Accolades and Innovation

Raleigh continues to be listed as a best place to live in categories ranging from entrepreneurship to tech jobs. Many contributing factors to these accolades can be found in SouthWestRaleigh, such as a culture of innovation fostered by NC State and business incubators and collaboration projects like Design Box or HQ Raleigh.

Business Organizations

The area has a great network of business support organizations. The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce offers a variety of ways to connect with Raleigh’s business community, and the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are two of a number of other resources for building a professional foundation in the area. SCORE and the Wake Tech Small Business Center help entrepreneurs develop business and organizational skills and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development cultivates a community of entrepreneurship through its network.

Working in SouthWestRaleigh

SouthWestRaleigh enjoys all the prerequisites of a successful creative district, including accessibility, higher education facilities, lifestyle and leisure activities, and a diverse housing stock. The area has a higher percentage of residents with Master’s and Doctorate degrees than the general Raleigh population, and an estimated 35% of the City’s jobs and 28% of the City’s sales come from the South West District (source USWR).

Business Corridors

Three key business corridors run through SouthWestRaleigh that have notable impact on employment and sales activity. These corridors also reflect concentrations of knowledge industries within the district:

Downtown provides a significant amount of employment for SWR, estimated around 27% percent or approximately 33,000 jobs. Downtown also provides an estimated 12 percent of SWR’s overall sales revenues.

The Hillsborough Street–Western Boulevard Corridor provides 5% and 3% respectively of the district’s employment and sales. This Corridor is also a connector to neighboring Cary.

The Blue Ridge Corridor contains a high concentration of healthcare-related establishments, including Rex Hospital.  This corridor provides an estimated 19% of jobs and 22% of sales for SouthWestRaleigh.

Connectivity

SouthWestRaleigh is a short drive from Research Triangle Park, RDU International Airport, and the towns of Cary, Chapel Hill, and Durham. Airport shuttles, and Go Raleigh, Go Triangle and Wake Transit systems provide car-less connectivity. Plans to expand regional transit await a bond referendum on the ballot in October.

Staying Up to Date

A number of publications and sites report on business, government, and life in the city. The News and Observer is the biggest local newspaper and the Triangle Business Journal reports on all things business. To follow municipal news, subscribe to any number of city department updates or follow city council and other meetings on live stream. Various outlets report on city happenings from the Raleigh Public Record and Indy Week to the Raleigh Agenda, the Triangle Downtowner, and blogs such as the Raleigh Connoisseur. Walter Magazine provides monthly local interest stories and calendars.