North Carolina's Artsy, Progressive 'Paris Of The Piedmont' Offers Eclectic Markets And Outdoor Recreation

North Carolina's Piedmont region is famously home to the University of North Carolina (UNC), which dominates Chapel Hill's main streets. However, if you wander just two blocks from campus, you'll enter Carrboro, a progressive hotbed that feels like a completely different world. You'll still enjoy biscuits, Cheerwine, and BBQ in Carrboro, but instead of seeing folks tailgating before the big games, you'll see them spreading out in the grass and hula-hooping around the co-op.

Carrboro's "Paris of the Piedmont" nickname first appeared in a countercultural newsletter in the 1970s, when UNC grad student Nyle Frank dreamed of turning the town into a commune. Frank claims he didn't actually coin the nickname, and his project didn't stand the test of time, but in many ways, his prophecy proved accurate. Prominent market squares and a walkable downtown keep the European spirit alive in Carrboro, and while no one is genuinely suggesting that downtown Carrboro feels like the 1st Arrondissement, Carrboro has more in common with the City of Love than most Carolina towns. Its main street has a butcher shop, a farmers market, and a grocery store stocked with European wines, cheeses, and fresh-baked baguettes — all within walking distance.

I grew up 15 minutes away from Carrboro, and for my entire life, this town has had different priorities than its neighbors. Carrboro, which is a mere half-hour drive from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, is more walkable than North Carolina's nearby city in a park, more free-wheeling than Chapel Hill, and home to more Birkenstocks per capita than Durham. It's the closest thing the Piedmont region has to a European-style population center, and its residents are committed to keeping it that way.

Paris might be the city of love, but Carrboro is where love wins. It was the first town in North Carolina to elect an openly gay mayor, and the first to give same-sex couples the domestic-partner benefits heterosexual marriages enjoy. That spirit lives on today under the town's official tagline, "Feel Free." To experience this for yourself, head directly to Weaver Street Market. The local grocery store is a downtown icon, stocking quality produce, imported snacks, and a healthy selection of hot foods. Grab a fresh plate, pair it with a beer or a kombucha, and spend the afternoon on one of the outdoor tables or sitting cross-legged on the market's massive front lawn.

When you think of Paris, you might think of strolling through market stalls in hip neighborhoods. Believe it or not, you can also do that in Carrboro. Every Saturday morning, the Carrboro Farmers Market sets up shop just four blocks from downtown, serving fresh produce and cool chachkis all sourced within 50 miles of Carrboro City limits.

Paris also conjures up images of artists and musicians on every corner, which is another Carrboro specialty. Keep your eyes peeled for Weaver Street Market's bulletin board and downtown telephone poles, two places where promoters love to plaster posters and flyers advertising the arts. Between The ArtsCenter, live music venues, and open-air breweries, something is always happening in Carrboro. If it's your first night in town, consider catching a show at The Cats Cradle, grabbing a bite at City Bus Burritos and Tacos, and hanging with the denizens at the Orange County Social Club.

For all their similarities, Carrboro has one thing Paris doesn't: easy access to the woods. The entire Triangle area is super bike-friendly, especially Carrboro. From downtown, you can cruise along the Bolin Creek Trail, a paved greenway that runs along the back end of town and neighboring Chapel Hill. You can also get off the pavement and get your blood flowing at Carolina North Forest, 750 acres of mixed-use hiking and mountain biking trails that are only a ten-minute bike ride from Weaver Street. 

A bit further out of town, you'll find even more mountain biking and hiking trails as well as a few fun bodies of water. The most prominent attraction is Jordan Lake, where you can swim, paddle, fish, and picnic. You should also check out the quick hike to the Eno quarry, a low-key local legend. Swimming in this unmaintained, 70-foot-deep water is not recommended, but you can always wander around the many surrounding trails and dip your toes in while you rest. The quarry is a small part of the Eno River State Park, a peaceful collection of 30 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, and boat launches.

If you want to branch out even further, Carrboro is within a doable day-trip distance of both the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Drive inland for less than two hours and you'll find yourself hitting some cute towns in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, or drive towards the sea for slightly more than three hours and you'll find one of the coolest beach towns in America.