The past couple posts were devoted to a visit to downtown Durham, N.C., which was a spontaneous idea after a doctor appointment at Duke University. I used my iPhone 12 for all the shots. The visit also was brief.
Lee Ann and I so enjoyed our meal during that trip, that we decided to return a week later, and this time, because the trip was planned, I brought along my Canon 6D DSLR camera to do some more walk-around photography. That is what this post is about.
We spent about the same amount of time doing the walk-around, largely because to go any longer probably would have pushed us into rush hour in the Triangle, and we knew from previous experience that it's no fun being on Triangle expressways in rush hour.
And yes, we returned to Bull City Burger and Brew for lunch, and are pleased to report our experience there was as enjoyable as the first.
I devoted most of my walk-around to areas I hadn't visited last week, starting with areas along Highway 147 of particular interest to me, which included the Durham Performing Art Center and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the local Triple A Minor League Basball team. I wasn't able to get optimum available light for my shoot, which would have been early morning of late afternoon. But I did my best to do with what I could.
The baseball stadium was not open for foot traffic, and portions of it were roped off while construction or remodeling work was being down, especially at the main entrance point facing Jackie Robinson Drive, which is a type of frontage road for Highway 147. But fortunately, by approaching the complex from the north and the Tobacco Road development, I had a nice elevated perspective of the field from the outfield area, beginning in left field and extending to centerfield. At that point, the high-level vantage point in rightfield was blocked off.
I didn't try to get inside the DPAC; if I'd had more time, I would have wanted to do that. But I was pleased I got the outside shots that I did.
The Tobacco Road Historic District flanks the ballpark to the northwest. The district dates to 1874 and in 2000 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is loaded with red-brick structures and multiple "Tobacco Road" or "American Tobacco" signage. An example of one appears in the photo leading off the post.
The site had once been home to the American Tobacco Company, once the largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the United States. Indeed, a large smoke stack and water tower in the middle of the development still bear the logo of Lucky Strike cigarettes.
For first-time visitors to the area, it's worth the time to stroll the district and appreciate the redevelopment, which has made this part of the downtown area aesthetically striking.
A view of the Durham Performing Arts Center (above) from Vivian Street, and a closer slice of the structure (below), with the adjacent Aloft Hotel on the right.
Above and below: Both of these shots were taken from Blackwell Street and Diamond View Park, which serves as a sort of buffer between the DPAC, Athletic Park and Tobacco Road, a building in which is seen in the above photo. In the photo below, the western side of DPAC is on the left and the Aloft Hotel is in front, extending to the right. Above: A view of the 27-story One City Center, the downtown's tallest structure (opened in 2018), from Blackwell Street and Diamond View Park. A colorful crosswalk (above) leading from the park to the Tobacco Road campus. Below, a map and tourist/visitor guide to the campus' various structures, offices and businesses. Above and below are two views of the walkway behind the large Tobacco Road building (as seem in photo higher up in the post). The second photo below shows the Lucky Strike logo on the smoke stack and water tower.
More red brick in a plaza (above), which is close to the site of the photos immediately above, and in the building below. This area also features a lot of black iron work, as illustrated below. Above and below: Last photos of the Tobacco Road development. Above shows the large red-brick building on the left and One City Center in the distance. Below is an attempt at an artful composition integrating the tree with the architecture. Above and next seven photos below are images I captured while walking the elevated sidewalk behind the outfield wall of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. I walked it from left field around to center. The one photo not of the ballfield is a building batters at home plate see behind the left field wall. Another red-brick building is in the background on the right field side for batters. Jackie Robinson Drive (above) serves as the south perimeter for the ballpark. Motorists have access to Highway 147 (below) from Jackie Robinson Drive. I had rotten luck getting a shot of the main entrance to the ballpark on this day. Construction crews were doing sundry work there (above). That left me difficult access to player jersey tributes (below) that included No. 8 for the fictional "Crash" Davis (played by Kevin Costner) in the motion picture Bull Durham.
Above: Ticket windows for the Durham Bulls games. Above: I liked the concept for the Self-Help building facade, but I don't know the story behind it. Another red-brick structure (aboveO just before the railroad tracks on my walk along Blackwell Street back toward One City Center, which I captured close up below at the intersection of Main and Corcoran streets. At Main Plaza at Parrish, Corcoran and Market streets sits this sculpture, which I'm told is named "Major." Above: I'm not positive, but I believe this building is the Durham Hotel on Chapel Hill Street. A short jog from the hotel is the slice of Chapel Hill Street shown below. Above: I was really struck by this church building on Cleveland Street. I was a bit puzzled by the three parked fire engines out in front, though. There was no discernible fire or smoke to be seen. Above: In the previous post of the downtown area, I had some closeups of the main library building. This is the same building from a distance, using the road to it as a leading line. At the corner of Parrish and Magnum streets is this slice of shops (above). Just before this scene is a modest park and rest area, where the swings and installation art (two photos immediately below) can be found. This is less than a half a block from Bull City Burger and Brew.
Above: Dos Perros is just across the street from the park shown above. In my previous post on downtown Durham, I showed you one side of the very modern City Hall building. This is the opposite side, fronting Magnum Street, which actually appears to be the front. I close (below) with a bicycle secured to a pipe on East Parrish Street.
