Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week!!! 8/20-8/26

Renee Hillman on November 29, 2014

Need an excuse to have a date night? Want to try a restaurant you haven’t tired before? Want to stay within a budget? Well I have the perfect suggestion for you this week!!! It is Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week where there are several restaurants that participate & offer price fix meals at $20 or $30/per person. There are some that are pairing wine & beer for an additional price fix amount. I highly suggest reservations which many will take thru Open Table as it gets pretty busy in a good way. Anytime we have activity in city centers it helps all of us out. There is AMPLE free parking downtown and there is also the R Line. I know I’ve already made reservations at Sullivans‘ with some friends as their menu looked tasty. You also have Second Empire– one of my favorite restaurants in the area, a four star award winner in a meticulously restored home on Hillsborough St. Zely & Ritz uses many ingredients from their local farm right in the heart of Glenwood South, the list could keep going. There are many to choose from for all types of palates!

See you downtown!

Raleigh Amphitheater… “Bringin’ the Get Down to Downtown”

Renee Hillman on November 29, 2014

I always enjoy the times I am able to spend downtown, whether it was the American Cheese Festival this past weekend (now that was an experience) to grabbing a bite to eat (we checked out Oro in The Plaza building) there are so many things to offer! I know several people that complain about the difficulty of parking, I find this hard to believe given the abundance of parking decks that are FREE.

What I am most excited about is the O.A.R concert tomorrow night at the Raleigh Amphitheater. I LOVE this venue – small, intimate, plenty of bathrooms, in walking distance to several restaurants & bars and best of all you can watch the beautiful sunsets! This is the first concert I ever took my little sisters too & it has been an annual tradition for over 12 years. I am looking forward to sharing fun times again with my sisters enjoying all that Raleigh has to offer!

Free things to do this weekend 6/22! Tour de Fat & Peak City Pig Fest

Renee Hillman on November 29, 2014

Happy Monday!

I promised from the beginning this wouldn’t be all about real estate but love a chance to brag about our area and explore. We have so many neat things to do here in the RTP area!!! With that being said here are a couple of highlights this weekend, figured you would need to start getting prepared now!

Tour de Fat – This is an all ages friendly event that supports many of our local non profits and cycling awareness. I had a blast last year – I am not sure words can do this justice, it is definitely an eclectic scene but one that has something for everyone! You will be sure to laugh quite a bit. Shows, food, demos and right by the heart of the American Tobacco District on the grassy area by the DPAC in Downtown Durham. You can even dress up & do the bike ride (sign up required I believe). Definitely a great way to explore a new area/culture. This only goes to 15 cities a year & we are very lucky to have New Belgium Brewery put on this event…they are even opening a new east coast location in Asheville, North Carolina. Directly from their website: “For those who haven’t experienced Tour de Fat, it is a thrilling rite of passage that includes an unparalleled costumed bicycle parade, New Belgium beer, eccentric entertainment, local food, unusual bike contests and much more. The free event, which raises money for local nonprofits through beer and merchandise purchases, will soon exceed the $2 million mark for total funds raised.”

Peak City Pig Fest – Downtown, Apex, NC Another great community event that is free! This is the only Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned event in the Triangle area. There will be about 30 barbeque teams competing for $15,000 in prize money. Their website has a schedule of events, be sure to join and check out all the fun! If you happen to see the Pharm-A-Que Team, tell them HI, this is my boyfriends’ team & they have been working hard on their recipes & rubs! I believe I have also consumed enough BBQ to last me a while. Wishing them the best of luck on a win!

Get out enjoy our area & explore! You only live once.

Toll, Transponders & the Good of 540!

Renee Hillman on November 3, 2014

I know many many people are not too happy about the fact that we have a toll road right in the heart of where we live, especially since the toll is only applicable to the new section. 540 will serve as a well needed corridor to Apex & Holly Springs from the RTP/Durham area. I can only imagine the time it is saving several of those residents to what seems to be the mecca for our employment base. I know several of my clients have tweeted that the time savings is worth the toll expense they are paying, although I know it is costing most from Apex lunch out for the day. I live in Raleigh but do quite a bit of sales on the 540 side of Cary/Morrisville/Apex etc. I had NO idea how much I used 540 until I received my first bill. OUCH! That prompted me immediately to go ahead & purchase the sticker transponder. It was a fairly painless process, I created an account from the bill I received, put in my credit card info & a few days later the stickers arrived. You have to have one per car and I believe they will allow 5 cars on one account. Now I will not have to worry about bills in the mail as it will auto debit from the initial balance you have to put on ($20) & I will get an email statement once a month. As much as I don’t like to pay a toll as the next guy, getting to Apex was so easy last night after picking up my sister from the airport. Not to mention 40E was backed up because of a car fire and the normal rush hour traffic. If I had to take the traditional way it would have easily taken me 40+ minutes, taking 540 took us less than 20 minutes with no lights & no hassle!!! The NC Quick Pass saved me about $1 for just that trip…I say the $5 investment is worth it. I am definitely interested to see once the next section is open how much traffic is alleviated off of 40E bound! I hope it really makes a HUGE difference.

