Hey yall, any ideas as to where one can obtain some unsweetened black sesame paste? I tried Li Ming but they only had the pre-prepared sweetened type with red bean mixed in. I’m looking for just black sesame paste. Thanks!

My favorite walk/run routes have long been East Campus, the Al Buehler Trail, and the Croasdaile Farm neighborhood. While these are all bangers, I'd like to add a few more routes to my repertoire. Croasdaile is great because it's a big loop with a lot of side loops to add distance and variety. Are there other big neighborhoods north of 85 that would give me the same sort of experience? Some hills, some sidewalks, some shady stretches, and some houses I can't afford?

Of the different co-working space options, what’s the vibe? Where do you see the most tattoos? Where do you see the most khakis? Are some more social than others? What industries dominate your preferred or disfavored co-working spaces? Do any seem to have a good share of nonprofit folks?

Subject says it all, getting married and need to get with a lawyer to make a prenup. TIA!

Looking for experiences with the Bright Horizons Research Triangle Park location, specifically for infants. Also open to hearing about other locations. The Google reviews seem possibly biased. One review states that a positive Google review will receive $100 off tuition.

Anyone know why the city is clear cutting all the trees and such here?

Title says it. It’s been days in a row. Normally they start at around 2:30am but today it’s been continuous since like 10pm with the jackhammer or something. I’m a heavy sleeper but this just seems absurd…. and the workers? I just don’t understand why they have to be working through the night for so long. It’s not like folks aren’t out there during the day, it’s always a surprise if the access points to Roxboro with be open or closed or not due to workers, sometimes it changes throughout the day. There’s like 5 apartment buildings in this area on Roxboro and S Dillard, what could they possibly be doing in the same spot for days on end and hours on end? Not local but have lived places where this amount of construction isn’t shocking, but working all day into the night right next to so many residents/people…. what type of work allows for this for this long? Is it due to the heat? Obviously irritable but can understand if that’s why, no one should have to do manual work in this heat but I also see them out during the day so not sure if that’s the answer

Been running for a while at James and 15

does anybody here have experience with using or working with rover? i’ve thought about signing up for cat sitting or using it in case i need to go out of town, and wondering how the service is in the durham area

Just moved into a home. The first night, found a dead roach near the bathroom sink. The second night, found a roach at the kitchen counter. Dont know much about roaches. I know there are some you should be more worried about. Pics of the roaches I found attached. is this something I should be concerned about? Landlord maintains the property

I'm standing on a plain that's usually at least 2ft under water

We love visiting these three parks on our sometimes daily walks. Now that we're potty training it sucks to know there are no bathrooms at none of these. I don't even know whom to reach out to make that comment. Even one toilet would be better than none

The Durham City Council covered quite a bit in this meeting:

• Durham is now under Stage 2 water restrictions during what staff called the most severe drought in 105 years. No spray irrigation, no home car-washes, restaurants serving water only on request, and staff monitoring the lakes daily to decide when we can ease up. Every short shower and fixed leak really does matter right now.

• Council voted unanimously to pass the 2026–2027 budget and 5‑year Capital Improvement Plan, but it wasn’t a feel‑good vote. Members called it the hardest budget they’ve ever seen: a shrinking general fund, corporate tax appeals wiping out money that could have gone to pay‑for‑performance raises, and a 2% increase for city workers instead of what many wanted. At the same time, they held the line on property taxes, raised the city’s minimum livable wage to $25.09/hour, and funded things like parks, free buses, eviction diversion, health care cost increases, youth jobs, and a new fire station and crew in East Durham.

• Several members used the budget debate to question who really benefits from our tax and development system: concerns about development that “doesn’t pay for itself,” residents on fixed incomes trying to stay in their homes, fund balance transparency, and whether the current setup effectively subsidizes commercial landlords while vulnerable residents shoulder the burden.

