Quote :

"they should have put in slanted parking spaces instead."

Slanted parking seems like a great idea, until you see it in action. You always get some numbnut trying to turn into a parking space on the opposite side. And backing out can be a terrible pain, even in little towns with very little traffic (like Edenton). I think it would end up being a disaster on a street as busy as hillsborough.

5/28/2009 12:36:48 PM

^ The opposite side is blocked off by the island, so you wouldn't have to worry about that part.
The biggest negative I see is trying to back a small car out when you can't see a damn thing due to the enormous SUV that parked beside you. So you hold your breath, close your eyes, and punch it on out, just hoping you don't get plowed over by a damn bus.

5/28/2009 1:17:18 PM

^Wow, talk about stupid driving.

5/28/2009 1:20:19 PM

Hillsboro St.

5/28/2009 1:56:25 PM

Great article from the Indy, thanks for the link. I learned quite a few things!

5/28/2009 3:17:58 PM

Quote :

" The 200 block of Hillsboro Street—as it was originally spelled—looking east toward the State Capitol "

5/28/2009 3:29:32 PM

Quote :

"Hillsborough businesses struggle as construction continues Merchants report low summer sales as street renovations limit traffic, parking Ty Johnson, Editor in Chief Published: Thursday, June 4, 2009 ©2009 NCSU Student Media Nathan Phillips stands behind the counter in Pearl Cafe bent at the waist with his elbows resting on the counter. It's 5 p.m. but he's alone in his bubble tea shop staring past the empty chairs and tables at Hillsborough Street. He steps outside to sit on his store's patio furniture at the corner of Hillsborough and Pogue streets. Despite the inactivity on his side of Hillsborough, the other side is bustling with activity as workers and machines dig away as part of the street's renovations, which have been over a decade in the making. "It sucks," Phillips, co-owner of the cafe said of the construction's impact on traffic to his business. "In all the meetings they promised me that would be the only place you could cross over here for three blocks in either direction. They built a fence and put up a concrete barrier. They took the signal down. You can't cross there without taking your own life in your hands. They haven't done one thing the way they said they were going to do it." Phillips said beyond the lack of revenue during the summer months of construction is the looming notion that things may not get better when students return for the fall semester. "I don't know if it's going to change in July when the kids come back for the second semester. I don't know if it's going to change in August," Phillips said. "They keep saying if everybody can wait a year and a half it'll be great when it's all over." Phillips said the real issue he has with the construction is that it was planned to begin last year, when the economy was stronger. "I knew they were going to do this," Phillips said. "But they swore to me they would start last year when I had money in the bank and if they had done this when they said they were going to do it I could probably weather the first six or seven months, but they waited until great depression time." Mitch Hazouri, owner of Mitch's Tavern since 1972, said the lack of sales is lower than he's seen in decades. "It's been the worst in a long time -- like since the seventies," Hazouri said. "It's pretty cataclysmic." Hazouri said his viewpoint differs from other merchants on the street, though, as he doesn't think the construction is all to blame for the lack of sales. He said Hillsborough is just morphing from a local street into what most college areas around the country are --quick service food and beverages run on a corporate model infrastructure. "There won't be any more full-service places," Hazouri said. "You look all around the nation at big universities and you see pizza by-the-slice, Chinese and Mexican restaurants -- that's what’s going to be along Hillsborough Street. There's not going to be any more Mitch's, no more Foster's, no more Porter's. The parking can't support places like that." Hazouri said the limited parking on Hillsborough and increases in parking enforcement in the area have crippled businesses. "We need a local street that nourishes the community," Hazouri said. "It's hard to do anything when everything is driven by a corporate model." Alan Lovette, owner of Melvin's and Five O'Clock Sports Bar, said Phillips' restaurant wasn't the only one feeling a pinch because of the construction. Lovette said he met with University and city officials two weeks after commencement and discussed how businesses were doing. "We saw a reduction in sales of about 35% in sales per day after school let out," Lovette said of his own and about ten other restaurant owners he spoke with. "When they put the orange mesh fencing up across the street we saw about another 25% drop." Lovette said the officials told him the reductions in sales were solely due to fewer students being on campus, but he said he wasn't convinced. "I just talked to Wachovia bank today and they've already started making phone calls --they're livid about it," Lovette said. "Their transactions are way off on Hillsborough Street compared to the same time last year." Lovette said the reduction in sales had a lot to with the construction area, as well as the area crews have roped off where construction hasn't started. "Right when they put the orange mesh up, they put up barrels too," Lovette said. "Even though the barrels are up, they're not doing construction in all that area, but they're taking up the whole area with those barrels." Lovette said he'd like it if they didn't have to put the barrels up until they needed to, but understood the decision was likely to make the traffic pattern more stable. As for what his business will do to weather the perfect storm of economic woes and construction, Lovette said his business will try to absorb the losses. "We're trying to just endure the summer," Lovette said. "Orientation will help us a little bit, it has in the past." Beyond orientation, Lovette said fall events would likely help the businesses, since merchants could count on the Haunted Hillsborough Hike and the Homecoming parade. "Provided they're going to have the Homecoming parade on Hillsborough Street," Lovette said. "We would like to have an answer about that." Phillips said he would like more answers about why the project was postponed and why the city wasn't more up front with merchants about the reality of the losses they would experience. "They did this on Fayetteville Street, they did this on Glenwood -- they lost 40 to 60 percent in business in both of those places," Phillips said. "They knew it was going to hurt business on this street. I think they showed just a fundamental lack of good judgment. They postponed this last year when the economy was good and doing it this year when the economy was bad is just like a big ‘**** you’ to every business on Hillsborough Street.""

