give it more heft.

With the use of an aerator, which speeds up fermentation, the process takes just four to seven days.

Afterwards, Chef Crawford suggests placing the mixture in a jar, covering it with a fermentation cloth and rubber band and keeping it at room temperature. He adds that any beer – dark or even a sour – could work well, and suggested Sandor Katz’ The Art of Fermentation as a good reference book.

Chef Crawford serves the mustard with any grilled or braised meat, saying that “the acid/fermentation really loves to be next to charred flavor!” Cooks could also make a sauce by adding the condiment to braising juices after they’ve been reduced.

On the other side of town, Chef Colin Bedford at The Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro favors beer in brines and sauces. On the next page, he shares a beer-based recipe for ribs that – while time consuming – promises good eating.

Fearrington Ribs Ingredients 1 rack ribs 1 cup apple cider 1 large onion, diced 2 stalks celery 1 carrot, chopped 3 cloves of garlic ½ Tbsp rosemary, chopped Rub Ingredients 4 g paprika 2 g smoked paprika 4 g celery seed 3 ½ g garlic powder 2 ½ g black pepper 2 g cumin 5 g brown sugar 4 g salt 4 g sugar 1 g dried oregano ½ g cayenne pepper

Brine Ingredients ½ liter water ½ liter IPA-style beer 70 g salt 30 g sugar Sauce Ingredients 1 cup ketchup ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup onion ¼ cup lemon juice ½ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp molasses 1 clove of garlic ½ tsp Liquid Smoke ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp chili powder ¼ cup horseradish ½ cup stout-style beer

Method 1. Remove the silver skin from the back of the bones, then simmer all the ingredients for the brine, but reserving the IPA until the temperature has dropped to room temperature. Brine ribs for 24 hours.

2. Remove the ribs from the brine, pat dry and give a generous dusting of the rub. Allow to dry out in the fridge for 4-6 hours, uncovered.

3. Place the apple cider and the remaining vegetables in a slow cooker. Add the ribs (you may have to cut them) and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4. For the sauce, sweat off the onion and garlic on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients (again reserving the stout) and simmer for 2-3 hours on a low heat. Blend and then add the stout.

5. Once the ribs are cooked, remove from the cooker and lightly brush the sauce over the ribs; allow to get cold in the fridge, uncovered. When ready, place on a grill rib-side down over direct heat and begin to brush with additional steak sauce. Serve when ready. midtownmag.com | 47

close tohome

photograph © Denny Deaton

The Best of Two Worlds The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar Defies Critics, Appeals to Customers By dan bain

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here really is such a thing as a cowfish, you know. And yes, I promise this article is going to be about the eponymous (and perhaps only) sushi-burger bar, but first things first. Their logo/mascot isn’t as far-fetched as you might think. If you’ve been to the restaurant, you’ve probably seen one in their big saltwater tank, but in case you haven’t, the cowfish really exists – and it’s bizarre. If a seahorse could breed with a puffer fish, their offspring might look like the bloated, comical cowfish. It’s an odd specimen, one that flies in the face of the norm – which is why it’s the perfect symbol for the aforementioned restaurant. “The concept started as a joke, a late-night phone call, but Alan [Springate] and I went in heads-down and ran with it,” explains Marcus Hall, who founded The Cowfish with Springate in late 2010.

Hall and Springate had known each other for years, and Hall was already running eeZ Fusion & Sushi, an AmericanAsian fusion restaurant in Huntersville. He wanted to open another sushi restaurant in Charlotte’s SouthPark Mall, but 48 | midtownmag.com

didn’t feel there was enough space in the available spot.

Springate was operating a burger restaurant adjacent to that space, and, says Hall, “One night on the phone, Alan asked me what I would think about just knocking the wall down between the two spaces, and operating one big restaurant together. I told him it sounded like a bad idea, and we laughed about it and hung up. Two weeks later we both asked the other if he’d thought anymore about it.”

They decided to roll with the idea (pun intended), despite the difficulties that would be presented by trying to serve sushi and burgers in the same establishment. It would require two separate commercial kitchens – a full hot side plus a full-service sushi operation. Timing the products would present challenges, not to mention serving them together and marketing two separate tastes. “After we announced the plan, the media tore into us – ‘these guys are morons,’ ‘you can’t mix sushi and burgers,’ the whole nine yards. So we spent many sleepless nights at that time second-guessing ourselves. But we

photograph © Denny Deaton

photograph © gwen Poth Communications

(left) Burgushi menu item What’s Shakin’ Tuna Bacon. (top) The 2,200 gallon fish tank at The Cowfish in Raleigh was featured on Animal Planet’s show Tanked. (bottom) Founders Alan Springate (left) and Marcus Hall (right) address the media during the grand opening celebration of one-of-a-kind dining concept The Cowfish in the heart of Universal Orlando’s entertainment complex.

opened in November 2010 in SouthPark, and it just took off. We’ve been pinching ourselves ever since.”

Part of the appeal, he believes, is the difference in food styles. Not since chocolate met peanut butter, has such an unconventional combination held such broad appeal. On top of that, The Cowfish eliminates “the sushi veto vote.” Ever suggested a sushi place to a group trying to agree on a place to eat, only to have someone say they don’t like sushi? (If you haven’t, I’m sorry to have to tell you there are such people out there.) Now it’s possible to make such a suggestion, with a counter to their veto – that person can get a burger at The Cowfish, while you enjoy sushi. “We believed in sushi so much, and who doesn’t love a great burger?” Hall asks. “We believed in our execution and our ability to deliver a never-say-no, we-will-customize hospitality. We liked the contrasting themes – east and west, cow and fish – and we knew it was irreverent, so we let that inspire us, and used it as fuel. It’s perfect to have this weird saltwater fish as our mascot.”

Part of that odd irreverence is in the team’s terminology. The restaurant’s name comes from the two animals that make up the two styles of food – in and of itself, somewhat of a no-no, although with the prevalence of barbecue joints in North Carolina that actually call out cute pigs on their signage, maybe this is the state to get away with such. On top of that, Hall reminisces, “We came up with the word ‘burgushi’ – I couldn’t say it for the first midtownmag.com | 49

six months without laughing. It sounds weird, but it tastes good. People got excited about it.”

Hall says burgushi can be experienced three ways – via sushi rolls created using burger components; via pick-up style sandwiches created using sushi components, where the “bun” is spring roll wrappers with sushi rice and kani pressed into a panini; or via the bento box – a little bit of sushi, the mini-burger of the week, and three side items. And despite the critics’ initial soul-rending concerns, the restaurant has developed legions of loyal customers who love the combination – not to mention the variety. “I love eating there because the menu’s crazy big,” says Hall. “You could start eating your way through the menu and still have something new to eat several months down the road.”

Thanks to their growing success, the pair decided to expand to Hall’s hometown of Raleigh, opening the North Hills restaurant on April 15th, 2013. Raleigh customers didn’t find the concept taxing, and have risen to welcome the restaurant with open arms and full bellies. “Raleigh’s great,” gushes Hall. “It’s so special and great for me, being from Raleigh, to see the North Hills restaurant succeed.

People are finding their way in, and I can see only great things in the future.

That side of Six Forks is becoming a real powerhouse now, with numerous restaurants, World of Beer, Yard House, the condos, and the park.”

Since then, executives from Universal Studios have visited and vetted the restaurant, and invited the pair to open one in Orlando, Florida.

In November 2014, the third site opened at Universal CityWalk, near Hard Rock Café, Margaritaville, and other well-known establishments.

They recently signed for their fourth location – at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta.

That location should open during the first quarter of 2016 and, despite the success and reputation of their three existing locations, Hall and Springate are still hearing doubts from there.

They won’t let it bring them down this time. “We’re having fun, and that’s what it’s all about,” says Hall. “The guests come up with new ideas. A kid came in the other day and had made a cowfish out of rubber bands, and it was the most bizarre, greatest thing ever. It’s that type of thing that keeps us motivated.”

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financial focus

To Buy or To Lease

by Ed Camden, Social and Digital Strategist, Hendrick Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac Southpoint

W

hen my friends and family start to think about their vehicle purchase, they often ask the question, “Should I buy or lease?” My answer is always the same: “It depends.” No, that’s not my way of ducking the conversation, but the beginning of a longer conversation.

The main difference between buying a vehicle and leasing is a line that is often blurred. In simple terms: The traditional purchase of vehicles has been with a personal check (cash) or financing via a bank or finance company for a fixed number of years. Once the last payment is satisfied, you receive the title and full ownership rights. Leasing is very similar to the financing option except that you are paying for the predicted depreciation of the vehicle from the price you agree upon to what is set to be worth in a predetermined number of months, usually 24, 36 or 48.

I oftentimes use the analogy of renting a house versus buying a house. When you rent a house, you typically sign a lease for 12-24 months. You know what the payment is and as long as you’re in that lease it doesn’t matter what the housing market does – your rent does not change. When you reach the end of your lease, you can simply walk away 52 | midtownmag.com

and move into a new home, provided there are no damages to the property that must be paid. When you buy a house and finance it with a mortgage, at the end of the mortgage (much longer than a lease) you own the home free and clear.

Now you’re free to sell the home at any time, but how much profit or loss you take depends upon the health of the real estate market, how much equity you have in the house, and a number of other conditions which can vary greatly. All of this is also true with buying or leasing an automobile.

While you should always discuss your goals and plans with a qualified automobile sales professional who can help guide you in the right direction, use this succinct primer on buying vs. leasing to help you start the process.

If your life is in or will be in transition, you’re starting a family that will grow with time, your desires frequently change, or you just simply like the feel of a new car every couple of years, then leasing might be a great option for you. If you are looking for a vehicle for the long haul and like the idea of owning something outright after a number of years, then you may want to look at a traditional purchase for your next vehicle.

giving back

Activating Good By matching volunteers with nonprofits, Activate Good is spreading goodness across the city.

By Illyse Lane

B

ack in the olden days – you know, the days before selfies documented every moment of our day, and when finding a gas station or the closest Chipotle wasn’t as simple as touching a screen – Amber Smith and her close friend, Heather Leah, decided to hit the road.

It was September 2004, right around the time Smith should have been starting her junior year at NC State.

But she had another idea – one that involved taking her education outside the classroom. “At the time, Heather and I were part of the Kiwanis Club, and we volunteered a lot.

We loved it, and we wanted to do more, but there was only so much time in a day,” says Smith. “So we decided to put off finishing school and go volunteer in every state, visiting nonprofits and finding out why people didn’t volunteer more.

It was intended to be more of a social experiment.”

Armed with an actual paper map and a car with the words “Do Good” painted across the side, the two embarked on a cross-country journey that took them from North Carolina up through Michigan, west to California, and back east toward Texas. And as they traveled, Smith and

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Leah sought out opportunities to help in local communities through established nonprofits or by creating their own random acts of kindness, gathering a bit of a following along the way. After two and a half months and 20 states, they returned home, excited and motivated. “We had great stories to tell and were really inspired to apply what we had learned,” says Smith.

Specifically, Smith had discovered that people did want to volunteer, but they didn’t always know how to get involved, often times holding onto the misconception that they weren’t able to fit volunteering into a busy schedule. On the flip side, Smith discovered that nonprofits were in constant need of volunteers, yet often struggled to find them. So in 2005, Smith decided to bridge that gap, and launched Activate Good, an organization dedicated to activating volunteers to help charitable causes in the local community.

These days, Smith, who holds a master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management, is the executive director of this thriving organization. Through the use of an interactive website, Activate Good has become an invaluable

Amber Smith (second from left) and some of the Activate Good team gather at last year’s 9/11 Day of Service Evening Commemoration at Red Hat Amphitheater.

In 2004, Amber Smith (right) and Heather Leah hit the road to volunteer, laying the groundwork for what would become Activate Good.

Interested in Activating Your Own Good?

Looking for a way to start volunteering?

Plan now for Activate Good’s 9/11 Day Of Service 2015. It’s a great way to get involved if you are an individual who wants help, or a business looking to organize a group to volunteer. Visit ActivateGood.org to find out more about this event and other ongoing needs.

Looking to motivate high school students? Learn about Activate Good’s Activate Schools initiative. The Community and Leadership Service Curriculum class is currently offered at local high schools. It’s a full credit, semester class that teaches students about the value of volunteerism, empowering them to become the next group of volunteer leaders.

resource in our area for matching those wanting to help with the nonprofits that desperately need the manpower. With a search engine that can be tailored by criteria that includes dates, causes and skills, volunteers can find their niche, making it a coup for those wanting to get involved and the 280 nonprofits that have come to rely on it. “One of the smartest things we ever did was connect with Activate Good,” says Dallas Bonavita, executive director of Note in the Pocket, whose mission is to provide clothing to impoverished and homeless children in Wake County. “All nonprofits are three-legged stools. We need equal love and support from the community, sponsors and grantors, and volunteers. We are able to build relationships that strengthen our ability to serve through Activate Good.

Amber has introduced us to so many quality businesses and individuals.”

Richard Averitte, owner of Good Vibrations Consulting, is one of those individuals. He’s been involved with Activate Good for nearly five years, midtownmag.com | 55

through both professional and personal opportunities. For Averitte, one of the positives to working with Activate Good has been the ability to connect with organizations that benefit from his natural strengths and interests. “Too often the business community thinks the only way they can help is with their dollars, while in fact there are many nonprofits who are in need of skill sets such as accounting, marketing and administration,” says Averitte.

“As a small business owner I can’t stroke a check like a corporate sponsor; however, I can donate my time and skills. I have volunteered on a number of projects, all of which have been rewarding.”

Experiences such as Averitte’s are exactly what Smith wants to share, as Activate Good strives to meet its short-term goal of making 10,000 volunteer connections by the end of 2015 and accomplish its long-term vision of making the Triangle number one in volunteerism. “Right now, our area is ranked 35th out of 51 in the nation compared with similarly sized metropolitan areas.

We are ranked number one in so many other areas, why not volunteerism?” she says.

