Durham photos

[pompeyjohnson]

Tour of Downtown Durham - PART IV

Back at street level:

Latin food anyone?

EJohnson/PompeyJohnson in front of the Snow Building:

An African food restaurant:

Did we exceed the speed limit?

The Edge... another entertainment venue in DT Durham:

And the loop gets completed:

West Village entrance:

The back yard for the West Village's lofts:

Tosca Restaurant:

Back to Brightleaf Square area:

[pompeyjohnson]

Tour of Downtown Durham - PART V (Ninth Street)

The following shots are taken around Ninth Street, one of the more popular areas of DT Durham. A lot of students spend their time in this area because it offers a wide variety of retail, dining and entertainment options.

George's Garage is a fine restaurant that I would strongly recommend to anyone visiting Ninth Street:

EJohnson/PompeyJohnson, let's move on... no time for wine right now

Elmo's Diner... another great place, especially if you like burgers:

A great infill, urban project. More of this is scheduled to come along Ninth Street:

One more shot before we leave Ninth Street:

[pompeyjohnson]

Tour of Downtown Durham - PART VI (Erwin Plaza/Duke Hospitals)

While Erwin Plaza is probably not a downtown location, it is nestled between Durham's two central points. Its proximity to Ninth Street makes it almost part of that district, but the on-going residential development, along with the future plans, will set this plaza apart and give it a different flavor from the rest of the area. Duke Hospitals is the area that offers a second skyline for Durham. With more mixed-use projects under way, Duke Hospitals may as well be another downtown near DT Durham. It would have been nice to have these towers built within the core of DT Durham, but their existence strengthens areas that could otherwise be suburban in nature. Naturally, this is not an entertainment district, but it does have some urban flavor to it.

Erwin Plaza... one of the nicest towers in Durham:

Erwin Plaza is actually more of a mixed-use project. The residential part is finally going up now, as you can see:

Future development area(???). You can also see a cluster of brick buildings (looks like one long building), parallel to Ninth Street, that were converted to offices, several years ago:

Entrance to cafe Verde:

Outdoors seating at Parizade Cafe, another STRONGLY recommended restaurant. Parizade Cafe, Verde and George's Garage are run by the same person: George Bakatsias, a great chef. In the waiting area you will see photos of George with celebrities, such as Arnold Schwarzeneger:

Duke Hospitals, where Durham's second "skyline" is:

Hock Tower under construction:

Some residential development:

Erwin Terrace under construction:

Hock Tower, once more:

... Hock Tower, again:

Lots of brick:

[Neo]

Wow! Thanks for the awesome photo threads! It's great to see a city that doesn't get much publicity in photos!

[Brickhead]

Fantastic pictures, Pompey. Ninth Street looks a lot like Carytown in Richmond. It's good to see all the Durhamaniacs out on the sidewalks enjoying the neighborhood. You can have that glass of wine now!

[monsoon]

[Raleigh-NC]

Does anyone have problems viewing the images? I know I do, and I am not sure why

[monsoon]

[Raleigh-NC]

Now I can see them too, but sometimes I can't

[Raleigh-NC]

Sorry, but PompeyJohnson cannot have that glass of wine, just yet, because he is not completely done with Durham images. There are more territories to cover and he has to go out there and get more photos... all right?

[monsoon]

[thumper]

Nice Photos! I enjoyed the tour of Durham.

[pompeyjohnson]

This next set of buildings fit the mid-rise category (6-9 stories) for our downtown.

1.The Southbank Building (9 stories)

http://www.pbase.com/image/25342808

http://www.pbase.com/image/25342986

2.Durham County Judicial building (7-stories)

http://www.pbase.com/image/25343087

3.The Snow Building (7-stories)

http://www.pbase.com/image/25343273

4.Self Help Building-formally First Union (7-stories) this too is a shorter box tower of the 60

[Flash]

I had to work and Durham on Friday and Saturday, so of course I drove around for a little bit and snapped some pictures of the Bull City. Nothing spectacular about these images, but I'll have to go back on a clear day and walk around.

I had to work and Durham on Friday and Saturday, so of course I drove around for a little bit and snapped some pictures of the Bull City. Nothing spectacular about these images, but I'll have to go back on a clear day and walk around.

CCB's definately Durham's lonely jewel.

Duke's dome:

Time to head back toward Raleigh:

Leaving Durham:

I'm pretty sure they updated this signage here, simplifying it to just Downtown and North Raleigh directions. Much easier to read.

Now these shots are from today, from a visit to the airport:

Random nature shots from the landscaping around the "scenic park" they've got there.

A look at the the inside of the recently completed parking deck that seemed to take forever to complete:

[Flash]

A pseudo-pan of Durham:

[Neo]

Wow! Thanks for the pictures of Durham, you just don't see much of the Durham CBD.

[monsoon]

[Flash]

Thanks you two

[Raleigh-NC]

Durham continues to change, rapidly. I know that it sounds fake to say that this is not the right time to "judge" Durham's center, but it is true. DT Durham has a long way to go before all these investments actually pay off, but it will get there. Excellent pics, Flash!!!

[Spartan]

Its always good to see Durham. Nics pics. The Durham Centre bulding is one of my all-time favorite buildings. Its just looks really good.

[Matthew]

Great photos! The North Carolina Mutual Life Building was at least ten years ahead of it's time. Welton Becket Associates did some of their best work in North Carolina.

[Fruit Cove]

i know im a year behind everyone in saying this but good pics...

[Raleigh-NC]

This is not a response about the photos, as I have already done so earlier. I only want to say that DT Durham has massive potential to become a great example of good urban activity. About 10 days ago, my wife and I went to George's Garage (Ninth Street) for dinner. Then we drove around the core, only to be pleasantly surprised by how fast venues close in. It wasn't that people were filling DT Durham, but it was amazing to see new venues slowly appearing. The pedestrian activity wasn't satisfactory, although one cannot expect much for a Sunday night, but between West Village and Erwin Square, life was more than evident. "Joe & Jo's Downtown", a cafe/bar inside the core of Durham, was packed. DT Durham has preserved a lot of its old architecture and buildings, which makes it attractive. I was never fond of DT Durham's traffic patterns, however, and I hope to see most streets be converted to 2-way streets.

[raleightransplant]

Durham is a true gem that is beginning to realize it's potential. It's unfair that it takes the "red headed stepchild" honor in the Triangle in comparison with Raleigh and Chapel Hill. It's not as big as Raleigh, or as upscale/trendy as CH, but Durham is extremely walkable, and culturally--it's just an eclectic and interesting place...I think it's the most diverse and dynamic community in the state. Full Frame documentary festival is held here, and draws people from all over, along with the American Dance Festival in the summer months.

Ninth Street is one of those places where you can while away an afternoon just enjoying urban life. Brightleaf Square is much the same way. As the CBD revitalizes(and the area around the DBAP is sprucing up nicely), I would look for this to be one of those places that really adds to the region's flavor. The restaurant scene alone points to a place that has a real identity (Magnolia Grill is by far the best restaurant in the state), and Duke's presence is a huge factor I think.

[ericurbanite]

i wish i could see the pictures.. bummer