Seaboard Station

[orulz]

I think it is so weird that Logan's isnt open on Sunday- I can't imagine how much business they give to the big Home Improvment stores..

Or the small- to medium-sized ones. Like Ace?

[NewRaleigh]

Or the small- to medium-sized ones. Like Ace?

Too True- still it is hard for me to get there during the week- and Ace doesnt have that level of gardening supplies.

[RaleighRob]

I too stopped in Capital City Grocery on Sunday afternoon to get some things and see if it is indeed better. I think it is, although you could tell there were several bugs still left to work out. (Particularly on things with no barcode like produce...the two cash registers were passing a notebook back and forth. Was kinda funny.)

I got most everything I needed....the frozen foods section was still woefully understocked and had hardly any I wanted. I hope they fix that soon.

My only other concern was price...I think some particular items ran a bit high. Even higher than Whole Foods, although not by much. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

[capitalapts]

Is Betski's getting outside seating now? I saw some tables out there the other day when I stopped in the grocery.

You'd think they would be but I still haven't seen any tables directly outside Betski's (you might have seen the tables associated with the grocery store), which is a shame, because I love their food. Great place to go, folks, if you haven't been.

[DPK]

I just got back from Capital City and it was a good experience. The staff is extremely friendly. They have signs up everywhere that say there is more coming soon and when I checked out, the items I purchased (wine and mustard, odd combo I know) wouldn't ring up when scanned. They are still working out the bugs apparently. Also I asked one of the employees about the meat section in the back (as it's currently mostly empty) and they said that the meat is being trucked in tomorrow. So I'm assuming that they should be stocked somewhat better by Friday.

I'll definitely go back again soon. If for anything, the great customer service.

Edited July 18, 2007 by DPK

[yoga]

Bumping this one.

I may have missed something but what is the story on Tookie's Grill? It's been sitting and sitting, with furniture, signage, and Now Hiring for months. Anybody know?

[ncwebguy]

In an N&O article, they said Tookie's would be open "in a week or so" in their Capital City Grocery reopening story. But it was still closed last time I drove by a week or so ago. I don't know if they need any permits, or if they just need to hire cooks and cashiers.

J. Betski's has been advertising outside seating on 850 (am) the Buzz, but I haven't been over there to see if they're using it.

My wife got her hair done at Marigold Parlor a few weeks ago, so they're open now, near Galatea and Footlights. Seaboard Fitness looked open when I went to Ace two weekends ago. I didn't go to the end of that building to see if there was any progress on Peace Chinese.

[ChiefJoJo]

Stopped by Cap City Grocery last might. I can see the improvements they made... plenty of beer and wine, more meats/fish, and more organic products. Still I found myself missing a few items I normally buy at HT... I really want to support it, so I might just fill in the gaps with a bike ride to HT.

[RaleighRob]

^Similar for me...I'll buy what I can there, mostly the fresh stuff....and then stock up on other things at HT (like frozen dinners) or Costco. I hope they make it this time around.

And yeah, Seaboard Fitness is open. I've heard it's pretty pricy though. I wonder if they'll have a market at those rates.

And if anyone hasn't hit Ace yet, do so before even thinking of driving out to Home Despot...I was pleasantly surprised at the huge selection there.

[foodpainter]

I've been to the new CCG on four separate occasions, at various times of day, and the store is always nearly empty. I hope they make it, but I think it will be just as tough this time around.

They are having a Grand Opening this Saturday, August 11 with a lot of food, wine, beer, and coffee tastings--it's from 11 until 4.

[yoga]

Tookie's Grill is now Open. They opened Thursday last week and have some long hours - 6am - 12midnight. Prices are reasonable (cheaper than Sunflowers, that's for sure), and their chicken salad is awesome. Sandwiches were in the $5 - $6 ish range. They also had hotdogs and a cold plate with chicken salad and pimento cheese - all homemade quality. We got 2 beers, 2 desserts, a sandwich and a cold plate for $24. All of it was fresh. Service was good.

They also have beer & wine (also better than Sunflowers), & desserts that are very dangerous (banana pudding, chocolate sponge cake, daily special - in our case it was apple pie). There's booths and low & high tables, one private room with a long table that seats several, and lots of bar counter space as well as 3 TV's.

They're also open for breakfast - something that fills a gap in that location as well. Usual fare like biscuits, pancakes, & a breakfast plate.

IMO, Seaboard needed a dress-down place, & this fits the bill. One of the owners was there (Mrs. Tookie HA! don't know her real name, but she's married to The Tookie) - she didn't say exactly what took so long but she did say they were close to being bought out, but managed to straighten things out and open.

[JeffC]

Tookie's Grill is now Open. They opened Thursday last week and have some long hours - 6am - 12midnight. Prices are reasonable (cheaper than Sunflowers, that's for sure), and their chicken salad is awesome. Sandwiches were in the $5 - $6 ish range. They also had hotdogs and a cold plate with chicken salad and pimento cheese - all homemade quality. We got 2 beers, 2 desserts, a sandwich and a cold plate for $24. All of it was fresh. Service was good.

