Treat your loved ones to fun, cozy, and personalized picks this holiday gifting season. | Graphic by 6AM City
Psst — It’s nearly mid-December. Finish your holiday shopping this weekend with our gift ideas:
Gifts for your significant other
Local pick: Videri’s 40 piece Bonbon Box | $110 | Spare no expense for your partner — they deserve it. This box will have your chocolate lover in heaven.
Full-zip flannel jacket | $36.99 | Flannel, cotton, and fleece combine in this ultra-soft, stylish hoodie.
Local pick: ”Deep Run Roots” by Vivian Howard | $45 | Howard is well-known for her PBS show and this recipe book suited for home cooks of all skill levels.
Gifts for students
Fidget toy pen | $16.99 | This chromatic, magnetic pen can be stacked into various shapes.
Gifts for holiday parties and gift exchanges
Local pick: Conniption Kinship Gin | $37.99 | This locally distilled gin changes colors when combined with acids like lemon juice and tonic water.
One word to describe Capulet Cocktail Club: Opulent. | Photo by Mark Terry
Opening
Capulet Cocktail Club, Midtown’s first dedicated cocktail bar, opens its palatial doors Tuesday, Dec. 16 with Renaissance grandeur and Italian spirits at the forefront. We’re eyeing original cocktails like the House of Capulet with bourbon and agarwood and a nonalcoholic take on the Cherry Bounce.
Second Empire was named the No. 3 fine dining restaurant in the US according to Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards. This classy spot is also on our list of special occasion restaurants for your next celebration. (Triangle Business Journal)
Coming Soon
One more morsel of food news. Nan Xiang Express, a restaurant known for its soup dumplings + noodle soups, is coming to Hillsborough Street near Cup A Joe and Ebisu, a Japanese import store. Visit the Durham location before they open.
Sports
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and more of women’s basketball’s biggest stars are coming to the Triangle. The USA Basketball Women’s National Team will have a private practice at Duke this weekend, head coach Kara Lawson’s stomping grounds, ahead of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup + to prove themselves for the Olympics. (The News & Observer)
Community
The LGBT Center of Raleigh’s new community hub is now open next door to Lincoln Theater, and it’s the first gathering place for the center since 2020. The center features one of the largest varieties of LGBTQ+ books in the Southeast and will offer resources for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. (CBS 17)
Real Estate
The average home price in Raleigh is around $430,872. In that range, you can get this tidy blue home in North Raleigh. Psst — it has a farmhouse sink.
Your glasses called — they’re ready for retirement. Shop Zenni’s durable frames + advanced lenses for an upgrade, with most pairs under $80. Bonus: Take an extra 10% off with code TWW.*
Real Estate
This new community checks all our boxes: Spacious floor plans, unique amenities like a rock climbing wall, on-site coffee shop + bar, expansive green spaces, and a private dog park — all just minutes from Raleigh transportation hubs. Explore your options at NOVEL Morrisville.*
Older Adults
Are you taking advantage of these stellar senior discounts? From savings with Walgreens to a discounted Amazon Prime membership, we found 20 hacks all older adults should know about to continue saving and building wealth.*
Editor’s Pick
🌼 Cafe + bar coming to Flowers Field
Flowers Cottage overlooking Flowers Field is getting a new look and beverages. | Renderings provided by Dorothea Dix Park
Two new concession spaces are headed to Dix Park’s Flowers Cottage as part of a major remodel. Cottage Coffee and Park Bar come from Justin Pasfield and Jeff Clarke —- the team behind local faves like Person Street Bar, Locals Seafood, and Natural Science bar.
At Cottage Coffee, you’ll find coffee, grab-and-go bites, and more beverges. Park Bar, located underneath the expanded outdoor deck, will serve beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options. The best part? Everything will overlook Flowers Field, home to the iconic daffodils.
Earlier this year, Dix Park welcomed Gipson Play Plaza and the Thomas Dambo trolls, and there’s more plans for enhancing this giant urban park.
I might need to take a trip to Morrisville to try Shijiri Sushi Bar, a new sushi spot with no rolls and no tipping. Watch this Reel — everything looks so fresh!
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