Like many people, I found myself on a business trip to Durham, North Carolina. Home to Research Triangle Park – the country’s largest tech and science hub with nearly 400 companies as well as Duke University – Durham is a hub for all kinds of industries; however, it is also a lively, growing city that’s kept its history and culture intact, including a vibrant art scene and a multi-cultural line-up of restaurants.
If you find yourself in Durham on business, don’t work too hard because Durham has many things to enjoy.
Art and Community at Golden Belt
Some of Durham’s most interesting real estate isn’t in the downtown core — it’s a short walk southeast, at Golden Belt, a sprawling former tobacco and textile factory that has been reimagined as a campus of artist studios, loft apartments, galleries, and eateries gathered around an old brick chimney tower.
The Durham Arts Guild gallery anchors the cultural heart of the complex, with 25 individual artist studios featuring windows so visitors can watch them work. One artist gets a stand-alone show in the gallery each month, rotating throughout the year. The whole thing is open to the public during business hours — no ticket required.
The surrounding campus keeps things lively on the food and drink side too. Cugino Forno turns out Neapolitan-style pies fired in a 900-degree oven, with most ingredients imported directly from Italy. Two Roosters Ice Cream handles dessert, and Hi-Wire Brewing has 20 craft beers on tap alongside a small outdoor stage that hosts live music in warmer months. There’s also a small stage for music and entertainment when the weather cooperates — Golden Belt has a way of making an hour feel like an afternoon.
Art, Food and Sleep at 21c Museum Hotel
Is it an art gallery with a hotel or a hotel with an art gallery? You might ask that question when checking into the 21c Museum Hotel Durham, located inside the Hill Building in downtown Durham, a former bank building on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 21c is a 125-room boutique hotel anchored by a 10,500-sq. ft. exhibition space with shows featuring international artists throughout the year. The artworks extended into the front lobby, where I was so mesmerized by a display of dozens of tiny dancing figurines under plexiglass that I didn’t realize the front desk clerk was handing me my room key.
My room featured art deco touches in keeping with the 17-story building’s 1930s architecture. My deluxe room had floating end tables in the bedroom, retro lamps and a sofa in the living area. The bathroom, located between the two spaces, had soft purple lighting, turning the mirror into an art piece of its own.
Counting House Restaurant
The hotel is also home to Counting House Restaurant, named in honor of the building’s bank history. While the long wooden bar, dark brown lounge areas, and upholstered booth seating were more in keeping with the bank theme, the art museum made its way into the restaurant space through a large mural and whimsical light fixtures dangling from the ceiling.
My breakfast of yogurt and fruit with a steaming latte was speedy and satisfying, perfect before a busy workday of meetings. I noticed others in the restaurant on their laptops, so I wasn’t the only one checking emails during breakfast.
At night, however, the restaurant turns into a speakeasy with creative cocktails and low lighting. There’s even a secret cocktail space called The Vault. After my workday, I was able to return to the hotel and order a dram of Kentucky bourbon that I was allowed to take with me into the art gallery.
The gallery’s exhibition was filled with mixed media works – sculptures, paintings, and videos in a variety of forms like textiles, paper, brass, wood, and even plastic from a 3D printer. This wasn’t just eye-catching art; it made you contemplate what you saw.
No Bull in the Bull Social District
Even in winter, Durham’s temperate weather made for a delightful walk through the downtown Bull Social District. Named for the city’s Triple-A baseball team, the Bull Social District allows visitors to order a beer, cider, or other libations in a specially labeled plastic cup and walk around the park and streets of downtown Durham.
I ordered a Blueberry Ginger Pi, a German gose made with blueberries and ginger, from The Glass Jug Beer Lab that added just the right touch of tart to the beer’s sour notes.
With so many restaurant options in the nearby Durham Food Hall, deciding where to have lunch was difficult, but I ordered a smoked turkey bagel sandwich to go from Everything Bagel.
If I had timed my visit better, I could have enjoyed the weekly Durham Farmer’s Market on Saturdays year-round and on Wednesdays from April through November. As I walked by the Durham Bulls Baseball stadium on the way to a meeting, I decided my next visit to Durham would be during baseball season.
