Lodging

Downtown, there are three major hotels: the Clarion, the Days Inn and the Sheraton.

 • Clarion Hotel, 320 Hillsborough St., (919) 832-0501. The 20-story hotel is undergoing its first major renovation since the 1960s. Try to get a room on the lower floors, which are being fixed up first.

 • Days Inn, 300 North Dawson St., (919) 828-9081. Closest to Glenwood South, where many bars and restaurants are located.

 • Sheraton Hotel, 421 South   More...

Getting Around

The Inner Beltline is composed in mostly of fashionable older neighborhoods and the NC State University area. This clash between "Town" and "Gown" has been of growing concern during the late 1990s early 2000's. The North Raleigh neighborhoods are aligned along what Raleigh residents refer to as the "Spokes of the Wheel," major thoroughfares emanating from the I-440 Loop and terminating along the northern edge of the still under construction I-540 loop.

Downtown Raleigh   More...

Raleigh

Raleigh was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, the famed English soldier, adventurer, and poet. It is the capital of North Carolina and home to several universities, including NC State, as well as two historically black universities, Shaw and Saint Augustine, and two women's colleges, Peace and Meredith. With a plethora of things to see and do, Raleigh is a wonderful place to live, work, or visit. In comparison to its immediate neighbors -- with which it forms the so-called Triangle -- Raleigh combines   More...

Activities

 • Carolina Hurricanes (Ice Hockey), 1400 Edwards Mill Road, (919) 861-2323 or 1-866-NHL-CANES. Raleigh's NHL hockey team plays at the RBC Center.
 • N.C. Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road, (919) 839-6262. With rotating exhibits that are occasionally interesting and a great summer movie series on the lawn.
 • N.C. Museum of History 5 East Edenton Street, (919)-807-7900. Free.
 • N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences 1 W Jones   More...

Dining

 • Big Ed's, 220 Wolfe St., (919) 836-9909. A must-visit for presidential candidates and reg'lar folks alike, Big Ed's signature breakfasts are the Southern standards: homemade biscuits, grits with red-eye gravy, etc. Come Saturday mornings for live Dixieland jazz. Closed Sunday. No credit cards.
 • Farmer's Market Restaurant, 1240 Farmer's Market Dr., (919) 833-7973. Solid, hearty food with fresh ingredients from the state Farmer's Market right next door. Serves   More...