My Favorite Things
I’ve lived in Chapel Hill for 20-plus years and loved every minute of it. We have all the perks of small-town living. Plus, we have many of the grand opportunities of big city life without the traffic, noise or high costs.
Here are some of the reasons why I love where I live:
Generally Speaking
- The terrain. With plenty of trees and rolling hills, nature provides a gorgeous backdrop to everything that happens here.
- The architecture. It runs the gamut, and I love our old neighborhoods with winding streets. The town has done a great job keeping an old-timey, “village” feel.
- The seasons. I’m crazy about all of them. Well, sometimes I complain a bit about August, but other than that, I love this climate.
The Great Outdoors
- My favorite walk takes me about an hour. It starts at the Community Center on Estes Drive and takes me through Battle Park and to the Forest Theatre. It feels like a piece of the Appalachian Trail.
- Don’t miss the hiking trails of Carolina North Forest.
- For a paved route, check out Bolin Creek Trail. I love to ride my bike on it. Sometimes, I take the (free!) bus back home. The buses have bike racks, so it’s simple.
Culinary Delights
- I’m a regular at two farmers’ markets: The Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market and the Carrboro Farmers’ Market. Our food is as good as it is because of the many wonderful farms a few miles from here. A great meal starts with quality ingredients.
- I love to decompress with a drive out to RambleRill Farm in Hillsborough, where I buy eggs and spinach.
- I’m crazy about the seafood at Squid’s. You can’t go wrong with the fish of the day and a martini. Oh, and don’t skip the hush puppies.
The Creative Spirit
- The art events here run the gamut – I love the free gallery openings, the annual festivals like Festifall and the Carrboro Music Festival, the fundraisers like the High Heels and Hard Hats Fashion Show that benefits Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. And everything else!
- UNC’s Carolina Performing Arts is extra ordinary featuring world classs performances.
- Check it out -Carolina Performing Arts
- I love live theater and am a big fan of Playmakers Repertory Theater on the campus of UNC - Playmakers
- The Center for the Study of the American South has many interesting events that I attend - Center for the Study of the American South
- And, of course, there’s Fridays on the Front Porch at The Carolina Inn from April to October.
- Some of our most quirky annual events are also our most beloved. I never miss the Paperhand Puppet show at the Forest Theatre in the late summer.
Photo of Memorial Hall courtesy of C5Media - stock.adobe.com
Fun Shopping Spots
- My go-to spots when I need to buy a gifts are South and Sally Mack
- For clothes, I love Sophia's Boutique, Lark, and Wilden
- I read a lot and support Chapel Hill’s amazing independent book store -Flyleaf Books. Even if they don’t have a book I’m looking for, they’ll order it!