|

Visit Culture-Rich Durham, North Carolina for More than Baseball
by Jeff
Voth
The
last line in the 1988 movie, "Bull Durham" sums
up in many ways the current renaissance of the city of Durham,
North Carolina. Annie Savoy, the sultry female fan played
by actor Susan Sarandon, puts it this way.
"Walt
Whitman once said, 'I see great things in baseball. It's our
game. The American game. It will repair our losses and be
a blessing to us'."
Durham
and the neighboring city of Raleigh, North Carolina were built
on the foundations of tobacco manufacturing. With a changing
attitude in society towards cigarettes, the city was in need
of transformation. Durham continues to reinvent itself changing
from a farming community to manufacturing town to medical
center, etc.
 |
|
Durham
Bulls Athletic Park
|
In
many ways, America's favorite pastime was the catalyst Durham
required to enter the 21st century. You could say baseball
is to Durham, as mustard is to a hot dog. Without it, the
flavor of a foot long ballpark frank is still a culinary treat
to be savored. But add the tangy tasting yellow condiment
to the top of a wiener and you have an instant all-American
gastronomic experience par excellence.
This
is not to say that baseball is the only draw for a city whose
population and desirability as a vacation destination continues
to grow year over year.
With
a year-round moderate climate and enough trees to fill a national
park, Durham has more to offer than baseball. It is also home
to many important landmarks such as Duke University and Research
Triangle Park. But for many, the Triple-A Baseball Durham
Bulls will always be at the heart of what makes this area
such a treat to visit.
Located
halfway between Philadelphia and Atlanta at the intersection
of I-85 and I-40, Durham has embraced change, while at the
same time firmly holding to its roots. Durham is unique in
North America, due in part to their particular sense of place.
The citizens choose to keep the beautiful old buildings of
the town and find new ways to put them to current use. In
this way the past becomes an integral part of the future,
ensuring the many charming "red brick" buildings
will remain for generations to come.
Everywhere
you look, the sights and sounds of construction are bringing
new life to the downtown core. Vacant office buildings are
being converted into luxury condominiums and premium office
space. New retail shops are popping up at every corner and
ethnically diverse restaurants are brimming with patrons.
Nowhere
is this more evident than in the area surrounding Durham Bulls
Athletic Park. A major investment by the current team owner
has melded state-of-the-art technology with turn of the century
appeal. Here the stale remnants of the former Lucky Strike
cigarette factory are slowly being replaced with the heady
scent of a vibrant rebirth.
Duke
University basketball alumni Christian Laettner and Brian
Davis are just a few of the several local celebrities to put
their own unique stamp on the burgeoning reconstruction going
on in and around the city center. Even student housing is
reaping the benefits of this massive investment, as dilapidated
factories and warehouses are turned into elegant multi-unit
apartments.
Durham
has a rich African-American heritage. It was here an entrepreneurial
enclave developed on Parrish Street at the turn of the century,
causing it to become known as "Black Wall Street".
Durham is the first city in America to host organized civil
rights sit-ins to protest segregation. The earliest inter-racial
basketball game was played, while the fast break and zone
defense first found their feet on the hallowed courts of Duke
University.
 |
Bull
Durham Blues Festival |
The
blues run deep in Durham, with the acclaimed Bull Durham Blues
Festival taking center stage in early September. The Piedmont
Blues style of music is rooted in the tobacco history of the
city. A unique two-finger style of guitar picking, the lyrics
harkens back to a time of hard work, hard drinking and loves
lost and found. Musicians such as "Blind Boy" Fuller,
the Rev. Gary Davis and Sonny Terry made their mark in Durham,
sometimes earning as much in an evening's work as they did
working a full day in the factories.
Dining
in Durham takes on new heights, with the available cuisine
being both multi-cultural and superb.
For burgers, try the
famous Elmo's Diner, or should your tastes be a little more
exotic, head down to Old Chapel Hill Road and secure a table
at the Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine. Whether it is pizza, barbeque,
Cajun, Caribbean or fine dining, there is sure to be a restaurant
that will more than satisfy your appetite.
Durham,
commonly referred to as the City of Medicine, USA, is also
home to the renowned Research Triangle Park. Home to half
of the biotech companies based in North Carolina, the city
also boasts one of the largest collections of weight loss
clinics in North America. With its close proximity to the
finest medical facilities, celebrities and the wealthy of
America consider Durham the place to get in shape both mentally
and physically.
Of
course you couldn't vacation in Durham, North Carolina without
taking time to visit the Duke University campus. A stay at
the 4-star, 4-diamond Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
is the ideal location from which to walk to the campus and
explore. Once on the property, a canopy of trees lines the
various sidewalks as you absorb the timeless character of
the Duke University Chapel, Duke Forest and the Sarah P. Duke
Gardens.
Where
other cities have struggled to meet the challenge of a new
millennium, Durham has found its swing and hit a homerun.
By embracing the present, while maintaining the richness of
the past, the future looks blessed for many years to come.
IF
YOU GO.... |
Durham
Convention & Visitors Bureau
101 East Morgan Street
Downtown Durham, NC
(800) 446-8604
(919) 687-0288
www.exploredurham.info
Durham
Bulls Baseball Club
409 Blackwell Street
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 687-6500
Tickets: (919) 956-BULL
www.dbulls.com
Washington
Duke Inn & Golf Club
3001 Cameron Blvd.
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 490-0999
www.washingtondukeinn.com |
|