Renee’s Favorite Places & Things in Raleigh, Durham & Surrounding Areas, Vol. 1

Renee Hillman on November 1, 2014

My favorite places & things in Raleigh, Durham and all the towns around!

I decided this year as part of my NC Renée blog that I would share my favorite places/things to do in the area. By nature I am an explorer, I love travel, enjoy meeting new people, taking part in different experiences and in general enjoying the one life we have to live! For some reason this post makes me think of Oprah’s Favorite Things, granted don’t expect me to shower you with monetary gifts but I may be able to shower you with some wisdom of why Raleigh and RTP in general are such great places to call HOME. And maybe just maybe the businesses I decide to feature may pass along some good deals to my clients & followers. This whole blogging thing is new to me so learning the ins, outs, pros & cons so bear with me!

I am always on a hunt for a good bakery mostly because I love making sandwiches. I am by no means a culinary expert. When I have the option to eat lunch at home I enjoy it, partly because I get to use fresh ingredients from my garden and mostly because I can eat in peace and quiet. It doesn’t happen often but either way I enjoy that 15 minutes.

So getting back to the bakery, I decided to check out Guglhupf’s this past weekend.

It is over in Durham off 15-501 close to intersection of University about 5 minutes from downtown. I’ve eaten at the restaurant a few times & have always been pleased. Great ambiance & an awesome outdoor seating area with tons of character. The kicker, I always arrived after the bakery closed. The minute I stepped into the bakery the smell was a little slice of heaven. I knew I was in the right place when several German speaking families were coming in to purchase bakery & desert items. It was busy, the staff helpful and had that cultural eclectic kind of vibe. I went for the cracked pepper & parmesan wheat bread, I can say today I made lunch at home & it was pretty special. So I savored my 15 minutes of peace and quiet with my kindle and a great sandwich, one of my favorite things!

Festival of Cheese, yes Raleigh it is coming!

Renee Hillman on October 4, 2014

Ok, it always amazes me the interesting tidbits you learn out & about. I enjoy trying new things & as many of you know I love the North Carolina State Farmers Market! I think it is one of North Carolinas best kept secrets. On one of my latest visits I stopped by Prodigal Farm, (their storefront is located in the building), a local connoisseur of all things goat cheese with their farm located in Rougemont, NC. Dave is the best and always spends time with you explaining the care of their goats to the cheese making process. One of the random things I found out is that the American Cheese Society is holding their 29th Annual Cheese Conference & Competition in…yes Downtown Raleigh!!!

And the cherry on top August 4th from 7 to 930pm, it is open to the public for the Festival of Cheese! (Ticket required $55/per person). I for one can’t wait to experience 1600 cheeses. Yet another really cool thing coming to Raleigh. Off to burn some calories at the Lake Johnson Trail, heck I have to start getting ready for August NOW. Maybe a prelude to the next post?!

Great Location & Great Floor Plan in Raleigh

Renee Hillman on May 5, 2014

Looking for a convenient location – nestled between Raleigh and Cary? Check! In search of a great floor plan? Double check! You couldn’t ask for a better than this new listing, with easy access to I-40, I-440, RTP and NC State University.

Inside the home you’ll find a spacious kitchen with working island and a butler’s pantry that opens to the family room with gas log fireplace. There’s a formal dining room with hardwood floors – perfect for holidays and other important meals! Also on the main floor you’ll find an office with beautiful french doors, as well as updated fixtures throughout.

Retreat to the huge master suite with sitting room and dual vanity bathroom, soaking tub and separate shower! There are three additional guest rooms each with ample space.

Also in this home are a true utility room and tons of extra storage in the garage with built-in loft.

Outside, enjoy the deck made for entertaining that overlooks a fenced, level backyard!

If a summer pool is of interest to you, you can reasonably join the nearby Medfield Estates community pool or if you are NCSU alumni, check out the University Club complete with salt water pool, workout facility and nine-hole golf course.

Take the virtual tour online at http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=1350104 and when you’re ready to see this great find in person, email or call me for your appointment! You can reach me at 919-868-4383 or Renee@Renee-Sells.com.