From Wikitravel

Chapel Hill [1], is located in North Carolina and makes up the western-most point of the Research Triangle, commonly known as the Triangle and not to be confused with the group of North Carolina cities known as the Piedmont Triad (Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem). It is 28 miles northwest from Raleigh, 12 miles southwest from Durham and 115 miles from Charlotte. The town was originally a small village of 1000 people consisting of mostly Scottish and English immigrants arriving in the area in the 1700s; the village took its name from the New Hope Chapel east of the settlement. The church happened to be situated on a hill. (The Carolina Inn Chapel Hill now stands where the chapel once was.) The town was founded in 1819 to support the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The town was incorporated in 1851. Its population is currently 52,440.

[edit] Understand

While the majority of North Carolina is conservative, Chapel Hill is an oasis of liberalism. Although legend says that the town became liberal when a Union general married former UNC President Swain’s daughter, Chapel Hill’s liberal politics may have something to do with the large number of state employees and university personnel living in the city. It is not uncommon to see a protest in Chapel Hill and/or on the University’s campus for various liberal causes. The traditional locus of this is the Post Office on Franklin Street. Most protests in Chapel Hill are peaceful and pose no threat to visitors that do not want to participate in them. Chapel Hill is also highly gay-friendly; it is one of the few places in North Carolina where a gay couple can register to get legal benefits from the city.

Chapel Hill government has an adversarial relationship with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro area is somewhat bike-friendly. Some roads have bike lanes or wide shoulders, and there are also several bike-only paths, however, these tend to be short and do not tend to serve as transportation routes, but rather as exercise areas.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

The nearest airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (ICAO: KRDU, IATA: RDU), [2]. 20 minutes away in Morrisville. RDU has two terminals. Terminal A services several nationwide and budget carriers such as JetBlue, Northwest and US Airlines and Terminal C services American Airlines/American Eagle and United Airlines. Both terminals have restaurants, newsstands and smaller versions of North Carolinian stores such as A Southern Season and the ACC Store. RDU also has rental car services and overnight car parking.

Despite the airport’s official name, RDU is not large. There are few places around the ticketing areas, security check areas and gates to sit, let alone do anything but sit. The sooner you can get out of RDU—either by your own personal vehicle, a rental car, a TTA bus or catching a ride with a friend—the better.

Currently Terminal C is undergoing renovations to expand its gates; this construction should end by the end of this decade if it is on time. Construction should not hamper your ability to get in and out of Terminal C.

[edit] By bus

• Triangle Transit Authority, (919) 549-9999, [3]. Routes between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill as well as Research Triangle Park and RDU. Stops are marked by signs bearing the TTA logo. Fares cost $2.50 per trip.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By bus

• Chapel Hill Transit Authority, 6900 Millhouse Road, ☎ ''+1 919'' 969-4900 (chtransit@townofchapelhill.org, fax: ''+1 919'' 969-2003), [4]. Routes go through Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the UNC campus. Buses run on weekdays and weekends but tend to be less reliable at night, on weekends and times when there is a football or men’s basketball game on the UNC campus. For those particular home games, Chapel Hill Transit buses are used for the Tar Heel Express, buses used to transport patrons to and from Kenan Stadium or Dean E. Smith Center. Other than fees used for tickets for the Tar Heel Express, Chapel Hill Transit buses are FREE.

[edit][add listing] See

• Ackland Art Museum, [5].
• Chapel Hill Museum, [6].
• The NC Botanical Garden[7] is located about 2 miles from the main stretch of Franklin Street.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Memorial Hall, [8]

• Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, [9]. The first planetarium ever built on a U.S. college campus. Traditional planetarium star shows, original multimedia productions, live science demonstration shows and more. Check out the new "Zoom In" exhibit!

• Finley Golf Course, [10]. The course, belonging to the University, was recently named the 11th best collegiate course in the nation. Try to play during the week as prices can get fairly high on the weekends.

• The Lumina Theatre, [[11]].

Kenan Stadium

Carmichael Stadium

Dean E. Smith Center

[edit] Events

• Halloween on Franklin Street. On Halloween night, Chapel Hill hosts a huge street party with thousands dressing in costume and hanging out on Franklin Street. Restaurants and bars stay open late for revelers.

[edit] Learn

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, ☎ +1 919 966-3621 (uadm@email.unc.edu). The University is considered to be one of the top public schools in the United States. UNC is also the oldest public university in the US; it was chartered in 1789, the cornerstone for the oldest building on campus, Old East (now a highly in-demand resident hall) was laid in 1793 and the school was finally opened two years later. Undergraduate and graduate programs in the General College of Arts and Sciences, journalism and business are offered along with pre-med and pre-law tracks for undergrads and medicine, law and government for grad students. Student population (including commuter students) is around 25,000 with a largely female (around 60%) population. The campus is divided into three sections: North (between Franklin and Columbia Streets and Country Club Drive [the latter two share the same road]), Middle (between Columbia Street and Country Club Drive and just before you reach Manning Drive) and South (from around Ehringhaus and Morrison dorms to US 15-501).  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit] Bookstores

The Bookshop, [12].

[edit] Music stores

CD Alley, [13].

[edit][add listing] Eat

Many restaurants in Chapel Hill are located on Franklin Street and the roads nearby Franklin Street, but some restaurants are located away from Franklin and others can be found in residential neighborhoods such as Meadowmont and Southern Village within the Chapel Hill city limits.

If you need to use a bathroom on Franklin Street, remember that most restaurants require a food purchase before using their bathroom facilities, even on nights such as Halloween and nights where Franklin Street shuts down for bonfires (i.e. if the UNC men's basketball team wins against Duke University's men's basketball team).

