1. Baseball Season Is Everything
Durhamites love, love, love baseball season. Way more than you do. The Durham Bulls are arguably the most famous minor league team in the nation. Add to that the warm summer nights, blue skies, and the $20 million in upgrades made to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, it’s easy to see why everyone else is jealous.
2. Having Crazy Passion Over The Carolina-Duke Rivalry
The Duke-Carolina rivalry goes way, way, way back and if you live here, you’re either on one side or the other. These universities are only 10 miles apart, but you better pick your blue: Duke blue or Carolina blue.
The teams battled it out for the first time in 1920, but the rivalry isn’t just about basketball: It’s soccer, football… and a way of life. If you’re a Durhamite, your blue defines you.
3. Welcome To North Carolina’s Most Mouthwatering City
Sure, North Carolina has a lot of great food all over the state, but talk to any Bull City local and they’ll let you know that their city is the most robust foodie city in the state. Who can argue with them? You’ve got Guglhupf Bakery, Dame’s Chicken and Waffles, Watts Grocery, Backyard BBQ Pit, Toast, Rue Cler, Parker & Otis, Rise Biscuits and Donuts… and the list goes on and on. Bon Appétit, Gourmet, The New York Times, and Food & Wine agree.
4. The Red And Brown Brick Of Tobacco’s Past
The historic red and brown brick buildings stand as icons to Durham’s past in the tobacco industry and represent home to many Durhamites. These solid, study buildings have weathered many storms, much like the residents of Durham themselves. While they may transform into hip apartment buildings, fancy restaurants, offices and shops, they’ll always be loved for their history and resilience.
5. The Comfort And Nostalgia Of The Freight Trains
If you’re not a Durhamite you might imagine that the sounds of freight trains would be bothersome. Not so for the locals here. The rumble and lonesome whistle of the trains is comforting and a bit nostalgic. Really, how would anyone sleep without the trains rumbling by like quiet thunder in the night?
6. Heading To Sam’s Quik Shop For The Best Beer In The Universe
Everyone in Durham can agree on one thing: The best beer selection in the city (and possibly the state, if not the world) is at Sam’s Quik Shop. Whether you’re grabbing a six-pack or a keg, Sam’s is the place. They have more than 1,600 beers from more than 300 breweries and are touted as the largest selection of craft beer in the state.
7. Not Being Raleigh
It may seem mean, but it’s true. The two cities share a lot, but Durhamites are stoked that they aren’t Raleighites. If they don’t like something or someone, they’ll immediately comment that it belongs to Raleigh. Yes, it’s only 25 miles away, but the two are extremely different. Raleigh is a bit too “squeaky clean” for the Dirty D. It doesn’t have Durham’s grit, soul, creativity and urban lifestyle.
8. Shopping Super Local At The Durham Farmer’s Market
Everyone turns out for the producer-only Durham Farmer’s Market. Bull City residents love supporting the local economy when they shop for produce, meats, cheeses, crafts, art and flowers, because all 50+ vendors are restricted to being based within 70 miles from the market site. Rain or shine, indoors or outdoors, it’s open year-round. It’s been ranked as one of the top three farmer’s markets in the U.S. and is pretty freaking amazing.
9. Grabbing Coffee And Tea At Cocoa Cinnamon
The coffee at Cocoa Cinnamon is simply out of this world. From the Tower of Babel (honey latte topped with date sugar) to the Dr. Durham (latte with vanilla syrup topped with maca powder, ginger and black lava salt), Durhamites are a lucky bunch of coffee hounds. Cocoa Cinnamon also serves a rotating selection of fine wines and craft beers, and the best chocolate and pastries in the area.
10. Every Free Moment Should Be Spent At The American Tobacco District
The American Tobacco Historic District, ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary, is jam-packed with awesome from restaurants, bars, live music and shopping, to the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. It’s a vibrant community hub with a diverse offering of events throughout the year to keep the locals out and about in the city and community.
11. Durhamites Are Crazy Proud Of Their Roots
Durham has always been one of North Carolina’s most ethnically diverse communities and is a city full of black history and culture. For instance, North Carolina Central University was the first public liberal arts institution for blacks in the nation.
The real celebration happens at the festivals: From the Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival and the DURM Hip Hop Summit to the Bill Durham Blues Festival, as well as everything that happens in Hayti. Durhamites are proud of their rich heritage, and rightfully so.
12. Indie, Jazz, Blues, Hip Hop, Folk - They Love Music
The eclectic music scene in Durham has something for everyone. Motorco is where you’ll find the biggest headliners, Duke Coffeehouse serves up Indie and experimental, The Pinhook has indie folk and the list goes on and on. And those are just the indoor spots.
13. Chillin’ On Two Wheels
Everybody’s rolling on two wheels here. Durham is extremely bike friendly and only getting more so with time. The BPAC (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission) is working on a comprehensive bicycle plan for the city and residents are stoked.
There’s plenty of bike lanes and off-road paths, greenways, bike racks scattered around and even the Durham Bike Co-op, a non-profit community bicycle project with skillshare, an earn-a-bike program and mobile clinics.