They also have beer & wine (also better than Sunflowers), & desserts that are very dangerous (banana pudding, chocolate sponge cake, daily special - in our case it was apple pie). There's booths and low & high tables, one private room with a long table that seats several, and lots of bar counter space as well as 3 TV's.

They're also open for breakfast - something that fills a gap in that location as well. Usual fare like biscuits, pancakes, & a breakfast plate.

IMO, Seaboard needed a dress-down place, & this fits the bill. One of the owners was there (Mrs. Tookie HA! don't know her real name, but she's married to The Tookie) - she didn't say exactly what took so long but she did say they were close to being bought out, but managed to straighten things out and open.

In the dress-down category, this area has had a good place for years, far before all these new places. Hard to beat Seaboard Cafe at Logans Trading Company in the chicken salad/sandwich category, although they are a bit more pricey.

[ncwebguy]

It isn't in Seaboard proper, but Finch's is somewhat close. They have breakfast, but don't open for dinner (except for a month test that I guess didn't pan out).

Now that Tookie's is open, I hope to check out Tookies sometime this week, especailly since they're open late! I've been going to Snoopy's/Char-Grilled too much in the last couple of months.

I like that Tookie's, Sunflowers, 18 Seaboard, J. Betski's, and Logan's cafe can peacefully co-exist in the same area.

[Jones_]

I wonder if Peace would ever give up those tennis courts so another mixed use residential/commercial building could be built.....Seaboard has turned out very well, especially considering how dismal it was there 5 years ago.....once 111 Seaboard goes in one last dead spot will be addressed, but I would love to see the whole setup address Halifax Street better...I wonder if the Apratments behind Ace will have Halifax St access or will you have to wind your way back through the parking lot to get to them....Also the old residential lots between Seaboard and Pilot Mill on the west wide of Halifax could use a row of browstones or neo-industrial building ala the proposed Franklin St project.....

Edited September 4, 2007 by Jones133

[yoga]

I doubt Peace will give up those courts anytime soon - they got a facelift this summer while school was out. They resurfaced & striped and re fenced them. It's possible they may wedge them in someplace else at some point.

re: dress down:

Seaboard cafe is a decent place, but isn't open for dinner & doesn't serve beer or wine. Finch's is a cool institution but the dust & accumulated gunk in all the corners and on every light fixture and shelf gives me the serious heebie geebies.

[foodpainter]

I gotta agree with Yoga on that one, why would Peace give up tennis courts that their team uses? They're not going to forfeit their sports teams for the sake of private development. I just wish the courts were open for individuals to use, but I also understand why they're not.

I am so excited about Tookies! We're always looking for a casual place to grab dinner. I went there for breakfast today (which I only knew that they offered or even were open thanks to your post, yoga, thanks!) and although, yeah, I probably could've gotten my eggs cheaper at Finch's, it was a TON cleaner and I was happy to support the new neighborhood restaurant.

[Jones_]

I gotta agree with Yoga on that one, why would Peace give up tennis courts that their team uses? They're not going to forfeit their sports teams for the sake of private development. I just wish the courts were open for individuals to use, but I also understand why they're not.

Peaces argument for why it just had to close Franklin St was the safety of its students....well...Halifax is much busier than Franklin was....they could make a million bucks off the land build new ones next to the softball field for a sports complex of sorts with common concessions and such and have nice safe students to boot....

[JeffC]

Also the old residential lots between Seaboard and Pilot Mill on the west wide of Halifax could use a row of browstones or neo-industrial building ala the proposed Franklin St project.....

How densely built was the west side of Halifax north of Peace? I think I remember seeing some old steps up from the sidewalk suggesting houses used to be there...were they all demolished as part of slum clearance when the "old" Halifax Court was built in the 40s/50s?

I checked the Wake property records website. Two large parcels north of Franklin on the west side of Halifax are owned by Progress Energy, and everything north of there (from an east west line corresponding to the end of the row of warehouses on Semart Drive) all the way to Pilot Mills is Raleigh Housing Authority. I have no information, but I speculate the Progress Energy parcels may have been the former site of a coal gasification plant or some other environmental nasty.

Edited September 5, 2007 by JeffC

[Jones_]

How densely built was the west side of Halifax north of Peace? I think I remember seeing some old steps up from the sidewalk suggesting houses used to be there...were they all demolished as part of slum clearance when the "old" Halifax Court was built in the 40s/50s?

I checked the Wake property records website. Two large parcels north of Franklin on the west side of Halifax are owned by Progress Energy, and everything north of there (from an east west line corresponding to the end of the row of warehouses on Semart Drive) all the way to Pilot Mills is Raleigh Housing Authority. I have no information, but I speculate the Progress Energy parcels may have been the former site of a coal gasification plant or some other environmental nasty.

