Citizen's Journal

Stories featured in the Citizen Journal pages are from local residents in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough... the communities of Orange County, North Carolina. Read these stories and learn why our residents love the area, and what they appreciate most about its beauty. Please enjoy the favorite experiences of some of our citizens.

For citizens interested in submitting a story, contact info@visitchapelhill.org.

Carrboro: The Perfect Place to Spend a Day

November 14 2008 by Jesse Kalisher

Helen and I fell in love with Carrboro the first time we sat on the lawn at Weaver Street, listened to music and watched everyone dance.

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Chapel Hill Memories

November 14 2008 by Patty Griffin

I knew I wanted to go to Carolina at the age of ten. Like many, my first connection to UNC was Dean Smith’s Basketball Tar Heels. My favorite player was George Karl. I always liked the way he played. He hustled, always diving for loose balls…knocking drinks over on the scorer’s table.

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What I Love About Orange County

November 14 2008 by Dale Chodorow

I discovered Chapel Hill in the late 1960s when I came down here to UNC for graduate school in journalism. It was so green and quaint and accessible. It didn’t have the ethnic diversity of Buffalo or Pittsburgh where I grew up and went to college, but it was just pleasant living here. After marrying a Chapel Hillian and earning my master’s degree, she and I went off to develop our careers in New York City and Indianapolis.

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Local Dining Decisions in Chapel Hill/Orange County

November 05 2008 by Laurie Paolicelli

With so many things to do and experience, living in Chapel Hill/Orange County is a pleasant burden for those of who are blessed to live here. And we are happy to be able to share this burden with visitors for a while.

On one street – Franklin – there are enough world-class meals to satisfy everyone in the world. For first-class pan-Asian cuisine try The Lantern, which also happens to have one of the best bars you’ll ever grace with your presence. Across the street is Elaine’s, nouveau cuisine where the chef is justly proud of his wild game. The now famous Bill Smith is the mainstay of Crooks Corner: if you don’t go there you really haven’t been here at all. Tucked away in the Courtyard is the elegant Bon Soiree which, as you may have guessed by the name, serves the best French food this side of the Seine. And for Italian food Il Palio is a must. We mean it: a must. And of course the perennial classic: the Carolina Inn, a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Enough said.

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Chapel Hill: Heaven on Earth

March 07 2008 by Whitney Draper

I cannot think of a better place to call home then Chapel Hill. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved this town for its acceptance, unity, and its love for the Carolina Tar Heels. I think back to when I was a little girl going to Carolina basketball games and being surrounded by such a diverse group of people with one common goal: to win. Race, ethnicity, gender, and age were irrelevant; all that mattered was who you were cheering for. I quickly realized that this welcoming atmosphere was a product of our town’s values and went far beyond the basketball stadium.

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