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Town in the United States
Photo: (User:Wgreaves), Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Scenic and regularly decked out in "Carolina blue", Chapel Hill is a lovely college town in North Carolina that makes up the westernmost point of the Research Triangle. The town is the smallest of the Triangle's three cities, with an influence and pull that belies its size. Based around the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the town caters heavily to the local student population, with plenty of bars and restaurants near the university's beautiful campus. Immediately to the west of Chapel Hill is the adjacent town of Carrboro, an old mill town now known for its local shops, restaurants and nightlife.
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Often considered one of the best public schools in the United States, UNC is also one of three schools that claim to be the oldest public university in the US. While it was the second public university to receive a state charter (in 1789), after the University of Georgia, it was the first public university to start classes (in 1795) and graduate students (1798). The campus is divided into three sections: North (between Franklin Street and South Road), Middle (between South Road and the UNC Hospital and Manning Drive) and South (from Manning Drive south, including the UNC Hospital). The North campus, the oldest, is quite scenic, with plenty of brick buildings and beautifully landscaped. The main quad runs north-south through the North campus and is lined with lovely academic buildings, and is home to the Old Well, a small rotunda modeled after the Temple of Love of the Palace of Versailles, and Old East, built in 1793 and the oldest building on the campus (now a highly in-demand residence hall).
The center of activity on campus is a small plaza between the bookstore, the student union, a dining hall, and a library. On school days, The Pit becomes crowded with tables for student organizations, activists and demonstrators giving speeches, or performers making use of the sunken courtyard in the middle of the space.
An impressive brick clock tower which chimes on the quarter-hour.
A beautiful garden with a wonderful vine pergola along Cameron Avenue.
Has many gravestones from throughout the history of Chapel Hill, some of which are nearly 200 years old.
A local art museum with art from all over the world, including a great Asian art collection, as well as a lot of space devoted to traveling exhibits, which have hosted some surprisingly big names in art.
Located next to the Dean Dome, this museum chronicles the history of Tar Heel basketball. Be sure to check out Michael Jordan's letter to archrival Coach K, which informed the Duke basketball coach that young Jordan would be taking his talents to rival institution UNC Chapel Hill.
One of the oldest and largest planetariums in the United States, and the first ever built on a U.S. college campus. Traditional planetarium star shows, original multimedia productions, live science demonstration shows and more. In front of the building is a large sundial surrounded by a lovely rose garden.
Inside the prominent reference library building on campus, the gallery is home to changing exhibits on the history of the university, showcasing artifacts from the library's collection.
A set of lovely display gardens, with a great native plant collection arranged to illustrate the distinct plant habitats of North Carolina, including carnivorous plants and lovely flowers and butterflies. Also has nature trails nearby.
A local park which preserves a natural wooded canyon and a small creek east of campus that makes for a lovely retreat from the town. Walking trails run along the creek at the bottom of the canyon and up the hills into the residential neighborhoods lining the park. There are also a couple of historic structures in the park.
A scenic little outdoor amphitheater that holds occasional performances.
Little-known, a small stone castle in the woods at the end of Gimghoul Road which serves as the headquarters for a college secret society.
Historic movie theater that opened in 1927 on Franklin Street and has been renovated. The two-screen theater plays second-runs of major Hollywood hits along with classic features at the low price of $3. Concessions remain reasonably priced and, much to UNC students' delight, the new ownership began serving craft beer to go along with their flicks.
On Halloween night, Chapel Hill hosts a huge street party with thousands dressing in costume and hanging out on Franklin Street. Although not an event sponsored by the Town of Chapel Hill, Franklin Street is closed to all vehicular traffic and restaurants and bars stay open late in order to accommodate the huge crowd of revelers.
