Good people of Cary,

Can you believe it is already the end of July? This month completely flew by.

It was certainly an interesting one. Cary entered the spotlight for many of the wrong reasons.

The State Auditor’s report drew attention from media outlets across North Carolina, while a packed Town Council meeting erupted into open hostility and the council made a consequential decision involving one of Cary’s largest naturally affordable apartment communities. Meanwhile, one of Cary’s newest attractions permanently closed less than eight months after opening.

But there was plenty of positive news, too. The Arcane Books & Speakeasy and Juliet Books & Beautiful Things opened downtown, a new burrito restaurant arrived in West Cary, and repeated rainfall finally brought some improvement to our drought conditions.

I believe it is important to tell you about the good and the bad. I love Cary, and I respect your intelligence enough to understand the nuance behind the complicated issues our community faces.

I hope my coverage continues to help you digest the barrage of information coming out of Town Hall and around Cary. There will certainly be much more to discuss.

Thank you for continuing to support local,

James

Last Thursday, the Cary Town Council considered whether to allow the Raleigh Housing Authority to operate at Amberwood at Lochmere, a 340-unit apartment community located at 100 Eclipse Drive.

Amberwood is privately owned and currently has relatively affordable rents compared with similar apartment communities in Cary. The property was placed on the market, with sale materials reportedly advertising the potential for a new owner to increase rents by approximately $200 to $300 per month.

The Raleigh Housing Authority submitted the winning offer for the property.

RHA’s plan was to preserve all 340 apartments as affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households for at least 30 years.

Current tenants would have been allowed to remain regardless of their income, and their existing leases would have stayed in place. Income restrictions would have applied as new tenants moved into the community.

Up to 34 apartments, or 10 percent of the complex, could have received project-based housing vouchers. The remaining apartments would have been income restricted.

The Cary Town Council was not being asked to purchase Amberwood, contribute money to the transaction, approve a rezoning or authorize new construction.

Under North Carolina law, the Raleigh Housing Authority needed Cary’s permission before operating as a public housing authority within the town’s jurisdiction.

That approval would also have made Amberwood exempt from property taxes. Town staff estimated that Cary currently receives approximately $237,000 per year in property-tax revenue from the complex.

RHA representatives told Council that the timing was urgent because of a July 27 deadline in the purchase contract.

The Council voted 5-2 to table the request.

Technically, Council could reconsider the proposal at a later meeting. In practice, the purchase contract’s short deadline meant that tabling the request effectively ended this version of the deal.

Council members who supported tabling primarily cited the extremely compressed timeline, unresolved questions involving Lochmere’s private covenants, uncertainty about RHA’s governance and the lack of time for a broader public discussion.

Those who opposed tabling argued that Amberwood will still be sold, but likely without any guarantee that its current rents or residents will be protected.

The public hearing itself became extraordinarily heated.

Several Lochmere residents warned that allowing RHA to purchase the community would bring violent crime, drugs and other problems associated with some public housing communities into Cary.

Supporters of the proposal were interrupted and heckled. Councilmember Craig was booed while explaining her position, and one speaker who exceeded her allotted time initially refused to leave the podium.

I have written about the hearing in considerably more detail than I can fit here. The full article explains what RHA proposed, what Council was actually being asked to approve, the tax implications, the covenant questions and what could happen to Amberwood next.

Additional reading: The Cary Report’s full Amberwood coverage | WRAL’s initial report on the proposal | Watch the Public Hearing

Altitude Trampoline Park at Harrison Pointe has permanently closed less than eight months after celebrating its grand opening.

The closure appears to have happened very suddenly.

On Friday, July 24, Altitude posted on Facebook that the Cary park was temporarily closed and asked customers to check back for additional updates.

By Monday, the company’s website and Google business listing described the Cary location as permanently closed. Its Facebook page is also now labeled permanently closed, despite the temporary closure message remaining its most recent public post.

Altitude has not publicly explained what changed between Friday’s announcement and the permanent closure designation.

The 20,000-square-foot trampoline park opened at 220 Grande Heights Drive in early December, with its grand-opening celebration beginning December 5. It offered trampolines, dodgeball, a climbing wall, basketball, interactive games and birthday-party packages.

The closure follows a legal dispute involving the property.

In May, the Triangle Business Journal reported that Harrison Pointe’s owner had initiated eviction proceedings against Altitude, alleging that the business owed $224,902 in unpaid rent.