To achieve that goal, Activate Good is working to give people everyday access to volunteering through institutions such as schools, universities and the workplace, while simultaneously helping build the capacity of nonprofits to handle even more volunteers. And most importantly, through its work, they are continuing to reinforce the message that there’s no onesize-fits-all solution for those thinking about volunteering.

“Every person has their own interests, their own causes that they are passionate about, and their own schedule. There’s not one answer,” says Smith “We work to show variety, whether it’s working alone, with your friends, your coworkers or using your professional skills. Anything you want to do, there’s someway out there to make it happen.”

All it takes is using Activate Good to make a match. midtownmag.com| 57

pack yourbags

An Intimate Experience River cruising – why all the hype?

R

iver cruising has been the fastest growing segment of the cruise industry over the last 10 years. No, not down the Mississippi, which has had “cruising” options for over 100 years, but on other legendary rivers of the world including the Danube, the Rhine and the Nile. Besides Europe and Africa, the river cruise choices have expanded to the likes of Russia, Thailand, China and Vietnam. The market for this type of vacation includes ocean cruisers who have been around the world and are looking for new experiences, those who want a less rigorous but still authentic mode of travel (that doesn’t include planes, trains or automobiles) and those who are not enamored with the concept of an ocean voyage but are open to embracing a more intimate experience. These options have evolved as companies look to expand the traveler’s reach to the world’s

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waterways by building smaller ships that still incorporate the all- inclusive, worry-free benefits that cruisers have become accustomed to.

Many of the world’s most historic cities were created on major waterways and were the original trade routes for merchants and explorers alike. Although there are some large cities on the rivers, most of the stops along a typical trip include smaller towns and villages with world class charm and history. These are wonderful locales that can’t be accessed with larger ships. With river cruising, smaller ships dock on a smaller pier and passengers experience a stress-free exit and walk to the town square.

The typical river ship holds between 140-180 passengers; the ships are long vessels that are low to the water. The cabins tend to be a bit smaller than ocean cabins, but balconies and suites offer extra room and

greater vistas. Service is attentive and personal, and you feel at ease with the world and the ship shortly after you unpack. The food on the ship is typically more sophisticated than a contemporary cruise line and the chef often visit the local markets during the day and incorporate regional fare throughout the journey.

Wine from the area is also available to make perfect pairings with your gourmet meal.

You won’t find any kids’ activities on the river, but educational opportunities are abundant for curious teens and adults alike. Cultural immersion tours are conducted with local English-speaking guides with a keen focus on culinary delights, history and art. Unlike ocean cruises, almost all of the excursions are included in the price, and many lines also include alcohol and some free airfare in the package price.

The biggest and most wellknown river cruise brand is Viking Cruise Lines, but AMA, Avalon and Uniworld all offer outstanding itineraries and luxurious options.

The most popular destinations reside in Europe along the Rhine and Danube Rivers. Major ports include Budapest, Amsterdam, Basel, Paris and Munich. Russian routes takes you from St. Petersburg to Moscow and Asian locales include Shanghai, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City.

River cruising is generally a more gentle, refined and culturally rich experience that isn’t possible with most larger ocean cruise lines.

It is an ideal way to incorporate relaxation, regional immersion, culinary excellence and worry-free travel. With river cruising, as with anytime you are planning a big trip, you should consult with your community travel agency to give you expert guidance and cost-saving tips.

Bon Voyage!

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

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raising thebar

ask You

ANSWER

we

Q

Does an employer have to give its employees a check stub?

Frank, Raleigh Yes. An employer must give an itemized statement of all deductions to its employees every time they get a paycheck. The employer does not have to list the rate of pay or the hours worked on the check stub.

Alternately, the information can be listed on the check. ~ Paul Derrick

Will my insurance cover damage if my car is hit in a parking lot?

Robert, Raleigh Yes. The North Carolina standard personal auto policy affords coverage for loss to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or object.

There is no exclusion or limitation for loss that occurs in a parking lot. ~ Jennifer Welch I bought a house before I was married. Now, my husband and I have separated and are going through the process of equitable distribution. Does he have a marital claim to my separate house?

Molly, Raleigh Maybe. Typically, when property is purchased prior to marriage, North Carolina law dictates that it is the sole and separate property of the individual who purchased it, providing the other party with no marital interest whatsoever. However, it is important to consider whether the value of the property was in any way increased by active efforts or marital income during the relationship. For example,

did marital funds pay for an addition to the home or renovations? If so, there may be a partial marital claim to the property, to be assessed by an appraiser and your attorney. Keep in mind that general inflation is not considered to be an active increase in value, but rather a passive, nonmarital increase. ~ Emily Goodman My brother was charged with DWI after blowing a .07. How is that possible if the legal limit is .08?

Brandon, Fuquay-Varina The law of North Carolina allows for two ways a person can be charged and convicted of DWI based on alcohol.

A person can blow .08 or higher OR the officer can form an opinion that the person’s mental and/or physical

MeettheCounsel

Steven Saad

Criminal Defense

60 | midtownmag.com

Have a question?

Let us hear it: raisingthebar@midtownmag.com

Paul Derrick

Employment Law

Brandon also asks If my brother would have refused to give a breath sample and refused all the roadside tests, would the officer have been forced to release him?

Absolutely not. In most cases where a person refuses all tests and refuses to give a breath sample, they are still arrested. The officer can apply for a search warrant for that person’s blood, and a nurse at the jail will draw blood samples from that person’s arm whether they consent to it or not.

Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP | www.cshlaw.com

Emily Goodman Family Law

faculties are noticeably impaired from consuming alcohol. In Wake County we are seeing a record number of people being charged with DWI who blow under the legal limit. ~ Steven Saad

Jennifer Welch

Insurance Law & Coverage

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.

midtownmag.com| 61

sundaysupper

Choosing His Path

Midtown Grille’s Executive Chef, Benjamin Harris, has a fire inside By paul savery photography by Felicia Perry Photography

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C

hef Benjamin Harris’ major influence for becoming a chef is found very close to home – his grandmother from Eden, NC. He picked tomatoes with her as a small child and sat on the trash can in her kitchen (which he now has in his kitchen) watching what he calls “the master at work.” His grandmother is the most talented cook he has ever known, and remains an inspiration to him in his working life.

Chef Harris does not have a lot of formal training. He attended Johnson and Wales in Charlotte for a semester and quickly realized that it was not for him. Most of his training has come working for “intelligent chefs and restaurateurs.” Chef Harris owes a debt of gratitude to Winston’s Grille in Raleigh, where early in his career he had the opportunity to work closely with Will O’Neil (Managing Partner) and was able to observe all aspects of the inner workings of a restaurant. The experience

“lit a fire inside of him” and encouraged him to follow his great passion – cooking.

Another defining experience for Chef Harris was working with chef/co-owner Daniel Doyle at Poogan’s Porch in Charleston, SC. He cooked in a city that is passionate about food. He learned to work under pressure and then to use that pressure as motivation to improve his craft.

Chef Harris has two pieces of advice to aspiring chefs. First, spend time in the kitchen despite the long hours and heat. It’s not always fun but as a chef you need to be there teaching, tasting and insuring consistency. You may be a talented chef, but you need to start building a team of good people around you and your life will become much easier. Secondly, start building relationships with farmers, butchers, restaurateurs, reviewers, bloggers and patrons.

These relationships are vital to success in the restaurant industry.

Chef Harris has been with Midtown Grille for a year and appreciates the opportunity to cook with fresh North Carolina ingredients at this Midtown Raleigh restaurant. He enjoys introducing fish other than halibut and grouper to his customers.

One of his goals at Midtown Grille is to serve fresh, sustainable seafood while helping to support the local economy. One of Chef Harris’ major accomplishments since joining Midtown Grille is improving the restaurant’s relationship with local farms such as Rays Family Farm.

It can be grueling work in the restaurant business, but Chef Harris still finds some time and energy to cook at home. He enjoys inviting friends and family over and, while he doesn’t cook as frequently as he would like, he tries to cook dinner at home at least once a week. Chef Harris’ favorite cookbook for his home kitchen is The Craft of Cooking by Tom Colicchio, award-winning chef at the New York restaurants Gramercy Tavern and Craft.

His favorite dish is fresh pasta. He states that he is “lucky enough to be married to a beautiful redheaded Italian, and on the rare occasion I am outside of work, we love to cook together.” Typically Chef Harris and his wife pair the pasta with whatever looks most appealing at North Carolina’s State Farmers Market, of which he is within walking distance. On the following pages, Chef Harris shares one of his favorite dishes for his Sunday Supper. midtownmag.com | 63

Roasted NC Fish with Spring Vegetables, Cultured Butter, Charred Ramp and Allan Benton’s Vinaigrette Makes 4-6 Servings Fish Ingredients 2 lb Filet with skin on (pin

bones removed and skin

lightly scoured) 1 oz Grapeseed oil 4 oz Butter 1 bunch Fresh thyme 5 cloves Garlic

Salt and pepper Method 1. Cut fish into about 6 oz portions.

If you prefer you can roast whole, but it is easier to achieve the delicious crispy skin if you portion smaller.

2. Scour fish skin, making sure just to cut through skin and not into meat. With your fingers, rub skin with thyme leaves and kosher salt, ensuring you get into the scour lines. Dry with paper towel (the dryer the skin, the crispier it will get; this is also a chef ’s trick to make sure it doesn’t pop hot oil on you while roasting) 3. Preheat cast iron pan or other oven safe fry pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Add 1 ounce grapeseed oil to pan. Oil should just begin to smoke. Add fish to pan, skin side down, and cook over mediumhigh heat for 3 minutes. Resist the urge to move or touch the fish.

Your patience will be rewarded.

5. Do not flip the fish. Place sauté pan in oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

6. When you remove the fish from the pan, lightly dry on a paper towel to remove excess oil and rest skin side up so your skin doesn’t steam.

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Spring Vegetables

We chose the vegetables below because we love them and they were available now. Feel free to substitute your favorite vegetables.

Ingredients ¼ lb Fiddlehead ferns, washed and blanched ¼ lb Garlic scapes, tops separated and blanched ¼ lb Hakurei turnips, halved, tops removed and blanched ½ lb Peas, washed and blanched ¼ lb French breakfast radishes, washed and sliced wafer-thin

¼ lb

2 4 oz 2 oz 2 oz

Ramps (trim green tops for vinaigrette and reserve bottom white part) Oranges, zested Cultured butter, cold Grapeseed oil chopped fresh herbs (we like basil, Italian parsley and spring chives) Salt and pepper

Method 1. Start the vegetables about 2 minutes before the fish is finished cooking.

2. Preheat a heavy bottomed sauté pan (we prefer cast iron because they hold heat so well and add flavor).

3. Add grapeseed oil to pan. Oil should just begin to smoke. Add all vegetables to pan (reserve half of the radishes to stir in at the end for added texture), ensuring you do not overcrowd pan.

4. Stir every 30 seconds, allow vegetables to develop some color.

5. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. While the pan is off the heat add the zest of two oranges, cold cultured butter and crispy bacon leftover from the vinaigrette. Stir constantly until you no longer see the butter.

6. Taste for seasoning and add chopped fresh herbs if available.

Charred Ramp and Allan Benton’s Vinaigrette Ingredients ½ cup Braggs’s Apple Cider Vinegar

Ramp Tops (use only the

green parts and light char

on the grill or lightly color

with a blowtorch if a grill is

not available) 2 Oranges, juice and zest 1 Grapefruit juice and zest 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp Whole grain mustard 1 bunch Basil leaves 1 Tbsp Wildflower honey ¼ lb Double smoked bacon

(rendered and fat reserved –

produces ¾ cup bacon fat) ¾ cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp Cracker black pepper

Kosher salt, to taste Method 1. Combine all ingredients except bacon fat and olive oil in a blender and purée until smooth and well combined.

2. Once bacon fat has cooled to room temperature, combine bacon fat and olive oil.

3. With blender running, slowly pour in oil to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

4. This recipe makes a little extra dressing, which can be stored in mason jars in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If dressing separates while in refrigerator, simply allow dressing to come to room temperature and shake to bring back together. midtownmag.com| 65

young makers photograph © Terrence Jones

photograph © reDirectPhotography

photograph © reDirectPhotography

Good Girls Studio Vintage Gets a Revamp

by Jenni Hart

F

rom her home-based studio in North Hills, Johanna Ely designs and handcrafts jewelry and accessories that are both beautiful and rustic, fresh yet nostalgic, and above all, unique. Ely believes every piece has a story. It might be a single exclamation of strength, with the word “Warrior” or “Bulletproof ” stamped into brass on a cool leather cuff, or a wistful connection to the past when a grandmother’s brooch is nestled into a bride’s one-of-a-kind bouquet.

Ely makes and sells thousands of pieces each year, many through her online shop. But she is most inspired when she’s meeting a customer in person, hearing the story of a sentimental heirloom or sharing in a couple’s special day. “I love weddings because they are so incredibly personal,” she says.

“I might be working with a bride who wants a hair clip made with a piece of her mother’s jewelry, and you can feel their connection. It’s very touching.”

After working for years in luxury retail sales and management, including a stint in Manhattan, Ely moved to North Carolina to raise her son, Tyler. Although she was no stranger to the fashion industry, she never imagined she would one day launch her own jewelry business. “I had really simple taste back then,” she says. “I wore a sterling silver bangle and little silver ball earrings, and that was it.” She says she didn’t feel

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a connection to most of the jewelry she saw in stores, so she decided she would try to make her own.

When her grandmother died and left a collection of costume jewelry, Ely’s mother encouraged her to take the vintage pieces and give them new life. “I’ve always been creative, but to learn how to make jewelry, it was just me, YouTube and a book,” she says. To this day, she’s never taken a class in jewelry making. When the compliments began trickling in, she realized she was on to something. In the beginning, she made just a few pieces for herself, but friends and acquaintances began to clamor for their own. “This was 2007, before social media, so word of mouth was my only marketing,” she says.

