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[4]36 Hours in Durham, N.C.[5]Skip to Comments
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36 Hours
36 Hours in Durham, N.C.
By [7]Ingrid K. WilliamsUpdated Nov. 2, 2023
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164
A birds-eye view over a quiet city street during the daytime. The
treetops vary from green to orange to red.
[8]36 Hours
Durham, N.C.
Jump to:
[9]Recommendations
[10]Itinerary
[11]Google Map
By Ingrid K. Williams Photographs by Kate Medley for The New York Times
Nov. 2, 2023
Ingrid K. Williams is a regular contributor to the Travel section and a
former Durham resident who has reported on North Carolina since 2010.
The evolution of Durham from a faded tobacco town to a diverse cultural
and culinary destination has been years in the making. But the ongoing
development of this central North Carolina city seems to have reached a
new stage. The resurgent downtown area — long a transitional
neighborhood with pockets of progress — is now brimming with new
restaurants, boutiques, bars and breweries. And while construction
continues apace amid the historic [12]brick warehouses, [13]tobacco
factories and [14]textile mills — for [15]good and [16]ill — visitors
today have reason to venture farther afield, to emerging hotspots in
East Durham and the Old Five Points neighborhood. This season, only the
brilliant fall foliage can compete with all the terrific food, drink
and local color there is to discover across Dur’m, as residents
affectionately call the dynamic Bull City.
Recommendations
Key stops
* The [17]Nasher Museum of Art, on Duke University's Central Campus,
presents rotating exhibitions, including a current exhibition
curated by ChatGPT.
* [18]Saltbox Seafood Joint serves fresh, seasonal seafood caught off
the North Carolina coast, along with honey-drizzled hush puppies.
* [19]Mystic Farm & Distillery is a 22-acre bourbon distillery that
offers weekend tours and free tastings of the label’s full range of
spirits.
* [20]The Velvet Hippo is a lively new bar serving fruity slushies
and creative cocktails on a rooftop downtown.
Attractions and outdoor activities
* At the [21]Sarah P. Duke Gardens, five miles of pathways wind past
magnolias, blooming roses and a lake framed by vibrant foliage in
the fall.
* [22]Bennett Place is a Civil War site, with a small on-site museum,
where Union and Confederate generals negotiated the war’s largest
troop surrender in the home of a local family.
* At [23]Eno River State Park and in [24]West Point on the Eno, a
city park five miles north of downtown, there are dozens of trails
to choose from.
Restaurants and bars
* [25]Ponysaurus Brewing Co. is a downtown craft brewery with
crackling fire pits in a leafy garden strung with lights.
* [26]Ideal’s is a sandwich shop in East Durham with lines out the
door at lunchtime.
* [27]Mike D’s BBQ, also in East Durham, is a new barbecue joint
serving brisket and smoked beans.
* [28]Little Bull is a new restaurant in the Old Five Points
neighborhood that serves dumplings stuffed with goat birria in a
bowl of rich consomé.
* [29]Motorco Music Hall is a concert venue that also hosts dance
parties.
* [30]Corpse Reviver is a cocktail bar in a former coffin shop.
* [31]Monuts is a bustling Ninth Street bakery and cafe that began as
a tricycle vendor peddling doughnuts at the Durham Farmers’ Market.
* [32]Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and Sweets is a former meat market
and sweets shop that evolved into a casual East Asian-inspired
eatery.
Shopping
* [33]Durham Vintage Collective is a new and inviting second-hand
shop downtown.
* [34]Chet Miller is a well-stocked gift shop with Durham-themed
throw pillows, small-press travel guides, cookbooks from local
chefs and jigsaw puzzles.
* [35]EUtopia Design opened downtown last year and sells Polish
glassware and handcrafted ceramics.
* [36]Ella West Gallery is a sunny space that opened in August
showcasing contemporary art.
* [37]Carolina Soul Records and [38]Bull City Records are two spots
to browse vinyl on Main Street.
