What is it?

Amazing Athletes is a sports-based fitness program specifically designed for all children (18 months to 6 years old). The primary age group is 2 ½ to 6 years old.  The program is very fun, dynamic and unique!

What will your child learn?

Amazing Athletes coach the basic fundamentals of nine major ball sports (football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, tennis and golf). They also teach key developmental skills such as hand-eye coordination, gross and fine motor skills, cardio, muscle tone and speed and agility. They have a specific curriculum that they work off of, so it’s not simply throwing a ball around for 35 minutes – there are specific goals they’re trying to reach with the kids. Amazing Athletes is very aware of the developmental skills children need to be learning at this age, and will work those milestones into the curriculum.

Why should you sign your child up?

This class helps build confidence, improves coordination, promotes teamwork and sportsmanship and helps enforce a healthy and active lifestyle. With the rapid growth of childhood obesity, this is a great way for parents to get their children active at an early age. There are numerous studies showing the direct correlation between children who are active at a young age and their overall health when they are adults. In addition, there is no other class offered in the RTP area that allows your child to learn nine sports all in one class!

How long are the classes?

The classes are 35-40 minutes each and are held once a week. The program is year-round. We have some children start the class when they’re 18 months old and stay in until they’re 6. There are four classes each month.

One of Midtown’s favorite corners to enjoy weekend brunch is Hot Point Café, conveniently located at the rear of the Alexan Apartments building with plenty of parking and a large outdoor terrace.  On Saturday and Sunday, Hot Point serves up all your breakfast favorites anytime from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm in a relaxing family-friendly setting.

Whether Hot Point Café is your longtime favorite or your new spring fling, you will find there’s always a new dish or two on the blackboard along with a full menu of homemade selections sure to please everyone.

Come celebrate the taste of spring and the longer days with Hot Point.  You’ll be glad you did!

No figment of the imagination, the Bunny Buffet makes putting together the perfect Easter basket a breeze.  Just choose one of the colorful buckets or baskets, fill with $25 worth of toys, then Learning Express will do the rest, personalizing the name and design, and wrapping it all up in cellophane, at no extra charge.

Come see for yourself toys with so much more, that invite children to explore, there’s more to the store these days, more products, more choices the older they grow, more ways to expand what they know.  Oh, the places you’ll go when you hop on over to Learning Express!

Flights at Renaissance Raleigh Hotel has been making its mark on the local food scene, with its distinctive sense of place and locally sourced ingredients, often found just outside the hotel doors at the Midtown Farmers Market (when in season).

Just in time for the romance of the season, warm days, bright sun, and the promise of spring, Flights has launched this gorgeous new website.  Travel the pages, and make Flights your next destination.  No ticket required.

Winter can be tough, and this one has been a real challenge for Midtown with gray days, snow, and cold that won’t end – certainly not our usual Carolina blue skies that warm the coldest of days.   Riding the elevator to Park & Market’s in-building Harris Teeter grocery store, I’ve heard many people commenting that they moved here to get away from all this.

Yesterday at lunch time the sun was blazing and I needed vitamins, so I decided to visit GNC here at North Hills.  If you haven’t been yet, run don’t walk because you are sure to love your experience.

As I walked up to the store, a woman came out to clean the glass on the door, doing this with such care and attention she didn’t see me waiting, and I was more than happy to watch someone pouring that much love into a simple task until she did.

When I went into the store, I was greeted warmly by owner Laura Dalton, wearing a white coat and an engaging smile.  Her obvious knowledge and easy manner made me feel right at home.

And no wonder, turns out this GNC is a family affair, Laura, husband Carter, and Mom – the amazing glass cleaner – all clearly loving what they do, and doing it together.  I felt lifted up, still do, and can’t wait to go back!

At Hayley’s, the newest boutique at North Hills, loving the look is the whole experience for you and helping you find that look is Hayley’s first love.

Unforgettable outfits are those that have been dressed up with all the right touches and that put you so at ease you simply put them on and forget them as you move with confidence through your days… and nights.

Stop by Hayley’s Boutique next time you’re here and you will find something for every occasion, from fun and affordable to dazzling and sophisticated, all selected personally by owner Hayley Cushman so you can “dress like you  mean it.”

Hungry for Italian?

Cinelli’s, Piola, Vivace

Maybe Delicatessen?

Bruegger’s Café & Espresso Bar, McAlister’s Deli, Panera Bread

Mediterranean Cruise?