Then the company she was working for was liquidated, and Ely decided to make jewelry a full-time pursuit. She took a 40 percent pay cut right from the start, a move she admits was a little scary. “But the timing seemed right, and I had a supportive group of family and friends around me to help take care of my son,” she says. Tyler, now a teenager, would sit and string beads alongside his mom when he wasn’t playing outside or doing homework. “He has basically grown up with the business,” Ely says.

Still in its infancy, the e-commerce site Etsy was Ely’s first foray into serious (serious!) sales. Early visitors to the site were

photograph © reDirectPhotography

(opposite page, left to right) Hand-cut, hand-sewn fabric petals and lace become the foundation for keepsake wedding bouquets and boutonnieres; Revamped vintage coin purse necklace; Bullet statement necklace. (above) Johanna Ely at home in the Good Girls Studio.

smitten with the Good Girls vibe. When she started sourcing materials for her creations, Ely quickly realized the limitations of many retailers. “A lot of them use the same suppliers, so the beads were all very similar,” she says. A visit to the flea market changed all that, as Ely had the vision to see how vintage pieces could be taken apart and re-purposed. Cameos, antique watches, lockets and gemstones were fashioned into statement pieces that her customers fell in love with.

Ely didn’t stop at romantic and charming. A chance visit to a gun range during a family holiday in Tampa gave her new raw material and an edgy new aesthetic. “I was just there to try to get over my fear of guns,” she laughs.

It was Black Friday, and she couldn’t bear the thought of more shopping, so her family invited her to join them for some target practice. As they were shooting, Ely noticed the spent shell casings littering the floor. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, but I boxed them up and brought them home on the plane,” she says. She paired the casings with pearls, crystals and lace and turned them into earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

The bullet jewelry was wildly popular and continues to appeal to buyers looking for a unique piece that’s a sure conversation starter.

Ely refers to herself as a “tragic romantic” and loves to imagine an intriguing backstory when she’s designing one of her custom pieces. “It’s the combination of a vintage item and the whimsical little story that propels the piece forward,” she says. Occasionally, she indulges her snarky, sarcastic side. Her collection of “Backstabber” pocketknives is one playful example. “My market display is all vintage and sweet, but there I am dressed in combat boots and wearing black from head to toe. Obviously, I love to mix it up!” she says. To see more Good Girls Studio creations, visit www.goodgirlsstudio.etsy.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @theegoodgirl. midtownmag.com | 67

Room complete the >>

KITCHEN

>> Do

you love your kitchen? Whether yours is a working kitchen or a show kitchen, each needs a personal stamp of originality defining the quirkiness and character of the individuals that brew their coffee there each morning. Here are a few touches to make you fall in love with your own kitchen again.

Kitchen Towel

Add charm to any kitchen with this 100% cotton kitchen towel.

Many saying to choose from. Natural colors to go with any dĂŠcor. >> Affordable Chic Shops, $10

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Kate Spade Crème De La Crème Mug

This Daisy Place Crème De La Crème Mug features a charming teacup illustration that will add a fun, playful touch to your décor.

Made of 100 percent Lenox® porcelain. >> Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers, $20

WALLPAPER IS BACK!

These patterns (Baldwin Bamboo) from Scalamandre are perfect for your kitchen or breakfast room. Price upon request. Samples can be seen in our extensive fabric/wallpaper/custom furniture library! >> DT&Co.

Kate Spade 2-Piece Dessert Set

Let them eat cake with this chic, imported, statementmaking dessert set from Kate Spade New York. >> Ora Designers and Fine Jewelers, $65

GRAYBILL AND DOWNS CANDLE This candle in “Boxwood Grove” is subtle enough to eliminate certain cooking odors in a most elegant fashion. Keep one in the kitchen at all times! Featured in Garden and Gun as a winner of the Made in the South awards. >> DT&Co., $44

Cutting Board

Personalized tempered glass cutting board adds an elegant touch to any kitchen.

Many styles and colors to choose from. Great gift for wedding or anniversary! >> Affordable Chic Shops, $49 (rectangular), $45 (round)

midtownmag.com| 69

DOCTORS WARN: PROCRASTINATING CAN LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR MALES 70 | midtownmag.com

By David Droschak Men can view themselves as indestructible, logging 70-hour work weeks, skipping the gym, eating chips, burgers and fries late at night, drinking or smoking – or worse – both.

And unfortunately, males often ignore the warnings signs unhealthy living can produce or skip theri regular physicals, prostate exams or a colonoscopy.

Most, if not all of these procedures, are painless and can save your life, with early detection being the key.

Doctors Allen Mask and Jack Hughes, veterans of Triangle-area The term “beer belly” in medicine for decades and leaders males encompasses more than a few brews. Doctors say in their fields, help us understand males tend to put on weight in the top five areas of concern their midsections with a fatty diet and unhealthy lifestyle, for males. Mask is the founder or a combination of lack of sleep and eating late at night. and medical director of Raleigh And men hate to hear their Urgent Care Center. He has also doctors proclaim: “You’ve got to lose 10 pounds.” Seems served as the medical reporter easy, correct? Sometimes all it takes is a change in dietary for WRAL-TV’s health team since choices. In particular, Mask says black males across the 1993. Meanwhile, Hughes is now Southeast have a higher death 95 years old and was a practicing rate associated with stroke, which leads back to diet urologist in the Triangle until the choices. “We love our pork, we love our red meat, and age of 69. He remained in the we also tend to exercise less in this region. Seventy-two medical field for 11 more years until percent of Americans are retiring at age 80. either overweight or obese, and obesity is a major risk “To me, it has been moderation,” factor for everything,” Mask said. A simple treadmill test Hughes said. “Moderation in on a regular basis, even for everything, but I don’t think you younger males, is a good idea, the doctors said. can work too hard, provided what you’re doing doesn’t put you under stress you can’t handle.”

WEIGHT

midtownmag.com | 71

Prostate Exams Males need to begin these procedures once a year at the age of 40, most of the time in conjunction with a physical. “This is the one procedure that jumps out for me at this age,” Mask said. A large cross section of males don’t get an annual physical, which is puzzling to doctors since most if not all insurance companies cover this procedure. Mask recommends having the rectal exam and blood work.

“And you can’t skip one,” Mask said. “The idea is you have to have the two done at the same time.” Mask says males often balk at the rectal exam. “Once they have it done, it takes less than 10 seconds. It is really not that invasive. You just have to man up. By the time you walk out of the office, you feel perfectly fine.

It makes no sense to balk at this.” And of note, more African Americans die of prostate cancer in North Carolina than any other state. “If I am going to take my car in once or twice a year to the auto dealer for a checkup, I’m certainly going to do it for my own body,” Mask said.

Colonoscopy A must at age 50, but yet again another exam males tend to shy away from. “A lot of people just don’t think about their own mortality; you’re busy making a living and looking after your family,” Hughes said. “And having an education is important; knowing about the benefits of good, clean living and paying attention to symptoms.” Colon cancer is the most preventable form of cancer in males, but can lead to serious problems if gone undetected.

If the exam is normal, the recommendation is to have another one at age 60. “Males need to put a big red flag by this exam,” Mask said. “It all starts off as a polyp, maybe the size of a BB or maybe two or three BBs strung together, and the doctors notice those and shave it off, much like shaving a piece of your beard, and then it’s gone. It’s not a cancer where all of a sudden a mass is there the size of a lemon, so it’s very preventable.” Sedation methods now make the procedure very tolerable.

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gladwell orthodontics_ma.pdf

1

2/7/14

9:18 AM

exercise

Males more than females suffer from the “I’ll do it tomorrow” syndrome, and it’s most prevalent when it comes to regular exercise, which can greatly reduce many health issues. A lack of time because of work is the number one excuse here, but as Hughes says, that’s what it is – an excuse. “A yearly physical can pick up things such as diabetes or high blood pressure,” Hughes said. “The problem is, people will start on an exercise program in January and it might last until March.

That doesn’t do much good.” For 25 years, Hughes would wake up at 5:40am and jog two and a half miles per day. “Those who don’t exercise just aren’t motivated,” Hughes said.

“I grew up in the Depression and had to work hard. I guess I was just one of those males who was motivated.

Most people agree you should do it, but only a small percentage will do it regularly.” At 95, Hughes still goes to the gym three times a week for 30 minutes. “And then some guys just walk around with their potbellies hanging over their belts.”

stress

Males are still viewed as the primary breadwinner in most families, and if the wife also works then chores, such as watching the kids or grocery shopping, have to be shared responsibilities at home, adding more stress to an already stressful lifestyle. “Being able to handle stress is probably one of the greatest gifts a person can have – not getting overly excited in stressful situations, being able to remain relatively calm so you can think things through,” Hughes said.

“That doesn’t come easy, and some people can never handle stress.” Mask notes that the leading deaths in males center on cardiovascular disease. Meaning blood pressure checks on a regular basis can alert doctors to early symptoms.

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It’s TIME to start

making

time

By Corbie Hill

e

rik Broo doesn’t want to wake up at 5:30. He doesn’t want to groggily force himself out of bed while his wife and young son still sleep. He’s not sure how his body will react to leaving his North Raleigh home on his road bike, cycling dozens of miles even before the sun is up and returning home as others are only getting out of bed. He doesn’t want to do it, he says, but he’s going for it anyway. Otherwise, there’s really not time.

“I have to try,” he says.

Broo, like many who balance career and family with inconsequential things like sleep, is a busy guy. The 31-year old is a quality manager with Advance Auto Parts and has a one-and-a-half-year-old son. Still, he cares about his health, so he sticks to a vegan diet. And he makes the time to exercise.

“I started taking cycling seriously at 25,” he says. He has competed in races like the Tour de Gila in New Mexico or the Air Force Association Cycling Classic in Arlington, Virginia, and his training regimen involved hundred-plus mile rides. As a dad, however, he can no longer simply hop on his bike and be gone for hours on an open-ended ride. Today his Saturday outings, accordingly, are in the 55-60 mile range.

“Now everything has to fit around nap schedules and lunch times – it’s much more regimented,” he says. “I suppose I could get out the door early enough and still get in a 100-mile ride if I wanted, but I’d have to be going to bed quite early.”

Cary fitness trainer, Joe Matroni squeezes in workouts when he can fit them in, too. It sounds counterintuitive, but when he’s at his job at Life Time Fitness he’s not working out, per se, but training clients. Besides, Matroni, 22, is also an NC State student: between full-time work and school, there’s not a lot of time.

“You take opportunities when you have them,” he says.

His attitude is more go-until-you-drop than Broo’s, though

Healthy living, happy living: the Broo family.

the two have in common that they make time to exercise when none seems to exist. “If you have a free hour, don’t just sit there and relax,” Matroni says over the phone, audibly switching into trainer mode. “Go get your workout.”

Without these workouts, Matroni wouldn’t be in shape for the 70-mile triathlons he prefers. Broo has felt his racing performance suffer when life gets in the way of his workouts – he recently changed jobs and moved, for example, and hasn’t gotten back in a good workout rhythm.

Still, he’s confident he’ll find a new routine and be back out there, making the time to ride the distances he used to. And exercise-friendly central North Carolina will still be there.

“We have trails everywhere, so if you want to run you can always run in a different spot,” Matroni says. “Whenever you’re driving, you always see someone running, or you see packs and packs of cyclists. We definitely do more than enough, I believe, to provide adequate infrastructure. People know it, too.” midtownmag.com | 75

MUD MUD GU

AND

76 | midtownmag.com

UDGUTS UTS

ND

Obstacle races are demanding – and messy – but they’re the latest craze in making fitness fun BY kurt Dusterberg

midtownmag.com | 77

photograph courtesy of Big Muddy Challenge

photograph courtesy of Rugged Maniac 5K

Events like the Big Muddy Challenge (left) cater to families, while Rugged Maniac races (above) can test the endurance of the most fit adult competitors.

When Fred Augustine showed up for his first obstacle race, he had no idea what he was getting into. His wife had signed him up for something new, and he looked forward to breaking out of his routine at the gym.

“It was a 13-mile event. When I got to eight miles, I just wanted to quit,” Augustine remembers, before breaking into a laugh. “I swear I thought she just wanted the life insurance policy.”

Augustine finished the course, with a little help from his wife, who hopped a guard rail and helped him cover the last 10 yards.

“I thought, ‘I did this for a t-shirt and a medal?’” he says.

Augustine is not alone. Obstacle runs (and similar events called mud runs or adventure runs) are attracting a growing number of people who are looking to break away from traditional fitness routines. As the name suggests, obstacle runs add a variety of challenges to a traditional running race.

For starters, all of them are off-road events. Participants scale walls, climb nets and wade through bodies of water.

“It’s experiential entertainment,” says Rob Dickens, who operates the Rugged Maniac obstacle race series.

“People are no longer satisfied to sit on their couch and have entertainment delivered to them via a television. They want to get out there and be a part of the action. They want to go out and have fun, and get exercise at the same time.”

Rockingham Motor Speedway hosted a Rugged Maniac event in May, drawing 8,000 participants. Dickens, a Wilmington native, would like to bring an event to the Triangle area if he can find a suitable location.

“We try to find a location with interesting terrain, whether it’s a stream or hills or a pond,” Dickens says. “But we also need a venue that’s big enough to hold our event.”

And building a course is no small task. After getting 78 | midtownmag.com

hooked on running obstacle races, Augustine got the bug to build a course. He quit his job and ventured out on a large property owned by a race buddy.

“I went out into the woods one day with a spray paint can and hedge cutters. I cut my way through and made a trail,” he said.

After Tropical Storm Sandy wiped out his first course in 2012, he rebuilt it and launched Legend Race, held annually in September in Oxford. To keep expenses low, Augustine prepares the entire course himself.

“I hang ropes, hang cargo nets in trees, build obstacles,” he says. “There are inverted staircases, teetertotters to run up and down. You swing from a rope [to a net] in mid-flight.”