[edit] Budget

• Allen and Son Barbecue, 6203 Millhouse Road, +1 919 942-7576. Tu-W 10AM-5PM, Th-Sa 10AM-8PM. A popular barbecue eatery of the locals. The barbecue is pit-roasted and the peach cobbler is worth trying. Only north of Chapel Hill by a few miles.

• Cosmic Cantina, 128 East Franklin Street (at the back of a shopping center flanked by a hair salon and Johnny T-Shirt, an apparel store), +1 919 960-3955. M-Su 11AM-4AM. The second in a small chain of Mexican restaurants started on Ninth Street in Durham and now extended into New York City. The restaurant often prints discount coupons in magazines such as The Independent Weekly. The Chapel Hill Cantina has also started recently selling alcoholic drink specials.

• Hector’s, Henderson Street (in the same building as Zog’s). M-Sa 11AM-3AM. A popular late-night hangout for students; students were relieved that Hector’s was not closed forever after a dance club renovation to the East End Oyster and Martini Bar forced it out of its old location. Hector’s serves Greek-inspired food; try the burger-in-a-pita. Gets busy after 2AM.

• Pepper’s Pizza, 107 East Franklin Street, +1 919 967-7766. Despite moving from its old location to what used to be a Miami Subs after 20 years (which may have been motivated by a bad sanitary rating), Pepper’s has still retained its quirky charm. In addition to some of Pepper’s old artifacts like its old signage from its original building and the painted mannequin that reads “Please Wait to be Seated,” a mural depicting the state of North Carolina and some of the birthplaces of its musicians graces the left wall of the eatery. Pepper’s also has a wide range of pizzas from cheese and pesto pizzas to “The Regular Guy” (mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, Italian sausage, ground beef, pepperoni and ham) and “Jack Ruby” (red onions, jalapeños, bacon and andouille sausage) as well as gazpacho, salads and a large beer selection on tap and in bottles. $2-$21.

[edit] Mid-range

• Padgett Station, 401 East Main Street (in Carrboro), +1 919 929-0445, [14]. "Better than fair trade" and organic coffees, teas, a choice selection of liquor and wines, cheeses, desserts, and crumpets.

• Squid's Restaurant, Market and Oyster Bar, 1201 Fordham Boulevard, +1 919 942-8757 (e-mail squids@chapelhillrestaurantgroup.com, fax +1 919 929-0780), [15]. Su-M 5PM-9PM, Tu-Th 5PM-9:30PM, F-Sa 5PM-10PM (oyster bar open at 4PM). Restaurant serving seafood prepared in a variety of ways. There’s also a patio, an oyster bar and an oyster happy hour starting at 4PM. The restaurant has been named the Best Overall Restaurant in Chapel Hill by the Chapel Hill News and the Best Seafood Restaurant in the Triangle by The Independent Weekly. $5-$22.

• Fuse, 403 West Rosemary Street, +1 919 942-9242. Tu-Sa 6PM-10PM, late night menu until 2AM. Kobe burgers, sweet-potato fries, Asian-inspired tapas.

• Weaver Street Market, [16].

• A Southern Season, [17].

• Crook's Corner, [18]. 610 West Franklin Street. Open for Dinner Tuesday-Sunday at 5:30pm. 919-929-7643. "Sacred ground for Southern foodies." — The New York Times

[edit][add listing] Drink

• He's Not Here. This is where Michael Jordan comes when he's in town, but you'll keep coming back for the 32 oz Blue Cup.

• Top of the Hill, [19].

• Tyler's Taproom, [20] is located on West Main Street in Carrboro, and hosts a weekly pub quiz and large beer selection.

• The Cat's Cradle, [21]. (technically in Carrboro, just west of Chapel Hill). Well-known national and international acts play here regularly, along with local bands.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• Days Inn, 1312 N Fordham Blvd, +1 919 929-3090
• Best Western University Inn, Highway 54 East (Raleigh Road), [22]

[edit] Mid-Range

• Sheraton Chapel Hill, 1 Europa Drive, +1 919 968 4900, [23].

[edit] Splurge

• The Carolina Inn, 211 Pittsboro St, +1 800 962-8519, [24]. Opened in 1924, and donated to the University of North Carolina in 1935, the Carolina Inn is "a cheerful inn for visitors, a town hall for the state, and a home for returning sons and daughters of alma mater." When you're in town for the big game, and not on a tight budget, this is the place to stay. The Carolina Inn is on campus and within easy walking distance to Franklin Street. 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.
• The Siena Hotel, 1505 East Franklin St, +1 800 223-7379, [25]. A European-style hotel with luxury accommodations, large rooms and exceptional guest services. The Siena is also home to Il Palio, a AAA four-diamond restaurant where Chef Jim Anile features modern Italian cuisine with a seasonal outlook and regional ingredients.

[edit] Contact

• Joe Van Gogh, Timberlyne Shopping Center, has wireless internet access free of charge.
• Bear Rock Cafe at University Mall has wireless internet access.
• Walk into any of the libraries on campus, and use a public terminal to access the internet.
• The Town of Carrboro has free wireless; see http://www.tocwireless.net for maps and access areas.
• The Chapel Hill Public Library has wireless internet access free of charge. Bring your own laptop, unless you are a resident or wish to pay an annual library card fee. You need a library card to use the Library computers.

[edit] Get out

• Eno River State Park offers miles of hiking trails and is located a short drive from Chapel Hill in Durham.

• The Robertson Scholars Bus [26] offers non-stop rides between Morehead Planetarium and the West Campus bus stop at Duke University. Rides are technically limited to students and faculty at UNC and Duke but bus drivers do not check riders' IDs before boarding.

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