Ginny from the Blog

My neighbors have chickens. I wouldn’t find this strange if I still lived in southern Illinois, but I live on the edge of downtown Raleigh.

So these urban chickens hang out in a coop behind my apartment. And it turns out the cluckers are probably living there legally. Suzanne Nelson writes in the Independent that Raleigh and Carrboro are among local municipalities that allow chickens to dwell in the city (with some exceptions).

Nelson also reports that residents in Chapel Hill and Durham are lobbying local leaders to ease zoning rules so chickens can move in. This isn’t the first time some Durham residents have mounted a campaign to allow chickens in the city. I remember a similar campaign in fall 2004, when then-resident Richard Mullinax asked the city council to change a zoning law that forbids farm animals in city limits.

Some people don’t like having chickens for neighbors because they can be noisy and smelly. The fella pictured above clucked like mad when I approached him this morning. But so far he hasn’t been a bother. Anyone else have urban farm animals for neighbors?

Just got back from a press conference at Raleigh’s city hall. I tagged along with one of NBC17’s reporters because I wanted to see if I could find something to blog about. The ‘event’ was in Mayor Charles Meeker’s office, a place I don’t imagine many Raleigh residents ever visit.

I call it an ‘event’ because his office was staged so photographers could get a good shot — a royal blue curtain was strung up in front of a wall, a podium adorned with the city’s seal was centered between two flags and most of the furniture was pushed aside to make way for cameras and reporters.

Since you’ve probably never been inside the mayor’s office, let me fill you in on what’s there. (more…)

My how quickly life can change. Yesterday I was living in a gated community on Hilton Head Island. Today I’m living in a small apartment complex on the outskirts of downtown Raleigh.

It’s wonderfully strange being back in a city (I briefly lived in downtown Durham before giving island life a try). Here are some things I’m adjusting to:

Traffic and Stop Lights. It seems I can’t drive a few hundred feet without stopping at a red light. And there are SO many lanes to choose from. On Hilton Head, there’s a four-lane highway that cuts through the island, and traffic is only a problem four or five months a year, when the tourists take over.

Grocery Shopping. It took me 45 minutes to find a grocery store last night (thanks to aforementioned traffic). I eventually found myself at the Harris Teeter in Cameron Village, which seemed SO MUCH bigger than the HT on Hilton Head. There are at least eight grocery stores on the 12-mile long island, so finding one is never a problem.

Neighbors. Last night, I got to know my upstairs neighbor in an intimate way thanks to the sounds permeating my ceiling. I’ll give it another couple nights, but I’m considering ear plugs.

But these are hardly problems. It’s just strange exchanging island life for city life.