Quite simply, the Raleigh I met when I first went off to college in 2004:

–Had yet to air condition the dorm I lived in and introduce on campus apartments for freshmen.

–Hadn’t introduced downtown apartments (and student housing) on a mass scale. Now, it seems like a new unit pops up daily on every block.

–Didn’t have a way to track its campus buses, nor did those buses connect downtown (or did downtown have it’s connector bus).

–Was sprawling out of control with no plan to fix it.

— Didn’t have bars and restaurants that turned their strip parking lots into decks and connect with street walkability. See Exhibit A above.

— Didn’t use roundabouts to manage traffic flow and make it more friendly to pedestrians

–Had buildings that garnered attention from the world, but had yet to build iconic ones in the modern era.

–Had northern hills, but no midtown.

–Had buses stuck in traffic, instead of zooming down shoulders.

–Had yet to finish educating this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed graduate of its largest university and get her to return back to be a part of this growing community.

The last half of that last bullet is not true. Yet. Oh and check out how Raleigh’s redefining itself on an official (and unofficial) branding level. Be sure to include your own Raleigh’s you’ve come to know (I’ll accept other RTP area cities too) in the comments here, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Then have a great weekend. Read the news first though:

Great to see Durham’s Organic Transit and their ELF vehicle get mentioned in USA Today.

A Charlotte-centered analysis of its recent ranking on Smart Growth America’s sprawl list.

Although he often puts out political signs in front of his establishments, a Greensboro developer is under fire for one particular set of signs for one candidate.

High Point honors its Winter Olympian.

The agenda for last night’s Guilford commissioners meeting. What was actually discussed.

The CFO of the International Civil Rights Museum and Center reaches out to black professional groups for help promoting the museum, but also blames Greensboro City Council members by name for not supporting them.

More name calling amongst local elected officials, this time in Asheville and Buncombe County.

WRAL’s report on the VMT issue.

Canton’s Evergreen Packaging is working with the EPA to switch its boilers to natural gas and reduce air pollution in the area.

Charlotte’s Students First charter school to close next week, leaving 3oo K-8 students without a school in the middle of the spring semester.

Part of the newly widened I-85 in the Charlotte area will open in phases this weekend.

Now hints of bribery are surfacing around the Charlotte Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Charlotte residents are engaging with their own battle over trees with Duke Energy. More on this new “growth regulator,” which will also be used in Greensboro.

The Triad office of CRBE is purchasing Hagan Properties.

Forsyth County’s teen drug court has its first graduates.

Cumberland County officials have changed their guidelines for potential county health services operators.

UNC Wilmington is using renderings of athletic facilities to increase giving to that department, while the academic side is searching for ideas to increase giving.

The small businesses on Wilmington’s Castle Street gathered to celebrate their success.

Downtown Durham’s Pleiades Gallery celebrates its first year.

How Raleigh’s always loved entertainment venues, and is currently making its Pullen Park more popular.

And finally, a first look at the bill to make the state’s first public-private economic development agency.