Chamber of Commerce

} } Living itup By Diane Silcox-Jarrett Linger just a little bit longer over your morning cup of coffee or slowly flip through that book that caught your eye. Try your hand at jewelry making or flex your muscles at the indoor rock-climbing wall. Downtown Fayetteville is a bustling business center, to be sure, but it’s also a neighborhood, full of places to linger and explore. With storefront windows full of enticing wares and the aromas of coffee and freshly- made lunches, dinners and baked goods filling Hay Street, there is no reason not to take it all in and let your senses have some fun. Live like a local, even if you can’t swing a cool downtown condominium or loft. Start the day off right with breakfast at Rude Awakening coffee house or jump straight into lunch at Blue Moon Café. Come back for the full dinner menu, plus one of Blue Moon’s craft beers or boutique wines on the patio. Now it’s time to work off all that yummy food with a visit to the largest indoor recreational rock-climbing facility in North Carolina. In business since 1995, The Climbing Place, located on Russell Street, has indoor rock climbing for those who have been climbing for years and those trying it for the first time. “We have always been very family-oriented,” says Michael Pinkston, who owns the business with his wife, Martha. Pinkston spent 21 years in the military as a climbing instructor. He says that indoor rock climbing is safe and fun. “If you have the courage to walk through the doors, we have the courage to help you up the wall.” With 18,000 square feet and 40,000 climbing holes, The Climbing Place will keep any type of climber busy. “I have one warning to those who have never done this,” Pinkston says, a smile lighting his face. “Climbing is very addictive; once you are hooked, it is hard to give up.” For those who prefer more sedentary pursuits, a stroll back down Hay Street leads you to City Center Gallery and Books. Step inside and back in time. Hank and Diane Parfitt are the proprietors of the used book store and art gallery. They have stocked their establishment with fine used books ranging Every Fourth Friday, Fayetteville takes to the streets. Get a taste of downtown art galleries, shops and bistros, plus a free exhibit at the Arts Council. Be sure to check out the new Arts Alive! where local artists demonstrate and sell their work on Maxwell Street. from mysteries to quaint children’s books. The walls display paintings from the late North Carolina artist Bob Rector plus works by local photographers. “We want to be a place where customers can find works of art reflecting Fayetteville’s charm and history,” Diane Parfitt says. Located in what once was Miss Vogue’s Dress Shop, the store still has an air of yesteryear – just take the 1950s-style chairs Parfitt salvaged. “We found these when we bought the building,” she explains. “I had to have them reupholstered but just could not get rid of them.” Nor does she like discarding any book. She gets great enjoyment from seeing someone walk out with a novel they can’t wait to read and hosts two book clubs a month. “Our store is where you can come, relax, turn the pages of a book and decide if you want it or not. What could be better?” she says and smiles. www.FayettevilleNCChamber.org | 19

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