Where to stay
* For a small city, Durham has an impressive selection of cool
hotels. Most notable is [39]the Durham, a 53-room boutique property
in a landmark building with midcentury modern architecture, mod
décor and a scenic rooftop bar. Double rooms from around $240.
* [40]Unscripted Durham opened in the former Jack Tar Motel, another
1960s property that is now home to 74 modern guest rooms and a
rooftop pool. Doubles from $189.
* [41]21c Museum Hotel is a more contemporary option downtown with
125 rooms, an art-filled restaurant and an on-site art gallery.
Doubles from $189.
* Look for a short-term rental in Trinity Park, a leafy residential
district between downtown and Duke University’s East Campus, a
short walk from many restaurants, bars, breweries and music venues.
Getting around
* Downtown Durham is walkable but you’ll need a car to reach
locations farther afield. If you don’t have your own, there are
ride-share options, including Uber and Lyft. [42]Buses also run
throughout the city (and are free through June 2024).
Itinerary
Friday
A square, beige-brick building with a colorful banner that reads:
Nasher Museum of Art
3:30 p.m. Visit a campus museum
Anyone concerned that artificial intelligence will eventually do their
job may be put at ease by the new exhibition at Duke University’s
[43]Nasher Museum of Art, “Act as if You Are a Curator,” which was
organized not by museum staff but by ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot
(through Jan. 14; free admission). The eclectic A.I.-generated
exhibition spans Mesoamerican stone figures and Salvador Dalí works
selected from the museum’s nearly 14,000-piece collection, though many
were mislabeled by the chatbot (as noted by a flesh-and-blood curator).
More cohesive is the moving — and human-curated — exhibition of
photographs and collage installations from the artist Lyle Ashton
Harris (through Jan. 7). While on campus, stroll through the nearby
[44]Sarah P. Duke Gardens, where five miles of serene pathways wind
past magnolias, blooming roses and a lake reflecting autumnal colors.
A square, beige-brick building with a colorful banner that reads:
Nasher Museum of Art
Two people sit at a wooden table with plastic orange seats. They are
looking at two chalkboard menus advertising seafood options above an
open kitchen. An orange life preserver hangs on the wall between the
two chalkboard menus.
Saltbox Seafood Joint
6 p.m. Feast on Carolina seafood
Fresh, seasonal seafood caught off the North Carolina coast is the
simple, winning formula at [45]Saltbox Seafood Joint, a restaurant
owned by the chef Ricky Moore, who earned the 2022 James Beard Award
for the best chef in the Southeast. What began as a tiny takeaway shack
in the Old Five Points neighborhood is now a spacious, but still
frill-free, sit-down locale on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard. Luckily,
the menu hasn’t changed much: You can still get heaping plates of fried
oysters, blue crab, mullet and clams with generous portions of fried
potatoes and collard greens. My go-to is the fried catfish sandwich
topped with citrusy red-cabbage slaw ($14) and a side of Hush-Honeys,
the chef’s trademarked take on cornmeal fritters drizzled with honey
($4).
Two people sit at a wooden table with plastic orange seats. They are
looking at two chalkboard menus advertising seafood options above an
open kitchen. An orange life preserver hangs on the wall between the
two chalkboard menus.
Saltbox Seafood Joint
8:30 p.m. Try a local beer by the firepit
The competition is growing among the many craft breweries downtown,
where out-of-town brewers — like Asheville’s [46]Dssolvr and
[47]Hi-Wire Brewing — have opened Durham taprooms in an area that’s
already home to longtime local favorites like [48]Fullsteam Brewery and
the [49]Durty Bull Brewing Company. But on a crisp fall evening, the
most atmospheric place for a locally brewed pint is easily
[50]Ponysaurus Brewing Co., an independent craft brewery with crackling
fire pits in a leafy garden strung with lights. Try the
tangerine-tinged Golden Rule Saison ($6) and a scoop of the house snack
mixes, like the pretzel-and-peanutty Bartender’s Blend ($1).