Home to the national powerhouse in men's college basketball - the Tar Heels. The arena is named for basketball legend and former head coach Dean Smith but is lovingly referred to by students and residents of Chapel Hill simply as "the Dean Dome". The arena is open to the public and a must for any sports-lover. With over 100 years of basketball in Chapel Hill, six national championship banners proudly hang from the rafters, along with endless NCAA honors and retired jerseys - the stadium boasts an impressive collection, including that of Michael Jordan, a sports legend.
Tucked away amongst the pine trees near the bell tower is the home of UNC's football team, which commands an intensely loyal following locally. Each home game is a big event in town.
Though not as popular as the local basketball and football teams, the UNC baseball program is one of the most renowned in college baseball, graduating many players into the major leagues. Their stadium is a little gem of a ballpark, with red brick and green steel architecture.
The course, belonging to the University, was once named the 11th best collegiate course in the nation. Try to play during the week as prices can get fairly high on the weekends.
One of the main performance spaces at the University of North Carolina. Located in the heart of campus, the remodeled hall is home to the Carolina Performing Arts productions, visiting artists, speakers and many other events.
The residence theater company for the university, performing classic and new works.
Local indie music venue featuring regional and national artists.
Another popular local music venue.
Performances with huge, elaborate puppets.
The perfect place to have delicious burger and fries. All the food is prepared everyday to guarantee the freshness, the portions are big, and the huge basket of large fries is one of the better (and more affordable) group meals in town. The dipping sauces are fantastic; their chipotle mayo is a favorite.
A small burrito joint that's the sister location to the original in Durham. The veggie burrito is quite affordable. The restaurant often prints discount coupons in magazines such as The Independent Weekly and also has alcoholic drink specials.
A small, unassuming local place in a strip mall at the northern edge of town, The Pig has developed a local following given its great North Carolinian barbecue, which is some of the best in town.
Southern fast food at its best; a small, bare-bones drive-thru on the way into town that serves excellent biscuits (perhaps the best in Chapel Hill). Get a chicken biscuit and a cinnamon roll.
A classic lunch counter at the back of a pharmacy that has been on Franklin Street for ages, as evidenced by the photos on the walls. Serves great burgers.
A popular student eatery, this is a greasy fast food place noted for its delicious chicken cheddar biscuit. The rest of the food is rather "meh", but the biscuits are great. It's open all the time, so it's a popular stop for students after drinks.
Despite the name, this place is not a coffee shop, but a small restaurant/bar that has been a student hangout on Franklin Street longer than anyone can remember. Decent lunch/brunch offerings by day and a fairly calm, casual bar by night.
Authentic, down-home Southern cooking.
Eclectic menu: a mix of North Carolina classics, international cuisine, trendy dishes, and creative concoctions. Extensive drink menu including eighteen North Carolina beers and ciders. The focus is on vegetarian food, though there's plenty of meat on the menu as well. The staff is very comfortable with dietary restrictions, and the menu includes lots of quality vegan and gluten-free dishes. Children's menu for 12 and under.
South Indian cuisine with North Carolina influences, served in a friendly, slightly hippie-ish atmosphere. Emphasis on organic, locally grown food. Try one of the combos.
One of the nicest restaurants in town, serving seafood prepared in a variety of ways. There’s also a patio, an oyster bar and an oyster happy hour starting at 4PM.
A very popular local brewery/restaurant that is packed on Thursday and Saturday nights, with a lovely rooftop terrace overlooking the street.
Popular upscale Indian restaurant. Come on Sunday for the lunch buffet.
Delicious, healthy, and cheap frozen yogurt. They serve home-made waffle cones.
Ice cream shop out in the country with a good view of the farm where the cows are milked and the ice cream is made. Has a porch full of rocking chairs and dozens of flavors of ice cream and sorbet.
This is where Michael Jordan comes when he's in town, but you'll keep coming back for the Blue Cup. Tucked away from the street, with a nice courtyard space big enough for the regular frat parties that occur here.
A bar with a relaxed atmosphere, a good selection of beers on tap, and cheap prices, although the real attraction here is the bar food, which includes fried okra and sweet potato tater tots.
