It’s no shimmer wall, but it’ll do

I had Raleigh’s new shimmer wall on the brain when I walked past the Durham Performing Arts Center last week. The shimmer wall adorns the side of Raleigh’s new convention center, providing an artistic splash on the wall that covers the center’s air conditioning system. So, when I passed Durham’s new arts center last week, I was initially disappointed to see that the side of the center facing the American Tobacco complex was concrete and vacant.

I was prepared to suggest that the city (which funding the $44 million arts center) sponsor a mural contest, encouraging local artists to submit their designs, with the winning one being selected to cover the blah wall. But I contacted city spokeswoman Amy Blalock first to make sure the city wasn’t ahead of me, and it looks like the city already has a plan to hide the concrete. Here’s her e-mail response:

According to Alan (DeLisle, assistant city manager with the Office of Economic & Workforce Development) the South and West sides of the deck will be covered with long banners from the Broadway plays until the development occurs around the deck.  Eventually, the deck will be wrapped with development and you won’t be able to see the concrete.  In the meantime, the banners will cover the concrete.

I’m also excited about the Broadway shows that will be appearing at the Durham Performing Arts Center during it’s debut season. Among them are Rent, The Color Purple and Legally Blonde. The city’s huge downtown investment in this project is about to take off.

And while there are some naysayers who didn’t support the city’s decision to invest so many tax dollars into this project, now that the center is nearly complete, it would be lovely if Triangle folks would come together and support yet another Durham leap into the arts.

Fireworks raincheck at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park

I celebrated Independence Day twice this year. On Friday, I saw fireworks blast off a barge floating on Skull Creek during my Hilton Head Island trip. Then, upon returning to the Triangle Sunday, I found out that a wicked storm crashed the fireworks at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

So I found myself watching the Durham fireworks Monday night at the ballpark. Of course, it wasn’t as cool as if I had been there on the Fourth to see Kevin Costner perform in honor of the 20th anniversary of Bull Durham. Still, it was exhilarating to watch the fireworks shoot up from a trailer parked in center field of the ballpark.

There weren’t a lot of people at the DBAP for Monday’s raincheck display. I guess parents didn’t feel like dragging their children out so late on a Monday night. Here’s what you missed:

Apparently, Friday night’s storm was so violent that it knocked out power to the ballpark, prompting officials to make arrangements to install emergency lighting, according to The News & Observer.

Spending the Fourth of July on an island

I’ll be in South Carolina for Independence Day. It will be my first trip back since moving to Raleigh last year, so I’m jazzed to see old friends, spend some much needed time on the beach and hopefully get some golf in.

Here’s a picture of an enthusiastic family who attended last year’s Independence Day on Hilton Head Island (photo credit goes to my friend and former colleague Jay Karr).

On Hilton Head, most folks head to the famous 18th hole at Harbor Town to watch the fireworks. That’s probably where I’ll be tomorrow night.

In the mean time, I hope you all have some fun plans for the weekend. If you’re sticking around the Triangle, check out this list of local events or just plan to go to the Festival for the Eno in Durham. Durham blogger Steve has some pics of the festival set up and some other scenic spots from West Point on the Eno, where the festival is held.

If you know of any other events you think folks in the Triangle should check out, please post them below.

Be safe and have fun!!

A tour of the Durham food blog scene

If you’re looking for some restaurants to try out, your best bet might be to explore the Durham food blog scene. Every time I catch up on these in my reader, I’m always left hungry and eager to head over to the Bull City for a meal.

On the Carpe Durham blog, you can see mouth-watering inspiring photos of the scallion pancake, beef congee and the spicy dry bean curd with shredded pork ordered off the “secret menu” at China Palace, aka Magic Palace.

On Delicious Durham, you can find out whether the famous Nana’s really lives up to its reputation. You can also find out how to put local peaches to tasty use by following Kelly’s peach crisp recipe or find out how you can blend your own peanut sauce to pour over stewed collards or as a standard satay sauce.

Over at Eat at Joe’s! you can vote on the best place to grab a burger in Durham. Or save the Google map he created highlighting the “Ethnic Grocery Trail.”

But wait, there’s more.

The Newlyfeds, a Durham couple with a passion for cooking who explore Durham’s dining scene, explain why you just have to go to Chubby’s Tacos on Ninth Street.

Another Durham couple reviews two downtown establishments, the newly-opened Five Points Cafe and Rue Cler on their blog: CookingEatingDurham.

And you must check out Lenore’s blog called Eclectic Glob of Tangential Verbosity. It’s not a straight food blog, but as an epicurean, you can always count on Lenore to post beautiful pictures and descriptions of her frequent dinners out (all these photos are courtesy of Lenore’s Flickr). Here’s a sample from her latest post on Serena Restaurant and Bar:

I ordered the gnocci, which I’d been looking forward to after examining their menu on-line about a week ago. It had applewood smoked bacon, dried cherries, loads of garlic, spinach, a thin slice of parmesan and potato gnocci pasta. It came with a piece of garlic bread. It sounds perfect, right?

Find out if the gnocci was a delicious as it sounds.

I’m sure there are several other Durham & Triangle-area food blogs, if you know of some that I’ve left out, please clue me in.

