By BRAD KELLERMAN, Contributing Columnist
I moved to Raleigh from Chicago in 2023, and in that time I have developed what I would describe as a nuanced and fully formed understanding of this place, its history, its challenges, and the correct positions one should hold about all of them.
This has not been a quick process. It took nearly six months.
I want to be clear that I am not one of those newcomers who arrives and immediately starts complaining about everything. I have been here long enough to understand which things are worth complaining about (the traffic on 440, the pace of transit investment, the way people here describe 50-degree weather as “cold”) and which things should simply be accepted (everything else).
My perspective, which I would describe as “fresh but thoroughly formed,” is particularly valuable in discussions of local politics, urban development, restaurant quality, and the general question of whether Raleigh is “a real city yet.” I have opinions on all of these. They are correct.
I recognize that some longtime residents may feel that three years is insufficient time to have authoritative opinions about a place. To those residents, I would gently suggest that three years is, in many ways, the ideal amount of time. Long enough to see patterns. Short enough to still be surprised by them. I have not become jaded. I have become informed.
My column will address a range of topics as they arise. I will not be limiting myself to any particular beat, as my interests are broad and my confidence is high.
I am, as I have described myself to several acquaintances, “someone who really gets Raleigh.” I plan to demonstrate this weekly.
Brad Kellerman is a contributing columnist for Ungrammared. He welcomes correspondence and has already begun drafting responses to it.