14. Escaping The Hustle And Bustle On The Tobacco Trail
The 20-mile American Tobacco Trail is a little gem of nature right in the heart of the city. The 10-foot wide paved trail is perfect for walking your dog, going for a run, cycling or just getting away from it all and submerging yourself in nature. The really lucky locals can use the trail to commute to and from work in stunning beauty. Super urban.
15. Catching Mind Blowing Cinematic & Performing Arts At A Historic Icon
Durhamites enjoy film festivals galore, daily films and more than 60 concerts per year at the historic Carolina Theater. The theater also has a fantastic Arts Discovery educational series for school children. It’s one of the coolest spots in Durham.
16. Counting Down The Days To The Next Food Truck Rodeo
It only happens five times a year, but Durhamites are crazy about their Food Truck Rodeo, as they should be. With each rodeo there’s a wealth of new and exciting food trucks with crazy good food, not to mention a great selection of local, craft beer and some of the best music in the city. It’s the original food truck rodeo of the Triangle–an event that helped start the food truck craze.
In case you were wondering, the next one is the Halloween Rodeo on November 2.
17. Living In A City Of Diversity
Durhamites love their vibrant and diverse city and are proud to share it with each other. People of all walks of life work and play together and no matter how diverse or different, they maintain a welcoming vibe. Durham is a community of true diversity, where getting to know your neighbors opens you up to new worlds.
18. Traveling Green And Free
The Bull City Connector is everyone’s favorite way to get around, especially if they don’t have a bike yet. This fare-free, hybrid-electric bus connects neighborhoods with downtown and runs every 15 minutes. It’s the only choice for going to the Green Belt, Duke or the Tobacco District. It’s only been around since 2010, but it’s already a beloved part of the city.
19. Off The Hook Performances At DPAC
I will not bore you with the long list of accolades for DPAC, but trust me, the list is long. Durhamites enjoy some of the best live performances in the world here, from Broadway shows and concerts to comedy shows and more. It’s like no other and is the largest performing arts center in NC. This year everyone got to see Caleb Johnson and Majesty Rose at DPAC for the “American Idol Live!” tour. How cool is that?
20. Taking Their Dogs With Them Everywhere They Go
It’s pretty clear that Durham is a super dog friendly place, because the people take their dogs with them everywhere. While there are a few dog parks like every other city, dogs are also welcome on the American Tobacco Trail, Sunny Acres Pet Resort, The Pet Wagon Hotel, Camp Bow Wow, Sarah P. Duke Gardens and many restaurants, businesses, festivals and events.
21. Soaking In the Sun At Duke Gardens
This 55-acre oasis is an beautiful and relaxing escape from all things urban. While the gardens receive over 300,000 visitors from across the world each year, Durham’s locals enjoy them all the time. Ask anyone and they’ll let you know that the best time to go is the beginning of spring. It’s magical and glorious.
22. Heading To Every Single Festival They Can Find
It’s safe to say that every Durhamite has a corner somewhere—in their bedroom, basement, garage—where they keep their lawn chairs, coolers, floppy hats, sunscreen and other festival gear ready to go at a moment’s notice. Rain or shine, Durham loves to party at the various outdoor festivals that happen all year long. They don’t need a special reason to do all those things, but it is way more fun outside.
23. Hopping Around Town Every Third Friday
The Durham art scene is spectacular and Third Fridays is when all the doors are open, music wafts through every nook and cranny of the city, and everyone enjoys all the local artists and new exhibits with a gallery hop.
24. Being Creative, Thrifty And Sustainable At The Scrap Exchange
The arts community in Durham has the right idea: There’s no reason to waste money when you can get anything and everything you need, second-hand and on the cheap. The Scrap Exchange is an uber cool reuse arts center where you can find super affordable art supplies, take art classes and workshops, and use their studios to make your creations.
25. Hot And Spicy Salsa (Dancing)
Salsa is the new rage in Durham. Everyone from grandma to the college crowd is getting saucy on the dancefloor. The number of classes offered is growing all the time, and there are even Salsa nights at the clubs. Casino (Cuban-style salsa) is one of the most popular styles. If you want to impress a Durhamite, brush up on your spicy dance moves.
26. Anything To Do With The Eno River
How much do they love the Eno River? Well, have you heard of a river with its own festival? Now you have. The “Festival for the Eno River” has been going strong for three decades every Independence Day weekend. Of course, Durham looks for any reason to have a festival (duh) but this is a fantastic one. The festival raises money and awareness to protect the river and the surrounding lands.
The area is absolutely stunning and worth every ounce of conservation efforts - especially when there’s four stages of live music, delicious food, local arts and crafts and of course, beer.
27. Being Unique and Authentic In The Dirty D
Durham isn’t for everyone. If you looking for a perfectly PC city, go elsewhere. Bull City is real, authentic and unique. This is a city proud of their grit, rough edges and uniqueness; it’s an essential part of what makes living here so great and the people that choose to live here LOVE it.
Feature Image Source: Flickr User twbuckner
What’s something in Durham you can’t live without? Tell us in the comments below! 
