Durham, NC
It has been predicted that Durham, North Carolina will be the next artistic and cultural Mecca on the East coast.... and if you want to be a part of it you better hurry. Whatever you have read in the papers or seen on the news about Durham being a racially divided community is pure crap. Durham is a racially integrated community.
To many Chapel Hillians, Durham is the town that Duke is in, where whenever you go there you always get lost and still manage somehow to get to where you are going. Durham's downtown was once a lively place with crowded sidewalks and busy shops but somewhere something went wrong. Whether it was a changing economy or the giant road projects that cut neighborhoods off from the downtown and from each other, whatever Durham had in the twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties they lost in the sixties, and seventies and have spent the eighties and nineties trying to get it back.
When I began this page I thought I knew a lot about Durham. But the more I read, the more I realized I didn't know Durham at all. I realized what an important place Durham is and will most likely be again. Durham at one time was the home of the most successful African-American community in America. The combination of this and the money that tobacco brought in made the city one of the most cultural diverse and artistic areas in North Carolina, whether we are talking about the Bull City Blues or the artists, dancers, theaters, and festivals that are a part of life in Durham. Durham's past and the present combine to make it the most likely place in North Carolina to give birth to an artistic explosion that many people predict is on its way.
Yes, the downtown certainly needs more work to bring it back, but it is hard to imagine anywhere with more potential, with beautiful old buildings just waiting for tenants and empty sidewalks waiting for people to walk on them, past outdoor art exhibits and street musicians. If you are looking for a happening place to move to before it happens, (since you won't be able to afford to move there after it happens), I suggest looking into Durham. With loads of empty warehouse and loft space downtown (they make great nightclubs, restaurants, bars and studios) and lots of people from out of state filling up the suburbs, it won't be long before Durham is the next big thing. It may not happen but if it does you will want to be there. And if it doesn't maybe it's because you weren't. Already artists and musicians are fleeing the high costs of living in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Carrboro and coming to Durham as are talented people from all over the USA.
Start with my History of Durham and then go to my section on Things to do in Durham which include the Durham Bulls and the restaurants, theatres, galleries and cultural centers. As you probably know Durham is home to Duke University so I have a section on that with a slight emphasis on Duke Basketball. If you need a place to stay I have a page on Hotels in Durham and also a page on Durham Restaurants. I have also listed some annual events like festivals, street fairs and stuff like that. Take a look at my Durham Photo Album too.