At the time, the Cary park had been open for only about five months.

It remains unclear whether the rent dispute directly caused the permanent closure.

Altitude was announced as a major new family-entertainment attraction, opened immediately before the holiday season and was already facing eviction proceedings by the spring.

The Cary Report has reached out to the location’s general manager and Altitude’s corporate press office. No response has been received as of publication.

Now, less than eight months after opening, it is gone.

Additional reading: Altitude Cary’s July 24 temporary closure announcement | Altitude Cary’s official webpage | Triangle Business Journal’s report on the eviction proceedings

Get your reading glasses.

After much anticipation, two new bookshops opened in Cary. Both are downtown, but they have completely different vibes.

Let’s start with The Arcane, which had its grand opening a few weeks ago.

Located inside the historic Williams House at 210 E. Chatham Street, The Arcane Books & Speakeasy combines a fiction-focused bookstore with cocktails, beer, food and events.

The concept leans heavily into atmosphere. It is part neighborhood bookshop, part intimate cocktail bar and part gathering space.

Then, on Tuesday, Juliet Books & Beautiful Things opened at 200 Parkthrough Street in the former Tart’s Barbershop space.

Owner Marcie Montague designed Juliet to offer something for nearly every kind of reader. The store carries fiction, nonfiction, romance, mysteries, children’s books, curated used books and gifts from local artisans.

Upstairs, the “Little Loft” gives younger readers a dedicated children’s area. The store also plans to host storytimes, book clubs, author appearances and other community programming.

Juliet’s official grand-opening celebration is scheduled for September 19, but the store is now open during its regular weekly hours.

The two concepts are different enough to complement each other. The Arcane is focused primarily on adult fiction and nightlife, while Juliet offers a more traditional bookstore experience with a broad inventory and a substantial children’s section.

Go check them both out!

The Arcane Books & Speakeasy
📍 210 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC

Juliet Books & Beautiful Things
📍 200 Parkthrough St., Cary, NC

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at [email protected] and let's find something that works for you.

Final Friday Art Loop and Fire Show

What: Explore galleries, businesses and public spaces throughout Downtown Cary during the monthly art crawl. A free, family-friendly drum circle begins at the Old Library Site at 7 p.m., followed by fire-spinning performances at 8 p.m.

Where: Locations throughout Downtown Cary, with the drum circle and fire show at the Old Library Site (310 S. Academy St.)

When: Fri, July 31 | Art Loop from 6–9 p.m. | Drum circle and fire show from 7–8:30 p.m.

More Info

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival

What: A two-day festival featuring barbecue, live entertainment and tastings from more than 60 beers and 40 bourbons. Multiple ticket and admission options are available.

Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre (8003 Regency Parkway)

When: Fri, July 31 | 6–9 p.m. & Sat, August 1 | 12–5 p.m.

More Info

The Land Before Time

What: The Cary Theater’s Summer Family Series continues with the animated classic following Littlefoot and his friends on their journey to the Great Valley. The film is rated G.

Where: The Cary Theater (122 E. Chatham St.)

When: Sun, August 2 | 12 p.m.

More Info

A downtown staple that still feels like a neighborhood pub.

Downtown Cary has gained an impressive collection of polished restaurants, cocktail bars and destination dining spots. Sometimes, however, you just want a reasonably priced meal and a cold drink.

That is where Crosstown comes in.

The family-owned pub opened in February 2015 at 140 E. Chatham Street. In July 2022, it moved directly next door into the larger former Daybreak space at 154 E. Chatham Street.

Its original location later became The Albatross Golf Pub (a must-try for smashburger fans).

Crosstown’s menu is filled with the kind of dependable pub food that you'd expect. There are burgers, wings, sandwiches, salads, mac and cheese and rotating specials (without the prices drifting into special-occasion territory).

The fish and chips are one of the best reasons to visit. The beer-battered fish comes with homemade tartar sauce, coleslaw and thick steak fries. A small order (which is still a massive portion) is currently $10.50, while the large is $17.50.

The move gave Crosstown more dining space, but the restaurant still feels like the same neighborhood gathering place it was when it opened more than a decade ago.

It is casual, family owned and built around regulars. I posted a reel about Crosstown on Facebook, and one reader summed it up best: “Feels like Cheers in there.”

📍 154 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC

Crosstown’s Website

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