Fast Company - The Smoffice

"The prize must've seemed irresistible: free office space (plus Wi-Fi and a nearby condo) for six months to help one lucky startup open shop in the entrepreneurial Promised Land of downtown Durham, North Carolina. One catch: At just about 30 square feet, it's by all conventional measures the world's smallest office...the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Durham, Inc., unveiled the winners of the Smoffice, short for, you know, a really small office: The Makery, a flash-sales site created by three sisters who grew up in Durham. The announcement ended a month-long competition to lure entrepreneurs as part of Durham’s proudly oddball push to expand its startup culture."

- What the World's Smallest Office Says About Durham's Bigg Innovation Ambitions, Fast Company

Fast Company - Durham, NC

"Cigarettes and technology startups have at least one thing in common: Durham, North Carolina. One hundred fifty years ago, Durham-based entrepreneurs Washington Duke and W.T. Blackwell battled for tobacco sovereignty...Today, Durham’s innovation scene is kindled by tech giants like IBM, Lenovo, and about 140 other companies with stakes in the ground at the 7,000-acre Research Triangle Park...Though Big Tobacco’s heyday has come and gone, Durham, you could say, is still smoking."

- For Lexus, Acura, And Airbnb, The Center Of The Mobile Galaxy Is Durham, NC, Fast Company

LA Times - Carolina Chocolate Drops

"The Durham, N.C.-birthed Chocolate Drops schooled a packed hall with such context, offered the ins and outs of pre-World War II country blues, old-time fiddle music, waltzes and minstrel songs via the music of, among others, Hobart Smith, Charlie Poole and “Bogus Ben” Covington. Along the way, the group illustrated the complicated, remarkable history that ultimately gave birth to the blues, country, rock ’n’ roll and virtually every variation that followed, from hip-hop to black metal."

- Live: Carolina Chocolate Drops at Royce Hall, LA Times

USA Today - Foster's Market

"Foster's Market, Durham, N.C. - When [Susan Russo , author of The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches] lived in North Carolina, this was one of her weekend haunts. 'If you've never had a bacon and avocado, you're in for a treat,' she says. 'It's a really simple sandwich, elevated to something special. There's so much contrast going on between the salty bacon and the cool, creamy avocado.'"


- 10 great places to bite into a surprising sandwich, USA Today

Sports Illustrated - Duke vs UNC

"Eight miles and two shades of blue separate rivals who can deliver anything, be it a brawl (Art Heyman and Larry Brown in 1961) or eight points in 17 seconds (Carolina's, to force overtime in a 1974 victory). From Walter Davis and Bobby Jones to Gene Banks and Austin Rivers, the stars shine; but so do bit players like Duke's Fred Lind, who after scoring 12 points all year delivered 16 in an 87--86 triple-OT win in 1968. And to think the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils have never met in NCAA tournament play."

- Oh, The Places You Can Go, Sports Illustrated

American Rivers - Green Roofs in Durham, NC

"A concentration of green roofs in the urban core of Durham would have many benefits for building owners, the environment, and the community...American Rivers has partnered with Downtown Durham, Inc. to make this thought a reality...business leaders are excited to partner with the city to create a more sustainable city. Durham has an opportunity and a need to be the leader in green infrastructure in North Carolina."

- A Vision of Green Roofs in Durham, NC, American Rivers

GUYOT - Nana's

"Southern gourmands cross state lines for chef Scott Howell's elevated Mediterranean stylings, which incorporate North Carolina delicacies like striped bass and coastal white shrimp."

- 2012 Top 10 Insider Picks in the U.S., GUYOT