The Shops at Eastgate

Not your typical shopping center. Located at the east end of Franklin Street, Eastgate has an interesting and different selection of stores mixed with the «usual suspects». On one side — Starbucks, Bruegger’s, Trader Joe’s, Best Buy Mobile, EVOS (healthy burger option). On the other, Hallmark (still alive), Steinmart, Performance Bicycle, Outdoor Provision Co., Wild Bird Centers and The Loop (awesome burgers, fries and shakes). Love this place!

Eastgate is pretty sweet. I mean, they have Trader Joe’s, a Starbucks, a Subway, ice cream, noodles, a card store (when you have to get a good card at the last minute), a thousand villages, a great family restaurant– The Loop… and more.
I enjoy Eastgate. it’s just kinda crowded. but that’s a good thing I suppose! The cut– through to Franklin street is nice.

It’s the little engine that could… TS@E is growing on me — more so since we moved to the area early last year. This lil’ bit of suburbia in the CHill area has most of the major amenities you’d want in a fake master planned community… without the plan.
Let’s see…
A couple of mass conglomerated coffee/​bagel chain shops? Check and check.
Close proximity to a unique quasi-«micro» chain food store? Affirmative.
Any boutique stores for various knick– knacks? Da.
Even a blue postal box that takes mail as late as 4pm M-​F? Uh huh.
Shoes? Bicycle shop? Barber? Nails? Outdoor equipment store? You bet.
There’s even a small Ace hardware store for small household needs. It’s really our «go to» one-​place-​to-​shop when we’re short on time and just don’t want to drive around the area. All that’s really missing is a Sharper Image, Brookstone or a movie theater and this place would be a throwback to some 1980’s ideal of what a happening strip mall should be like.
Kidding aside, it’s really a nice mix of independent, local/​regional and corporate shops. For us, having TJ’s, a pharmacy (Rite Aid), the Loop and Twisted Noodles nearby is a welcome addition to our daily dose of Whole Foods and other merchants in the nearby other shopping centers. The one detractor (for me) is the lack of any higher end food establishments. Most of the food to be had here is more of the grilled, fried and maybe stir-​fry variety… we’d love to have a «Kitchen» @ MLK or «One» like Meadowmont in this strip mall, but alas… you can’t have everything can you?
Parking has never been a problem for us. However, just «driving» through the lot can be a hassle at peak times — i.e., after work and on weekends — as traffic tends to congest near the 15 – 501 entrance into the lot. B/​c of the various big corporate faces here, you can even get free wifi at several vendors — tho, I haven’t found any Town of Chapel Hill free wifi networks nearby.
Overall, close proximity to us and some nearby trails, makes this a great place to frequent (as we do)…however, don’t expect to wine and dine anyone here unless your idea of that includes salads, burgers, pizza, alright Thai food, mediocre Italian and roasted chicken… oh yeah, chain inspired «fro yo» for dessert. For fine dining, I’d go elsewhere. I’m (not so) secretly hoping the recent investor buyout[1] of the Rams Plaza shopping center across the street will inspire some good friendly competition and bring in more interesting shops for the future.
[1]