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/hillsborough-businesses-struggle-as-construction-continues-1.1759568

i've got my own theories why the bubble tea house, mitch's and melvin's business is in the pooper

and it doesn't have anything to do with construction

6/4/2009 10:38:38 AM

mitch's is the only one i can understand because a large percentage of their parking has been removed.

6/4/2009 11:02:11 AM

i will cut someone if anything happens to mitch's.

stay strong, mitch.

6/4/2009 11:07:10 AM

i'm surprised the bubble tea place is open at all, i have never even heard of anyone i know going there

if that place fails, construction barrels wouldn't be my first guess at the cause

and i agree with ^ about mitch's

6/4/2009 11:12:34 AM

That would be some NC State shit. Revitalize Hillsborough and in the process kill one of the few places worth a damn.

6/4/2009 11:15:19 AM

It's not surprising Mitch's business has seen a decline considering the amount of new watering holes that have opened downtown.

And I do not intend to turn this into a smoking ban argument, but I've got some friends that haven't been going in there anymore because they can't chain like they can at say, Alibi or PR.

BUT THAT IS A DIFFERENT THREAD
message_topic.aspx?topic=561903
message_topic.aspx?topic=566460

Also, I've been in Mitch's on more than once occasion where they just decided to close up shop before midnight.

6/4/2009 11:25:48 AM

Quote :

"i will cut someone if anything happens to mitch's."

6/4/2009 11:32:24 AM

^^ Yeah, Mitch's closing before midnight is HORRIBLE

I live right around that area and would probably go more often if I knew they'd stay open later.

having the ability to stumble home ftw

6/4/2009 11:38:44 AM

^^^ I've got some friends that have been going there more because your friends can't chain like they can at say, Alibi or PR.

but yeah, that's the mixed blessing of smoking bans

after jan 1 the playing field will be leveled somewhat i guess

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 11:46 AM. Reason : rr]

6/4/2009 11:46:21 AM

^ it has to help the lunch crowd there, i know i wouldn't eat lunch there nearly as much as i do if i'd leave smelling like smoke. and mitch's is usally packed for lunch.

