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1 [1]Skip to content[2]Skip to site index 2 [3] 3 4 [5]Comments 5 6 [6]36 Hours in Durham, N.C.[7]Skip to Comments 7 The comments section is closed. To submit a letter to the editor for 8 publication, write to [8][email protected]. 9 10 36 Hours 11 12 36 Hours in Durham, N.C. 13 14 By [9]Ingrid K. WilliamsUpdated Nov. 2, 2023 15 16 • 17 • 18 • 164 19 20 A birds-eye view over a quiet city street during the daytime. The treetops vary 21 from green to orange to red. 22 [13]36 Hours 23 Durham, N.C. 24 Jump to: 25 [14]Recommendations 26 [15]Itinerary 27 [16]Google Map 28 By Ingrid K. Williams Photographs by Kate Medley for The New York Times 29 Nov. 2, 2023 30 Ingrid K. Williams is a regular contributor to the Travel section and a former 31 Durham resident who has reported on North Carolina since 2010. 32 33 The evolution of Durham from a faded tobacco town to a diverse cultural and 34 culinary destination has been years in the making. But the ongoing development 35 of this central North Carolina city seems to have reached a new stage. The 36 resurgent downtown area — long a transitional neighborhood with pockets of 37 progress — is now brimming with new restaurants, boutiques, bars and breweries. 38 And while construction continues apace amid the historic [17]brick warehouses, 39 [18]tobacco factories and [19]textile mills — for [20]good and [21]ill — 40 visitors today have reason to venture farther afield, to emerging hotspots in 41 East Durham and the Old Five Points neighborhood. This season, only the 42 brilliant fall foliage can compete with all the terrific food, drink and local 43 color there is to discover across Dur’m, as residents affectionately call the 44 dynamic Bull City. 45 46 Recommendations 47 48 Key stops 49 50 • The [22]Nasher Museum of Art, on Duke University's Central Campus, presents 51 rotating exhibitions, including a current exhibition curated by ChatGPT. 52 • [23]Saltbox Seafood Joint serves fresh, seasonal seafood caught off the 53 North Carolina coast, along with honey-drizzled hush puppies. 54 • [24]Mystic Farm & Distillery is a 22-acre bourbon distillery that offers 55 weekend tours and free tastings of the label’s full range of spirits. 56 • [25]The Velvet Hippo is a lively new bar serving fruity slushies and 57 creative cocktails on a rooftop downtown. 58 59 Attractions and outdoor activities 60 61 • At the [26]Sarah P. Duke Gardens, five miles of pathways wind past 62 magnolias, blooming roses and a lake framed by vibrant foliage in the fall. 63 • [27]Bennett Place is a Civil War site, with a small on-site museum, where 64 Union and Confederate generals negotiated the war’s largest troop surrender 65 in the home of a local family. 66 • At [28]Eno River State Park and in [29]West Point on the Eno, a city park 67 five miles north of downtown, there are dozens of trails to choose from. 68 69 Restaurants and bars 70 71 • [30]Ponysaurus Brewing Co. is a downtown craft brewery with crackling fire 72 pits in a leafy garden strung with lights. 73 • [31]Ideal’s is a sandwich shop in East Durham with lines out the door at 74 lunchtime. 75 • [32]Mike D’s BBQ, also in East Durham, is a new barbecue joint serving 76 brisket and smoked beans. 77 • [33]Little Bull is a new restaurant in the Old Five Points neighborhood 78 that serves dumplings stuffed with goat birria in a bowl of rich consomé. 79 • [34]Motorco Music Hall is a concert venue that also hosts dance parties. 80 • [35]Corpse Reviver is a cocktail bar in a former coffin shop. 81 • [36]Monuts is a bustling Ninth Street bakery and cafe that began as a 82 tricycle vendor peddling doughnuts at the Durham Farmers’ Market. 83 • [37]Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and Sweets is a former meat market and sweets 84 shop that evolved into a casual East Asian-inspired eatery. 85 86 Shopping 87 88 • [38]Durham Vintage Collective is a new and inviting second-hand shop 89 downtown. 90 • [39]Chet Miller is a well-stocked gift shop with Durham-themed throw 91 pillows, small-press travel guides, cookbooks from local chefs and jigsaw 92 puzzles. 93 • [40]EUtopia Design opened downtown last year and sells Polish glassware and 94 handcrafted ceramics. 95 • [41]Ella West Gallery is a sunny space that opened in August showcasing 96 contemporary art. 97 • [42]Carolina Soul Records and [43]Bull City Records are two spots to browse 98 vinyl on Main Street. 99 100 Where to stay 101 102 • For a small city, Durham has an impressive selection of cool hotels. Most 103 notable is [44]the Durham, a 53-room boutique property in a landmark 104 building with midcentury modern architecture, mod décor and a scenic 105 rooftop bar. Double rooms from around $240. 