The downtown Raleigh area is home to historic buildings such as the Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel built in the early 20th century, the restored City Market, the Fayetteville Street downtown business district, which includes the PNC Plaza and Wells Fargo Capitol Center buildings, as well as the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina State Capitol, William Peace University, the City of Raleigh Museum, Raleigh Convention Center, Shaw University, Campbell University School of Law, and St. Augustine’s College. In the 2000s, an effort by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance was made to separate this area of the city into five smaller districts: Fayetteville Street, Moore Square, Glenwood South, Warehouse (Raleigh), and Capital District (Raleigh). Some of the names have become common place among locals such as the Warehouse, Fayetteville Street, and Glenwood South Districts.
The Inside the Raleigh Beltline neighborhoods include Cameron Park, Boylan Heights,[35] Country Club Hills, Coley Forest, Five Points, Budleigh, Glenwood-Brooklyn, Hayes Barton Historic District, Moore Square, Mordecai (home to the historic Mordecai House), Rosengarten Park, Belvidere Park, Woodcrest, Oberlin Village, and Historic Oakwood. Inside the Beltline refers to I-440 which used to be called the Beltline before being re-branded to ease driver navigation. These neighborhoods were typically built before World War II.
Downtown Raleigh is growing at a rapid pace! This growth has been great for businesses, residents, and the city’s entertainment scene. However, it also provides criminals with more places to hide and increases the risk of a criminal encounter when walking downtown. The purpose of this article is to educate downtown visitors on how they can reduce their chances of being a victim while enjoying all that downtown Raleigh has to offer.
Be aware of your surroundings . Ifyou do not feel comfortable in an area, leave immediately. Trust your instincts; if you think something does not feel right, it is usually because it isn’t. Criminals like victims they believe are unaware of their surroundings (easy targets). Don’t make yourself an easy target! Look up, look around , and if necessary, put your phone away.
Walk with a purpose . Do not linger in an area when you arrive; it announces to criminals that there is no reason to watch you because you are just passing through. Walk confidently and try to vary your route (flanking) whenever possible in order to safely reach your destination or make it known that you will be reaching your car in the near future. Criminals do not want witnesses! Let them know someone always knows where you are and what you are doing. Ifyou can’t walk with a purpose then at least walk as though someone is watching you (someone always is). The more aware ofyour surroundings the better.