It wasn’t long ago that for many Triangle visitors, Durham was simply a pass-through between Chapel Hill, the quaint college town, and Raleigh, the more urban capital. Not anymore. Today a Yelp search from Franklin Street sends you to downtown Durham, with good reason. From pop-up darling and sticky-bun mecca Lutra Café & Bakery to Little Bull’s Mexican comfort food and Ricky Moore’s celebrated Saltbox Seafood Joint, the culinary scene is diverse and daring, while the arts—public poetry-and-sculpture installations, vibrant murals, art galleries, museums, listening rooms, and the return of the popular Full Frame Documentary Film Festival this spring—are boldly energetic. Another plus: Durham’s dynamic African American history and culture, long a point of civic pride, is getting its due as a primary draw. No wonder Rhiannon Giddens picked Bull City to launch her inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival in April 2025.
Sure, Duke Gardens or a ball game (the Bulls baseball or Duke hoops) always merit a visit; the Saturday Farmers’ Market remains a bustling delight; and stalwarts like Ninth Street Bakery and the Regulator Bookshop are still going strong, but there’s much more to explore now, beginning with these highlights from Durham’s newer offerings.
Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice
Pauli Murray may be the late groundbreaking legal scholar, poet and author, labor activist, civil rights renegade, feminist, and barrier-busting priest you’ve never heard of, but the newly opened Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice will remedy that. Located in Murray’s childhood home, an 1898 National Historic Landmark on Carroll Street, the center traces Murray’s remarkable trajectory: Raised in Durham by her grandparents and aunt, Murray would become the first Black person to earn a doctorate from Yale Law School (Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg both cited her legal strategies as seminal). As Eleanor Roosevelt’s firebrand friend, co-founder of the National Organization for Women in 1966, and first Black American female Episcopal priest, Murray worked tirelessly for gender equality while challenging gender and sexuality norms, long before “LGBTQ+” was in our lexicon. The center’s exhibits invite and inspire reflection on what activism means today, with interactive events and workshops open to the public.
Missy Lane’s Assembly Room
A good jazz bar is effortlessly cool, with a handsome and cozy ambiance, a classy drink list, and live music that soothes, rouses, and moves you. Missy Lane’s Assembly Room hits all these notes and more—think New York’s Blue Note transposed into downtown Durham. Velvet sofas and 1920s-era storefront windows set an upscale tone, while its cocktail menu changes seasonally, offering innovative takes that “spin the classics.” Plus, Thursday night Jazz Jams are always a hit.
Nasher Museum of Art
Duke’s contemporary art museum serves up provocative rotating exhibits and a stellar permanent collection, all housed in architect Rafael Viñoly’s soaring modernist building. Just a short walk from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, with free admission, it’s an easy and rewarding pop-in while on or near Duke’s campus. On exhibit now: works by Asheville-born artist Sherrill Roland; ceramics, textiles, and metalwork from the Andes region of South America; and a locally inspired painting by Durham native and former NFL player Ernie Barnes. Don’t miss the gift shop operated by Durham’s popular Parker & Otis, and coming soon, a Nasher sculpture garden.
Whistle Stop Tours
Durham’s vibrant Parrish Street—also called Black Wall Street for housing numerous Black-owned enterprises including Mechanics & Farmers Bank and the now-defunct North Carolina Mutual Insurance—comes roaring back to life thanks to Aya Shabu’s compelling storytelling. A professional dancer, performer, and tour guide, Shabu honors and elevates Durham’s Black history and heritage, offering tours of Hayti District and the West End neighborhood as well. Afterward, stop into Ella West Gallery, a Black-owned contemporary art gallery now in the heart of Black Wall Street.
Cheeni
James Beard semifinalist Preeti Waas has brought her acclaimed homestyle Indian delights—think Tamilian chicken, chili paneer, and aloo chaat with masala fries—to downtown Durham. After initially making a name for herself in Raleigh, Waas finds Durham’s diverse community and friendly vibe more Cheeni’s speed, and given its rapid rise as a top-recommended spot, that speed is swift. Check out the adjacent Bar Beej, Cheeni’s Bollywood speakeasy, for vintage-inspired cocktails.
Nanas
Last year, veteran restaurateur Matt Kelly (Mateo Bar de Tapas, Mother & Sons, Vin Rouge) re-opened and revived Durham’s beloved, and once-preeminent, fine dining restaurant Nanas. Chef Scott Howell originally put Nanas on the map, running it from 1992 to 2019, but thanks to Kelly’s savvy palate and a sophisticated dining room redesign, Nanas reclaims its go-to status for seasonal cuisine from the American South.
Delafia
This South Durham gem doesn’t just fly under the radar—there is no radar, which is exactly how owner and F&B veteran Jesse Gerstl likes it. (“Don’t write about us!” one regular implores.) Barber shop signage still prevails on the wine bar’s door, but inside, behind sexy velvet curtains, neighbors and those-in-the-know enjoy natural wines from the eclectic small-batch vineyards that Gerstl champions.
The Velvet Hippo
On a rooftop overlooking downtown Durham, the Velvet Hippo is a laid-back, funky neighborhood hangout, complete with a Dolly Parton shrine and a tree art installation that changes seasonally. The owners, two sets of sisters and their friend, couldn’t be nicer. If you’re a fan of umbrellas in your mojitos, this is your spot.
Proximity Brewing Company
As founder of Blackoberfest, Mike Potter has been a Durham brewmeister for a while, but Proximity is his first brick-and-mortar (and hopping courtyard) establishment, and Durham’s first Black-owned brewery. Specializing in collaborations with other local and North Carolina breweries, Potter shines a light on Durham’s Black heritage. To wit: the Pauli Murray-inspired “Proud Shoes” brown ale, named after the title of her memoir.