Today, Legend Race has close to 500 participants. Like most obstacle races, it attracts many young adults who aren’t content to settle for jogging on a trail or a treadmill. The obstacles add a level of excitement as well as a sense of camaraderie. If you’ve never felt the rush of successfully climbing a wall, your fellow racers usually lend a hand. That’s the spirit of the event.

There’s a cool factor, too. The Rugged Maniac website promotes “epic” obstacles and “plenty of beer” at the finish line. Turning a workout into a party makes these events attractive to groups. Many obstacle racers train together and travel several hours to a race site. With a little planning, you can make a weekend of it.

“A lot of people are competitive, but a lot of them are encouraging people and want to see them do something they never thought they could do before,” Augustine says. “It’s a great team-building atmosphere.”

You don’t have to channel your inner warrior to take part in an obstacle run. While some events are meant to test endurance and fitness, others cover just a couple of miles.

To keep things interesting, many races feature mud, water, bubbles – anything to put a twist on a traditional race.

photograph courtesy of Rugged Maniac 5K

Some people might aim for first place, but most most set more personal goals.

“I like to compete against myself,” says Augustine, who has taken part in more than 25 events. “I go back to the same races to see if I can do better. For me, physical fitness is more about functional fitness than it is just to look good.”

Not all the races are geared toward the adventurous 20-something set. Mud runs attract families with children, capitalizing on the idea that getting a little gooey goes a long way with kids.

Adam Spisak imagined the day when he would want to run a race with his young daughter, so he developed the Big Muddy Challenge, which holds events in North Carolina and Virginia.

The season-opener in Raleigh attracted about 2,000 people.

At the Big Muddy Challenge, the obstacles are a little toned down, and the use of mud, soap suds and inflatables appeals to a wide age range. At a Charlotte event, one family competed with four generations, from age six to 82.

“The majority of our folks go at their own pace – run, walk, crawl. That’s all encouraged,” Spisak says. “We’ve tapped a very unique niche in the market that is under-served.”

Whether you’re looking to push the adrenaline or just get your family off the couch for the weekend, there’s an obstacle run that will challenge your fitness routine. The terrain will change, you’ll wind up covered in gunk, and you might discover some physical attributes you didn’t know you possessed.

“We get people who are all shapes and sizes,” Dickens says. “There are people who want to be competitive and get that medal. But for most people who come to our events, they just want to get outside and have fun, doing something active.”

For more information on North Carolina obstacle runs and mud runs, go to www.mudrunguide.com/directory/usa/ north-carolina-nc. midtownmag.com | 79

memo from a

80 | midtownmag.com

man on a mat What do the singers Sting and Jon Bon Jovi, actors Robert Downey Jr. and Matthew McConaughey, model/soccer star David Beckham, businessman Russell Simmons, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith, and former basketball star Shaquille O‘Neil have in common?

These famous men are all regular practitioners of yoga.

By Paul Savery

midtownmag.com | 81

yoga

has nothing to do with gender. However, men have not traditionally been attracted to yoga since its arrival on these shores. This is ironic considering that, from yoga’s beginnings in India millennia ago, both teachers and students have been predominately male. A recent Yoga Journal survey found that in the US only 18 percent of the 20 million yoga practitioners are men.

About 12 years ago, a confluence of factors led me to the yoga mat. My physical therapist told me I possessed the tensest body she had ever worked on. I was under a lot of stress at work, where my position was being phased out. In addition, my body could no longer withstand the rigors of jogging and tennis. I was at a stage in my life where I was looking for a new challenge.

At the time, I could not touch my toes and yoga was largely a mystery to me. I only found the courage to enter this world when two female friends, both also novices to yoga, agreed to accompany me to my first beginners’ class.

The vast majority of the yogis were female but my first teacher was a male, which helped me to be less intimidated.

Over the weeks, I grew more comfortable in my classes and gradually became hooked. Since then, I have continued to attend classes on a regular basis.

What is it about yoga that scares men off ? Some believe yoga is too feminine; others are wary that it is too New Age and touchy-feely. True, in some yoga classes there is chanting and spiritual readings, but they are not all like that. There are almost as many different styles of yoga and types of teachers as there are yoga poses. Your challenge is to shop around for an approach that fits you. With a yoga studio on nearly every corner, you can find a class to suit your tastes.

Men might also be discouraged from taking up yoga because they don’t match up to the idealized bodies featured on Yoga Journal’s cover. Don’t be intimidated if you are not a perfect human specimen when you enter the yoga studio.

You do not have to start out as Mr. Bendy, capable of wrapping your legs around your head!

Perhaps men assume that yoga will be less rigorous than the exercise regimen they’re used to. Whatever your preconceptions, you should know that yoga is an extremely challenging discipline that offers a full workout. However, it is very different from a session at the gym. While there are poses that resemble push-ups and other cardio exercises, the major difference is that the poses are synchronized with your breath and you maintain great focus.

What is the practice of yoga? There are three aspects: the physical postures, breath work and mindfulness. Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit. The philosophy of the practice is to bring the mind, body and spirit together in a united alignment.

Yoga is not yoga without the mindful breathing, which is what produces the calmness and general sense of well-being.

This deep, abdominal breathing is central to the practice of yoga. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn lowers levels of cortisol. Training yourself to breathe deeply through yoga can lower your heart rate, lower cortisol levels and reduce stress in your daily life.

While yoga is gender-neutral, it does offer some clear benefits to men. Most men’s bodies are naturally tight. Boys generally lose flexibility faster than girls, and by the time they become adults, the difference in flexibility between them

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and women has grown. Over time, no matter how big your muscles are, if they are tight then they will weaken. Most active men have some strength, but frequently lack flexibility. If you build in elasticity (not more muscle), you have a prescription for a strong body.

Yoga can help enhance your performance in your chosen competitive sport by teaching you how to strengthen, how to gain flexibility and how to breathe properly. Experts recognize that traditional fitness approaches build up muscles, but that bulk can lead to injuries; yoga, which emphasizes strength with flexibility, helps to prevent injuries.

The entry costs into yoga are minimal. Unlike golf, you don’t have to invest large sums of money on equipment that often ends up in the back of the closet. Sure, guys like gear, but all you need are shorts and a t-shirt. (No spandex required!)

You don’t even have to invest in a mat: most studios will either lend you one or charge a small fee.

Yoga is particularly beneficial for workaholics and perfectionists.

There is no way to win at yoga. It is a practice. Yoga is the antithesis of competition, which can be hard for men to accept, especially when many of the other practitioners are women. (Do you really want to compete with a woman who has been doing gymnastics since she was five years old?) You don’t have to compare yourself to your neighbor – female or male – on the next mat.

Everyone’s body type is different, and part of the yoga practice is accepting that your body is unique.

Dump your competitiveness and your perfectionism at the studio door. There is no end goal; you are a seeker of improvement, not perfection.

Yoga is no cure-all, but researchers continue to find added benefits to the practice.

Studies show that yoga strengthens immunity, relieves back pain, improves sleep and boosts brain function. Should you try yoga? It’s really up to you. I know it has helped me. Among the many benefits, I can now touch my toes. midtownmag.com| 83

calendar ofevents

July/August 2015

Red, White & Blue: Group Show July 3 | 6-9pm Local Color Gallery 311 W. Martin Street | Raleigh localcoloraleigh.com

American Girl Doll Camp July 6-10 | 9am-1pm Historic Polk House 537 N. Blount Street | Raleigh polkhouse2@bellsouth.net

American Girl Doll Camp July 13-17 | 9am-1pm Historic Polk House 537 N. Blount Street | Raleigh polkhouse2@bellsouth.net

Midtown Farmers’ Market July 4 | 8am-12pm Saturdays in July & August The Commons at North Hills Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 | visitnorthhills.com

Monogram Door Hanger Class July 8 | 12-1pm The Galleria Raleigh 9650 Strickland Road Suite 167 | Raleigh Pay at Door $35 | thegalleriaraleigh.com

North Hills Kids in Midtown park July 14 | Free kids activities every Tuesday North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146

Wine Wednesdays: Wine Tasting & Buffet Dinner July 8 | 8-9:30pm Mosaic Wine Lounge 517 West Jones Street | Raleigh mosaicwinelounge.com

Cooking Class: Farmers Market Finds July 14 | 6-9pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh Cost per person $55 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com

Independence Day Celebration July 4 | 9am-5pm NC Museum of History 5 East Edenton Street | Raleigh Starring North Carolina! exhibit half-price 919.807.7900 | ncmuseumofhistory.org 24th Annual Historic INdependence Day Open House July 4 | 11am-4pm Joel Lane Museum House 160 South St. Mary’s Street | Raleigh 919.833.3431 | joellane.org 36th Annual Festival for the Eno July 4 & 5 | 10am-6pm West Point on the Eno | Durham City Park 5101 N Roxboro Road | Durham enoriver.org/festival Barenaked Ladies July 4 | 8pm Red Hat Amphitheatre 500 South McDowell Street | Raleigh 919.996.8800 | redhatamphitheater.com 1st annual pig pickin’ July 4 | 12-6pm Driftwood Southern Kitchen | Lafayette Village 8460 Honeycutt Rd #112 | Raleigh driftwoodraleigh.com

Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills July 8 | 7-8pm North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Midtown Beach Music Series July 9 | 6-9pm North Hills Commons | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Starring North Carolina!

Film Series: “The Conjuring” July 10 | 6pm NC Museum of History 5 East Edenton Street | Raleigh $5 per person 919.807.7900 | ncmuseumofhistory.org Billy Currington with Tim McGraw and Chase Bryant July 10 | 7pm Walnut Creek Amphitheatre 3801 Rock Quarry Road | Raleigh 919.831.6400 | walnutcreekamphitheatre.com Soaps, Salves and Sassafras July 11 | 1-4pm NC Museum of History 5 East Edenton Street | Raleigh 919.807.7900 | ncmuseumofhistory.org Kid Rock with Foreigner July 11 | 7pm Walnut Creek Amphitheatre 3801 Rock Quarry Road | Raleigh 919.831.6400 | walnutcreekamphitheatre.com

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Bastille Day Wine Dinner July 14 | 6:30pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills July 15 | 7-8pm North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Beer Class: Brewery Spotlight July 16 | 6:30-8:30pm Total Wine & More 4421 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.232.2580 | totalwine.com Midtown Beach Music Series July 16 | 6-9pm North Hills Commons | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Punch Brothers July 16 | 8pm North Carolina Museum of Art 2110 Blue Ridge Road | Raleigh 919.839.6262 | ncartmuseum.org Beers and Barbells July 18 | 10-11am State of Beer, Trophy Brewing and Raleigh CrossFit 401 Hillsborough Street | Raleigh 919.546.9116 | stateof.beer

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Pork out at Lafayette Village BBQ Contest and Festival July 18 | 11am-4pm Savory Spice Shop in Lafayette Village 8470 Honeycutt Road, Suite 108 | Raleigh lafayettevillageraleigh.com Bow Making 101 July 19 | 12-1pm The Galleria Raleigh 9650 Strickland Road, Suite 167 | Raleigh Pay at Door $9 | thegalleriaraleigh.com American Idol Live Tour July 19 | 7:30pm Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street | Durham 919.680.2787 | dpacnc.com Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills July 22 | 7-8pm North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Wine Class: A Blind Wine Tasting Undercover Vines July 23 | 6:30-8:30pm Total Wine & More 4421 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.232.2580 | totalwine.com Midtown Beach Music Series July 23 | 6-9pm North Hills Commons | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Sam Smith July 23 | 7:30pm PNC Arena 1400 Edwards Mill Road 919.861.2300 | thepncarena.com Cooking Class: “Miss Manners to the Rescue” July 25 | 11am-1:30pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh Cost per person $45 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com American Girl Doll Camp July 27-August 1 | 9am-1pm Historic Polk House 537 N. Blount Street | Raleigh polkhouse2@bellsouth.net

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My Morning Jacket July 28 | 7pm Red Hat Amphitheatre 500 South McDowell Street | Raleigh 919.996.8800 | redhatamphitheater.com Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills July 29 | 7-8pm North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Jill Scott July 30 | 7:30pm Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street | Durham 919.680.2787 | dpacnc.com Midtown Beach Music Series July 30 | 6-9pm North Hills Commons | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Julia Child Cooking Class August 4 | 4:30pm Saint Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills August 5 | 7-8pm North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Elvis Costello with Steely Dan August 6 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre 3801 Rock Quarry Road | Raleigh 919.831.6400 | walnutcreekamphitheatre.com

Cooking Class: Globetrotters Greece menu and specialty wine paring August 11 | 6-9pm Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook Street | Raleigh Cost per person $65 919.828.5932 | cateringworks.com Wellness Wednesdays at North Hills August 12 | 7-8pm North Hills Midtown Park Six Forks Road & I-440 | Raleigh 919.881.1146 Julia Child Wine Dinner August 12 | 6:30pm Saint-Jacques French Cuisine 6112 Falls of Neuse Road | Raleigh 919.862.2770 | saintjacquesfrenchcuisine. com Lyle Lovett August 18 | 7:30pm Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street | Durham 919.680.2787 | dpacnc.com

Midtown Beach Music Series August 6 | 6-9pm North Hills Commons | Raleigh 919.881.1146

Wine Class: South American Wines: More Than Malbec August 20 | 6:30-8:30pm Total Wine & More 4421 Six Forks Road | Raleigh 919.232.2580 | totalwine.com

Kim Balentine: Summer Attractions August 7 | 6-9pm Local Color Gallery 311 W. Martin Street | Raleigh www.localcoloraleigh.com

Mötley Crüe with Alice Cooper August 28 | 7pm PNC Arena 1400 Edwards Mill Road 919.861.2300 | thepncarena.com

Bill Maher August 9 | 8pm Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street | Durham 919.680.2787 | dpacnc.com

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

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Under the Raleigh

Radar

Six Hidden Gems in the Capital City 86 | midtownmag.com

It’s no wonder Raleigh tops so many “best of” lists – its mix of top dining, shopping, music and outdoor spaces has grown in pace with the city’s population and national recognition. But for every popular Poole’s Diner, State

The Veranda at Lonnie Poole Golf Course

You don’t need a set of golf clubs to enjoy Lonnie Poole Golf Course’s prime view of downtown Raleigh. The clubhouse’s full-service restaurant and bar is open for lunch 11am-3pm with bar hours extending through 7pm. Skip the indoor seating and order appetizers, sandwiches and salads out on to the veranda, or camp out in the shade with a glass of beer or wine while the golfers sweat it out below. The wraparound porch overlooks the course’s Arnold Palmer-designed greens and features an Instagramworthy shot of the skyline, and even has an outdoor fireplace and fire pit for cooler months. 1509 Main Campus Drive.

