A farmers market close to home

In Durham we do not suffer from a lack of choices when it comes to farmers markets. In addition to the downtown Durham Farmers Market, a year-around affair that remains one of the most active and vibrant markets in the region, a new South Durham Farmers Market has recently opened at Greenwood Commons Community Shopping Center. And of course there is LoMo, a new mobile farmers market,which sells local produce every Thursday in Trinity Park, only a short walk from our neighborhood.

But did you know that another thriving, although a bit under the radar, farmers market is only a short distance away from the neighborhood?

I am talking about the Duke Farmer's Market, which is open every Friday until July 27 and every other Friday from Aug. 10 to Sept. 24.

The market is located off Erwin Road, on West Campus of Duke, between the Nanaline H. Duke and Bryan Research buildings (see the map below). It is easily accessible by foot from most points within Old West Durham and features a wide assortment of local farmers and vendors. The weekly schedule, embedded after the break, shows several cooking and gardening demonstrations and events throughout the year.

One of the reasons I have not been an active participant in the Durham farmers market scene is the fact that I did not want to drive and park to get my groceries. It just felt odd to have to drive to a market when I could simply walk to a neighborhood grocery store (Whole Foods) and buy similar products at a comparable price.

Now, however, with LoMo and Duke's Farmer's Market both within an easy 5-10 minute walk, I am hopeful that I would be a much more active participant in the local food scene.

Durham County Home Sales on the upswing

Last month's Triangle MLS report shows that a very promising upward trend in the home sales in Durham County. According to the report (embedded after the break), April saw double-digit increases in closings and a slight increase in new listings compared to the same time in 2011. While we are by no means back to normal, it looks like the Durham County is starting to come back from the deep crisis it had experienced in the past couple of years.

In other encouraging news, the percentage of original price received has gone up while the days on the market have gone down. From a pricing standpoint, however, the median sales price continues to fall, which is probably what is driving some of the upswing.

How to revitalize cities without waterfronts

The Atlantic Cities blog has a great article on ways landlocked towns can use existing railroad infrastructure to spur revitalization in much the same way their waterfront cousins  use access to water as a way to bring vitality to a neighborhood. The case in point is the landlocked city of Birmingham, Alabama, with its great network of rail yards and proximity to a large research institution (University of Alabama).

There are clear parallels between Birmingham and Durham, both in terms of the existing railroad infrastructure, the re-purposing of the old manufacturing base and investing in university-city relationship to spur growth. It is a great read.

Work Begins on Redevelopment of Loehmann's Plaza

Today's Herald Sun reports that the long suffering Loehmann's Plaza, a dilapidated (and 2/3 empty) shopping center bordering the northern side of our neighborhood is about to get a major boot from a partnership between Duke Medicine and Glenwood Development, a Huntersville-based developer which owns the shopping center.

The new development, dubbed Croasdaile Commons, is slated to feature 67,000 square feet of space for the new Duke Medicne Center, in addition to 17,258 square feet of retail, service, and restraint space and
11,000 square foot pharmacy. Despite significant upgrades to the existing retail space, most of the current businesses, including a neighborhood staple Papas Girlle, are expected to remain.

The new development will be located across the street from the newly constructed 248 units of multifamily Clairmont Apartments.

For additional details, please read the Herald Sun article reprinted after the break.

Bike to Work Week events in the neighborhood

May is the National Bike Month and the upcoming week the City, DPAC, and Duke University are partnering to launch a Bike-to-Work week to encourage more people to consider riding their bikes to work. Several events are planned around town, including one in our own backyard - a free Mad Biker's Breakfast on Thursday, May 17 at Mad Hatters Cafe, with free bike check-ups provided by another Ninth Street business, Tip-Top Cycles.

Other events around town include a cyclist social downtown at Bull McCabe's in downtown (with free bike check-ups courtesy of Seven Star Cycles), a Bike Commute Coffee Club at Loaf Bakery, and multiple other events in RTP.

Whether your choose to participate next week or not, there are an number of great resources available to bike commuters, including a handy map of Durham trails, the bike-commuter benefits offered to all Duke University employees, and a comprehensive list of all things bike on the blog of another Ninth Street business - Durham Cycles.

For more information about all bike related events head over to the GoTriangle website or (for Durham specific events) read on after the break.

Trade-in your old gas mower for an electric model!

The Durham News reports that the County/City Sustainability Office has partnered with Black & Decker to host "Get Your Grass Off Gas" events from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on May 12 and 19.

At both events, residents can trade-in their old gas-powered lawn equipment for all-electric models at discounts ranging from 13% to 50% of the retail value (depending on the model). The old mowers will be recycled.

The event will help save people money and reduce green-house pollution at the same time. The list of equipment that can be traded includes lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, string trimmers, edgers, loppers and blower-vacuums.

**Please note that you should drain your equipment of all fluids in order for it to be accepted as a trade-in.

Because supplies are limited, residents are encouraged to preregister online or call 919-560-7999. For more information, please see the event website

The May 12 event will take place at Durham County Stadium


The May 19 event will be held at Jordan High School.        
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New Tai Chi Class in the Neighborhood

 *This is a guest post, authored by Tom Petersen*


Have you ever wanted to learn Tai Chi?

Maybe you've seen people practicing the slow, graceful movements in a local park or at the Farmer's Market. Perhaps you've read a newspaper or a magazine article that talked about the many health benefits of Tai Chi, or, it might be that you're looking for a relaxed, easy way to get some exercise and get away from the pressures of modern life. Well, here's your chance!

Our neighborhood is home to two Tai Chi instructors, Tom Petersen and Nancy Wallace.
They are certified as beginning instructors by the Taoist Tai Chi Society®, and they
will be starting new beginning classes beginning this Monday, May 14. Nancy's classes
meet at 9:30 on Monday and Wednesday mornings on the campus of the Eno RiverUnitarian Universalist Fellowship on Garrett Road, and Tom's classes meet on Mondays
and Thursdays at 5:45 p.m. at the Duke Episcopal Center, on Alexander Drive in Duke's
central campus.

Taoist Tai Chi is taught as a 108-move set, and is based on the traditional Yang style of
Tai Chi. It takes a new student three to four months to learn the basic moves, after which
the student can move at his own pace to a continuing class, also offered by Taoist Tai Chi
Society® instructors, for more advanced and individualized instruction.

The Taoist Tai Chi Society® was founded in Toronto, Canada by Master Moy Lin-shin
in 1971. Today, the society has branches in 28 countries, including the United States.
In North Carolina, classes are offered in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough,
Banner Elk, and Morehead City. The society is a nonprofit, charitable organization
dedicated to promoting the health benefits of Tai Chi and making them available to all,
and all instructors are volunteers.

Interested? You can learn more by visiting the local society's website. It also has links to the society's
national and international websites. Better still, come to one of the introductory classes
next Monday or Thursday. Tom and Nancy would like to see you there!

For details, read more after the break. 

Magnolia Grill to close by the end of May

In some very said news today, the WRAL reports that the owners of the Magnolia Grill, arguably the best and most well-known high-end Durham restaurant, have announced  that they will close their doors at the end of May. Magnolia Grill has been a true beacon of culinary excellence not just in this neighborhood or  the city of Durham, but nationally as well. It is not clear from the article what will happen to their current space, but I hope someone else will take the reins and reinvent this iconic location so that it continues to add vibrancy to our area.

This is a big loss for our neighborhood and  the City but, after 25 years, all things must end at some point, I suppose. The WRAL article, which provides additional context is reprinted after the break.

Happy International Labor Day

For the history of May 1 and how it faded from significance in the U.S., read an excellent New York Times dispatch here.