I'm Thankful for Durham
Despite being most known for complaining about dangerous NCDOT streets like (Reckless) Roxboro, I'm so thankful to live in Durham this Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, despite its complicated past. It’s quieter, less wrapped in sales and slogans, more focused on something simple and human. It’s a chance to pause, gather, share food, and spend time with friends, family, and neighbors. It’s a holiday that asks very little of us except that we enjoy each other's company. That more than anything reminds me why I’m thankful to be in Durham.
Durham is a place where people care for each other not just in theory, but in action. In the past year, as our community faced difficulties around SNAP funding and challenges related to ICE and CBP activity, neighbors showed up for neighbors. People checked on each other, shared information, offered support, and refused to let fear isolate anyone. That kind of solidarity isn’t automatic, it’s something a community chooses again and again. Durham chooses it.
I’m also thankful for what it means to live here — not just in Durham, but in this walkable part of Bull City. For most of my life I've lived in places where everything was far apart, where every trip meant getting into a car, and where the distance between people was measured not just in length but in how seldom we crossed paths. Moving here changed how I relate to my city and the people in it.
In my corner of Durham, daily life is stitched together by sidewalks, bike lanes, bus routes, and all the small, human details that make urban life feel connected. I can walk or bike to the grocery store, local businesses, the Carolina Theatre, the farmers’ market, the Durham Bulls, the downtown library, and even City Hall. No car required. These aren’t (or at least shouldn't be) luxuries; they’re the foundations of a city that lets people live fuller, freer, more neighborly lives.
I want more people to have access to that.
I’m thankful that Durham is a place where we can keep pushing for more housing choices, more connected neighborhoods, and more opportunities for people to live close to the things and the places they love. Housing advocacy isn’t just about buildings or zoning codes — it’s about expanding the circle of who gets to enjoy our community. It’s about creating a Durham where walking to see a friend, biking to work, or catching the bus to a show isn’t a rare privilege but an everyday option.
I’m grateful for the people who help shape this city day in and day out: our city employees who keep Durham running. After this recent election, we’re about to enter a period of transition — some familiar faces leaving the dais, some new ones taking seats, and others who are cycling off. Regardless of who’s serving at any given moment, we share a common goal: a better Durham. And that deserves thanks.
But more than anything, I’m thankful for the people who make this community feel like home. Friends who check in, neighbors who wave from the porch, the folks you meet walking down the block or locking up your bike or waiting at the bus stop. The people who show up in the good moments and the hard ones, and make Durham not just a place to live but a place to belong.
This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful to be here. I’m grateful for the city we’re continuing to build together. And I’m grateful for the friends, family, and neighbors who make Durham such a wonderful community to call home.
Chris Perelstein is a coder and everyday cyclist in Durham. He’s passionate about multimodal transit and building better cities.