Farmer’s Market or Umstead State Park staple there is an equally exciting hidden gem right off the beaten path – or sometimes right on it, hiding just below the buzz. Here are six lesser-known spots to sip, shop and see.

By Karlie Justus Marlowe Photography by Davies Photography

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The Fire Pit at The Angus Barn

The Angus Barn is a Raleigh landmark, serving up addictive cheese and crackers and largerthan-life steaks. Its popularity for special events and holiday dining can make for competitive reservations, but one of the best seats in the house usually doesn’t require a call ahead. Ask for a seat at the fire pit, and the hostess will take you on a winding journey just as good as the destination itself – past the wine cellar, through the kitchen, by the chef ’s table and steps from the cigar bar. The firepit overlooks Glenwood Avenue, but makes up for the traffic noise with its food and drink service under the stars. Visit in the spring and fall when the air is a little cooler, and turn your normal Turkey Lounge cocktail into a hot toddy by the fire. 9401 Glenwood Avenue.

Eclectic Furniture and Decor

Although Eclectic Furniture and Décor – formerly the Eclectic Furniture Garden – is a family affair, its mix of repurposed wooden furniture, garden and home accents and locally made gift items has flown under the radar on the corner of Wake Forest and East Whitaker Mill roads. Owner Joyce Hawley and daughters Liz and Crissy also offer custom furniture painting and interior design consulting – and will even consign furniture and products from customers.

1932 Wake Forest Road.

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Raleigh Denim Workshop + Curatory

Raleigh natives and husband-andwife team Victor Lytvinenko and Sarah Yarborough started upscale denim line Raleigh Denim in 2007, with a focus on handcrafted jeans created in the city’s Warehouse District. The line’s only Southern outpost takes up the front of the factory, around the corner from The Pit and Humble Pie. The small shop boasts a hip mix of raw denim, leather accessories, jewelry and stationery. The hidden gem within a gem? The store’s deep discount weekends, when some of its most popular styles for men and women can go for as much as 60% off. 319 West Martin Street.

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Raleigh City Farm

North Person Street’s profile has expanded in the last few years, now boasting its own bakery, men’s fashion line, wine store and one of the best burgers in the Triangle, courtesy of The Station at Person Street. But right in the middle of that retail and restaurant growth is a green corner filled with rows of herbs and vegetables. Raleigh City Farm is a community-supported urban farm founded in 2011, and its food is sold to local restaurants, CSA shares and farmers’ markets. Individuals, families and children are welcome to volunteer during the farm’s regular hours to help weed, rake, water and harvest. 800 North Blount Street.

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Howling Cow Ice Cream at D.H. Hill and Hunt libraries

Although the cows that dot the rolling hills of NC State’s veterinary school between Wade Avenue and Hillsborough Street are hard to miss, it’s the milk that makes up this hidden gem. Students and staff at the university’s Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Science’s Feldmeier Dairy Processing Lab have churned out ice cream fresh from its Lake Wheeler Road farm since 1968, building a cult following and infamously long lines at the annual NC State Fair. But you don’t have to wait until October to sample flavors like Cherry Brick Road, Campfire Delight and Chancellor’s Choice: The Howling Cow brand has two Raleigh outposts open to the public year-round, serving hand-scooped cups and cones, sundaes and milkshakes at Creamery Shop in D.H. Hill Library and at Common Grounds Cafe in Hunt Library.

2 Broughton Drive and 1070 Partners Way.

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Raleigh’s Affordable R

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le Restaurants Are Just Around The Corner

I

t’s the great American pursuit finding a restaurant with good food with low prices. But how to define affordability?

Democratically, – we asked you for suggestions and pulled the top five by

number of mentions.

All of them are in or close to downtown and/or midtown, and interestingly enough, eighty percent specialize in some variation of Hispanic or Latin cuisine.

Check ‘em out:

By Dan Bain Photography By Davies Photography midtownmag.com | 93

Armadillo Grill

439 Glenwood Avenue, 919.546.0555 www.armadillogrill.com

Tex-Mex doesn’t get any better than the award-winning a-la-carte choices at this festive, slightly irreverent, counter-service restaurant near Glenwood’s club district.

Expect fresh ingredients in made-toorder entrees, where you can determine the cost by the ingredients you choose to add or omit. Entrees range from $1.35 to $6.80 and soft drinks cost $1.45, which is about as low as you can find, even in fast-food circles.

Menu items include: • Six varieties of soft tacos (steak, chicken, chili, bean, guacamole or veggie), ranging from $1.35-$2.25 (starting price) each • Crispy beef taco for $1.45 • Three types of burritos (steak, chicken or bean), $5.50-$6.30 each • Three enchilada plates (two each of beef, chicken or cheese, with beans and rice), $4.80-$5.45 per plate

Mami Nora’s

4614 Capital Boulevard, 919.713.0000 2401 Wake Forest Road, 919.834.8572 www.maminoras.com

With two Raleigh locations, plus Durham and Cary, this restaurant is obviously popular. Its rotisserie chicken is prepared in a special Peruvian-style marinade, then roasted. The owners say their chickens are free-range, local, and free of hormones, steroids, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soy and gluten.

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It doesn’t come any purer, and it’s the only meat they sell. Choose from four basic orders: • Quarter dark ($6.99) • Quarter white ($7.49) • Half ($8.99) • Whole ($15.50) Each order comes with two of seven sides: white rice, black beans, house salad, cole slaw, hand-cut fries, chicken soup or yellow corn. Three premium Peruvian sides are available for 50 cents more: yucca fries, fried green plantains, or fried sweet plantains. Three Latin-style desserts are available – caramel flan ($2.45), caramel cookie ($1.75), and tres leches cake ($2.75) – and in addition to $1.75 sweet tea and standard fountain drinks, the restaurant offers two Latin drinks: chi cha morada (a $1.95 house blend of purple corn and pineapple juice with cinnamon and clove) or a $1.50 can of Inca Kola.

Calavera Empanadas and Tequila 444 S Blount Street #101, 919.617.1661 www.calaveraempanadas.com

This colorful cantina, just a block from Moore Square, specializes in empanadas – pastries stuffed with various meats, cheeses, veggies and more, then baked or fried to perfection. Calavera has ten varieties for $3.50 each, plus two dessert empanadas for $3 each. Other offerings include three kinds of “Macho Nachos” for $8.99 each, two $9.99 salads, and a lunchtime offering of two tortas – flatbread sandwiches with black beans and rice – for $6.99. The establishment also specializes in tequila and mescal, with about 70 varieties, but it’s been my

experience that when tequila enters the equation at any establishment, an evening is not going to qualify as “affordable.”

If you stick with the empanadas, you’ll be able to choose from these fillings: • Chicken tinga • Picadillo (a traditional ground beef/ potato mix) • Chimi churri-marinated steak • Mushrooms • Pulled pork • Sweet guajillo pepper-marinated pork • Habanero-roasted pork • Black beans • Tequila-marinated poblano peppers • Jerk chicken • Banana and Nutella • Pumpkin pie

Guasaca

4025 Lake Boone Trail #107, 919.322.4928 www.guasaca.com

This open, inviting South American grill is tucked away in Lake Boone’s “medical district,” in the newly invigorated shopping area, down the street from Rex Healthcare. Guasaca specializes in a Venezuelan staple – the arepa, a flatbread made from corn rather than wheat, split like pita bread, and filled to create a sort of sandwich. Choose from seven signature arepas – chicken, pork, avocado chicken, mechada (shredded beef with black beans), steak, tilapia and vegetarian – or create your own by choosing one of six meats (braised pork, braised tilapia, avocado chicken, grilled chicken, shredded beef or grilled steak), three of seven “sides” (pico de gallo, caramelized onions, white cheese, plantains, cole slaw, black beans and black-eyed peas), and one of

calavera empanadas and tequila

six sauces (guasaca sauce, cilantro sauce, mustard sauce, red sauce, wine vinegar sauce or sour cream). One arepa costs from $3.90-$4.45, while two arepas, a bowl, or a salad cost from $6.75-$7.85.

Snoopy’s

1931 Wake Forest Road, 919.833.0992 600 Hillsborough Street, 919.839.2176 3600 Hillsborough Street, 919.755.9022 2431 Spring Forest Road #161, 919.876.3775 www.snoopys.com

A Raleigh tradition and the first fast food restaurant in Raleigh to stay open past midnight, Snoopy’s has become an icon since the first of four locations fired up its grill at the corner of Wake Forest and Whitaker Mill roads in 1978.

Known for fast service, low prices, the tuxedo-clad Mr. Snoopy mascot, the red and white awnings and/or table umbrellas, and the ever-changing messages on its Wake Forest Road

marquee, this outdoor restaurant is beloved in our capital city. Snoopy’s offers sandwiches, soup, sides, and desserts, specializing in hot dogs and burgers served Eastern North Carolina-style (with mustard, onion and chili, on a steamed bun). Choose from eight sandwiches for less than $5 each: Snoopy’s famous hot dog; cheeseburger; double cheeseburger; beef frank; BBQ sandwich; chicken breast sandwich; BLT; and chicken salad. Four combos are available for $5-$8, and Snoopy’s has three specials by weekday: • Monday – $1 off chicken salad sandwich • Tuesday – Snoopy’s famous hot dog for half price (normally $2.29) • Thursday – $1 off BBQ sandwich As a bonus, the restaurant supports the SPCA of Wake County and the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Eastern North Carolina, so as you buy your affordable food, you can feel proud knowing part of the money you spend will go to a good cause. midtownmag.com | 95

also h c r esea e great r r v Ou up fi aily or d e n tur ith d that w s e cials e a plac e p s v ly hour you to ha ing ur allow or less d f meal ic times: if spec

Chuy’s

Chuy’s

4020 Market at North Hills Street, 919.571.2489 Happy Hour: Monday-Friday, 4-7pm www.chuys.com

Load up at the “nacho car” – the trunk of a replica antique automobile, filled with chips, queso, ground beef, beans and other toppings – free of charge.

Trust me, you can make a meal of them, even if you don’t partake of the daily drink specials.

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe

222 Glenwood Avenue, 919.832.3688 Happy Hour: Monday-Friday, 4pm-5:30pm www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com

Enjoy appetizers for half their regular price, including: • Hummus Sampler Platter • Sweet Chili Shrimp • Chicken Taquitos • Fried Green Tomatoes • Mac & Cheese

• Tobacco Road Sliders • Wolfpack Wings • Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls • Pub Fries • Crab Cakes

Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Sub Shop

Various locations Daily specials www.harristeeter.com

Get a made-to-order half sub – hot or cold – for $3.49 if you order the daily special: • Sunday – Meatball, roast beef • Monday – Pork BBQ, turkey • Tuesday – All subs • Wednesday – Philly cheese steak, ham • Thursday – Meatball, club • Friday – Breaded chicken breast, tuna • Saturday – Sausage & peppers, ham Or stop by on Friday when all footlong subs are only $5

The Twisted Fork tobacco road sports cafe

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3751 Sumner Blvd. #170, 919.792.2535 Lunch Special: Monday-Friday, 11am-12pm

Dinner Special: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm www.thetwistedfork.com

Partake of a $5 salad bar lunch or come in for dinner and receive a free kid’s meal for every adult entrée your party orders.

Yard House

4208 Six Forks Road, 919.881.2590 Happy Hour: Monday-Friday, 3-6pm Late-Night Happy Hour: SundayWednesday, 10pm-12am www.yardhouse.com

Various heavy appetizers are available, ranging from $5-$8, including: • Moo Shu Egg Rolls • Onion Ring Tower • Chicken Garlic Noodles • Boneless Wings • Pizza • Fried Calamari • Spinach Cheese Dip • Blue Crab Cakes • California Roll • Chicken Nachos • Lettuce Wraps • Queso Dip • Classic Sliders midtownmag.com | 97

Max Indian, Hopscotch Music Festival in 2010 photograph Š Courtney Pierce

Hopscotch Music Festival returns for a sixth year

BY Greg Lowenhagen

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This September, more than 140 bands and thousands of fans will gather for the sixth annual Hopscotch Music Festival. Headlined by country pioneer and multi-platinum artist Dwight Yoakam, Grammy nominated Brooklynites TV on the Radio, and Canada’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the festival features music in nearly every genre – rock, rap, folk, pop, metal, experimental, electronic, and so forth. What began in 2010 as a far-fetched idea to present North Carolina artists alongside national and international performers for three days of virtually non-stop live music in downtown Raleigh, is now recognized for its unconventional lineups, atypical layout, and overall experience.

