Is Durham Cool?

The question does not tail me or tag at me too often since starting this website but lately, very close friends of mine have raised this question with me.  Mostly friends who have plans to move on to bigger cities with an urban appeal on longer tenures in the cool zone.

I have thought about Durham Coolness more often lately since I am closing in on 21 years in this tree-friendly city.

What makes a city or urban area cool? Kind of a silly question, we realize.    One may quickly bring to mind a city like Austin or distinct neighborhoods in NYC, Boston, LA, D.C.     So many of us have come to Durham from other, larger urban areas.  What is cool to us is the smaller size of downtown Durham compared to even other cities in NC.   Accessibility to big city culture in walkable city blocks.  The deep history of Durham is interesting, but is it cool?

Most of us realize coolness cannot be imposed on a place.  Coolness must arrive naturally.   When I chose the title Durham Cool it was well before all the private money came in.   Durham had incredible bones as anyone who was here before the high rise apartment complexes came, can attest.   When I chose the title Durham was cool and so many newcomers would say it is even more so today.

You tell me, is Durham CoolHow do you define cool?   Is Cocoa Cinnamon on a Saturday or Joe Van Gogh on a Tuesday afternoon in September?   Could it be Federal, dining outside on a Saturday night or Satisfaction for a pizza with friends after a Bulls game?     What about running into your Duke colleague at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday?  Yoga at Patanjali’s Yoga Studio any day of the week?

You tell me is Durham Cool for you and if so please share in the comments below this article.  Don’t be shy like every other time.   This is your moment to express just how cool it is or is not.   Happy Dualism everybody!