They were cleared out before Halifax Court was torn down....maybe when the old mill housing was torn down, CP&L owns it now....my guess would be that it was mill housing too but its hard to say.....the site of Peaces tennis courts is where the Carter B. Harrison mansion stood...built by William Percival, same archtect as Montford Hall and the also demolished Tucker mansion at St. Marys and Hillsborough st.....point being that the neighborhood was both very working class and very upscale too....kinda the mixing of two worlds...railroad workers and more affluent oakwood spilling west....

[ncwebguy]

In the satellite view of the area is kinda old -- some of the warehouses on Semart were torn down north of Ace Hardware to add parking.

I think CP&L still uses its property as a transformer site, though it seems to be an inefficient use of the lot. I don't know how easily that could be moved. There is a bit of a hill north of there. That is where the steps were/still are. There are some bleachers near the baseball field north of there, but not well kept. I walked through there a few years ago, just after Capitol Park opened, and it looked like a homeless camp under the brush/trees.

The building north of West Franklin on Halifax could be part of the greater Seaboard Station area, even if it is owned by someone else. Why Peace resurfaced their tennis courts defies logic. Unless Peace has an agreement with Seaboard to eliminate competition and keep rents high. The tennis courts could easily fit in at Harp and the former Franklin Street.

Raleigh Parks and Rec maintains the field south of the Halifax community center. It seems mostly used for lacrosse and soccer. That is the only flat park space around there (other than the Salvation Army baseball field) so I would hope the city keeps it as park space going forward, especially with the nearby Blount Street/ LNR redevelopment.

I think it is sad that there are so few "greasy spoon" places like Finch's, but also think there is enough of a market for everyone nearby. Driving on Peace last night, my wife said Tookies seemed really *bright*, though that may be due to the fact it has been dark for so long.

[Keo]

can anyone familiar with the area comment on safety up around the Seaboard Station area

[RaleighRob]

can anyone familiar with the area comment on safety up around the Seaboard Station area

How you mean...like for living? Well, with the redevelopment of the main area into a commercial center...and the new Pilot Mill residences going in just up the road, it's all becoming a bit of an extension of the Mordecai and Oakwood neighborhoods in a way. It's also becoming an activity center for the northern portion of downtown. Overall prety healthy and safe.

[JeffC]

With the transformation of Halifax Court into an upscale mixed housing area, there are no poor people living anywhere near that area, other than the aforementioned homeless people encampments. I know there is still some RHA housing in the Halifax Court area, but it is certainly not the stereotypical low income housing project that it used to be...the open air drug dealing of the 1990s has certainly disappeared.

[ncwebguy]

I always feel safe around Seaboard Station... when I'm in a car. It is somewhat walkable, with a nice cluster from Ace Hardware through Logans and on to Tookie's and Red Pin. But the road network is confusing, and a lot of people just want to get in, get their plants/workout/groceries/meal, and get out as quickly as possible.

Peace College is an women-only private school campus with 2 and 4 year degrees. Capitol Park, the former Halifax Court, is a mix of senior assisted living, townhouses, apartments and single family homes. Pilot Mill is a neat conversion of the old mill into office space. The houses east of it are a series of higher end (the last few sell/sold close to $500k) two story homes with garages that open to alleys.

There are a few apartments on North Blount that are remnants of having Halifax Court across the street, but they are on the other side of the Peace College/Capitol Park blocks. Urban Ministries used to attract Halifax Court residents and other poor people to their health clinics, etc. at the north end of the warehouses, but they have since moved across the tracks to Capitol Blvd in the old Harris Wholesale building. The Salvation Army still has a presence on Wake Forest Road in Mordecai, but it is mostly church/classrooms/ballfield, not like their Moore Square location.

They should break ground on 111, a mixed used building north of the Shell Station on Peace Street, in the next few months.

[bikwillie]

If you're refering to crime, Seaboard Station is incredibly safe. There used to be a large, barrack style 1950's public housing project there called Halifax Court surrounded by vacant warhouses and acres of vacant lots that used to be a mill village. After an incredibly successful HOPE VI redevelopment, crime there is virtualy non-existent. My understanding is that the year before Halifax Court was razed there were over 1000 police calls from Halifax Court, and it least one was an officer being shot. The year after the redevelopment there was only one police call, and it was over some kids breaking a car window with a rock or something.

On a side note, Raleigh should be very proud of Capital Park. It truly is a national model of how successful HOPE VI can be and the inmpact it can have on a community. It also holds the record (until Chavis Heights is completed) as the fastest and most efficient HOPE VI in the country. It says a lot for the RHA, the city, and everyone else that worked on it bc they are incredibly complex projects to complete. Tenants have to be relocated and tracked, there are many layers of financing, soft costs are astounding, utilities, streets, and infastructure have to be realigned, etc. etc. On top of it all, it has served as a catalyst for all of the other development around it.

^ a couple of minor corrections: Capital Park is a mixed income development but not truly mixed use. It is my understanding that while the styles of housing are different, all the housing in Capital Park is rental. Some are subsidized and some are market rate. There is no assisted living. Parkview Manor (the large brick apartment building) consists of 90 units of independent elderly apartments (there are no medical or nutrition services such as in assisted living).