GET CLOSER to one of North Carolina's most vibrant, eclectic downtowns at the Fifth Annual Downtown Raleigh Home Tour on Saturday, May 16 from 11 am-5 pm. Attendees will enjoy the rare opportunity to tour 25 downtown residential options. So, whether you're looking for a single-family home, historic neighborhood or a condominium overlooking the city and beyond, rest assured-you're about to get a closer look at a space you'll want to call home.

The Tour, produced by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, will take you to contemporary condominiums, stylish apartments, as well as traditional and restored historic homes. But most importantly, the Tour is an opportunity to explore urban living. Along the Tour route, participants will have the opportunity to relax, eat, drink, and enjoy the many events being held concurrently with the Tour, particularly Artsplosure (www.Artsplosure.org), Triangle Restaurant Week (www.TriRestaurantWeek.com ), and The Plaza Condominiums Raleigh Fashion Week and Strut 09 (www.Strut09.com).

This self-guided tour features an array of homes, some for sale, some on display. Whether you're interested in purchasing a home downtown or just want to get a glimpse of the urban lifestyle that downtown Raleigh has to offer, be sure to buy your tickets now. Tickets are $10 in advance (online ticket purchase cutoff is Friday, May 15 at 6 pm) and $14 at the door (cash or check only at the door). All attendees will need to check in at the Home Tour Headquarters at the Wachovia Capitol Center Courtyard (150 Fayetteville Street). The Headquarters will be open on Saturday, May 16 from 11 am-5 pm, and attendees that purchase tickets in advance can pick up their tickets at WILL CALL beginning at 10:30 am at the headquarters.

Attendees are also encouraged to enter for a chance to win one of two prize packages (each valued at over $500) at each of the following stops: Tour Headquarters, Bloomsbury Estates, The Plaza Condominiums, 222 Glenwood, WEST, HUE and 712 Tucker-limited to one entry per person at each venue.

This year, participants can take advantage of the R-LINE, an eco-friendly approach to urban transportation. This FREE circulator bus service runs every 10 to 15 minutes with many stops in close proximity to Tour locations. The route and bus stops are made available on the Tour brochure.

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is pleased to announce that they will also launch their mobile directory, www.YouRHere.com/mobile, on Saturday, May 16 which will offer valuable information to Tour goers. Participants can easily access information for downtown dining, shopping, parking, R-LINE stops, and even residences on the Downtown Raleigh Home Tour from their cell phone or mobile device. The mobile directory offers a "map it" feature which provides directions and a "what's nearby" feature for every listing. To view the directory, simply point the web browser on your device to: www.YouRHere.com/mobile.

For more information call (919) 832-1231, or visit www.RaleighDowntownLiving.com.