106 • [45]Unscripted Durham opened in the former Jack Tar Motel, another 1960s 107 property that is now home to 74 modern guest rooms and a rooftop pool. 108 Doubles from $189. 109 • [46]21c Museum Hotel is a more contemporary option downtown with 125 rooms, 110 an art-filled restaurant and an on-site art gallery. Doubles from $189. 111 • Look for a short-term rental in Trinity Park, a leafy residential district 112 between downtown and Duke University’s East Campus, a short walk from many 113 restaurants, bars, breweries and music venues. 114 115 Getting around 116 117 • Downtown Durham is walkable but you’ll need a car to reach locations 118 farther afield. If you don’t have your own, there are ride-share options, 119 including Uber and Lyft. [47]Buses also run throughout the city (and are 120 free through June 2024). 121 122 Itinerary 123 124 Friday 125 126 A square, beige-brick building with a colorful banner that reads: 127 Nasher Museum of Art 128 3:30 p.m. Visit a campus museum 129 Anyone concerned that artificial intelligence will eventually do their job may 130 be put at ease by the new exhibition at Duke University’s [48]Nasher Museum of 131 Art, “Act as if You Are a Curator,” which was organized not by museum staff but 132 by ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot (through Jan. 14; free admission). The 133 eclectic A.I.-generated exhibition spans Mesoamerican stone figures and 134 Salvador Dalí works selected from the museum’s nearly 14,000-piece collection, 135 though many were mislabeled by the chatbot (as noted by a flesh-and-blood 136 curator). More cohesive is the moving — and human-curated — exhibition of 137 photographs and collage installations from the artist Lyle Ashton Harris 138 (through Jan. 7). While on campus, stroll through the nearby [49]Sarah P. Duke 139 Gardens, where five miles of serene pathways wind past magnolias, blooming 140 roses and a lake reflecting autumnal colors. 141 A square, beige-brick building with a colorful banner that reads: 142 Nasher Museum of Art 143 Two people sit at a wooden table with plastic orange seats. They are looking at 144 two chalkboard menus advertising seafood options above an open kitchen. An 145 orange life preserver hangs on the wall between the two chalkboard menus. 146 Saltbox Seafood Joint 147 6 p.m. Feast on Carolina seafood 148 Fresh, seasonal seafood caught off the North Carolina coast is the simple, 149 winning formula at [50]Saltbox Seafood Joint, a restaurant owned by the chef 150 Ricky Moore, who earned the 2022 James Beard Award for the best chef in the 151 Southeast. What began as a tiny takeaway shack in the Old Five Points 152 neighborhood is now a spacious, but still frill-free, sit-down locale on 153 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard. Luckily, the menu hasn’t changed much: You can 154 still get heaping plates of fried oysters, blue crab, mullet and clams with 155 generous portions of fried potatoes and collard greens. My go-to is the fried 156 catfish sandwich topped with citrusy red-cabbage slaw ($14) and a side of 157 Hush-Honeys, the chef’s trademarked take on cornmeal fritters drizzled with 158 honey ($4). 159 Two people sit at a wooden table with plastic orange seats. They are looking at 160 two chalkboard menus advertising seafood options above an open kitchen. An 161 orange life preserver hangs on the wall between the two chalkboard menus. 162 Saltbox Seafood Joint 163 8:30 p.m. Try a local beer by the firepit 164 The competition is growing among the many craft breweries downtown, where 165 out-of-town brewers — like Asheville’s [51]Dssolvr and [52]Hi-Wire Brewing — 166 have opened Durham taprooms in an area that’s already home to longtime local 167 favorites like [53]Fullsteam Brewery and the [54]Durty Bull Brewing Company. 168 But on a crisp fall evening, the most atmospheric place for a locally brewed 169 pint is easily [55]Ponysaurus Brewing Co., an independent craft brewery with 170 crackling fire pits in a leafy garden strung with lights. Try the 171 tangerine-tinged Golden Rule Saison ($6) and a scoop of the house snack mixes, 172 like the pretzel-and-peanutty Bartender’s Blend ($1). 173 A view of a white water tower rising against a blue sky. A logo on the tower 174 reads: 175 Durham’s downtown brims with new restaurants, boutiques and breweries amid 176 historic brick warehouses, tobacco factories and textile mills. 