Category: Downtown Living (Page 6 of 11)

It was in February of 2009 that a handful of residents first got together, looking for a way to meet and engage others living downtown.  They realized that their life style brought with it a wide variety of blessings, along with some unique challenges associated with living in mixed use residential and commercial / entertainment districts.  Since then, the DLA has grown into an important resident advocacy group working with the City Council and other civic and neighborhood groups to maximize the quality of downtown life, as well as providing opportunities for downtowners to meet, have fun and make a difference in Raleigh.

Despite its growth, the DLA has not changed from its original commitment, continuing to make its mark in Downtown Raleigh as an all-volunteer organization with no membership fees, and keeping its focus on issues of interest to downtown residents.

Its voice has grown in proportion to its now 700+ members, with many more connecting through the blog, social media, and monthly meetings or events, including the always popular mixers.

Here’s a Birthday Quiz: True or False?

1. You have to live downtown to become part of the DLA. 

FALSE!

We hear it a lot, “I would like to join your group, but I don’t live downtown”.  The DLA has never been about borders, and we encourage anyone who lives, works or plays downtown to join us!  We’re happy to claim the 15% of our members who live outside the downtown area.

2. Whether you want to become very involved, or choose to occasionally jump into your favorite causes, you’re a welcome member of the DLA.  

TRUE!

DLA Core Group members serve the DLA by leading specific initiatives or by representing their condo building or neighborhood.

Reading our blogs and monthly newsletters can bring you up to date on the wide variety of interests and projects the DLA has pursued in the past four years.  There’s something for everyone to learn about and help us to support.  These are just a sampling.

Transit:  The DLA has actively supported public transit initiatives (Wake County Transit Plan, High Speed Rail) and brought the city’s first car sharing service to downtown Raleigh.  Our Core Group includes representatives of CAFT and the Mayor’s Passenger Rail Task Force.

Redevelopment: DLA members started Link Peace Street, an advocacy group working to create a more walkable area around the intersection with Capital Boulevard and Peace Street.  Our Core Group includes members of the Advisory Group for the Unified Development Ordinance and the Capital Boulevard Corridor Study.

Innovation: DLA members helped bring SeeClickFix to Raleigh, and have become active in working with start up projects such as CityCamp Raleigh and Triangle Wiki.

Parks & Open Space: The DLA has conducted several greenway bike tours and supported the conversion of Devereux Meadows and the Dorothea Dix Campus into downtown destination parks.  Our Core Group includes a member of the City Parks & Recreation Board.

DLA founders celebrate 4-year anniversary

The number of residents living in downtown Raleigh will grow dramatically in the coming years, and the DLA is in a great position to continue our role as a strong advocate for the balanced growth that ensures that downtown neighborhoods continue to be attractive for both current and future residents.  We welcome the expression of your special skills on behalf of downtown life, and value your insights that help to make our neighborhood the diverse, vital and active environment we all embrace.

I keep hearing that the demand for the lifestyle associated with Downtown living is high and growing.  But when I talk with Boomers who live in big houses in the suburbs, there is a real reluctance to make the shift . . . and it’s mainly about the challenges of downsizing!

My wife and I are empty nesters, and made the leap from a large single family home to apartment/condo type living over 10 years ago, and we’re very happy we did.  I know many of you Boomers out there are thinking about it too . . . so I wanted to share my own perspective and thoughts about it.

First, are the many benefits of an urban lifestyle.  I attended a lecture last week on ‘Transit in the Triangle’, which reported that the public demand for “walkable urbanism” or Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is growing in the Triangle and across the country, and is projected to represent at least 1/3  of the U.S. Housing Market by 2030.  Like those surveyed, my wife and I see walkable communities as providing a better quality of life and healthier lifestyle.  We want the choice of not taking the car to do routine errands.

There are overwhelming environmental and economic benefits to steering development away from living patterns that gobble up green space and add to our increasing transport cost and time spent on over crowded roads.  But moving to a higher density area usually means downsizing to a much smaller space.  And that can be a major obstacle and a real challenge for many people.  Boomers typically trade-up in house size several times as the family grows and the kids get older.  But when the kids leave, you may find ourselves like us, asking your selves . . . Do I really need all this space?

When the kids leave . . . Do I really need all this space?

So what does it mean to downsize?  It means getting rid of all the extraneous things and noise in your life that are not contributing to your happiness.   My wife’s philosophy comes back to an Asian aesthetic about art and design.  She says “you aim for one focal point in each room and clear out the rest..  Get rid of the clutter, and everything around you becomes the things you love.”

I put it a little differently.  If your house has become merely a large storage container, go through all your treasures and enjoy the trip down memory lane . . . then sell the “crap”.

Happy downsizing!

[Article reposted from February 2010]

Photo by Leo Suarez

The DLA is hosting a photography contest. We need photos to display on our website, especially the banner, and we want residents to contribute. If picked for the site, winners will receive some great prizes including:

1. A Free party (w/ food) for you and your friends at Joel Lane’s Public House
2. Pair of IMAX tickets
3. Dinner for 2 at Five Star Restaurant, $25 value

We’re in the process of re-doing our website and this is how residents can make it their own. Are you a DLA member? If not, sign up today, it’s free!

*****See the Photo Contest page for more details.*****

Good luck to all entrants. See you around downtown!