| | Chapel Hill Overview Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), the oldest state-supported university in the U.S. The population was 48,715 at the 2000 census; its population was listed at 54,492 in the Census Bureau's 2007 estimates.[4] Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh make up the three corners of the Research Triangle, so named in 1959 with the creation of Research Triangle Park, a research park between Durham and Raleigh. The town also shares with Carrboro a vibrant music scene. Cat's Cradle in Carrboro is often rated as[who?] one of the best clubs in the country for live music, and Local 506 and other Chapel Hill bars (such as the Cave, and Reservoir) often host local, national, and international acts in all genres. The Archers of Loaf, Squirrel Nut Zippers, James Taylor, George Hamilton IV, Shakin' Sherman and The Sheetrockers, Southern Culture on the Skids, Superchunk, Polvo and Ben Folds Five are among the notable musical acts whose careers began in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has also been a center for the modern revival of old-time music with such bands as the Hollow Rock String band, the Tug Creek Ramblers, the Two Dollar Pistols, the Fuzzy Mountain String band, Big Fat Gap and the Red Clay Ramblers.[8] Chapel Hill was also the founding home of now defunct indie label Mammoth Records, as well as now Durham-based Merge Records. Bruce Springsteen has also made a point to visit the town on several tours. His most recent appearance was on September 14, 2003, at Kenan Memorial Stadium with the E Street Band, marking his fourth appearance overall. U2 also performed at Kenan on the first American date of their 1983 War Tour, where Bono famously climbed up to the top of the stage, during pouring rain and lightning, holding up a white flag for peace. Hailed as "America's Foodiest Small Town" by Bon Appétit Magazine [1], Chapel Hill is rapidly becoming somewhat of a hot spot for pop American cuisine – which is likely due to the college town's entrepreneur-friendly business environment, thriving small farms in the area, and national media attention surrounding a few local culinary notables, like A Southern Season, Foster’s Market (Martha Stewart’s Living), Mama Dip's, Breadmens, Crook's Corner, Caffé Driade (Food Network’s “$40 A Day With Rachael Ray”), and The Lantern Restaurant (Food & Wine Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, etc.) Chapel Hill and Carrboro offer many independently owned bars and coffee shops, such as Joe Van Gogh (formerly known as Cup A Joe), Franklin Sweets (formerly Amelia @ Chapel Hill), Jack Sprat Cafe, Open Eye Cafe, 3 Cups, and Caffe Driade. Hotel Deals in Chapel Hill |
