Durham is a city where people show up for each other. Excellent diversity and culture, Durham fosters the arts, small businesses, unique neighborhoods, amazing music, and award winning food. Durham still carries an outdated reputation. What people often miss is how much it’s grown in terms of the variety of restaurants, artistic venues, small businesses, family culture and remowed universities and medical facilities. Most people who say it’s unsafe haven’t spent real time here. Durham is getting national recognition for livability and has one of the strongest arts/food scenes in the South (Durham Performing Arts Center’s national rankings alone are wild). Durham is like Portland before Portland knew it was cool. Arts + culture first as the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is consistently ranked among the top theaters in the country, something most mid-sized cities don’t have. The food scene punch above its-weight with Independent restaurants, chef-driven spots, and a strong local dining culture. To nention local business love: Farmers markets, maker spaces, record shops, bookstores, coffee roasters …Durham really shows up for its own. Bikeable and walkable pockets are Downtown, American Tobacco Campus, Central Park, Geer Street corridor with the same “urban village” feel people love in Portland neighborhoods. It’s progressive abd creative without trying too hard as in not performative. It’s just baked in. Access to nature with the Eno River trails is secind to none.

Durham is relatively safe, it’s an interesting place. Activities that happen in areas that you don’t wanna be in don’t spread outside of very specific lines. It’s not somewhere I’m ever worried about getting my bag stolen from my person, of course anywhere you go you should be aware of your surroundings but I would say in Durham I feel very safe.

Contrary to what the news say, Durham is a very relaxed place. There's not a lot to do here, but I wouldn't worry about walking around by yourself or at night. The only places that are really walkable is Downtown, but there are plenty of restaurants worth checking out.

durham isn’t too safe if you plan on traveling there. it’s a pretty high crime city in NC compared to other cities here in NC. as someone living in NC i would recommend charlotte as a better option or if you plan on staying in raleigh, then the downtown area is pretty nice. durham isn’t the way to go