Coquette Brasserie, Hot Point Café, Zoes Kitchen

Asian Spice Might be Nice?

Mura, Spring Rolls

Feeling Casual Today?

Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, Fox and Hound Pub & Grill, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Pharaoh’s, The Q Shack

Something to Celebrate with a Steak?

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Midtown Grille

• Dazzle your days with jewelry creations from Elaine Miller Collection and eyewear fashion from The Spectacle

• Heat up your home with red hot savings from BeyondBlue Interiors and a splash of color from ArtSource Fine Art & Framing

• Keep your toes toasty with boots from Comfortable Soles and Monkee’s

• Wrap yourself up in warmth with Blackglama mink at Serotta’s or your favorite fleece hoodies from REI

Reward your shopping success with a relaxing session at Massage Envy, some lucky strikes at Sparians, or a sumptuous feast at Spring Rolls.  Who knew winter could be so much fun?

I was reminded today of a rainy night last August when a neighbor asked, Why would anyone want a house, when you could have all this?  “All this” is surely what puts the style in life at Park & Market North Hills.

Style can be defined as a distinctive or characteristic way of living, one that is elegant, fashionable, and luxurious, or simply uniquely our own.

These stylish apartment homes come with their own 100-acre walkable urban neighborhood offering every convenience, amenity and indulgence to your doorstep.

Speaking of bringing things right to our doorstep, this year my Christmas tree came from the farm that provided trees for Santa’s Workshop here at North Hills, and was taken away with a smile by our amazing Park & Market maintenance team, a service that was offered free of charge for any resident, with the ability to specify day and time for removal.  Wow, talk about exceeding my expectations!

Our community Christmas Party, planned for the clubroom, became the event of the season when neighbor Sparians offered to host all of us and our guests for a festive pre-opening sneak peek with full red carpet treatment.   For a place to meet, greet, eat, or compete, Sparians can’t be beat!

Neighbor Piola has been making a difference in the broader community by partnering with StepUP Ministry to make every pizza and entrée ordered during December an opportunity for their donations and ours.  Nice!

As 2011 unfolds, be watching for our exciting new Video Blog where you can join us on first person lifestyle tours such as Out and About, Art Walk, Coffee Corners, Dining In and Dining Out, and Let the Good Times Roll.  Here’s to a stylish New Year!

Did you know SIX NEW SHOPS have opened at North Hills in the last three weeks?!  If it weren’t so much fun, I’d be exhausted from going around meeting all the new owners, seeing what’s in their shops, and sharing their excitement.

In a recent post, I shared the news item with you on all the openings that had been tweeted as Surf North Hills, and promised to follow up on latest from our neighborhood.  Let’s dive right in then and introduce you to Whalebone Urban Surf, next-generation venture from the legendary Whalebone Surf Shop at Nags Head.  Jim and April Vaughn, known and loved for over thirty years in business, couldn’t be more excited that daughter Stevi is following in their footsteps here in Midtown.

A visit with Stevi Vaughn in her incredible new store (located off Lassiter Mill, next to Gena Chandler) will take you from Whalebone Junction to Buenos Aires to pizza at Piola, and maybe have you leaving with a stand up paddle board tucked under your arm, perfect for area lakes and requires no surfing experience.

Taking a cruise or an adventure trip over the holidays?  Now you have a local source for boards and incidentals, coolest sunglasses and gear, luggage, and more.

Not ready to take the plunge?  Try a personal balance board to build skills and gain confidence.

For everyone who hasn’t finished Christmas shopping, don’t miss Whalebone Urban Surf’s extensive choice in clothing you won’t find anywhere else in the Triangle, basic surf and everyday casual from fabulous brands like Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley, and Volcom.

Who knew a landlubber like me would find urban surfing such a breeze!

Midtown Olive Press is featured today in Greg Cox’s Epicurean column.

Owner Bethany Perkins fell in love on a ski trip in Park City, Utah.  Not with husband Ed, who was with her at the time, but with a relative’s cooking that featured oils and vinegars so spectacular in flavor she sought out the source before leaving town, began planning her own shop, and the rest is history.

Long passionate about healthy food that tastes good, with a her own herb and vegetable gardens, Bethany knows her way around the multitude of oils and vinegars, all with specific uses and flavors that you can sample while visiting.

Stop by soon, and let Bethany tell you the rest of the story!