Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Experiencing Commuting

Now a competing member of Toastmasters, following is an outline for tomorrow's speech:

Project #2 Organize your speech

Experiencing Commuting
May 24, 2006


I. Introduction
a. In my four mile commute from home to work, I’m astounded by the contrast and variety of life in Raleigh. Because of the stoplights and turns, I rarely get above third gear, and this gives me the opportunity to interact with the experience between points A and B.
b. To tie into today’s topic, I’ll highlight some of the restaurants to help illustrate the contrast.

II. The first quarter mile is Evergreen Avenue.
a. Evergreen is a world in itself – a profound mix of races, collars, ages, and backgrounds.
b. The houses range from the 1958 cinderblock 1-story with its original owners to the up and coming 3000sf traditional with its wraparound porch.
c. This street is enough for a speech of its own.

III. Lake Wheeler Road
a. Contrast of people who are all stuck in a way, but trying to get out
i. Cross over I-40 – professionals stuck in traffic, trying to get to work
ii. Students heading up Centennial Drive to NC State, stuck in school, trying to graduate. Do you remember that feeling?
iii. Transients cross the road to get to the Healing Place – stuck in a difficult life, but working for a better life
iv. Dorothea Dix – a beautiful piece of land stuck with an uncertain future, trying to stay beautiful
b. Food includes the booming Farmers Market and a Subway at the Exxon.

IV. Left on Saunders, left on South Street, Right onto Boylan Avenue
a. Watch the contrast with me as we turn this corner.
b. South Street
i. South Street is fronted by run-down businesses and storefront churches.
ii. People wander on the street corners or wait for work. Everyone on the street is appears to be Black or Latino.
iii. The city of Raleigh has recently designated portions of this area “blighted” which means that they are too dilapidated for repair.
iv. There’s a food shop here, the Smoked Turkey Grill, a three run-down convenience stores.
c. Boylan Avenue
i. The Wake County survey tells me that the property value quadruples.
ii. This is where the Mayor lives.
iii. These houses are profitable fixer-uppers.
iv. People on the street walk briskly to their cars or jog with their dogs. Everyone we see on the street is White.

V. As we cross the Boylan Street bridge, we look on an astounding view of the city. The contrast here is of the past and the future.
a. Into the past, we look across the sea of railroad tracks, the history of industry and intersection in this town.
i. The tracks come and go three different directions – North, South, West.
ii. We see the warehouses that form the edge of town, Dillon Supply.
b. And we see the future. The skyline already shows new condominiums and cranes for towers under construction. Plans on the books and in the papers show many more new structures to come.
c. We come to one of our favorite restaurants – Moonlight Pizza. Super-fresh ingredients, a braided crust, and Blue Moon on tap.

VI. Finally, we turn onto Dawson Street and Glenwood Avenue.
a. This is where much of the new redevelopment began, with Clearscape’s renovation of the Creamery Building in 1999 and Cline Davis’s construction of the seven-story 510 Glenwood later that year.
b. Within just a few years, developers have turned this street from a historical novelty to the busiest strip in town on a Saturday night.
c. Food includes two fine coffee shops, burger joints, more pizza, family restaurants, bars, a high-end steakhouse, Chinese, Japanese, Cincinnati chili, two wine bars, and one Turkish ice cream shop.

VII. Whether your commute is as short as mine, or if you spend most of your route above the speed limit, I hope you’ll consider the contrasts that you pass on your way.
a. Who are the people who live in these houses?
b. Who are the owners of these businesses and how did they get where they are?
c. Are the cars beside me different than mine or the same?
d. Why do I drive so far every day?
e. We live in exciting and deeply interesting city, even at the infinite points between A and B.