For all those people in the market for a high-end condo overlooking downtown Raleigh and a Mini Cooper, you're in luck.

Bloomsbury Estates, the 56-unit development at the corner of Boylan Avenue and Hargett Street, is now offering a new Mini to buyers who sign a contract by the end of October and close by the end of the year.

"We just thought that was a cute idea," said John Bruckel, Bloomsbury's developer. "In this economic environment people are looking for value."

The promotion is a partnership between Bloomsbury and Flow Automotive Group of Winston-Salem, which will open the Triangle's first Mini franchise early next year on Capital Boulevard. Several Minis will be at Bloomsbury starting tomorrow, and the devleopment will be offering condo tours and test drives at an open house on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

None of Bloomsbury's units, which range from $329,900 to $1.12 million, have sold thus far. Bruckel said six are under contract.

Bloomsbury will cover the cost of the vehicle, but not taxes, tags or any upgrades, Bruckel said. The models being offered by Bloomsbury range from just under $20,000 to about $26,000.

Those buying one-bedroom Bloomsbury units are eligible for the Cooper Hardtop, the least expensive Mini. Buyers of two-bedroom units are eligible for a Cooper S, while buyers of three-bedroom units can get a Cooper S Convertible.  

Bruckel said Bloomsbury and Mini Cooper are a perfect match.  

"We have an English, high-quality no compromise type of building," he said. "It's fun and contemporary but rooted in tradition." 

Downtown Raleigh restaurant Jibarra has vegetarian items on the menu which include two creamy soups, some salads (if you leave the meat off), a fruit plate offered for the weekend brunch and three entrees such as the Tacos a la Vegetariana (served for lunch and dinner), Queso en Amarillito and Chile Relleno y Hojaldrado (served only at dinner.) They also have a small plate, Queso Fundido, which is served at lunch and dinner. Vegans beware, you'll have to request that cheeses and meats are left off the salads and realistically the only entree that could work without cheese is the Tacos a la Vegetariana. I'll most likely try it myself soon and will add an update with specifics. See Greg Cox's full review here.

Come this fall, Krispy Kreme will sell its sugary sweets to downtown workers and tourists from a new store on Fayetteville Street.

The company has confirmed plans to open a Neighborhood Shop in one of the four 900-square-foot "pavilion" buildings flanking the new City Plaza.

The store will be the second Neighborhood Shop opened by the doughnut company in the Triangle this year, following the opening of one in Knightdale's Shoppes at Midway Plantation that is coming up on Monday.

However, don't look for the Hot Now sign downtown. Neighborhood Shops offer a full range of Krispy Kreme products but do not make doughnuts on-site. Instead the other Raleigh store on Person Street will provide doughnuts for all three locations.

Kripsy Kreme says the new downtown Raleigh store will open at the end of October.

Now usually, we're not in the business of reporting rumors, but this one comes from a highly reliable source: there were tables spotted outside the fabled Mecca restaurant in downtown Raleigh Friday afternoon. We checked with other long-time devotees of the Mecca and they had not heard of this before, either.

The Mecca is a gathering place for the Raleigh courthouse crowd, and the state Supreme Court (which we thought deserved a separate mention, being supreme and all). Former Gov. Jim Hunt usually comes by once a week when he's in town, sometimes in the company of former Chief Justice Burley Mitchell.  And politicians have long met at the Mecca to do a little deal-making. They like the upstairs, which provides privacy, not that these are secret deals or anything, of course. Perhaps now, they'll take advantage of the opportunity to sit outside, what with the need for open government and all.

The restaurant is also a favorite of The N&O, by the way. (I'm a chicken salad plate man myself, though the lasagna and cheesburger are favorites of colleagues.) I'm not sure we'll be able to adjust, either. We like downstairs because we can see everybody coming and going. Still, we must stand up for open reporting and opinionizing.

For a spring evening downtown, dining al fresco doesn't seem like a bad idea. One thing: we realize it may be al fredo, and we may have it spelled wrong, which usually happens when we try to bring out a highfalutin' vocabulary. 

The news that Joe's is closing set me to thinking about other downtown lunch spots that have bitten the dust, so I put together the following list. (My time frame is since '81, when I began working for The N&O.) If my memory has played any tricks on me, please set things straight. Any notable "places" that I've overlooked?

Here's a blast from downtown Raleigh's past: let's make people pay to park on the street.

Fayetteville Street (this photo was taken in 1962) had parking meters from 1939 to 1972. The suburban shopping centers scared them away.

Now the Raleigh City Council is considering a proposal to bring 'em back.

Raleigh's Downtown Parking Task Force says parking meters would stimulate more turnover in curbside parking spots during the day. That would make more parking available for shoppers and other downtown visitors.

A lot of downtown workers hog this precious (but free) real estate through the day. If we make on-street parking more expensive than the parking decks, we'll force long-term parkers to move to the decks.

That's the idea, anyway. . . .

The two-day party known as Raleigh Wide Open 3 has begun, so we figured now is a perfect time to share a few of the taglines we wish the city had used in marketing the event. Feel free to submit your own.

Raleigh Wide Open 3: This Time It's Personal

Raleigh Wide Open 3: Our Convention Center Goes to Eleven

Raleigh Wide Open 3: This September the Meeting Begins

Raleigh Wide Open 3: They say convention centers never strike twice ... They were wrong.

Raleigh Wide Open 3: Not Quite Heaven. Not Quite Hell.