6/4/2009 12:22:38 PM

Quote :

"Also, I've been in Mitch's on more than once occasion where they just decided to close up shop before midnight."

That's irritating. The last time I tried to go there for drinks, it was around midnight on a Saturday, and they turned us away because they were closing up. Seems extremely early to close then on a weekend...

6/4/2009 2:25:00 PM

Rebuild Hillsborough st and have about 5 businesses left on it. I hear ya

6/4/2009 5:17:10 PM

It sucks right now, but in the long term, it will do them all some good that this project happened.

6/4/2009 6:01:29 PM

Maybe we should start a list of businesses who we expect not to survive the "revitalization".
I nominate:
-Pearl Bubble Tea Cafe
-Whatever the current bar/club above Charley's Top C subs is (but that seems to rotate about every 6 months anyway)
-Top C Subs (though you have to give them credit for trying to make a go independently)
-Curve, or whatever it's called, currently in the old Schoolkids space
-Coffee Haven

Not to say that I don't hope these places make it--I do--but I think they are among the weaker ones right now. I frequent a large number of Hillsborough street businesses since I work near there, and I hope the disruption isn't as bad as folks expect. Because there are several gems there--Mitch's, Porter's, Frazier's come to mind--and lots more businesses that are interesting, useful, and would be an asset to the street when it's finished. If they last that long.

6/4/2009 7:20:56 PM

It honestly amazes me the number of people who like Mitch's.

6/4/2009 7:58:15 PM

Quote :

"Rebuild Hillsborough st and have about 5 businesses left on it. I hear ya"

Timothy, do you actually wish to contribute anything of substance or is it too difficult for you to inject commentary that isn't based on derision? I thik its important to consider that most of the businesses that wouldn't survive this relatively brief period of renovation actually do not deserve a place on hillsborough street and once renovated new businesses of better quality will likely be inclined to take their place.

5 o'clock sports bar is a prime example.

6/4/2009 8:04:14 PM

of deserving or non-deserving?

i've never been there

also BRING BACK THE RATHSKELLER

6/4/2009 9:16:42 PM

^^^its because of the nonsmoking factor

6/4/2009 9:33:28 PM

Saying that the businesses who can't survive a year or so don't deserve to be there is a pretty ignorant statement. Considering the first 1-2 years of a businesses existence are the toughest to overcome, the businesses that are going to be hurt the most are the newer businesses on the street. If circumstances were different, they would be fine. The Wachovia's, Mitch's Taverns, and Sir Speedy's aren't going anywhere. NC Discount Books is closing, but I don't think that has anything to do with the construction.

6/4/2009 9:45:45 PM

Quote :

"It honestly amazes me the number of people who like Mitch's."

you can just fuck right off

6/4/2009 9:48:14 PM

Quote :

"It honestly amazes me the number of people who like Mitch's."

Blasphemy! You sir speak the devils words.

6/4/2009 10:27:23 PM

Quote :

"Top C Subs (though you have to give them credit for trying to make a go independently)"

More people need to hit up Charleys, that place is dope. The service is awesome, the have beer and good food. Their breakfast menu is good too.

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 10:40 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 10:39:38 PM

I've been in Frazier's, Porter's, and Mitch's and every damn one of them ought to be the anchor of hillsborough st. Only places close by campus where I felt like it had something authentic to offer that I can't find somewhere else easily.

6/4/2009 11:28:19 PM

Quote :

"It honestly amazes me the number of people who like Mitch's."

Really? Come on...as a lunch spot, the food is very good, and quite reasonable. As a bar, it's old skool, but I like it that way...laid back, usually not so loud you can't have a conversation, not trendy and proud of it. Plus it's tradition, and we have so few of those left. Long Live Mitch's!

6/5/2009 12:02:07 AM

Long Live Mitch's!

