Why is Chapel Hill Interesting?

On vibes, higher learning, and Southern hospitality

Rick Webb (RW) and Perry Hewitt (PH) are (i) friends of WITI and (ii) two New Yorkers turned Chapel Hill residents. I love it as well. -Colin (CJN) 

Perry here. All of the Research Triangle can be divided into three parts: state capitol Raleigh, music and foodie haven Durham, and, well, Chapel Hill. The smallest by far, Chapel Hill is a university town — arguably America’s oldest —  with charming landmarks and traditions on display: a bell tower, a historic old well, an arboretum, a storied planetarium, and not one but two trees on campus named Davie Poplar. 

In late 2020 when family circumstances dictated a pandemic move from Manhattan, Chapel Hill was a surprise choice. While it doesn’t boast as many northern transplants as Raleigh suburb Cary (now rumored to be an acronym for Containment Area for Relocated Yankees), proximity to major universities UNC, Duke, and NC State, terrific healthcare, and a strengthening tech sector are driving local growth. In pre-vaccine COVID, when we surveyed the options for a little more space and a local culture we’d enjoy -- with a filter of 25 minutes to an international airport offering nonstop flights to Europe -- Chapel Hill rose to the top of a long list. 

So what keeps people here and happy? Apart from the booming employment market, anchored by Research Triangle Park (RTP), the nation’s oldest research park, residents cite the music scene, solid independent bookstores, lectures through UNC, and a wide-ranging fitness culture from the six-time NCAA basketball champion Tar Heels, to running to hiking to pickleball.

Rick here. The Chapel Hill/Carrboro downtown is thriving and walkable, ranging from the yuppie standards on the east side, student dives and cheap fare by UNC, and hipster and hippie gems to the west of the main drag. The music scene includes the legendary Cat’s Cradle, one of the country’s most storied live venues which also books assorted venues in nearby Durham, Raleigh and even an old mill in nearby Saxapahaw. The punkier Local 506 and the artier Nightlight flesh things out. School Kids’ and All Day Records provide the tunes. Other nightlife includes the Crunkleton, an impeccable cocktail bar, myriad student holes-in-the-wall and two more hip dives: OCSC and Bowbarr. Flyleaf, Epilogue, and a strong mystery section at McIntyre’s in Fearrington keep the literary-minded happy, including many used and rare gems thanks to the UNC community (RIP Bookshop of Chapel Hill). The arts scene is decently represented by Peel Gallery, UNC’s Ackland Art Musuem and the publicly funded Carrboro Arts Center. Fine dining is still hit or miss with the exception of Hawthorne & Wood and Lantern, but the fried chicken at Mama Dip’s is well worth the wait on the wraparound porch with a cold beer in hand. Local West side burger shack, Al’s, gives Shake Shack a run for the money, though we have one of those too, on the East side.

Chapel Hill and Carrboro offer a great blend of university town progressive political vibe and the warmth of Southern culture. The town struggles to embody those progressive ideals, from one of the nation’s only free public transit systems, to an extensive park and trail system, to nearly impenetrable YIMBY/NIMBY local politics. The town’s homegrown grocery store, Weaver Street Market, is an honest-to-goodness, old-school, customer-owned co-op health food store. 

The neighborhood kindness has been a bit of a shock -- after years of living in Newton, Massachusetts where my neighbor would snowblow the sidewalk right up to the property line and not one single inch farther, I never would have imagined a world where a Republican neighbor was so committed to keeping this incompetent northerner’s Cheri Beasley lawn sign up. This morning as I wrote this I looked up to see American goldfinches swarming our bird feeder, reminding me that the mercifully short winters and bright sunshine seal the deal. (RW and PH)