I’ve got the warehouse blues, and you can too

I visited my old home in Durham Friday to watch a free blues concert at the West Village, which occupies the former Liggett & Myers campus. About 50 people plopped down on blankets and chairs between two renovated tobacco warehouses to hear Tad Walters and Book Hanks perform for the Warehouse Blues Series.

I used to live in a loft overlooking that courtyard. On Friday nights, I would hoist open my warehouse-sized windows and listen to the live music drift in while I cooked dinner. Then I would head downstairs with a glass of wine and mingle with neighbors, friends and city officials (the concerts are sponsored by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation).

But that was three years ago. I thought for sure that the concert series would have either been trimmed out of the city budget or that so many people would have caught on that it would have lost its intimate vibe.

I was surprised Friday to see that wasn’t the case.

The only thing that changed was the positioning of band. Everything else was still the same. Still a good mix of West Village residents, city staff and families. Still wonderful live music. And still free.

The series runs until mid-August. Check out the line-up here.

Celebrating biodiesel production in Durham

The chain link fence lined with barbed wire doesn’t exactly make Durham’s Green Oil Campus look like the most welcoming location. But drive through the gate, and you’ll meet some of the most friendly, passionate environmental advocates around. I visited the campus Friday because Carolina Biodiesel, one of the many organizations operating behind the fence, was celebrating a recent upgrade that will allow the organization to produce commercial quantities of biofuel (they’ll start by producing about 1,000 gallons a week, but will eventually make up to 3,000 a week).

Several other organizations are also housed on the Green Oil Campus, including Greenway Transit’s pedicab and biobus and limo rental service. Here’s some more info about the campus:

Other enterprises based at the site include sister organization Forests of the World - a fair trade company, My Taller — a Hispanic mechanics shop, and YIKES! a new non-profit youth organization. The Green Oil Campus, as the Durham headquarters location is called, was born when Carolina Biodiesel leased the old Exxon-Mobil/Standard Oil Fuel Depot on Angiers Avenue a year ago from Orange Recycling, a local commercial recycler running its fleet on biodiesel. The site has since then been in a process of conversion from an unsustainable, polluting paradigm into a pioneering biofuels distribution point and a community center for environmental education.

The campus also features a large warehouse space that will be turned into “The EcoLounge,” where organizers hope to have semi-regular Friday night “enviro-edutainment events” and Saturday afternoon workshops.

The campus is located in Northeast Central Durham, an economically challenged neighborhood, and the folks who work there are trying to build relationships within the community.

Neighborhood children are encouraged to pop over and say hello and can often be spotted shooting hoops in the campus’ driveway.

If you ever have a chance to pop over to the campus, definitely take advantage of it.

Paddling away on a sunny day

I think I have more paddle boating experience than most people my age. Growing up, my best friend Kelly and I would paddle around her parent’s small pond in their yellow paddle boat. My dorm at Southern Illinois University was just a few feet away from the campus lake, where paddle boats and kayaks provided ample distractions on warm days.

So I was thrilled when one of my friends suggested we spend Memorial Day on a paddle boat. We rented one from Lake Johnson in Raleigh for $7 an hour then pedaled the next three hours away. We saw a giant snake, a heron and many young couples snuggling along the shore (*gag*).

There are several public lakes in Raleigh and Durham where you can rent boats. It’s definitely worth checking out, especially since these lakes are likely subsidized by local taxes.

I’m also big on swimming holes. I’ve heard there are some good ones around here, especially along the Eno River. If you know of any that are worth checking out, please fill me in. Also, let me know if there are other cool local spots where you can rent boats.

Durham’s future is so bright …

You have to wear shades.

  Bonus points for anyone who correctly guesses who this is. (Toastie & Kevin don’t get to guess though since they were around when this photo was snapped).Seriously, if you live in the Triangle and haven’t checked out the American Tobacco complex lately, you’re totally missing out. I’d suggest heading over there on Thursdays this summer for the music on the lawn series. Check out the schedule first and bring a blanket and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have fun.

My favorite hideout is Durham’s abandoned urban garden

I found this secret garden hidden in downtown Durham a few years ago. It’s on the roof of the Durham Centre parking garage across from the Carolina Theatre. Head to the top of the parking deck and you’ll see a warped boardwalk winding in a labyrinth-like pattern covered in overgrown brush.

It’s a cool spot to eat your lunch, have some coffee or watch theater-goers file in and out of the Carolina Theatre. The garden is on the spot where developer Franklin Wittenberg once envisioned building another glass tower filled with luxury condominiums. I’ve been out of the Durham development loop for some time, so I’m not sure where that project stands, but my guess is it was abandoned long ago.

Anyone know more about what’s going on with Durham Centre? Are there any hidden gardens or spots you take a timeout in?

I’ll be live blogging Durham election results tonight

I’ll be live blogging from the Durham County Courthouse starting at approximately 6:45 p.m. tonight. That’s where candidates for Durham’s public offices traditionally gather to watch the returns come in.

So picture this. In the meeting room, many of the candidates stand around and wait for the returns to be streamed onto a screen. Soon it becomes apparent who has won and who has lost, so the winning and losing candidates are often finding out their fate while standing beside each other. It’s an interesting dynamic.

So hopefully the candidates for Durham County Commission, District Attorney and School Board will be gathered there and I’ll be able to tell you about their interactions through the live blog.  You’ll also be able to pose questions or post comments on the blog.

So check it out tonight, starting around 7 p.m. at MyNC.com