6/5/2009 12:07:31 AM

Quote :

"Really? Come on...as a lunch spot, the food is very good, and quite reasonable. "

I've never had anything there that was even remotely decent as far as food is concerned, it's always been slow, and been wrong half the time. I've just had bad experience after bad experience there.

6/5/2009 7:59:12 AM

^last time I went I was there for post work beers with some fellow grad students. It was almost like they didnt want to serve us, and it wasnt that busy. I understand most college students arent going to give you the tip of your life so I dont expect them to be fighting over serving us. It was enough that I havent really been back.

[Edited on June 5, 2009 at 8:20 AM. Reason : I actually do like their food though]

6/5/2009 8:19:11 AM

i've stopped going to mitch's and go to pr instead

6/5/2009 9:46:05 AM

^ I haven't been in several years, but has it deteriorated (foodwise)?

Stein's opinions are meaningless to me, because he's just a malcontent in general.

[Edited on June 5, 2009 at 9:53 AM. Reason : asdf]

6/5/2009 9:51:51 AM

Timothy I would agree with you that it is an ignorant statement if my comment encompassed all businesses anywhere under such conditions, but it did not. In this particular circumstances many of the businesses which would fail to survive have been there two years or longer and are not establishments of particular distinction.

Businesses which have gained a steady clientele will survive this relatively brief period of construction, and those who haven't, which ostensibly are destined to failure regardless, will rightfully be replaced by a new range of businesses more appropriate for the newly renovated street. Renovation is not a process rendered by construction and construction alone and requires full revitalization in order to be most efficient.

6/5/2009 10:13:37 AM

Quote :

"5 o'clock sports bar is a prime example."

Quote :

"of deserving or non-deserving? i've never been there"

6/5/2009 10:00:15 PM

we don't frequent Mitch's as often as we would; largely due to them closing early as was said.


We had about 10-12 friends meeting up for some drinks one saturday night- called them up and asked what time they closed (called around 8:30pm). They told us 2am. We got there at about 11:30 and they turned us away saying they were closing. WTF?

Same thing happened on 1 or 2 other occasions with friends and we are less likely to go because of it. When I go out I expect businesses to keep the hours they advertise

6/6/2009 4:53:54 AM

they deserve to go out of business if they tell you 2, then turn away 12 paying customers at 11

6/6/2009 12:30:16 PM

That Indy article was great.

I'd love to see Hillsborough be the way it was described as being years ago.
I feel for the companies not getting business because of construction (and for not doing this during a good economy). But in the end, it should be worth it.

6/7/2009 6:19:56 PM

I used to go to Mitch's quite frequently during the day (not as often at night, because of the early closing weirdness), but I haven't been back since they banned any and all smoking. I like a cigarette with my drink or after my meal. It definitely impacted my patronage.

6/8/2009 2:59:15 AM

Traffic Cone Monster says, "I approve of roundabouts on Hillsborough Street."

6/12/2009 9:42:47 AM

^That is awesome on so many levels ... accepted the whole getting arrested part. Here's the link for those who haven't seen it:

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/5339554/

6/12/2009 4:35:31 PM

that story is number one on reddit right now

6/12/2009 5:39:14 PM

^^lol "except"

6/12/2009 8:32:57 PM

I wonder if they're going to try to get him for the rest of the stuff on his website like painting the hopper at the Boylan Bridge.

6/12/2009 8:58:36 PM

His art is cool and all, but he's an idiot for publicizing his work as much as he did to identify himself. Did he really think he wouldn't get taken in after causing such an uproar? People always want credit for their work and can never remain quiet about it.

6/13/2009 5:55:53 AM

Agreed. A bit too much chest-pounding. Then again, if I created something that awesome, I'd want everyone in America to know it also. But I've also never created anything of note

6/13/2009 10:01:45 AM

So let me get this straight, this thread was created almost 3 years ago now, and exactly dick has happened on Hboro street, right?

6/13/2009 10:03:25 AM

^ wrong

6/13/2009 10:08:46 AM