It was this past March that a handful of Raleigh residents got together, joining their ideas and dreams to create the Downtown Living Advocates. Their vision sparked a connection with an increasing number of residents willing to embark on numerous fronts with both city officials and surrounding neighborhoods to help shape the growth and character of Downtown Raleigh. Just nine months later, the DLA reflects the shared interests of diverse residents, and has grown well past the initial brainstorming. For that, we thank you!
Using mixers to bring together the Downtown community
The DLA social mixers were created early on to bring together the Downtown community for drinks after work, and to mix and mingle with friends. It also offered new residents the opportunity to meet others with similar interests, often living in other nearby condos.
Mixers have become a great resource for creating awareness for residents to learn more about the DLA and to create a forum for receiving feedback from those living Downtown.
Saf, Jim, Hilary and Ryan
Mixers held this past year:
Solas – April 22nd
101 Lounge/Café – May 20th
18 Seaboard – July 29th
Tobacco Road – August 26th
Mosquito – September 16th
The Oxford – November 4th
The interaction and response from residents has been extremely favorable, and the DLA will continue to host mixers at new Downtown venues throughout the coming new year.
Expanding our resident conversation through the social media
Social media tools were a great fit for the DLA, offering a way to reach even more residents by joining their conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The DLA page on Facebook was launched in early May, and has attracted over 300 fans. In June, the DLA began “tweeting” and now has over 200 followers.
A few months later in August, the DLA launched this blog to share even more information about DLA activities and to deepen the conversation by offering a place for residents to both read and contribute information about their experiences of Downtown living. Use the links below to review our most popular blog posts over the past year:
Working With City Officials on long-term projects
DLA members have developed an excellent working relationship with members of the the City Council and Planning Department, and consequently have become closely involved with the New Development Code and the High Speed Rail/Train corridor, two of the most important initiatives associated with the city’s future Downtown growth.
New initiatives for Twenty Ten
The DLA started with a core group of 6 members, and now has 60 active members, allowing the DLA to continue working closely with city officials on the major projects, while pursuing a broader range of activities in the new year. Plans are already being formulated to build upon our relationship with CAC’s and other surrounding neighborhood organizations, conduct an inventory (accessibility, cleanliness, safety) of Downtown pedestrian sidewalks, and to launch a committee focused on finding opportunities for the DLA to support Downtown community services.
If you live, work or play Downtown, come join us. Get involved with your Downtown community, meet new friends, and have fun at the same time!