By the numbers

• -41% | Percent change in walking trips in NC
• -39% | Percent change in walking trips in Raleigh-Cary, and -42% in Durham-Chapel Hill
• 31 | Raleigh’s score out of 100 on Walk Score’s walkability meter
• 30 | Durham’s score out of 100 on Walk Score’s walkability meter

Where to walk the walk

• Capital Area Greenway, NCMA, 2110 Blue Ridge Rd. | Start at the NCMA Cafe to grab a cup of joe to walk along the sculpture-lined Museum Park, greenway, and wooded trails. Psst... you may even run into a mysterious cloud chamber.
• Downtown Raleigh, self-guided tour | The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has a series of 1- and 3-mile run/walk routes to get active, discover new businesses, and see the city from a new perspective.
• Lake Johnson Park, 4601 Avent Ferry Rd. | Lace up your shoes for this trail if you want to enjoy wildlife like great blue herons, a clean trail, and a lake view.

• Rockin’ Raleigh Scavenger Hunt | Wednesday, Jan. 3 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Moore Square, 214 S. Blount St., Raleigh | $24 | Dive into a digital quest and take off on your own to experience creative tasks and challenges.
• The Night Rider Presents: FAMOUS… in Poland | Wednesday, Jan. 3 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | The Night Rider, 416 W. South St., Raleigh | $10 | Laugh along with stand-up comedian Jordan Gray.

• “Find your Light” — 2024 Vision Board Workshop | Thursday, Jan. 4 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Joy Worthy Co., 131 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh | $29 | Start 2024 off on the right foot by laying out your goals for the year divided into four main sections: abundance, health, love + energy.
• Goodnights Presents: 50 First Jokes | Thursday, Jan. 4 | 7:30 p.m. | Goodnights Comedy Club, 401 Woodburn Rd., Raleigh | $10-$28 | Join 50 of NC’s best comedians as they present their first new jokes of 2024.

• New Moon — Intention Candle Making Workshop | Friday, Jan. 5 | 6:15-8 p.m. | The Self Care Marketplace, 12 W. Martin St., Raleigh | $60 | Join Botanicals & Crystals for this guided intention-setting candle making workshop.
• Rumours Atl — A Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band | Friday, Jan. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | The Ritz, 2820 Industrial Dr., Raleigh | $25 | Be amazed by this Fleetwood Mac cover band.

• Oh, the weather outside is frightful. Grab your galoshes because this weekend calls for winter precipitation due to a developing low-pressure system. Precipitation, most likely in the form of freezing rain, is expected to hit NC late Friday through Saturday night. (The News & Observer)

• Millbrook Road sushi spot Koi Grill & Sushi announced a permanent closure on its website. Despite the restaurant’s praising Google reviews, the owners have chosen not to renew the lease.

• Eight new eateries will land at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in 2024. Some local spots include a new concept by Durham Distillery called Conniption Gin Cocktails & Cuisine and new storefronts for Black & White Coffee Roasters and Raleigh Beer Garden. All concepts are expected to open this year. (The News & Observer)

• Back the wrestling Pack at Reynolds Coliseum this Friday, Jan. 5 as No. 4 NC State takes on No. 9 Oklahoma State. Tickets for the home opener start at $12.

• The City of Raleigh’s Building Up-fit Grant application cycle begins this Friday, Jan. 5 and closes Sunday, Jan. 28. Small business owners can apply for the city to match up to 50 percent of qualified construction costs. Read about which businesses the Downtown Raleigh Alliance awarded nearly $90,000 in grants to last year.

• Watch out for a Transylvania Avenue historic home on the move next Saturday, Jan. 13. Andy and Melinda Knowles will move one of Raleigh’s first original modernist homes. Built in the early 1950s by William Weber, the historic home will move from its original location to a lot on Delmont Drive next week. (CBS17)

• According to Cushman & Wakefield MarketBeat, Raleigh’s office vacancies are at 21.8% as of October 2023 — up from last year’s rate of 17.5%. Tell us which downtown Raleigh spaces (think: empty offices + warehouses) you’d like to see remade into housing, and we may feature your picks in an upcoming newsletter.

• Though NC State’s football team didn’t get a chance to take a bite out of the inaugural edible trophy, the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot was berry entertaining.
• Speaking of the Wolfpack, the women’s basketball team won its first conference game of the season 72-61 on the road against Virginia, holding its undefeated record.
• For the first time since Nov. 20, 2017, the National Hockey League named a Canes player, forward Sebastian Aho, as NHL’s “First Star” of the week. Aho earned 11 points in three games from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30.
• Switching gears to development news: Hoffman & Associates announced retail additions coming soon to Seaboard Station including wellness concepts Sweathouz + Body Fit Training, and a 1840-sqft Starbucks set to open in Spring 2024.
• Umbrella Dry Bar opened its doors for first sips on New Year’s Eve — you can make a reservation to stop in for a non-alcoholic drink this Friday, Jan. 5.
• The City of Raleigh launched a handy dandy Guide to the City’s Top Issues to keep Raleighites in the loop about important community happenings.