Reyn Bowman, Durham Resident
Groups like the Coalition to Unchain Dogs are what make Durham great. They canvas neighborhoods to identify where dogs are being chained and then work with owners on alternative solutions, including in some cases, building a fence. You can get a view on YouTube.
Jane L. Curry, Durham Visitor from Milledgeville, GA
From the information I received through your site, I am really excited about visiting Durham in the future. I expect to visit the city before the year is out.
Glenda Wolf, Durham Visitor from Bedford, TX
I was born, raised, and schooled in Durham. I have been gone for a very long time, but take every opportunity to proudly tell people where I am from! I know my beloved hometown has changed over these many years--Durham High is a cooperative school, some of the tobacco warehouses are now condominiums and shopping areas, the Durham Bulls now play in a grand stadium (I spent many a summer evening at the old field off Foster Street). When I left Durham, RTP consisted of two buildings!!! The list goes on. Durham has grown and evolved. Many nights, I think in retrospect--I should have never left!
Anonymous, Durham Resident
The 23rd Annual North Carolina Pride Parade and Festival several weeks ago was great and showed how Durham is accepting and welcoming for thousands of GLBTQ attendees from around the state. Here is a Q-Notes video of the events around Ninth Street.
Larr Bumgardner, Durham Resident
My wife and I have been residents for more than 40 years. We love Durham's wonderful diversity. Like siblings, we battle each other, but deep down there is a great deal of respect and love in this community.
I like it that this city tolerates and respects homosexual people. They have a significant place in helping Durham be the wonderful town it is. I grew up in a small town and Durham, despite its size, retains a lot of small town flavor.
It's a place my family and I love and appreciate.
Bill Anderson, Durham Resident
If this is the appropriate forum to express a little Bull Durham pride, please let me take a deep breath.
So many things make this city special, but what many struggle to explain is the feeling of connectivity. It makes our city feel like a very small town, because it enjoys the same close knit fabric.
I'd give a good deal of credit to our multitude of listserves. Folks from other cities don't seem to know what listserves are, but here in Durham, we're loaded to the gills with them.
There are dozens of neighborhood listserves through out the City. A neighbor might report their dog has escaped, and other neighbors chime in with sightings. Forty years ago, we kept our communities close knit by talking over the backyard fences, one neighbor at a time. Today, in Durham we're re-inventing that, talking over the internet to five hundred neighbors at a time. It's not the only reason Durham enjoys a feeling of incredible connectivity, but our listserves are definitely one of the larger threads of our fabric.
Juliet Hurley, Durham Newcomer
Durham’s weather is great, the people are friendly, there are many activities, and I get the sense that communities are proactive, especially in deterring/solving crimes. I ride the Tobacco Trail 12 miles and can take a break at a cafe downtown or watch a jazz performance. Durham One Call has been useful for contacting city departments. There is a swap shop at a recycling center and we found a nice accent piece of furniture. I have volunteered for the Durham Police’s unique C.O.P. program. The Durham Police hosts a Citizen's Police Academy. We got to observe a hostage demonstration by one of its special units and were given notepads to use to help solve a mock crime. There are PAC listserves informing of arrests, specific problems, and requests from Durham citizens to assist in finding alleged criminals. Furthermore, the Durham Police has a Crimemapper online so you can see what types of crimes have occurred and where. My dog, Buddy, a miniature pincher, loves the dog park. There was a section for small dogs. There are dozens of volunteer opportunities through The Volunteer Center of Durham. I helped write grants for Meals on Wheels of Durham, Inc. after viewing the post for this need. There is the Carolina Theatre, baseball games and restaurants to walk to afterwards for a bite to eat, the warehouse sale at the Scrap Exchange, the Beer Festival and the library has Wi-Fi access!
diana bello, Durham Resident
I started walking around Durham's downtown, the Warehouse District, Trinity Park and East Campus in February. I saw brown turn into green, seedlings burst into flowers, and the one day, I turned the corner and saw paradise.
Ellen Dagenhart, Durham Resident
Just the other day, we closed the sale of a wonderful historic home in the West Durham area to a young couple who are first time buyers. As we finished, she looked at me and said, "Thank you - we would never have gotten this house if you had not helped us." At that moment I knew, for sure, that I have the very best job in Durham.
Newman Aguiar, Durham Resident
One of the great things in Durham is the strong partnership between the community and the Durham Police Department. The Citizen Observer Patrol is composed of a group of committed citizens who volunteer their time to serve as eyes and ears for the police department. Volunteers drive around in a specially marked police car and notify law enforcement of suspicious activity. They assist the police department in educating the community and help remind us that we can help by doing our part to take away the opportunity for crime. Thanks to the dedicated citizens who, in partnership with law enforcement, help keep Durham safe.
Shelly, Durham Resident
September.
At Dawn.
The slight chill makes me zip my faded yellow jacket up toward my neck.
A somber silence slowly fades
as the sun washes over the woods
and peeks through the trees in my back yard.