177 178 Saturday 179 180 The interior of an old-fashioned room with wooden floors, wooden walls and a 181 wooden ceiling. It is sparsely furnished, with two wooden chairs and a wooden 182 chest. Sunlight comes into the room from a window. 183 Bennett Place 184 9:30 a.m. Take a history lesson 185 Swing by [56]Monuts, a Ninth Street bakery and cafe, to pick up a 186 cinnamon-and-molasses-glazed pumpkin-spice doughnut ($2.50) and Hot Apple 187 Chai-der, a steaming blend of apple cider and chai tea ($5.50), before heading 188 out west for a dive into North Carolina history. Beyond Civil War scholars, few 189 are likely to recall what transpired at [57]Bennett Place, a historic farmstead 190 about six miles northwest of downtown. One of the few Civil War sites not 191 associated with battle, this out-of-the-way landmark is where the Union general 192 William T. Sherman and the Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston negotiated 193 the largest troop surrender of the war — nearly 90,000 soldiers from the 194 Carolinas, Georgia and Florida — inside the home of a local family in 1865. 195 Begin a visit in the small museum, where a short video explains the site’s 196 significance, then head across the lawn to tour the reconstructed farmhouse and 197 surrounding outbuildings where the generals hashed out the terms (free 198 admission). 199 The interior of an old-fashioned room with wooden floors, wooden walls and a 200 wooden ceiling. It is sparsely furnished, with two wooden chairs and a wooden 201 chest. Sunlight comes into the room from a window. 202 Bennett Place 203 12 p.m. Seek sandwiches in the east 204 A former food desert, East Durham has emerged as a lunchtime destination for 205 hungry diners from across the city. You’ll know you’ve found [58]Ideal’s, a 206 sandwich shop that opened in 2021, by the line snaking down the sidewalk (don’t 207 worry, it moves quickly). Here, freshly baked rolls — sesame-crusted hoagies 208 and rosemary focaccia — are the foundation for superb deli sandwiches. Best is 209 the Philly-style roast pork with provolone and garlicky broccoli rabe ($8.50 210 for a half-hoagie) and the thick-cut garlic-and-onion potato chips ($1.75). 211 Another notable newcomer is [59]Mike D’s BBQ, a barbecue joint that opened 212 nearby in July. Go there for a brisket sandwich doused with the signature 213 smoky-sweet sauce ($10), a side of smoked beans ($5) and sweet tea ($4). 214 Rows of barrels that have the word 215 Mystic Farm & Distillery 216 2 p.m. Sip North Carolina bourbon 217 Whatever your preferred spirit, there’s likely someone in Durham distilling it. 218 Small-production craft booze — from [60]mead and [61]cider to [62]gin and [63] 219 rye — have exploded in popularity recently, and one producer worth seeking out 220 is [64]Mystic Farm & Distillery, about six miles east of downtown. Drop in at 221 this bucolic 22-acre bourbon distillery for a free tasting of the full range of 222 spirits, including the award-winning Broken Oak bourbon and a smooth 223 cacao-finished version made with cacao nibs from Raleigh’s [65]Videri Chocolate 224 Factory. Small group tours are also offered on weekends ($20; reserve in 225 advance). 226 Rows of barrels that have the word 227 Mystic Farm & Distillery 228 4 p.m. Flip through records and second-hand finds 229 Supporting local businesses is a point of pride in this fiercely loyal city, as 230 evidenced by the growing number of small independent shops downtown. Start on 231 West Parrish Street at the [66]Durham Vintage Collective, an inviting 232 second-hand boutique that opened in July, where you might find plaid 233 miniskirts, leather jackets or a framed Jean-Michel Basquiat lithograph. Across 234 the street, explore [67]Chet Miller, a well-stocked gift shop with 235 Durham-themed throw pillows, small-press travel guides, cookbooks from local 236 chefs and game-night jigsaw puzzles. Right next door, [68]EUtopia Design opened 237 last year selling exquisite Polish glassware and handcrafted ceramics. Scope 238 out the latest color-splashed exhibition at [69]Ella West Gallery, a sunny 239 space that opened in August showcasing contemporary art from Black, female and 240 other diverse and underrepresented artists. Then continue to East Main Street 241 to browse vinyl albums of jazz, soul, rock and bluegrass at [70]Carolina Soul 242 Records and at the new location of [71]Bull City Records across the street. 243 A glass dish with sliced fish that is garnished with flowers. 