Hopscotch is fairly unique among the growing throng of music events in America, and Sioux Watson, Midtown Magazine’s publisher, asked me to write about why that is. midtownmag.com | 99

Tiny City Plaza, Hopscotch Music Festival in 2011 photograph © Joe Scarborough

Ghostt Bllonde, Hopscotch Music Festival in 2014 photograph © James Willamor

Venue INFO Raleigh City Plaza 400 Block Fayetteville St, All Ages CAM Raleigh 409 W Martin St, Ages 18+ Deep South The Bar 430 S Dawson St, Ages 21+ Some Army, Hopscotch Music Festival in 2014 photograph © James Willamor

Fletcher Opera Theater 2 E South St, All Ages Kennedy Theater 2 E South St, All Ages

Kings Barcade

Unlike most large scale 14 W Martin St, Ages 18+ festivals that erect a handful of stages in a vast park or field, Lincoln Theatre Hopscotch takes place within 126 E Cabbarus St, Ages 18+ the city’s existing infrastructure Neptune’s Parlour – its bars, theaters, and 14 W Martin St, Ages 18+ even a church. Our outdoor Pour House Music Hall The main stage in Raleigh City 224 S Blount St, Ages 18+ Plaza on Fayetteville Street Slim’s accommodates 6,000 attendees, 227 S Wilmington St, Ages 21+ not the 80,000 one has come to expect from a mega summer Tir na nOg party. The smaller capacity 218 S Blount St, Ages 18+ makes for a more intimate, Vintage 21 less congested affair – The 118 Person St, All Ages Rolling Stones will play a football stadium here, for instance. In City Plaza, you don’t need big video screens to see the bands, and in the club venues where most of Hopscotch happens, the shows are in a setting with fewer people and more immediacy.

This city-wide footprint comes with an added community benefit: the hotels, restaurants and bars see a boost. After we sell tickets to fans, the majority of their money is not spent with us in a fenced-off pasture, but with other businesses throughout downtown for three days and nights. Moreover, much of the fun of Hopscotch comes from traversing the streets between venues, bumping into old friends and making new ones while bouncing from set to set around town.

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Hopscotch is one of very few festivals that attracts attendees from across the US and abroad, while still focusing on presenting local artists. We sold tickets to fans in 37 states last year, but 35% of our lineup was comprised of acts from North Carolina. The idea is to highlight Raleigh, the Triangle, and the state, while also drawing visiting artists from around the globe. In September, musicians from Australia, England, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the rest of America will join those North Carolina acts on 12 stages. It is a tradition we hope to continue forever.

In 2014, we added the Hopscotch Design Festival to the front end of our music weekend.

In partnership with Raleigh-based firm New Kind, we now produce this two-day event to showcase the people who are designing the future – graphic designers, architects, tech pacesetters, urban planners, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, and more. The festival features 30 sessions, workshops, and a block party, and we hope it becomes a signature gathering for amateur and professional designers, as well as anyone interested in creativity and ingenuity. To my knowledge Hopscotch Design is the first event of its kind to spring from an established music festival, and considering how much music influences designers and makers, we think it’s a natural fit.

To learn more about both Hopscotch Music Festival (September 10th-12th) and Hopscotch Design (September 9th-10th), please visit www.hopscotchmusicfest.com and www.hopscotchdesignfest.com.

A cappella music breaks out in the Triangle The Catch 22 group is part of the Triangle’s expanding a cappella scene

By PAUL SAVERY Photography by Davies photography

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According to North Carolina’s own

Ben Folds of Ben Folds Five, a cappella has “… been growing for the past few decades slowly but surely, and has now reached critical relevant mass.” (Folds was a judge on the NBC’s very successful a cappella singing contest The Sing-Off.)

Raleigh is part of that critical mass with a thriving local a cappella scene including college groups and professional groups. I recently interviewed one of the local groups by the name of Catch 22, which formed in 2012.

A cappella is Italian for “in the manner of the church.” It is music which is either solo or group singing without instrumental accompaniment. It contrasts with cantata, which is singing accompanied by instruments. For most of history, music with instruments was not practiced in Christian worship. A cappella singing produces a sound much larger than the sum of its parts; it creates a big sound.

Ashley Trantham and Scott Feldmann are the co-founders of Catch 22.

Ashley has been hooked on a cappella ever since discovering it at graduate school.

Scott got involved in barbershop while attending Appalachian State University.

One of the things that attracted Ashley to a cappella was that she didn’t play any other instruments, so a cappella singing was a way for her to perform in a “band”. Some of her friends consider her “a huge nerd.” She enjoys the fun of hearing an a capella song come together to sound like something on the radio, but using only voices. Scott loves singing in close harmony and describes it as one of those experiences that you don’t really understand until you are a part of it.

There are six members of Catch 22, and Ashley is the only female. She jokes that someone has to keep them in line. Her grandmother asked her how she found “all those good lookin’ guys to sing with me.” She told her she found them where every self-respecting girl finds men – craigslist. Scott believes six is the perfect number for the style of music Catch 22 performs.

Scott and Ashley are frequently asked about the story behind the name of the group. They were in another group before they formed Catch 22 and they wanted to leave. Their predicament was whether to wait until they had a group fully formed before they left, or to leave without another group lined up.

The present group’s name describes this dilemma. As Joseph Heller once said, “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22.” “Outbreak” was another option for the group’s name, but Scott and Ashley decided it sounded like a disease epidemic.

According to Ashley and Scott most post-collegiate groups are co-ed, but there are many all-men and all-women collegiate groups in the area. Each group is structured a little differently, so they are curious to hear how different groups with different voice parts can arrange the exact same song. Scott added that you might predict that all-female groups would have the most human drama, but from his experience, “guys who sing a cappella can be just as catty.”

When asked about the secret to keeping everyone in the group happy, Ashley responded that if you find out, please let her know! Scott thought this might be a trick question. Both agreed this was a great challenge, but open communication is the key to making sure everyone’s voice is heard. Scott observed that “When we put in hard work and have a successful show everyone is usually very happy in the long run, but there are always speed bumps leading up to that point.”

Scott Feldmann and Ashley Trantham, co-founders of Catch 22. Earlier this year Catch 22 performed at the 7th annual Singstrong A cappella Music Festival and the group won the “Audience Favorite” Award.

midtownmag.com | 103

Commenting on some of their best gigs in the Triangle, Ashley said, “We’re still waiting on our chance to fill PNC Arena.” Last year they performed on the grandstand at the Raleigh Christmas parade. Friends and family, as well as some of the Triangle a cappella community, are their core audience – but they enjoy performing for anyone and everyone.

Ashley describes how Catch 22 uses voices to emulate musical instruments. “We use our voices to sing the notes played by instruments in a radio tune.

John [group member] does some great sounds that sound a lot like various percussion instruments. But we usually don’t try to sound like actual instruments. There are groups that do this really well and have singers who sound just like trumpets or guitars, but that’s not our forte, so we stick with our strengths.” Scott adds that since Catch 22 mostly covers popular music, “Our voices are always emulating musical instruments, but some groups specialize in using audio technology to try to sound as close to a real instrument as possible, like a trumpet or guitar.”

Ashley believes that a good song for a cappella treatment already has a lot of background harmonies.

She finds that artists or groups with lots of harmonies are fun to cover, including Queen, Billy Joel, and, more recently, Fun. Ashley and Scott agree that “For the Longest Time” by Billy Joel qualifies as standard song in the a cappella tradition. Ashley considers “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen to be another.

Scott is the group’s primary arranger so if he really likes a song suggestion, he’ll feel inspired to arrange it.

He tries to play to the group’s strengths and musical taste, which is typically something soulful with a lot of rich harmony. Sometimes when Scott gets excited about a song he can crank out an arrangement in an afternoon, but it can take up to a couple of weeks.

Modern technology assists the contemporary a cappella group through an online arranging software program that allows group members to log in on their home computers and help arrange a song. This allows members to listen to, or change any arrangements.

After Scott has arranged a song, the group has opportunities to tweak the arrangement. “I try to keep our arrangements open and fresh and encourage new ideas so that people who come see us more than once get a chance to see something different.” He claims everyone contributes to making the songs better, so he thinks of the arrangements as belonging to the whole group. Their chemistry has come with performing together over the past couple of years.

For a cappella, your voice is your instrument – so it is important for singers to look after their voices. Ashley asserts that ideally, a singer should really consume very little caffeine and no alcohol because these harm the vocal chords. “Since I can’t function without my morning coffee, I am not so great at following the caffeine rule. I try to cut back on show days, though.”

Vocal rest is also crucial. “It is really important to know your limits and back off during rehearsals if you feel your voice getting tired.” Catch 22 takes lots of breaks during rehearsals to prevent permanent vocal cord damage. Scott subscribes to drinking a lot of water, but 104 | midtownmag.com

a Local

Flavor The Independent Weekly has named 88.1 WKNC–FM, NC State’s student radio station, the best college radio station in the Triangle.

NC. State’s student-run college radio station, based in Raleigh, plays indie rock, electronic, metal and hip-hop, but specialty shows and other music genres are featured during the evenings and weekends. One of those shows is “All Things A Cappella”, which airs Sundays from 12-2pm. “All Things A Cappella” highlights the best in collegiate and professional a cappella music. The show’s DJs, Glenn Weeks and Allison Wonderland, feature classical and contemporary a cappella, and occasionally guest artists drop by to sing and talk about their careers in a cappella music. While WKNC is a college radio station, the reception is good. The station broadcasts at 25,000 watts, which allows over one million listeners to tune in from the central North Carolina area.

also struggles with the caffeine restrictions because he loves coffee and Diet Coke.

Every a cappella group is subject to outside influences; for Ashley it was the UNC Loreleis. “They were really cutting edge in a time when a cappella wasn’t nearly as mainstream as it is now.” More recently, Pentatonix (originating from Arlington, Texas) has been a huge influence for Scott and Ashley.

Ashley likes GQ (Girl Quartet) style, which is different from Catch 22, but their “harmonies are so tight and their voices are about as close to perfect as humanly possible.” Scott’s two favorite quartets of all time are Max Q and Vocal Spectrum.

The Triangle a cappella scene is a small community where everyone knows each other. You can usually find members of other groups attending a cappella shows throughout the Triangle. Ashley reports that most groups will ask another area group to perform as a guest group at their concerts. “We attend various a cappella festivals in the area, as well as nationally, to network with other groups as well. We used to have regular karaoke nights for all of the aca (a cappella) nerds that were called ‘acaoke.’” Scott states that groups are always looking for others to perform with them at a show. He has made a lot of connections with other groups in the area and is part of an attempt to organize a big meet-up of all the groups in the area.

Catch 22 is available for community events and private parties. For information, visit catch22nc.org.

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B

t N R I A A IN R

s ’ t a h W neurofeedback?

And how

By Kate Turgeon Watson photography By jennifer robertson photography

106 | midtownmag.com

s e o d it

work?

For the first time in my professional life,

someone slipped me a note that read, “It’s okay to fall asleep.” True story. It happened a couple of weeks ago. And I was relieved to see the small, torn piece of paper and its permission to snooze. The setting: Orenstein Solutions. The reason: neurofeedback training. The thank-goodness-she-exists-and-understands note writer: Frederique Beaufils.

Beaufils, a neurofeedback specialist, and I were sitting in a Cary office with calming green walls and cottage-like white furniture. She was on a couch, observing as I did neurofeedback training a few feet away on a computer. As much as I tried to hide it, Beaufils noticed as I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Sure, there were three sensors on my ears and two on my scalp. My hair was loose instead of being wound up in its usual bun or ponytail. But none of that was causing the blissful calm. It was, instead, a 35-minute session of constantly moving fractal images on a screen and instrumental music fit for a spa day.

Neurofeedback training, Beaufils explains, is a brain-training program. It performs an analysis of the brain’s electrical activity. When it detects “turbulences” in brainwaves, which can indicate inefficient functioning, the music is interrupted by a brief clicking noise. It’s soft and sometimes Reasons people seek neurofeedback training hard to detect. The timing of that interruption gives the brain vital information, or feedback, to Neurofeedback is endorsed by the American reorganize itself.

Psychological Association for addressing

According to Beaufils, the mental health concerns. The American training helps with symptoms of Academy of Pediatrics approved it as an anxiety, depression, attention deficit evidence-based practice for the treatment hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and of ADHD and ADD. Other conditions that attention deficit disorder (ADD). neurofeedback addresses include: “The primary goal is stress reduction Stress/burnout and emotional regulation. In my view, that’s where it’s strong,” she explains.

Sleep disturbance/disorders

why?

Anxiety Panic attacks Depression PTSD Trauma Addiction Academic/athletic performance Forgetfulness

Frederique Beaufils works with clients on neurofeedback training at Orenstein Solutions in Cary. She uses the NeuroOptimal system to improve brain functioning.

midtownmag.com | 107

Neurofeedback training sessions last about 30 minutes, during which time clients listen to soothing music and watch on-screen fractal images.

“It helps regulate the central nervous system. It’s not a treatment; it’s a training.”

From my perspective, it was a time to channel my inner Elsa and let it go. (Never mind that I was also channeling everyone from Divergent who took an aptitude test.) It was about relaxation. Even though I did nod off, it was only for a moment. And the overall feeling was more of calm than sleepiness.

Neurofeedback trains your brain to be in the present, Beaufils says, which is important during stressful times or following a trauma. “When somebody has memories of something that was disturbing in the past, they’re never in the present. They’re way out there. The problem with trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is that the emotional charge that comes with memories is replayed again and again,” she explains.

“We’ve found [neurofeedback] very useful and … the training is based on repititon, too”

The amount of necessary sessions depends on the client and his/her needs. It’s common, she notes, to see substantial change after about six sessions; 12 sessions are recommended for lasting results. And children with ADHD and ADD often do about 30 sessions. A typical schedule includes training once, or sometimes twice, a week.

The session isn’t all time spent in front of the computer. Beaufils spends time talking to clients about their situations, symptoms and how they’re feeling. And, she says, she judges how the training is going by how symptoms ease. “I track the changes that way,” she says.

“I don’t do baselines and go into what the computer tells me. I really want to find out what people experience and if it’s actually working for them in their life.”

She’s heard from clients that the training is like a massage for their brain, which is music to her ears as she seeks a holistic, noninvasive approach that helps 108 | midtownmag.com

Beaufils says it’s not uncommon for neurofeedback clients to report that they’re sleeping better, working more efficiently and feeling more confident.

“It’s not you who decides what your brain is going to be doing. It’s not me who decides what I am going to be doing to your brain. It’s your brain that decides.

You have to trust that intelligence … that the brain knows what it’s supposed to do.”