A view of a white water tower rising against a blue sky. A logo on the
tower reads:
Durham’s downtown brims with new restaurants, boutiques and breweries
amid historic brick warehouses, tobacco factories and textile mills.
Saturday
The interior of an old-fashioned room with wooden floors, wooden walls
and a wooden ceiling. It is sparsely furnished, with two wooden chairs
and a wooden chest. Sunlight comes into the room from a window.
Bennett Place
9:30 a.m. Take a history lesson
Swing by [51]Monuts, a Ninth Street bakery and cafe, to pick up a
cinnamon-and-molasses-glazed pumpkin-spice doughnut ($2.50) and Hot
Apple Chai-der, a steaming blend of apple cider and chai tea ($5.50),
before heading out west for a dive into North Carolina history. Beyond
Civil War scholars, few are likely to recall what transpired at
[52]Bennett Place, a historic farmstead about six miles northwest of
downtown. One of the few Civil War sites not associated with battle,
this out-of-the-way landmark is where the Union general William T.
Sherman and the Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston negotiated the
largest troop surrender of the war — nearly 90,000 soldiers from the
Carolinas, Georgia and Florida — inside the home of a local family in
1865. Begin a visit in the small museum, where a short video explains
the site’s significance, then head across the lawn to tour the
reconstructed farmhouse and surrounding outbuildings where the generals
hashed out the terms (free admission).
The interior of an old-fashioned room with wooden floors, wooden walls
and a wooden ceiling. It is sparsely furnished, with two wooden chairs
and a wooden chest. Sunlight comes into the room from a window.
Bennett Place
12 p.m. Seek sandwiches in the east
A former food desert, East Durham has emerged as a lunchtime
destination for hungry diners from across the city. You’ll know you’ve
found [53]Ideal’s, a sandwich shop that opened in 2021, by the line
snaking down the sidewalk (don’t worry, it moves quickly). Here,
freshly baked rolls — sesame-crusted hoagies and rosemary focaccia —
are the foundation for superb deli sandwiches. Best is the Philly-style
roast pork with provolone and garlicky broccoli rabe ($8.50 for a
half-hoagie) and the thick-cut garlic-and-onion potato chips ($1.75).
Another notable newcomer is [54]Mike D’s BBQ, a barbecue joint that
opened nearby in July. Go there for a brisket sandwich doused with the
signature smoky-sweet sauce ($10), a side of smoked beans ($5) and
sweet tea ($4).
Rows of barrels that have the word
Mystic Farm & Distillery
2 p.m. Sip North Carolina bourbon
Whatever your preferred spirit, there’s likely someone in Durham
distilling it. Small-production craft booze — from [55]mead and
[56]cider to [57]gin and [58]rye — have exploded in popularity
recently, and one producer worth seeking out is [59]Mystic Farm &
Distillery, about six miles east of downtown. Drop in at this bucolic
22-acre bourbon distillery for a free tasting of the full range of
spirits, including the award-winning Broken Oak bourbon and a smooth
cacao-finished version made with cacao nibs from Raleigh’s [60]Videri
Chocolate Factory. Small group tours are also offered on weekends ($20;
reserve in advance).
Rows of barrels that have the word
Mystic Farm & Distillery
4 p.m. Flip through records and second-hand finds
Supporting local businesses is a point of pride in this fiercely loyal
city, as evidenced by the growing number of small independent shops
downtown. Start on West Parrish Street at the [61]Durham Vintage
Collective, an inviting second-hand boutique that opened in July, where
you might find plaid miniskirts, leather jackets or a framed
Jean-Michel Basquiat lithograph. Across the street, explore [62]Chet
Miller, a well-stocked gift shop with Durham-themed throw pillows,
small-press travel guides, cookbooks from local chefs and game-night
jigsaw puzzles. Right next door, [63]EUtopia Design opened last year
selling exquisite Polish glassware and handcrafted ceramics. Scope out
the latest color-splashed exhibition at [64]Ella West Gallery, a sunny
space that opened in August showcasing contemporary art from Black,
female and other diverse and underrepresented artists. Then continue to
East Main Street to browse vinyl albums of jazz, soul, rock and
bluegrass at [65]Carolina Soul Records and at the new location of
[66]Bull City Records across the street.