244 Little Bull 245 7 p.m. Dine on fresh Mexican-American flavors 246 Downtown Durham is packed with great restaurants, but head a bit north to the 247 Old Five Points neighborhood where the city’s latest hotspot, [72]Little Bull, 248 opened on a quiet block in June. The chef Oscar Diaz, already well-known in 249 Raleigh for his Mexican-American cuisine, again tapped his heritage when 250 creating the playful menu. Highlights of a recent meal included crudo with 251 North Carolina tuna, aguachile, wasabi and flying-fish roe ($18), plantain 252 empanadas ($16) and soft dumplings stuffed with goat birria in a bowl of rich 253 consomé ($16). Stick to the small plates as portions are generous, and save 254 room for dessert: The churro balls with chocolate sauce ($9) are divine. 255 A glass dish with sliced fish that is garnished with flowers. 256 Little Bull 257 A person with a tattooed arm holds a drink in a martini glass. A skewer with 258 three stuffed green olives rests on top of the glass. 259 Corpse Reviver 260 9 p.m. Sip martinis in a former coffin shop 261 At the end of 2022, the city designated most of downtown a social district 262 called [73]the Bullpen, where folks are permitted to walk around with alcoholic 263 beverages purchased in the area. So if the bar is packed at [74]the Velvet 264 Hippo, a lively rooftop lounge that opened in August serving fruity slushies 265 and creative cocktails, you can take that frozen Hawaiian Rum Punch ($13) to go 266 and stroll over to [75]Motorco Music Hall, a concert venue that also hosts 267 dance parties, like a recent Taylor Fest for local Swifties. Or continue to 268 [76]Corpse Reviver, a cocktail bar associated with the [77]Durham Distillery, 269 which opened in 2020 in a former coffin shop and serves dirty martinis 270 garnished with bacon-and-blue-cheese-stuffed olives ($15). 271 A person with a tattooed arm holds a drink in a martini glass. A skewer with 272 three stuffed green olives rests on top of the glass. 273 Corpse Reviver 274 [02-36HOURS-DURHAM-west-point-cvkl-mobileMasterAt3x-v2] 275 The West Point Mill along the Eno River. Follow the yellow trail markers from 276 the mill to reach Sennett’s Hole, a popular summertime swimming spot. 277 278 Sunday 279 280 [02-36HOURS-DURHAM-eno-ghvw-mobileMasterAt3x] 281 Eno River State Park 282 9 a.m. Hike along the river 283 Catch the season at its most colorful along the Eno River, where there are 284 dozens of trails to choose from in the [78]Eno River State Park and in [79]West 285 Point on the Eno, a city park five miles north of downtown that is anchored by 286 the historic West Point Mill. One scenic route begins at the mill, then climbs 287 through the forest along the river (follow the yellow trail markers). After 288 about 20 minutes, hop across the rocks crossing a shallow tributary to reach 289 Sennett’s Hole, a natural pool — and popular summertime swimming spot — with 290 small waterfalls and turtles warming themselves on the rocks on sunny days. 291 [02-36HOURS-DURHAM-eno-ghvw-mobileMasterAt3x] 292 Eno River State Park 293 11 a.m. Slurp some noodles 294 Refuel after a hike with brunch at [80]Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and Sweets, a 295 former meat market and sweets shop near Brightleaf Square that evolved into a 296 casual East Asian-inspired eatery serving fragrant bowls of beef pho ($17) and 297 Thai rice soup ($14). The selection of cakes, cookies and pastries is 298 impressive, but best are the ice-cream sandwiches that easily serve two — my 299 favorite is the white miso flavor between chewy gingersnaps ($7). 300 Read Comments 301 Correction: 302 Nov. 2, 2023 303 304 An earlier version of this article misstated the days that Monuts, a bakery and 305 cafe, is open on the weekend. It is open on Saturdays, not Sundays. 306 307 Read 164 Comments 308 309 • 310 • 311 • 164 312 313 Advertisement 314 315 [86]SKIP ADVERTISEMENT 316 317 Site Index 318 319 Site Information Navigation 320 321 • [87]© 2024 The New York Times Company 322 323 • [88]NYTCo 324 • [89]Contact Us 325 • [90]Accessibility 326 • [91]Work with us 327 • [92]Advertise 328 • [93]T Brand Studio 329 • [94]Your Ad Choices 330 • [95]Privacy Policy 331 • [96]Terms of Service 332 • [97]Terms of Sale 333 • [98]Site Map 334 • [99]Canada 335 • [100]International 336 • [101]Help 337 • [102]Subscriptions 338 339 • [103]Manage Privacy Preferences 340 341 342 References: 343 344 [1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/02/travel/things-to-do-durham-nc.html#site-content 345 [2] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/02/travel/things-to-do-durham-nc.html#site-index 346 [3] https://www.nytimes.com/ 347 [5] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/02/travel/things-to-do-durham-nc.html#commentsContainer 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