– Frederique Beaufils, M.A., Neurofeedback Specialist people through situations such as divorce, sleep disorders and addictions. It’s not uncommon for her to hear that clients are sleeping better, feeling centered, working more efficiently and experiencing confidence.

What the training does, she says, is improve functioning as a whole rather than trying to fix something. “There are other neurofeedback systems that work differently where you actually have to work at something consciously, exercise and play a game to reach a target. Usually health practitioners do that to try and fix particular symptoms … [but] this is different in the sense that it’s just giving you information. The system isn’t telling you what to do,” she says.

Beaufils has been working with the NeuroOptimal system since 2012. While she says many clients are benefitting from it, it’s also still relatively unknown and sometimes misunderstood. She hopes potential clients will understand that it detects and informs, and does not alter or manipulate.

“It’s not you who decides what your brain is going to be doing. It’s not me who decides what I am going to be doing to your brain,” Beaufils says. “It’s your brain that decides. You have to trust that intelligence … that the brain knows what it’s supposed to do.” midtownmag.com | 109

Home

110 | midtownmag.com

is where th

re the

HEART

is

Living the sweet life in a retirement community

BY CAROL WILLS

What does “home” mean to you? A place of safety and comfort? A hub of social activity? A “home base” from which you can go out and travel the world?

For a lot of folks in their retirement years, “home” is a retirement community that offers all of these amenities and many more. So for those beginning to consider the move into a community like this, what else are they looking for?

“A swimming pool would be nice, “mused one prospective tenant. “A tennis court. Yoga classes. And walking trails.”

She also wants transportation, if needed, to church and other cultural events. An avid reader, she needs access to a good library. “And,” she says with a twinkle, “the idea of someone cooking my meals is very appealing.”

Retirement communities in the Triangle offer all these things. Accommodations vary from individual cottages or duplexes, to apartments, to adult care facilities. If you’re looking to move into a community or are helping a loved one make that decision, be aware that most

communities have waiting lists. So it’s good to visit several well ahead of need to compare not only costs, but social activities and other offerings that may be important to you. Check out each community’s calendar of events to see which is most interesting to you.

What are some of the considerations that help people to choose the right place to spend their retirement years? Finding a community that is conveniently near familiar parts of the city where they lived before retirement provides a way for retirees to remain active in the area where they have friends and family. It’s a big relief not to have to worry about home maintenance and yard work. And it has been proven that people who nurture their social connections and remain socially active actually live longer, healthier lives. Most importantly, it’s finding that community that is welcoming and bright, that really says “home” to you, that will be your guide to a successful move.

Here are some great options and resources for you and your loved ones in the Triangle.

midtownmag.com | 111

The Cardinal at North Hills 141 Park at North Hills Street #114 • Raleigh 919.578.4372 www.kiscoseniorliving.com

carolina bay at Autumn Hall 5553 Old Garden Road • Wilmington 910.726.2905 www.carolinabayatautumnhall.com

The good life just got better. They say your retirement years mean you can sit back and relax, enjoying all you have accomplished. At Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall, our residents don’t just sit back – they embrace opportunities for staying active. Nestled in the heart of Wilmington, Carolina Bay offers maintenance-free living, a wealth of outdoor, entertainment and shopping options, and a full continuum of care, should it ever be needed. Schedule a visit today!

112 | midtownmag.com

Nestled in the midst of Raleigh’s vibrant North Hills Park District, just steps from shopping, entertainment and daily conveniences, The Cardinal at North Hills brings together all the elements of a continuing care retirement community. A full array of community features and amenities include a bistro, beautiful dining room, state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service health and beauty salon including therapeutic massage, and much more! Residents have a full complement of daily activities to choose from.

The Cardinal’s design and offerings reflect its luxurious, abundant surroundings to create a new standard of modern senior living in Raleigh with an unparalleled retirement lifestyle.

Home is where the heart is. That’s why the residents of The Oaks at Whitaker Glen love where they live.

Hassle-free living and countless amenities provide the comfort of home for each of our residents in this continuing care retirement community. Located in Five Points, residents maintain a lifestyle as serene or vibrant as they desire.

Residents are accommodated in spacious apartments surrounded by gently rolling hills with beautiful, shady oaks trees. Take a stroll through the four-story sky-lit climate-controlled atrium and see residents socializing while soaking up the sunlight. We offer a secure environment provided by a caring staff and an affordable style of living in an upscale area of Raleigh.

501 E Whitaker Mill Road • Raleigh 919.839.5604 www.pruitthealth.com

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Our caregivers have earned their wings through the most comprehensive background screenings. You have the opportunity to select your own caregivers who provide compassionate, consistent senior care. Caregivers assist with personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, transportation, errand running and friendly companionship.

Call today for a FREE, no obligation consultation to determine how we may best serve you. midtownmag.com | 113

May Your

BUCKET

Run Full

BY CAROL WILLS

Nancy

114 | midtownmag.com

Carol

Sally

Nancy Martin

Nancy Martin is an 80-year-old retired psychologist living with her husband, Bob, in a retirement community in the Triangle.

She has planted flowers and vegetables in the community garden this year. The yard in front of their cottage is also blooming with several kinds of flowers.

Nancy’s bucket list includes traveling she has done as well as trips she hopes to take in the future. A few years ago, when her daughter, a nurse practitioner, was invited to attend a conference in Paris, Nancy joined her. They scheduled an extra five days after the conference to stroll through the Louvre and visit the Eiffel Tower, but they didn’t stop with visiting the usual tourist spots – they also enjoyed just walking the streets of Paris and stopping for coffee and macarons at the cafés. One memorable day they happened upon a square where some young people were holding a break dancing contest.

Nancy recalls with pleasure the time they spent in the French equivalent of an Airbnb, which they located on the Internet (GoodMorningParis). This stay in a family home in Paris afforded them the opportunity to make friends, as well as to find out from native Parisians about places in the city that they might want to visit. Plus, says Nancy, the cost of staying in a B&B is about one-third of what they would have paid for the same length of stay in a hotel.

Nancy has a lawyer son who lives in Tokyo, so she has made several trips to Japan to visit him, the first 25 years ago with her 80-year-old mother. Bob joined her for the son’s wedding in Seki City several years later. A return trip to Japan is definitely an item on her bucket list for the future. She very much likes to seek out places that are not necessarily those typically visited

by American tourists. She remembers one place in particular, a glass factory and park that featured a glass tree in the middle of a man-made lake. “The Japanese create beauty in whatever they do, whether it is preparing food or wrapping packages in stores.

Also, the people are remarkably kind and considerate,” says Nancy. “What I always come back with are not souvenirs, but precious memories and an appreciation of the Japanese culture.”

Carol Rist

Carol Rist, 79 years old, who lives with her husband, Karsten, in a retirement community, recently returned from a visit to the beaches and fields of Normandy, France. This destination had been an item on her bucket list of places to go for years, and she was not disappointed. She toured the area with a group from Road Scholar educational adventures that included a knowledgeable guide, a resident of Normandy. He was an oral surgeon who had accumulated enough D-Day memorabilia to furnish his own museum, which the group also toured. Carol says that visiting the beaches and the American cemetery was a moving experience that she will never forget.

Another enjoyable outing was going to see the Bayeux Tapestries, which were embroidered by women of the Normandy Court in the 11th century. These famous tapestries tell the story of the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066.

After seeing these wonders on land, the group boarded a riverboat and floated up the Seine, stopping at Giverny to see where the artist Monet lived and created the pond for water lilies that inspired some of his most famous paintings. And after that, the riverboat took them to see the Eiffel Tower, which was bedecked with a giant tennis ball to celebrate the French Open, due to begin the next day. midtownmag.com | 115

And still on Carol’s bucket list?

A trip to India. She would love to see the Taj Mahal, of course – and as a fervent admirer of Mahatmas Gandhi, she would like very much to see the places in India that were important to him. She has many friends from India who have already taught her to enjoy spicy Indian cooking. For someone who loves to travel as much as Carol does, the bucket list just keeps getting longer.

Sally Feather

Sally Feather has devoted the last 10 years of her life to volunteering in the field of parapsychology, after retirement from her professional career as a clinical psychologist.

Now 85, she lives with her husband, Bill Hendrickson, very near to the retirement community that she and Bill are waiting to move into since selling their Hillsborough home a few years ago. Sally and Bill are active in their church and busy with their extended families, which include Sally’s two children and grandchildren in the area and Bill’s three children and grandchildren in other states.

Ask Sally about her bucket list of achievements in the past few years and she will say she’s continuing the ESP research of her parents, J.B. and Louisa Rhine, work that began in the early 1930s and is now housed in the Rhine Research Center. After several years as the executive director of the Center, Sally is now focused on the collection and qualitative study of psychic experiences, on helping with the Center’s public programs, and, along with a colleague, on compiling a book of selected letters of her father’s, from the vast collection of these letters now preserved in the Duke University Special Collections Library. She also continues to speak to local groups or conferences on the various aspects of ESP and consciousness study.

High on Sally’s bucket list is a trip next summer to a professional conference that will include researchers from all over the world.

To keep herself in trim, Sally is a frequent participant in exercise classes through the Silver Sneakers program, as well as dancing in the Zumba Gold classes.

116 | midtownmag.com

midtowndowntown

Designing

Dorothea Dix After City Purchase, Downtown’s ‘Backyard’ Poised for Bright Future

By Karlie Justus Marlowe / Photography by Davies Photography

T

he 13-year battle to secure a development-free space for Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Hospital property may be over, but the hard work is just getting started.

“It would be easy to say, ‘Okay it’s done now,’” said Jay Spain, a member of Friends of Dorothea Dix Park, one of the community-led groups that vocally pressed to preserve the land for North Carolina’s citizens. “But we’re not going to stop.”

On May 11th, Mayor Nancy McFarlane signed a $52 million purchase contract to buy the land from the State of North Carolina. The signing was unanimously authorized by the North Carolina Council of State at its May 5th meeting, and officially secured with a $2 million earnest money payment.

“There is not a better park system in the country in terms of number and size – Chavis Park, Pullen Park and now Dorothea Dix,” said Raleigh City Attorney Tom McCormick, a major player in the negotiations between the city and 118 | midtownmag.com

photograph courtesy of the City of Raleigh

The city held a signing ceremony to officially recognize the property’s purchase, with the downtown skyline in the background. From left: Raleigh City Attorney Tom McCormick, Governor Pat McCrory and Mayor Nancy McFarlane.

state who served as master of ceremonies at the signing. “People here really appreciate how close to downtown it is. They really appreciate their parks.”

Like Spain, McCormick has been there from the start, when then-governor Beverly Purdue entered into a lease of the property toward the end of her term in 2012. A March 2013 Senate bill was introduced to to void the lease, while McCormick worked with North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis to negotiate further with current governor Pat McCrory. The bill eventually died.

“It took another year of meetings, proposals and plans before City Council’s recent approval,” said McCormick. “Now we’re working with the state to do surveys, and getting ready to borrow some money.”

After the signing ceremony, Raleigh mayor Nancy McFarlane set about figuring out the best – and most economical – way to do that.

“The first thing we have to do is pay for it,” she said when asked about the city’s post-purchase to-do list.

A public hearing was held June 2nd to determine the best route, and a 10-year bank loan was approved.

It would carry less interest than a 20-year bond, and won’t require an October vote by the public.

“It will save $9 to 10 million of citizens’ money and will be the quickest option,” said the mayor, who hopes to close by the end of July. It will mark the end of a long chapter for park advocates like Spain.

“I’ve been involved for almost 12 years now,” he said, laughing that his work on the park’s preservation pre-dates his marriage. “It’s been a long time.”

Spain, living in Boylan Heights at the turn of the millennium, served on a neighborhood city planning group before joining on to advocate for Dorothea Dix. For 10 of those years, he served as board chair, where he steered the group toward its one goal: Save the property for use by the general public. It joined two other citizen-led groups, Dix Visionaries and Dix306, led by Spain’s friends Greg Poole Jr. and Bob Padgett, all community advocates sitting at the mayor’s table.

“We saw the value of what was happening downtown,” Spain said, a Raleigh native and NC State alumnus. “No one living downtown was going to have big front or back yard, so this would have to be it.”

Mayor McFarlane credits the groups with

keeping the land in the public eye all those years.

“They did everything from keeping the communication out there and getting people informed, to talking to members of the General Assembly,” she said. “They’ve already raised $3 million for planning. It’s been an amazing group effort.”

But just what will that work’s payoff look like?

Early on, the groups envisioned a partnership with NC State University – then came Centennial Campus. Or a professional sports league’s homebase – then came the PNC Arena off Trinity Road. And looming over everything in those early days was the economic downturn that slowed development and growth across the country.

Now, they have just one requirement: No development other than historical building upgrades.

As Spain notes, people don’t live in the middle of New York City’s Central Park. He also mentions a few other possibilities, like restoring the original hospital to its original splendor from the mid-1800s, a tribute to the land’s namesake and the mentally ill, and a museum about the park’s original mission – but doesn’t have a specific checklist.

“I get asked a lot what do I want it to be, and I don’t have an answer,” said Spain. “I’m not a park designer. I know I don’t want it to be a passive park, and there should be something that makes it a big draw that people all over the world would want to come see.”

No matter the final outcome, the planning process to create one of the country’s best urban parks won’t be quick.

“Everyone should have input,” said Spain. “It should represent the state and capital city, as well as the future of our world.”

The mayor echoed his call for careful planning, noting that park planners from around the world have reached out with interest.

“We need to really take the time and develop what people want to see as the vision for the park,” said the mayor, who cites park neighbors NC State and the State Farmers Market as potential partners.

“What is the feeling we want it to have? What does it say about the city? There are so many stakeholders, it will take a few years.”

In the meantime, the major players in the purchase are taking time to soak in their success. midtownmag.com| 119

midtowndowntown

Living

Shotgun Historic Design’s Narrow Footprint Makes it a Modern Favorite

By Karlie Justus Marlowe / Photography by CitySpace Homes

T

he story behind its name is as simple as the house itself: If you stand at the front door of a shotgun house, you would be able to fire a gun straight out the back door without hitting a single wall.

