Inside Raleigh's North Person Street Neighborhood

WillCo Bar, as the locals call it, is an inviting, treat-yourself kind of watering hole. Owner Liliana Contreras Ballance took the ambiance de moda in her native Mexico City—hipster chic with a touch of sugar skull—and combined it with a local artistic flair to transform an old trophy shop into a cozy neighborhood haunt. The sidewalk has morphed into a patio space for parked strollers, bicycles and Ballance’s El Taco Cartel food cart, which offers bar snacks if it’s not roving the rest of the city (a couple times a week, you can find a stash of Oaxacan-style tamales for sale behind the bar, too). Against exposed brick and a giant neon “nightbird” art piece by WillCo bartender Carrie Gephart, the scene screams with ingenuity. Fresh juices and tinctures round out an adventurous cocktail list ranging from margaritas to gimlets. Try the Lemongrass Champ, a clean spritzer sharpened with its namesake herb and black peppercorn, or the Oriza martini, made with chile-infused mezcal. facebook.com/WillcoBar

This menswear brand started by four young North Carolina natives features gender fluid locally-designed clothing, collaborating with Southern designers, artists, manufacturers and photographers. Owner Paul Conner explains that the store’s name alludes to enlightenment, and his classic goods—sturdy jeans and sharp button-up shirts—are rooted in conservation. “It’s a social responsibility to take care of the people around us,” he explains. Lumina’s own line of T-shirts are cut, sewn, dyed and printed in North Carolina by locally-owned companies who employ fair and diverse labor practices. luminaclothing.com