North Hills Inspires The Community

North Hills Fun for All Ages

By Natalie Fioto

In difficult times, communities often come together to support one another.  Well, in this turbulent economy one local shopping center is helping to bridge the neighborhood, connecting people all over the Triangle.  Without spending a dime, you can take the whole family out to North Hills and have a great evening out, as it proves to be more than just a shopping center.  North Hills hosts many events and compiles them on a comprehensive calendar on its Web site, which includes restaurant specials to help us all save a couple bucks.

Every Thursday throughout the summer months, North Hills hosts Midtown Flower Market during the afternoon and the Midtown Beach Music Series in the evening.  Children play on the grass eating Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, teenagers hang out with friends listening to the music, and adults drink cold beers and shag the night away.

North Hills also hosts competitions throughout the summer.  On June 6, professional shag dancers from up and down the east coast flocked to the North Hills Commons to compete for plaques and prizes.  In addition, North Hills is currently holding the Plein Air art competition, which it plan to hold annually, where competing artists must paint “in the open air” on North Hills property.  The art submissions will culminate in an art festival in August featuring a silent auction of the works.  Proceeds  will benefit the United Arts Council.

Junior Jazzercise, geared toward children ages 2-8, is held two days a week to get kids active and learn the importance of exercise and health.  With North Carolina’s alarmingly high obesity rate, this is likely to be a vital lifelong lesson.  Raleigh residents can support local farmers and enjoy live entertainment through November by attending the Midtown Farmers’ Market and buying fresh organic produce from a variety of vendors.

North Hills, a mixed-use community, should also perform mixed services to the surrounding neighborhoods.  It is the an all-inclusive destination to live, work, shop and socialize because North Hills is focused on building relationships within the Raleigh community.  With enormous amounts of money going into the continued construction of North Hills East, it is important that the community maintains its positive view of North Hills’ contributions to the neighborhood.  Its activities are a great way to reach out to the public and also encourage some spending to stimulate the economy at the same time.