"Raleigh, NC" Top 5 Page for this destination Raleigh by TimDaoust

Raleigh Travel Guide: 229 reviews and 282 photos

Greenshields pub in the historic City Market disctric with its cobblestone roads, the Wachovia bank high rise towering in the background, a perfect mix of old and new in NC's capital city, Raleigh.

The City of Oaks, my home for the past 21 years

City of Oaks for a reason...

Ahh, Raleigh. My parents moved us here to a suburb of Raleigh, called Garner from Stanfordville, NY in 1984 when I was only three years old. So for the most part this is home, though I still consider myself a northerner. I never did get into hush puppies and barbecue, country music or square dancing. My whole family still talks with an accent of sorts and so do I when I'm around them.
Anyway, Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina and in some studies the triangle area, Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh included, has been listed as one of the best places to live in the US. It is a fairly short drive to loads of fun attractions like the beach (2-3 hours) or the mountains (2-3 hours) and it has an international airport with a direct flight to London. We even host the NC State Fair which is fun if you like (and trust) rides that can be taken apart and moved, greasy fatty food, farm animals and hanging out with people who like to fry anything (and that includes twinkies, candy bars and stuff that's already been fried once).

Heron at Shelly Lake, Raleigh, NC

Seriously, there are some fun things about Raleigh and obviously I don't totally hate it because I moved back here after I finished school. I think if I hate it at all it's in that way that you end up hating the place you grew up if you want to see the rest of the world and you can't wait to get out of town.
Downtown has gone through some revitalization in parts especially the Glenwood Ave area. There are lots of quaint areas, lots of good restaurants, a sports arena, lots of good venues for theater and music, and since it is a college town and not far off from two other college towns, there's also everything that comes with that.
There are plenty of off the beaten path type adventures to be had, miles of greenway, plenty of city parks and lakes from the smallest to Falls and Jordan lakes. This photo was taken at Shelley lake, not too far from where I live.

Pros and Cons

In a nutshell:City of Oaks...how's that for a nutshell?(sorry for the bad pun)

Last visit to Raleigh: Apr 2005
Intro Updated Apr 26, 2005
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Reviews (36)

Buddhists in Raleigh? Shopping (2)

There was this amazingly cool Tibetan Buddhist shop that I wandered into with a friend the other day. I had never even... more travel advice

The Pour House Nightlife (8)

This place is on the same block as Tir na nog and hosts a variety of small live shows. I saw a blue grass show here the... more travel advice

Irish Pub Nightlife (8)

Tir na nog means "land of eternal youth". This place is located a stone's throw from City Market and has a very cozy... more travel advice

First Night Local Customs (1)

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Sports & Outdoors (1)
Carolina Hurricanes
Off The Beaten Path (3)
See All William B. Umstead Park
Warnings and Dangers (1)
I-40 and I440 during rush hour
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Comments (17)

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sourbugger Dec 15, 2009 at 8:38 AM

looks like plenty to do - must get on my bike. ha ha. (raleigh is a brand of bike in the uk - do they have it is the US ?)
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msmaryfinn Oct 19, 2009 at 2:47 PM

I was disappointed with Dechen's store. Very cheap quality goods. If you really want to see good stuff you should go the the Triangle Town Center mall. I can't remember the name of the store, but it has HIGH quality home decor.
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SLLiew Sep 24, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Cool page of Raleigh. Cheers, SL :)
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Hamburggers May 20, 2009 at 12:34 PM

This place closed. Locals said it has been closed for a couple of years.
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ForestqueenNYC May 17, 2007 at 8:51 AM

They fry candy bars in Scotland too., particularly Mars bars. I can't imagine what they taste like. But offer me some BBQ and I wont turn it down.
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YWLTP Aug 3, 2006 at 2:14 PM

thanks so much for the info! i love your write up's :)
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RickinDutch Apr 21, 2006 at 10:56 AM

We Irish have gotten everywhere - even NC! Birthday greetings from Alaska!
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Firestar24 Nov 28, 2005 at 3:55 PM

This place is so cute! I haven't read about the acorn yet.....
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AF_Voyageur Oct 16, 2005 at 8:58 PM

Hey! i finally rediscovered virtualtourist... anyways, dont forget Bojangle's as a restaurant! hehe. best chicken and biscuits around!
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superWade Oct 5, 2005 at 4:25 PM

Good job on the Raleigh page you did it justice