Durham is known primarily for being one-third of “The Research Triangle” (demarcating three US Universities best known for their research facilities) and also as the “City of Medicine”, being home to the finest in health care institutions. However, Durham also contains a little-known but vibrant downtown area which revels in a liberal and diverse culture.
The area is famous for its range of intimate eateries, from the hip and trendy Piedmont Restaurant to Alivia’s Durham Bistro on Main Street. This laid-back dining atmosphere transforms into vibrant and vivacious dance spots by night, becoming a colorful intermixing for people of all persuasions and ethnicities.
The Durham Arts Guild gallery and The Bull City Arts Collaborative (BCAC) at the heart of downtown are convergence points for the city’s artsy folk. The BCAC is a shared workspace for artists featuring the Upfront gallery and four studio offices with a finger in every artistic pie in town, which include a fair number of seasonal literary and art festivals.
Enthusiasts of performance art will delight in the Carolina Theatre and The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC). The latter presents the biggest shows of the year and draws world-class artists to a performance arena that offers the best in sound and lighting technology. The African American Dance Ensemble is also headquartered in this area, a nationally-acclaimed dance troupe dedicated to preserving the traditions of African-American dance and music. The Durham Symphony and The Mallarmé Chamber Players all congregate at downtown Durham, cementing it as the hub of the city’s best art and culture.
The Durham Craft Market draws a diverse range of bohemian youth and tourists to Durham Central Park, arguably the recreational centerpiece of downtown Durham. However, the town’s pride of place must be awarded to The Golden Belt, a historically-significant textile factory converted into a sanctuary for artists. This complex features a myriad of galleries, event venues and restaurants celebrating the creative and hip lifestyle of Durham.
It is vital to find a hotel in Durham that provides the perfect vantage point to explore all this and more. As a fully-serviced Durham hotel offering the best in southern hospitality, Millennium Hotel Durham is an ideal choice for the business or leisure traveler, as it is situated only minutes away from the Durham downtown area.