A glass dish with sliced fish that is garnished with flowers.
Little Bull
7 p.m. Dine on fresh Mexican-American flavors
Downtown Durham is packed with great restaurants, but head a bit north
to the Old Five Points neighborhood where the city’s latest hotspot,
[67]Little Bull, opened on a quiet block in June. The chef Oscar Diaz,
already well-known in Raleigh for his Mexican-American cuisine, again
tapped his heritage when creating the playful menu. Highlights of a
recent meal included crudo with North Carolina tuna, aguachile, wasabi
and flying-fish roe ($18), plantain empanadas ($16) and soft dumplings
stuffed with goat birria in a bowl of rich consomé ($16). Stick to the
small plates as portions are generous, and save room for dessert: The
churro balls with chocolate sauce ($9) are divine.
A glass dish with sliced fish that is garnished with flowers.
Little Bull
A person with a tattooed arm holds a drink in a martini glass. A skewer
with three stuffed green olives rests on top of the glass.
Corpse Reviver
9 p.m. Sip martinis in a former coffin shop
At the end of 2022, the city designated most of downtown a social
district called [68]the Bullpen, where folks are permitted to walk
around with alcoholic beverages purchased in the area. So if the bar is
packed at [69]the Velvet Hippo, a lively rooftop lounge that opened in
August serving fruity slushies and creative cocktails, you can take
that frozen Hawaiian Rum Punch ($13) to go and stroll over to
[70]Motorco Music Hall, a concert venue that also hosts dance parties,
like a recent Taylor Fest for local Swifties. Or continue to [71]Corpse
Reviver, a cocktail bar associated with the [72]Durham Distillery,
which opened in 2020 in a former coffin shop and serves dirty martinis
garnished with bacon-and-blue-cheese-stuffed olives ($15).
A person with a tattooed arm holds a drink in a martini glass. A skewer
with three stuffed green olives rests on top of the glass.
Corpse Reviver
The West Point Mill along the Eno River. Follow the yellow trail
markers from the mill to reach Sennett’s Hole, a popular summertime
swimming spot.
Sunday
Eno River State Park
9 a.m. Hike along the river
Catch the season at its most colorful along the Eno River, where there
are dozens of trails to choose from in the [73]Eno River State Park and
in [74]West Point on the Eno, a city park five miles north of downtown
that is anchored by the historic West Point Mill. One scenic route
begins at the mill, then climbs through the forest along the river
(follow the yellow trail markers). After about 20 minutes, hop across
the rocks crossing a shallow tributary to reach Sennett’s Hole, a
natural pool — and popular summertime swimming spot — with small
waterfalls and turtles warming themselves on the rocks on sunny days.
Eno River State Park
11 a.m. Slurp some noodles
Refuel after a hike with brunch at [75]Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and
Sweets, a former meat market and sweets shop near Brightleaf Square
that evolved into a casual East Asian-inspired eatery serving fragrant
bowls of beef pho ($17) and Thai rice soup ($14). The selection of
cakes, cookies and pastries is impressive, but best are the ice-cream
sandwiches that easily serve two — my favorite is the white miso flavor
between chewy gingersnaps ($7).
(BUTTON) Read Comments
Correction:
Nov. 2, 2023
An earlier version of this article misstated the days that Monuts, a
bakery and cafe, is open on the weekend. It is open on Saturdays, not
Sundays.
(BUTTON) Read 164 Comments
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