Near the stadium is the Corpse Reviver Lounge, the cocktail bar of Durham Distillery. With an entrance around the back, this little bar is an homage to classic cocktail culture and a great introduction to the distillery’s flagship spirit, Conniption Gin. It’s a great place to enjoy happy hour before dinner.
A Trip to the Farm
As part of my business trip, I was invited to a special event at Mystic Farm and Distillery on the outskirts of Durham. The event included a distillery tour by co-owner Jonathan Blitz. We learned Mystic Farms is an estate distillery, meaning they grow their own grains and have their own water aquifer, the two most important ingredients in their award-winning whiskey.
The property, only a 20-minute Uber ride from the hotel, has a barrel-storage tasting room that hosted our large group comfortably along with an inviting outdoor patio next to a picturesque pond.
Take in the Sounds of Hayti Heritage Center’s Historic Concert Hall
While I enjoyed looking at Durham’s art, I also enjoyed listening to musical performances at Hayti Heritage Center’s concert hall. Pronounced HAY-tie, the center is inside a historic African American church built in 1891 with the concert hall in the former sanctuary. It’s a gorgeous venue surrounded by stained glass windows and original curved wooden pews.
Angela Lee, the center’s Executive Director, said they offer a variety of concerts from symphonies, jazz ensembles, choirs, and spoken word poetry in this acoustically special space. “It’s so rich with not only the history of Durham, but all things in the arts,” she noted.
My personal favorites are the Candlelight Concerts featuring performances of popular music from a local string quartet by candlelight.
Durham’s residents know it’s no fun being all work and no play, so take their lead and enjoy the city’s art, food, and culture while you’re there.
If You Go
Getting There: Book flights to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) on CheapOair, which serves the Triangle from most major U.S. cities.
Getting Around: A rental car is the most flexible option for reaching spots like Mystic Farm & Distillery on the outskirts of town. Discover Cars compares rates across major rental companies to find the best deal.
Where to Stay: The 21c Museum Hotel Durham occupies the landmark Art Deco Hill Building in the heart of downtown, blending boutique hotel comfort with 10,500 square feet of rotating contemporary art exhibitions.
Eat and Drink:
- Golden Belt is a converted tobacco and textile factory southeast of downtown, now home to studios, galleries, loft apartments and a cluster of eateries. Dine Italian-style at Cugino Forno, cool down with a scoop at Two Roosters Ice Cream, or sample from 20 craft beers at Hi-Wire Brewing.
- The Durham Food Hall anchors the downtown Bull Social District and offers a rotating lineup of local vendors. The Social District allows visitors to carry a beer or cider in a marked cup while walking through the surrounding park and streets.
- The Glass Jug Beer Lab is a good bet for craft pours with a tart edge.
- The Corpse Reviver Lounge at Durham Distillery is an homage to classic cocktail culture, tucked around the back of the distillery and worth finding for happy hour.
- Mystic Farm & Distillery — is a 22-acre estate distillery about 20 minutes from downtown where visitors can tour the grain fields and barrel room and taste the award-winning small-batch bourbon. Tours and tastings are available; check the website for current hours and schedules.
Arts and Culture:
- The Durham Arts Guild gallery inside Golden Belt features 25 individual artists’ studios with viewing windows, with one artist spotlighted in a stand-alone gallery show each month.
- Hayti Heritage Center — pronounced HAY-tie — is a historic African American cultural center housed in a former church built in 1891. The performance hall retains its original stained glass windows and curved wooden pews and hosts concerts ranging from jazz to spoken word. Check the website for current programming before visiting, as event schedules vary by season.
Seasonal: The Durham Farmers Market runs Saturdays year-round and Wednesdays from April through November. The Durham Bulls play at the park in the heart of downtown from April through September — worth timing a trip around.
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Author Bio: Carrie Dow is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Charlotte, NC, whose work has appeared in regional and national publications. Former editor for The Drink Nation, she uses her expertise on the food and beverage industry to travel the world looking for unique eats and experiences. She also founded What’s Pawsitive, a website that profiles animal-based travel, animal rescue organizations, and animal welfare advocates around the world.
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