American Tobacco Historic District

 

North Carolina was not so long ago a place where the main crop was tobacco. Durham was totally part of this adventure. Most of the downtown was occupied by some large cigarette factories.
Of course, tobacco being not so trendy as before, the factories have closed leaving huge empty warehouses all across downtown.
Downtown Durham became a place where it was not so good to hang around after dark.
Things are changing as you can see in the picture. Warehouses have been rehabilitated and transformed into lofts, office spaces and restaurants. The downtown is getting revitalized thanks to some investors and the city council who believe in the future the Bull City. They are now protected and part of the American Tobacco Historic District.

 

Here you can see the old Lucky Strike factory totally rehabilitated. There are several restaurants, some office spaces, several art galleries and of course, some trendy lofts. It is a cool place. In the summer, not only you can hang around on the lawn but you can also listen to some music and attend all kinds of cultural events.