Cozy place with a good beer selection and an excellent place to play pool. The decor is rather eclectic and there's also board games, darts, and a craft box.
Off-campus coffee shop set back in the woods. If coming by foot or by bike, take the Bolin Creek Trail.
Gray Squirrel
Coffee shop serving a pared-down menu of single-origin coffees & house blends plus local pastries.
On-site pool, restaurant, meeting facilities. Pet-friendly rooms.
More often than not, this is the cheapest place to stay in Chapel Hill if you don't know anyone to crash with. Basic chain accommodations. Near a few grocery stores and stops on the D/F bus lines, although this isn't a very walkable part of town.
Has access to the pool at the (nicer) hotel next door. Free hot breakfast, clean rooms, and good wi-fi.
A hotel near the center of Carrboro, and within easy walking distance of Franklin Street and the UNC campus. Free breakfast, internet fitness center, outdoor pool, meeting space.
Free breakfast, internet, outdoor pool, pets allowed.
A conference center hotel owned by UNC's business school that offers 120 guestrooms and expansive meeting facilities.
Fitness room, outdoor pool, wi-fi, meeting space, on-site restaurant, pet-friendly.
Opened in 1924 and donated to the University of North Carolina in 1935, the Carolina Inn is the only hotel on the UNC campus. When you're in town for the big game, and not on a tight budget, this is the place to stay. It's within easy walking distance to Franklin Street and every Friday evening hosts a pleasant celebration on the front lawn with bluegrass music and drink specials which is open to the whole town. Oh, and if you plan on staying here when your son or daughter graduates from UNC, go ahead and make your reservation when they are accepted to the university.
Guestrooms are decorated with black and white pictures of historic Franklin Street. Many rooms have balconies overlooking Franklin Street.
"European-style hotel" home to Il Palio, a AAA four-diamond restaurant specializing in modern Italian cuisine with a seasonal outlook and regional ingredients.
The widest selection of UNC gear and clothing you're going to find anywhere. Immediately recognizable from the shock of Carolina blue in the windows facing the street.
An art gallery on Franklin Street. See the events page for a full list of upcoming salons.
Friendly little shop selling a variety of North Carolina handicrafts. Particularly appealing is the large selection of ceramic and wooden dishes, but offerings also include artwork, jewelry, accessories, cards, birdhouses, soap.... A great place for authentic, high-quality local souvenirs.
Bring stuff to give away and take stuff for free!
Local, independent new and used bookstore with frequent events, including local authors and musicians.
The official bookstore of UNC, where many students pick up their textbooks. Also has a large selection of UNC merchandise.
Well curated used and new bookstore.
109 East Franklin Street
Epilogue is a combination bookstore and coffee shop, with lots of radical and leftist publications, zines, and a variety of other books. The attached used bookstore Prologue has more of a sparse selection but is still worth a browse.
Great selection of new and used CDs, though a little pricey.
Vinyl and cassette-only shop in Carrboro (save a small collection of used CDs), with a great selection of collector-aimed gems.
Co-op and local hangout with indoor and outdoor seating, free wifi (courtesy of the Town of Carrboro), and a friendly atmosphere.
Saturday market is open every week, while Wednesday market is only open from Spring to Fall. The Chapel Hill Creamery sells brilliant cheese and dairy products.
By plane
The nearest commercial airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), a 20-minute drive to the east in Morrisville, just off I-40.
By train
The nearest Amtrak stop is in Durham, which is served by the New York City-Charlotte Carolinian line and the Raleigh-Charlotte Piedmont line.
By bus
Limited commuter service from Greensboro and Burlington is provided by PART (Piedmont Authority for Regional Transit) Route 4, with connections to Winston-Salem and High Point.
By bus
By bike
Chapel Hill is a great location for recreational biking, with local mountain biking trails and scenic road riding through local farmland. Commuting by bike is popular in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area.
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Raleigh/Durham · International · RDU
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