“That’s the lore,” said Scott Shackleton with a laugh, who knows the style well after completing a shotgun-style community known as Oakwood Cottages near downtown Raleigh’s historic Oakwood. “It’s a design worth preserving.”

Shotguns can be found in nearly all of the neighborhoods surrounding the city center, a nod to the area’s roots as a home to poor African American families. Many of the houses stood only 14 to 16 feet wide, and no more than 30 feet deep, dating back to the 1920s and 1940s.

“East of Oakwood, all houses were shotgun style,” Shackleton said. “The houses were originally two bedrooms with double-sided fireplaces, with no 120 | midtownmag.com

kitchen or bathrooms.”

“It’s a sustainable layout, and

The semi-retired and you can fit more units in smaller parcels self-described “professional of land,” said Johnson. “Their narrow volunteer” spends most of his design works well in high-density time now as CFO of non-profit downtown areas like we have in Raleigh.”

Help One Now. But after selling The pair’s attention to detail has his CPA firm in 2006, a realtor garnered them two Sir Walter Raleigh friend alerted him to a parcel of Awards, as well as a standing ovation at a land in downtown that was up for recent Raleigh Appearance Commission sale. The land was home to six meeting. The 15-member commission shotgun-style houses. is a mix of architecture, design and

“I’d asked myself, what do city planning professionals, established I want to do next? It felt like a in 1973 to provide aesthetic guidance project I’d be good at, and I had a regarding the visual quality of the city. vision of what it could look like,” Those award-winning details, which said Shackleton, who bought the they call “post railroad folk vernacular,” houses in their old, dilapidated extends down to the mix of paint colors condition. “I knew how to make that color their neighborhoods.

“The bright electric blue is a the houses marketable.”

He set about updating and historic Haitian color,” said Johnson, opening the existing structures who also points out features inspired up, and adding on new builds. He by historic photos. “Our buyers choose added additional square footage every detail with a focus on creating a where possible, adding on a house that’s timeless, like painted wood This modern, three-story version of the second story in the back of the sashes, corner boards, gable returns and shotgun style in Dorothea Gardens was design house – known as “camelbacking” wood-look siding.” and built by CitySpace Homes, a husband-and– to some of the designs. When Those buyers are largely young wife team that is developing another shotgunstyle community in South Raleigh. possible, he tried to keep the same professionals, part of the “digirati,” footprint as the houses’ original with elite jobs in tech, engineering and footprint. software at SAS, Citrix and Red Hat, who want a walkable,

He began the renovations in the midst of the housing bikeable downtown location with a footprint somewhere inmarket crash, in what quickly became a “hobby gone wild.” between small high-rise condos and large Oakwood manors.

In addition to shotgun houses’ historic charm, both After completion, the houses sold quickly even in the economic slump, all via craigslist. Shackleton laughs and relays CitySpace and Shackleton note the importance of modern, a favorite story from a buyer-turned-friend. energy-saving upgrades when attracting buyers.

“He likes to tell people, ‘I met Scott on craigslist and he

The homes in Dorothea Gardens boast Nest thermostats, invited me to his house.’ It’s a really diverse community, with recycled countertops and reclaimed wood floorings, while single folks, young married couples and blended families.”

Shackleton’s own home within Oakwood Cottages uses rainwater

Shackleton still lives in one of the new additions, and harvesting to irrigate his garden, solar hot water and heated floors.

“It’s historic-inspired architecture with a modern floor kept two of the houses as rentals that tenants routinely snap up within hours of postings. plan on the inside,” said Goodale.

“Downtown, I think there are two things important

It also helps that the layout is naturally designed for hot moving forward,” said Shackleton, who chronicled the summers in the South, with its “through the front door, out renovations on a blog called Oakwood Shotgun Houses the back door” cross-ventilation.

“One resident in Oakwood Cottages doesn’t like air Renovation and won a Sir Walter Raleigh Award for his work.. conditioning, and doesn’t need to run it,” Shackleton said.

“We need houses that are small, that also help tell the history “Even in hot Raleigh summers.” of Raleigh.”

He isn’t the only Raleigh developer who both builds and

But as fun as those design features are, urban renewal lives in the narrow style. can bring its own set of problems, often in the form of

Husband and wife team Amy Goodale and Richard gentrification. Both CitySpace and Shackleton also have their Johnson head up CitySpace, a Raleigh development, design and attention on how the homes serve the communities they are in. building company. The pair got their start renovating historic

“We plan our communities so they encourage interaction houses in the area while living in a shotgun house of their own. with existing neighbors,” Johnson said, pointing to their

“We loved that little house,” said Johnson. newest project in South Raleigh, Caraleigh Commons. “We

For the last 15 years, CitySpace has tackled multiple want to create a seamless flow between new neighborhoods historic shotgun neighborhoods around the downtown and their history, so they look and feel original.” area, including Dorothea Gardens near Boylan Heights. The

Shackleton agrees. community’s brightly colored three-story homes are easy to

“I want downtown to be very diverse, echoing the spot off of Western Boulevard. neighborhood’s historically African American residents,” he

Dorothea Gardens is home to nearly two dozen houses said. “That could happen with any style house, but it won’t ever all in the shotgun style, with some built off of the original happen automatically. By saving the original designs, it gives us a structure updated with a camelback half-story in the back. chance to preserve the fabric of the neighborhood.” midtownmag.com| 121

healthy you

Actively Aging

BY Ahana Muth, Community Relations Representative, The Oaks at Whitaker Glen

T

hink back to when you were in elementary school.

Chances are, you liked to socialize with all the kids in your class, mingle with different classrooms at lunch and looked forward to playing outside during recess. Recess was often the best part about going to school, running around with friends, having adventures, using our imaginations and being active. These were the things that made us happy; we looked forward to getting up and getting out of bed to go to school and see our buddies.

Now, think of a loved one you know who is getting older.

Are they as active as they used to be? Do they still get up and go out to see their friends? Are they as active in their church as they once were? The trouble is, there is a pattern that is developing for some people as they age, and they begin to stay in place or age in place. They no longer interact with their friends as much as they once did. They don’t leave their house as much as they used to. Perhaps the person you are thinking of makes excuses so that they do not have to interact with other people. Not all cases are as severe as this, but these are telltale signs of withdrawal that can have devastating results for an aging person.

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What is essential for mind, body and soul is to continue to interact with your friends. It is important for your loved ones to have something to look forward to and also know that they are depended upon and will be missed if their presence is absent. That is why more and more people are leaving their homes and moving into communities such as independent retirement, assisted living and continuous care retirement communities. These communities promote an active lifestyle, social opportunities, lifelong learning, onsite services, dining, security and an overall culture. Residents of communities can choose to participate in as much or as little as they’d like and are never forced to participate, but will be encouraged. When moving from home into a community, it is important that a plan is in place to help with the transition. Just like on your first day of school, it can be intimidating to walk into the unknown with the expectation of getting to know your peers, learning the layout of the building and understanding the customs. This is parallel to moving into a community. One needs to learn the layout of the campus and who to go to for what, understand the amenities and how to access them and, of course, meet their neighbors. Most importantly, when joining a community, you need to feel comfortable, and once you feel comfortable, with the right plan in place, everything else will come naturally.

So when you are considering staying at home or going out, think back to elementary school when you were surrounded by friends, doing activities and staying active. Choose to be with people who make you happy and keep you moving. And remember, when you rest, you rust. Let us not rust.Â

coming up in the next

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Fall Fashion We’ll showcase the season’s upcoming trends and fashions for men and women.

Many locally owned shops will be on hand to offer the latest ideas for your wardrobe updates. One of our biggest and most popular issues of the year!

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

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2014

Fall Arts Preview Wake County has more going on than ever before – we’ll share what to look forward to this fall. Street fairs, themed festivals, outdoor concerts and fireworks shows, with our juried selection. Get out your calendar, go online and buy your tickets!

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STYLE 2013

12/20/13 12:38 PM

Women’s Health There is so much more to women’s health than developing and sticking to an exercise regimen. Local experts in the fields of mental, physical and social health share compelling tips to get you through the summer in tip-top shape.

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

124 | midtownmag.com

midtownmingles Photography © Bax Miller Photography

2015 SAFEchild Gala

On April 18th, the SAFEchild Gala honoring Marjorie Menestres’ 22 years of dedicated service was held at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. It was an amazing evening filled with laughter, dancing, mingling, and raising funds for SAFEchild. The event raised $150,000 for SAFEchild’s programs, which aim to eliminate child abuse in Wake County by helping adults and children create nurturing environments free from abuse and neglect.

Photography © rob kinnan Photography

Affordable chic’s sixth birthday party

On May 16th, Affordable Chic Shops celebrated six fantastic years with great customers, good food, sweet tea, and the music of David Klingman!

midtownmag.com| 125

midtownmingles Photography © emily ballard

Alliance Medical Ministry’s Farm to Table Dinner

Alliance’s Farm to Table Dinner was held on May 21st in Alliance’s Community Garden. About 300 people attended, enjoying clinic tours and signature cocktails prepared by Marshall Davis at Gallo Pelon Mezcaleria in the garden, followed by a family-style dinner (including radishes from Alliance’s garden!) prepared by Irregardless Café. A live auction of six unique experiences was a hit and Alliance raised over $150,000 for their patients, clinic and wellness programs!

THE CARDINA L AT NORTH HILLS GARDEN ART

On May 20th, future resident Matilda Smith graciously opened her garden for an afternoon of creativity and fun. Guests enjoyed her breathtaking rose garden while sipping on wine, painting and photographing her roses. The two-hour painting session featured professional guidance and step-by-step painting instructions from Wine and Design.

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midtownmingles

brunch iron chef

On May 30th, chefs from Midtown restaurants Flights, Midtown Grille and The Cowfish lined up at the Midtown Farmers’ Market to compete in the first ever Brunch Iron Chef. Midtown Magazine’s very own Charis Painter was honored to help judge the competitors. When it was all said and done, the overall champion was Chef Kevin Smith at Flights. Best Presentation went to Chef Ben Harris with Midtown Grille, and the People’s Choice award was given to Chef Jake Wood with The Cowfish.

Senator Thom Tillis visits St. David’s School

Senator Thom Tillis visited St. David’s School on April 27th to speak to the Senior Seminar regarding ethics in politics. Senior Seminar is a required course for all St. David’s 12th grade students and explores “the shape of a moral life” through readings, lectures, guest speakers and classroom discussion. Senator Tillis was greeted by the lower schools students and then spoke to the upper school students in the school’s performing arts center. Senator Tillis shared about his life growing up in a blue collar family, his election to state politics, and now his role in shaping national policy. midtownmag.com | 127

midtownmingles Photography © Nestle Purina

SPCA OF WAKE COUNTY gets a makeover

On June 4th, Purina Cat Chow donated $25,000 to renovate the cat facilities at the SPCA of Wake County in Raleigh to help improve the environment for cats awaiting a forever home. Purina Cat Chow provided a team of 12 volunteers to help complete the work. The renovation is part of their “Building Better Lives Adoption Drive.” In celebration of the makeover and the shelter’s 48th anniversary, the SPCA of Wake County waived the adoption fees of all cats and kittens in June.

skyhouse raleigh grand opening

The SkyHouse Raleigh grand opening party was held on June 21st. Guests enjoyed live music by Peter Lamb and the Wolves as well as catering by Ladyfingers. The new high-rise apartment community opened on April 16th and residents, developers and local Raleigh neighbors joined in the celebration on the 23rd floor rooftop amenity deck. Event speakers included Jim Borders, President of the Novare Group; David Diaz, CEO of Downtown Raleigh Alliance; and Gregg Sandreuter, Partner at Beacon Partners and master developer of the Edison block.

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midtownmingles

Synergy SPa Opens New LOCATION

Synergy Spa, Aesthetics & Wellness celebrated their North Raleigh grand opening in April. Synergy sure knows how to party – guests enjoyed complimentary mini-spa services, live entertainment, raffles featuring services and products from local business partners, and exclusive specials on services.

Reach Tall and grow deep

On June 18th, Midtowners enjoyed a morning of real estate facts and trends at the First Citizens Corporate Conference Center. A panel of residential real estate experts from Kane Residential, Coldwell Banker HPW, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU, Fonville Morisey and Allen Tate was on hand. Before the event concluded, a special update from John Kane, Chairman of Kane Realty Corporation, was announced regarding current and future North Hills development. midtownmag.com | 129

everydayplaces

SQUIRRELS WAY Watercolor and Text by Frank Harmon, FAIA ABOUT Everyday Places takes a close look at Raleigh’s urban fabric and its under-appreciated areas that are essential to a healthy city.

The eastern gray squirrel is a furry creature about the size of a kitten, with a tail almost as long as its body. It lives in trees away from earthly predators and uses its tail as a counterweight for leaping from branch to branch. Although squirrels have inhabited the earth far longer than human beings have, they are well adapted to urban living, trading tree branches for utility lines while moving from place to place.

traffic is more congested, every summer major roads are closed and widened in a hopeless effort to reduce road congestion by building more roads. Now teams of traffic planners and transport experts are helping us to consider alternatives to road congestion, such as light rail. Proponents for public transit promise a city better suited to urban living, while opponents to public transit worry about taxes and loss of freedom.

At my house in Raleigh squirrels have familiar paths along the top of a wall, then to a tree limb, then to another wall, then up to a power pole, and so on. How effortlessly they move from place to place.

Yet the squirrel moves quite easily from one mode of transit to another, from tree to Cablevision lines to another wall. In his own natural way, the squirrel is better adapted to urban living than we are. He doesn’t need transport experts to figure it out, nor is he stuck in traffic. He is out all day gathering nuts and leaves.

Yet how vexed we human beings are when moving about in our cars. Every day our

Online: Visit the archive at NativePlaces.org 130 | midtownmag.com