Durham

For many, Durham and Duke University are synonymous, and with good reason. Duke's well-manicured lawns, tree-lined streets, and stately buildings are easy on the eyes and run right into Durham. With more than 20,000 employees, the university is also the biggest employer in town and is famous for its renowned medical and research facilities. Having a university of such magnitude in their backyard means that Durham's locals (and tourists alike) can attend all kinds of world-class lectures, exhibits, and sports events. This is not purely a college town, however, but also a former tobacco-company mecca now doing its best to grow into an arts-minded, urbane city. Old brick factory buildings have been slowly turned into shopping malls, theater spaces, and trendy restaurants. The coolness quotient here is nowhere near that of neighboring Chapel Hill, but Durham's lack of irony and self-consciousness is also kind of refreshing. This is a place still finding its way, and it knows it. Add Durham's long list of historic sites and museums to its ever-evolving sense of self, and you've got a city that is definitely worth exploring.