Raleigh Info

We are getting married in Raleigh. While a lot of people will be locals, we have a lot of friends and family from out of town. We’ll be listing places to stay and things to do while you’re in town. Raleigh people, please send us your suggestions and recommendations!

Check it out! Free municipal wi-fi in downtown Raleigh is now live.

Transportation

Realistically, you need a car to get around Raleigh and the greater Triangle area. Public transportation is limited to buses, and the buses aren’t as frequent or reliable as they could be. There is one major exception:

  • The R-Line.  These free downtown circulator buses run late on the weekends (2:15 AM), in a continuous loop through the major downtown districts. Great for eating, drinking, and exploring without the hassle of driving or parking.
  • You can check GoTriangle.org for details on other buses, as well as bike maps and cycling information.
  • Another alternative to a cab in downtown Raleigh is the Raleigh Rickshaw Company. Bicycle rickshaw drivers will take you around downtown. On a pleasant night, it’s a lovely way to travel. (They work for tips.)

Stuff to do

Shopping

  • Crabtree Valley Mall offers department stores, clothing stores (including Forever 21 and an H&M opening in Spring 2010!), cosmetics stores (including a Lush store), home goods and kitchenware (including Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma), jewelry stores, clothing stores, and even an Apple store for all your gadget needs!
  • North Hills is brand new and very different if you haven’t been to Raleigh for a while. No longer an indoor mall, it’s now a pretty outdoor plaza with restaurants, a movie theater, and various shopping (including Target).
  • Cameron Village, close to downtown, is full of boutique clothing, art, and jewelry stores. If you’re interested in fashion, this is the place to go. It also has many restaurants, and even a grocery store.
  • The Raleigh Farmers Market (Mon-Sat 5 AM – 6 PM, Sun 8 AM – 6 PM) sells all kinds of local vegetables, herbs, flowers, even dairy, eggs, and meat.
  • The Raleigh Flea Market, 9 AM – 6 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, has everything you can imagine a flea market could have. Parking can be tight, but it’s always fun to explore.
  • City Market, right downtown, offers art galleries, a Tibetan shop, and even Segway tours of downtown Raleigh!

Restaurants

  • The Irregardless: A downtown Raleigh institution. Casual fine dining; live music every night; dancing on Saturday night; Sunday brunch. Vegetarian/vegan options. Good wine and beer choices.  Reservations recommended.
  • 518 West: Fine Italian dining on Glenwood.  Reservations recommended.
  • Sushi Blues Café: Sushi and atmosphere on Glenwood.
  • The Oxford: A gastropub right downtown. Outdoor seating; good beer list. Small plates as well as regular entrées. Carrie highly recommends their house salad with mustard vinagrette!
  • Dalat Oriental Restaurant:  Carrie and Keith’s favorite Vietnamese restaurant.  Vegetarian options — and regular Chinese options if you don’t feel adventurous (but you should really try the Vietnamese food). We highly recommend Dalat rolls, vegetable with chili and lemongrass, beef sautéed with lemongrass, and crispy egg noodle dish of any kind.
  • The Raleigh Times: So named because it’s in the building of the now-defunct Raleigh Times newspaper. More of a bar, though they do have a full menu and serve great sandwiches. Fantastic beer list and outdoor seating. Great place to go with a group — we always end up running into people we know there.
  • Tir na nOg: An Irish pub, half a block from our reception location. Pub food, beer, whiskey, darts, and sometimes live music.
  • Third Place: A classic Raleigh coffee shop in the Five Points neighborhood. Great for friends and conversation. Also serves sandwiches and salads, including vegetarian/vegan options.
  • Cup A Joe: Even though they went to different high schools and never met each other until college, Carrie and Keith are still pretty sure they were at the Mission Valley Cup A Joe at the same time frequently. Favorite hangout for both, obviously. Bonus: It’s in the same shopping center as the Dalat.
  • 3 Cups: All right, so this coffee shop is all the way in Chapel Hill.  It’s a bit of a drive, true. But if you want to experience a really fantastic cup of coffee, this is where you need to go. (Keith likes to combine trips to 3 Cups with trips to our favorite comic book store in the world, Chapel Hill Comics. He recommends you do the same.)

Places to stay

We have blocked a number of rooms at the Clarion Hotel State Capital for our out-of-town guests. The hotel is located at 320 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC, 27603. (That’s about a 10-minute walk from Café Luna, or a 5-minute cab ride.)

Visit the website or call (919) 832-0501 to make your reservations.

Please mention group number 105641 to receive the discounted rate of $79/night for single or double occupancy ($10 extra per person per night for occupancy over 2 people). This rate is only available until April 29, 2010, so book before then!

The Clarion offers free parking, free high-speed internet, breakfast, and a restaurant with a great view of Raleigh.

Other local hotels (where we don’t have a room block or discounted rate) include:

Raleigh Marriott City Center. The Marriott has no rooms available on Saturday night due to a convention, but may have availability on Sunday night.

Sheraton Raleigh. Likewise, the Sheraton is booked solid on Saturday night for the convention, but may have availability on Sunday night.

Days Inn Raleigh Downtown. Less fancy, but a decent downtown place to sleep.

Holiday Inn Brownstone. This hotel is very close to the ceremony, but a bit farther away from the reception.

Ramada Blue Ridge. This hotel is about a 15-minute drive from ceremony and reception.