Featured Town & Lifestyle: Durham

By Barbara Hobbs

“The Old Bull River," a quarter-mile-long river walk, is a famous feature of the American Tobacco Campus whose factory buildings, formerly manufacturing Lucky Strikes, now house restaurants, an amphitheatre, and offices.

From a city with a population of 250 in 1870 to a bustling metropolis of nearly a quarter of a million, Durham has come a long way from a village with its burgeoning tobacco and textile factories clustered around a train station. With its high tech industries, its top rated universities, and its major medical and health care companies, the “Bull City” no longer depends on the tobacco industry for its fame and fortune.

NEW DECADE—NEW DOWNTOWN

That doesn’t mean they haven’t taken advantage of it. Visit downtown Durham and see what a difference this last decade has made. Through the efforts of a lot of dedicated people and much determination to revitalize and restore the remnants of the tobacco industry, visitors can now stroll for blocks and enjoy unique shopping, restaurants and entertainment. New businesses have located here in renovated warehouses and factories. Home owners fill condos in settings reminiscent of historic sections of Boston or New York City.

The revitalization of downtown Durham has grown in leaps and bounds. From less than 3,000 employees the workforce there has grown to over 14,000. Over 1,000 residential units have been added, and nearly 2,000,000 square feet of office space. This urban center of creative class now includes not only government offices but financial, computer, public relations, marketing and venture capital entities.

NEW PROJECTS IN OLD BUILDINGS

The American Tobacco Historic District, a premier renovation project, has preserved the integrity of factory buildings, while adding spectacular modern features such as the man-made Old Bull River, which cascades through the middle of its campus. Indoor and outdoor entertainment venues are the sites of many gatherings like the annual Great American Tobacco Duck Race where yellow rubber ducks race down the river to the encouraging shouts from their owners, benefitting the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and accompanied by music, snacks, contests for the kids, and door prizes for attendees.

Seven former tobacco warehouse and factory buildings were converted in 2005 into West Village, a development of loft apartments, office/lab space, and retail space. Brightleaf Square (so named for a variety of tobacco) features a unique mix of restaurants and shops in two historic tobacco warehouses separated by a light-strewn brick-paved courtyard, popular with visitors as well as downtown residents and workers. Top notch restaurants and unique shops fill the renovated and restored buildings, and downtown entertainment and activities draw large numbers of people. This has not gone unnoticed by the long time occupants of downtown buildings. “We love the change!” said Richard Morgan, who has lived in Durham for over 40 years. “We’ve seen a tremendous increase in foot traffic in the downtown area in the last five years. The new restaurants and shops are doing well and it’s an exciting place to be.”

ENTERTAINMENT IS BIGGER AND BETTER

The spectacular Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), a contemporary architectural landmark of soaring glass that opened in 2008, stands in contrast to the historic buildings. It draws major national and local entertainment performances such as the American Dance Festival (ADF) held in June and July.

There’s something for everyone in the downtown area. What could be more fun than tasting beers in the middle of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP), which became one of the most famous minor league ballparks in history, thanks to the 1988 filming of the movie Bull Durham. The World Beer Festival held in October is the just the thing for those who love the brews. One of the top ten beer festivals in the country, the event features world class breweries, live music, professional beer presentations and tastings by local restaurants, and family entertainment. One can even enjoy a good cigar in the cigar garden, a reminiscent salute to the tobacco industry.

Love the blues? The Bull Durham Blues Festival is for you. Sponsored by the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. and nationally recognized as one of the premier Blues festivals in the country. Blues styles featured include the Piedmont Blues, a style popular in the Southeast where the thumb picks the bass and the forefinger the melody while the three other fingers rest on the guitar body.

Thirty-five artist studios wrap around a central gallery space in Building 3 of Golden Belt's campus, blending jewelry makers, mixed media artists, photographers, painters and more in a collaborative, sky-lit space that spills into a central gallery. Photo courtesy of Scientific Properties and Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau

Is art your thing? Don’t miss the Golden Belt, formerly a textile factory that processed cotton into thread and produced pouches for Bull Durham tobacco. Today it’s filled with artist studios, live/work loft apartments, offices, and restaurants, and features unconventional art exhibitions, live music, theater and dance performances, and great local cuisine.

WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE TO DURHAM?

Six million visitors come to Durham annually, and many put down roots, attracted by the low cost and laid-back lifestyle, while just hours away from the mountains, the beach, and the eastern seaboard. Triangle residents aren’t the only ones touting the area. NBC’s Today show described Durham as the 4th most affordable city. Forbes Magazine listed Durham as the 23rd Best Place for Business and Careers. Hanley Wood Market Intelligence depicted Durham as the 6th healthiest market among the top 100 USA Housing Markets.

DR Horton consciously promotes the historic culture of this former farming and industrial city. The clubhouse at Swann’s Mill, a community of townhomes, is reminiscent of an old mill, a huge water wheel on its side.

Cara Kane, KB Home regional director of public relations agrees. “KB Home has seen a tremendous response in the three new home communities we have located in Durham, including Belcrest, Foxwood Manor and Ellerbee Creek Preserve. The combination of the culture, energy, education and history makes Durham a wonderful place for residents to call home. Durham has been able to maintain its small-town charm, while still offering all of the modern conveniences that residents have come to enjoy.”

Other communities like those built by DR Horton consciously promote the historic culture of this former farming and industrial city. The clubhouse at Swann’s Mill, a community of townhomes, is reminiscent of an old mill, a huge water wheel on its side. Carillon Woods touts “big city convenience nestled in a quiet country setting”.

Chris Jensen with Bill Clark Homes feels Durham has a lot to offer to new residents. “I came from Boston,” said Jensen, “and I loved the cosmopolitan feeling of Durham, its character, the cultivation of its uniqueness. Although most of my buyers select homes in the Wood Chapel community because of its closeness to the Research Triangle Park, they appreciate the feeling of neighborhood that we nurture, and they love the great restaurants and entertainment available in Durham.”

For a day of interesting shopping, an evening of entertainment, a great restaurant to visit, or historical district to wander through, make downtown Durham your
destination. Check for ongoing activities
with the Durham Chamber of Commerce or Downtown Durham, Inc. There’s something for everyone and a surprise around every corner.

Barbara Hobbs is a freelance writer