Village Subway
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| Location | Raleigh, North Carolina, USA |
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| Opening date | 1972 |
| Closing date | 1984 |
| Developer | J.W. York and R.A. Bryan |
| Management | York Properties |
| Owner | Regency Centers www.regencycenters.com |
| Website | www.shopcameronvillage.com |
The Village Subway, also commonly known as Raleigh Underground, was an underground entertainment district located underneath the Cameron Village shopping center in Raleigh, North Carolina. During the 1970s and 1980s, this underground network contained nightclubs, restaurants, commercial shops, and an arcade. Live music and entertainment consistently made appearances there. The underground music venues included The Frog and Nightgown, The Pier, The Bear's Den, Elliot's Nest and Cafe Deja Vu. The Village Subway, opened in 1972, was shut down in 1984 due to concerns about the fire code, drug use and customer safety.
In 1947, the 158 acres of land that make up Cameron Village were purchased by J. W. York and R. A. Bryan. Their company, York Properties, owned the land until 1964, when the property was sold to Brookmont Corporation in the Dutch Antilles. York Properties still managed the area after they sold it.
The 20,000 square feet space was originally constructed as a bomb shelter during the Cold War. It was planned to be used not only as a place for citizens to go during an attack, but also for the federal government to recuperate.
Many Cameron Village shoppers are unaware that the Village Subway even existed, but before its closing in 1984, it was full of life and entertainment, hosting many artists that are still popular today as well as many smaller acts.
The Village Subway was modeled after Underground Atlanta, a similar entertainment and shopping complex, which is still in use today. Both locations have a similar mix of restaurants, clubs, and boutiques.
The name "Village Subway" came from its New York City-like subway entrance with a long stairwell that led to paintings of trains. There was also rectangular paintings of shops that decorated the walls.
Author David Sedaris, who spent his high school years in Raleigh, said he remembers going to the Frog and Nightgown and thinking "This is what New York is like!"
Although The Village Subway had early popularity, there wasn't enough traffic during the day to keep up with the nightlife. Security became a problem, since drugs were beginning to be distributed in the parking lot and service areas surrounding the Village. These issues as well as concerns about the fire code led to the closing of The Village Subway in 1984.
As interest was recently rekindled in The Village Subway, many former artists that performed at one of the three nightclubs beneath Cameron Village shared their experiences. Dave Adams, a musician who used to play in many of the underground venues, describes how often artists became famous after their performances at The Village Subway more than thirty years ago. Adams played keyboard and sang for many bands during the 1970s. Among them are local bands Glass Moon and The Fabulous Knobs, who both had regional popularity at the time.
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