A Southern Season
Coming up for air.
We’ve been in North Carolina for just over a week now and if you’ve ever moved, you know the drill: always a new box to unpack, endless tasks and errands, and just hitting the local Target can be a serious navigational challenge. But we’re almost there.
On the Road
The move went as smoothly as could be expected. But here’s some advice if you ever plan to tow a car behind a moving truck: Never, ever go in reverse. For any reason. Just take the car off the hitch. Each time we pulled off the interstate, I had to make sure that I could successfully exit each parking lot without going backwards. For example, I pull into a motel parking lot and wind around the side, assuming the lot wrapped around the building. I reach the back of the building (after a long day’s drive and surviving Atlanta traffic) only to realize that my only way out is to back up. But once I start cutting the wheel, the towed car goes in the opposite direction. After an hour of repeated attempts, a more automotively inclined individual offers his assistance. “Done this plenty of times,” he says. No dice. A NASCAR fan joins us and now there is a crowd of people watching. I don’t think I have ever cursed more in a single evening than I did that night. Soon the car is is dragged over the curb into the grass and getting precariously close to dropping over a small muddy cliff into the Wal-Mart parking lot below. Finally, logic prevails. We simply take the car off the hitch. It took all of 10 minutes. But again, despite some minor snafus, we made it to Tobacco Road without a problem.
First thoughts on Chapel Hill
Trees. Lots of ‘em. You could be next to seven shopping centers, a mall, and two subdivisions and not realize it. Which is good and bad. Overall, it is quite pleasant. Of course, when you’re trying to learn where everything is 
located, this can be challenging when a dense layer of pine trees surround just about everything. I’m getting lost a lot.
We live just at the bottom of Franklin Street, which takes you up the hill (turns out they really did name the town after a big hill, go figure). Once you’re away from the immediate university area and Carrboro (more on Carrboro later) Chapel Hill feels less like a college town and more like an upscale, wooded resort community. Lots of unassuming, but architecturally-considered office centers. A yoga facility can often be found nestled in such developments.
Totally bangin’ grocery scene. We have within walking distance: Whole Foods, [url=http://www.southernseason.com/store.asp]A Southern Season[/url] (this has to be seen to be believed), [url=http://www.earthfare.com/]Earth Fare[/url] (Whole Foods light), 
and a pretty decent local chain called Harris Teeter. We also gots a Biscuitville nearby. Holla youngin’.
The bubble. Chapel Hill is to North Carolina what Austin is to Texas. No surprise here. The official car is a Subaru Outback, the official bumper sticker is Kerry/Edwards (strangely, you don’t see any anti-W stickers, just pro-Kerry stickers), and official radio station is the NPR affiliate. Get out on I-40 and 
you remember that this is unusual as each vehicle that passes has a “Support the Troops” ribbon and I even spotted a few billboards that read “North Carolina, the Most Military-Friendly State in America.”
I’ll throw down the gauntlet, progressives: Billboards are banned from Chapel Hill. The bus system is totally free and really good. Soon this town can boast of an extensive network–28 miles in all–of greenways.
Carrboro is a separate township adjacent to the university. This “town” (it’s basically like eight square blocks) was once a milltown located next to a railroad spur. Carrboro is known for the Cat’s Cradle (our first show will be, appropriately enough, Superchunk), Weaver Street Market, a super strong weekend Farmer’s Market, among other pedestrian-friendly offerings.
Southern Village. I think this is the first major New Urbanist development that I’ve seen that delivers on all of its promises. It is a pretty simple formula: neo-traditional (ugh) houses, condos, and apartments sensibly arranged around a “village green” lined with shops, markets, restaurants, and an art deco-ish theatre. Our first visit was last Friday evening. We saw “War of the Worlds.” After the movie, the sidewalks were teeming with people–mostly teenagers. A free movie had been screened on the green and people were enjoying pizza and gelato. On Sunday, we went to a Go Lance party at Southern Village and the residents we spoke to confirmed that it really is a special place–people really do walk to the market, talk to strangers, and kids safely ride their bike in the street. This is the real deal and not a potemkin village.
Kinda liking this hot, humid, languid Southern pace. Anybody for some sweet tea?
Duke sucks.
July 26th, 2005
