Wednesday, Mar. 17, 2010

Ugly is as ugly is built

Can you think of any uglier entrance to downtown Raleigh than the heavily traveled thoroughfare that should be our inviting foyer, Capital Boulevard?

Yes, I realize the competition, sadly, is considerable.

South Saunders Street certainly gives Capital an unsightly run for its money.

And New Bern Avenue is only a little less homely.

So on three out of four cardinal approaches to downtown, the path is anything but inviting.

Western Boulevard and Hillsborough Street aren't exactly lookers, either.

If it weren't for Glenwood and Wade avenues, we'd have no gateways to be proud of.

When friends, relatives, and business colleagues come to town, it's tempting to ask them to keep their eyes closed until we arrive downtown. (And maybe even then, too.)

City planners hope to change that, as our Ray Martin reports on this page.

They plan to look into some common-sense upgrades, such as rebuilding and landscaping the roadway itself. Polluted Pigeon House Creek could become a visual amenity, perhaps with a bikeable greenway trail alongside.

City leaders know they can't change much without the input and participation of property owners along the route. Fortunately, many of them feel pride in their capital city and realize what they'd gain from the corridor's makeover.

Big changes won't come fast, or easily. Steady is OK. The key is to develop a good plan and get started. Here's wishing everyone guts and luck renovating our city's main foyer.

We can do better, so let's.

By now you've no doubt realized that you're looking at a new version of this weekly community newspaper.

Over the coming weeks, with your help, we're going to beef up our community notice listings of all kinds: schools, clubs, awards, recreation, places of worship, etc. For more details, see page 2. Please e-mail us your news at least two weeks in advance.

We're also reviving a popular feature: reader-submitted photos of local scenes and people. Send us your high-resolution jpeg pictures. We'll publish the best ones we get.

And we always welcome your letters to the editor and guest columns. For more info, see page 2 or page 4.

Meanwhile, happy reading!