We know Blake Shelton sings, “There’s a neon light at the end of the tunnel,” — but with these 5 backdrops in Raleigh, there can be a neon light at the end of your next photo. 📸
We made a list of some of the brightest neon signs in the city, so that you can plan where to snap your next pic.
- Element Gastropub: The plant-based eatery opened in Downtown at the beginning of summer, and features the perfect wall to show off your food — a neon sign reading “I licked it so it’s mine” set on a background of foliage.
- Raleigh in Raleigh Union Station: This neon sign, reading simply the city’s name, was done by Glas in 2020 and is displayed inside the transportation center.
- Love Over Rules: Done by Brooklyn-based artist Hank Willis Thomas, this sign lights up a sequence of phrases across the letters “LOVERULES.” The Jack Shainman Gallery in NY + Glas also contributed to the work.
- Esse Quam Videri: This sign, displayed in the storefront of the Black Friday Market in Downtown, reads the state motto in both Latin (Esse Quam Videri) + English (To be rather than to seem). It’s a bit hard to see right now due to construction, but don’t worry, the scaffolding isn’t permanent.
- Wonderland: This unique spot in Glenwood South offers farm-to-table latin dishes + cocktails, plus several Instagrammable neon signs — like “Where the magic happens” and “Alcohol you later.”
Did you know that several of the signs listed were brought to you by the same Raleigh company, Glas? The company consists of a team of several artists, and their work is displayed all over the city.
RALtoday actually gets to see their work from behind-the-scenes quite often — we both work out of Dock 1053. Hey, neighbors. 👋