A baby crying,
squirrels scurrying up my neighbor’s old oak tree
and a flock of geese heralding the coming season.
A bird chirps outside my screen
and the congregation answers jubilantly,
all in unison
interrupting my reverie.
I slowly sip my coffee
And adjust my bifocals
Back on the Sunday paper before me.
Another day has begun.
And it doesn’t get any better than this.
Stacy Herring, Durham Resident
Moving to Durham from a much smaller town, I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly everyone is. My neighborhood is filled with people of diverse backgrounds but we all have one thing in common...we all love Durham!
Jonathan Freeze, Durham Resident
Each fall a grassroots effort, led by Durham native Josh Parker, puts on a Community Dinners project, linking up freshmen college students just arriving in Durham with Durham residents, who host them one evening for a home-cooked meal. This is a great way for new students to get to know their Durham neighbors and get to know their new home outside of campus. I appreciate the work that goes into planning this annual event. We should be proud that Durham is open and welcoming to its students and other newcomers.
Reyn Bowman, Durham Resident
I saw a teaser from a new documentary recently. It's in the final stages of editing for premiere in mid-November at The Carolina Theatre.
Documentaries aren't new to Durham. We're home to the most significant documentary film festival in the world, Full Frame.
But this one is a portrait of Durham by award winning Steve Channing, also a Durham resident. As I watched it and heard just everyday Durhamites describe what is special to them about this community, it reminded me of why it was such a clear-cut decision and honor 18 years ago to accept an invitation to come here and help start a destination marketing effort.
I've often thought and probably said, to myself at least, that I've succeeded at telling Durham's story if I can convey the essence that makes it attractive today and have it blessed by people who have been here 70, 80 and 90 years.
This was also echoed in some testimony folks like Carl Webb made at the end. This place is special... way down in its bones. There is a sense of place here and a passionate connection of people and place that make it extraordinary.
What a privilege it is to work for this community.
Lois Cranford, Durham Resident
Thanks for keeping us in touch with the good things happening in Durham. We do have much to be proud of. I've lived here for 60 years or more, and I think
it's a wonderful place to live!
Alessandro Valenziano, Non-Resident Working in Durham
I moved here in Durham a couple of months ago in order to attend an internship at the visitors bureau. I really enjoyed the community and all the green places of the city. I was really fascinated by the beauty of Sarah P. Duke Garden. Believe me, I can`t wait to come back and visit all the nice people I met!
Betsy Lash, Durham Resident
I grew up in Durham and moved away for college. I recently moved back and although my family has left the area, it still feels like home to me. The people and places, time and again, make me proud to call Durham home!
Margaret Anderson, Durham Resident
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the Duke campus are always beautiful, always changing. Every time I visit I see new flowers, new colors, new textures. I love watching the young children taking everything in, and having a wonderful time rolling down the grassy hills or feeding the ducks. Great things happen to my spirits when I visit Duke Gardens!
Mika, Durham Newcomer
I have to admit- I'm not used to such pet-friendly people, and especially not used to a pet-friendly city. Once I got here, the only thing I wanted to do was adopt a dog. Where I am from, landlords are not very accommodating to people with dogs. The landlords who allow for pets usually use it as an excuse to hike up your rent. I adopted Keller from the Animal Protection Society of Durham. I couldn’t have had a better experience. My landlord gave me the idea and I couldn’t be happier. There was a small, non-refundable fee, but other than that – my dog is completely accepted and my landlord has offered to pet-sit while I vacation. Durham is great for dog-lovers for a million reasons. One thing I plan to check out is the new dog park that is opening near Northgate on Club Blvd. Keller and I have adventured out on a lot of the trails that run through Durham. I’m going to take him backcountry backpacking up at Eno River before the weather starts to treat us poorly. Whenever my friends from home ask me about how things are working out for me down here in Durham, I tell them about my dog and how Durham is great for pets.
Chelsey Jean Didsbury, Durham Resident
I just found one of my favorite places to run in Durham: the New Hope Creek Bottomlands Trail. It takes me through countless different facets of the forest, each one as unique and beautiful as the next. From the splash of the creek, to the trees I can't fit my arms half-around, to the deer in the distance, I always feel calmed and refreshed after running on the trail.
Carolyn Carney, Durham Resident
I came to America over 26 years ago and have lived in many wonderful places from CA, to FL to VA. But when my family relocated to Durham NC we knew we had found a place we wanted to call home. Durham has character, charm, history and some amazing old buildings, which add so much to our sense of place. It is wonderful to see the reuse of these buildings rather than developers coming in and razing them to the ground to make a fast buck (as so often happens in America).
Home is where the heart is and Durham stole mine 10 years ago.
Connie Hurt, Durham Resident
In spite of a toasty August day to welcome us, Durham's Spruce Pine Lodge at Lake Michie proved to be a beautiful and tranquil site for my wedding. The lovely log cabin, gleaming hardwood floors, and rustic fireplaces provided just the right setting for saying "I do!"
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