Durham North
Carolina
Looking for a home in
the friendly city of Durham NC.
 Durham
NC is consistently ranked in the regional and
national media as one of the top places to live and do
business in the United States. Recently Durham was rated
first among 274 similar-sized counties nationwide on the
Creativity Index, compiled by "creative class" economics
researchers from Carnegie Mellon University.
Premiere Durham NC
Real Estate Agents
Durham NC is consistently ranked in the regional and
national media as one of the top places to live and do
business in the United States. Recently Durham was
rated first among 274 similar-sized counties nationwide
on the Creativity Index, compiled by "creative class"
economics researchers from Carnegie Mellon University.
Durham’s vibrant quality of life and commitment
to arts and culture contribute to its ever-growing
popularity. Durham’s neighborhoods surround Duke and
North Carolina Central universities and Research
Triangle Park and range from historic homes on
tree-canopied streets to renovated Downtown lofts to
communities planned around lakes or golf courses.
Durham NC is home
to Research Triangle Park, Duke and North Carolina
Central universities and many City of Medicine, USA,
medical and weight management centers. Durham is also
home to 13 historic sites, three art centers, 12
signature annual events with national or regional
recognition, plus dozens of other core and celebrated
annual events, six science and nature centers, and great
spectator sports venues.
The rapid growth and prosperity of the
Bull Durham Tobacco Company, and Washington Duke's Duke
& Sons Tobacco Company, would result in the rapid growth
of the city of Durham. While the tobacco industry
dominated the city's economy initially, it was soon
rivaled by the establishment of multiple textile mills,
particularly in East and West Durham. Much of the early
city architecture, both commercial and residential,
dates from the period of 1890 - 1930.
Durham NC quickly developed a vibrant
African-American community, the center of which was an
area known as 'Hayti' (pronounced HAY-Tie), just south
of the center of town, where were established some of
the most prominent and successful black-owned businesses
in the country during the early 20th century. These
businesses, the best known of which are North Carolina
Mutual Insurance Co., and Mechanics & Farmers' Bank,
were centered on Parrish St., which would come to be
known as "Black Wall Street".
Durham's fortunes declined during the mid-20th century.
Textile mills began to close during the 1930s, and
competition from other tobacco companies (as well as a
decrease in smoking after the 1960s) reduced revenues to
Durham's tobacco industry. Although the region benefited
significantly from the establishment of Research
Triangle Park in 1958, Durham did not experience the
same early increases in housing development as
neighboring Raleigh and Cary. Suburban flight also
contributed to the slow, but progressive decline of
downtown Durham as a retail and economic center.
With a strong African-American community, a strong Civil
Rights movement developed in Durham. Multiple sit-ins
were held, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the
city during the struggle for equal rights.
This strong community was not enough to prevent the
demolition of portions of the Hayti district for the
construction of the Durham Freeway during the late
1960s. The freeway construction also resulted in the
loss of large parts of other historic neighborhoods,
including Morehead Hills, West End, and West Durham.
Combined with large-scale demolition using Urban Renewal
funds, Durham suffered significant losses from its
historic architectural base.
Durham's growth began to rekindle during the 1970s and
1980s, with the construction of multiple housing
developments in the southern part of the city, nearest
Research Triangle Park, and the beginnings of downtown
revitalization. In 1975, the St. Joseph's Historical
Foundation at the Hayti Heritage Center was incorporated
to "preserve the heritage of the old Hayti community,
and to promote the understanding of and appreciation for
the African American experience and African Americans'
contributions to world culture."[1] A new downtown
baseball stadium was constructed for the Durham Bulls in
1994, and a large-scale historic renovation of the
American Tobacco Company (formerly Bull Durham) complex
commenced in 2003. Economic progress continues to take
precedence over historic preservation from time to time.
Durham has a rich and vibrant art and cultural
community. Events include jazz festivals, blues
festivals, symphony concerts, art exhibitions, and a
multitude of cultural expositions, including the
American Dance Festival and the Full Frame Documentary
Film Festival. A centerpiece of Durham's culture is its
Carolina Theater which shows both live performances as
well as films, primarily independent releases. Durham
features excellent culinary offerings, particularly for
a city its size, with a wide selection of diverse and
renowned establishments.These establishments are
primarily concentrated in the Ninth Street, Brightleaf,
and University Drive areas. There is a resurgence of
restaurants in and around the downtown area, including
several new restaurants in the American Tobacco
District.
Durham hosts a yearly Gay and Lesbian Film festival
which draws people from across the United States as well
as an annual Gay Pride Parade. Durham is the home of the
Independent Weekly a progressive weekly newspaper.
The Durham Association for Downtown Arts (DADA) is a
non-profit arts organization located in the downtown
area. It was founded in 1998 and then incorporated in
2000. The organization's mission is a commitment to the
development, presentation and fiscal sponsorship of
original art and performance in Durham. DADA strives to
support local artists working in a diversity of artistic
media. Emphasizing community, DADA helps local residents
gain access to these artists by providing free or
low-cost venue admission.
Source:
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