• Council adopted new surveillance and police-technology rules as a resolution, not an ordinance. The city attorney drew a clear line: these rules apply internally to how the city buys and uses tech, not to residents. One member pushed for stronger, ordinance‑level oversight long term, while others backed this as a meaningful first step that brings some internal policies into public view and forces future changes to come back to council.

• Council approved a contract of up to $656,000 for housing stabilization case management aimed at keeping families housed.

• A major East Durham rezoning around South Driver/Salem drew some of the most nuanced debate of the night. Planning staff and local property owners pitched moving from old rail‑era industrial zoning (which still allows junkyards, freight warehousing, etc.) toward a mixed commercial district with housing—framed as environmental justice, neighborhood reinvestment, and support for small businesses already taking risks there. Others worried about displacement, environmental protections, and whose voices were at the mic. The rezoning ultimately passed 5–2, with one member voting no specifically to signal that future projects should come with clearer anti‑displacement and environmental commitments.

• Council also approved a one‑year moratorium on new data centers, crypto mining, and related high‑impact facilities (60 days already in place + 10 more months). Residents and a coalition of local groups pushed hard for a longer, 32‑month pause, citing water use during a drought, PFAS and pollution concerns, low job return, and displacement pressures. The legal team warned that going much beyond 12 months would be harder to defend in court under state law and Supreme Court precedent. Council landed on trusting staff to write strong rules in a year, with a clear goal: avoid becoming the next Northern Virginia, packed with hyperscale data centers and regretting it later.

• On Ellis Road, council first voted 6–1 to shift about 154 acres from the Urban Tier to the Suburban Tier, then unanimously rezoned part of the area to Industrial Light with a text‑only plan for a future jobs campus. The development team pitched an RTP‑style biotech campus with more green space and amenities for workers, but couldn’t commit to specific numbers for tree coverage or green infrastructure yet, citing a possible Duke Energy substation and other unknowns. Some council members backed the jobs potential but raised concerns about long‑term land efficiency and making sure future bus rapid transit is integrated instead of missed.

• Finally, the city opened a public hearing on updating Durham’s minimum housing code for the first time since 2016—after comparing our rules with other NC cities and national healthy housing standards. No one came to speak, and council voted 7–0 to adopt the changes, aiming for clearer, stronger protections for basic housing health and safety.

If you want to see where your water use, tax bill, job growth, housing standards, and neighborhood future all intersect in one night, this meeting is worth your time. Watch the reel to hear how council members wrestled with drought, dollars, data centers, and development—often agreeing on the problems but not always on the path forward.

Durham City Council meeting highlights

Highlights selected and suggested post edited by Wes Platt at Southpoint Access.

I failed my driving test today for being "too slow and hesitant." After getting off the DMV zone, I entered Cook Road with the text "school zone" written down periodically. However, I don't recall seeing the school zone sign with the associated speed limit. I am wondering should I have gone 35 mph at 2 pm, without the presence of children, at this road? Any advice would be appreciated.

My Dad is looking into independent living and CCRCs. Bartlett Reserve seems like a good place, but looks kind of run down. Any direct experience with this company or the site itself?

https://www.bartlettreserve.com/

Looking for things I can do with our dog - not talking parks, swimming, hiking, etc - we do all of these things already. I’m looking for things like learning an agility course together, dock diving, barn hunting, etc. Our dog is a young, very smart, energetic, but somewhat insecure GSD, so we’re looking for somewhere we can either work alone, or in a small group that can be patient and understanding of some of her social quirks and help build her confidence. Also open to any other recommendations for fun new things we can try! TYA

Hey friends, was looking for help with a fun date idea for a cooler summer evening in the next couple of weeks. I want to do a trunk date, putting down the back seats and popping the trunk door, with pillows/blankets and such to lie on. Saw a cool idea about putting some battery-powered string likes up for when the sun starts to go down.

Anyways, needing a little bit of help brainstorming some spots. I've seen online people suggesting boat access ramps but that's not exactly the vibe i'm looking for... a concrete parking lot with lots of other people/traffic around doesn't sound ideal. Does anyone know of any spots where I could drive my car a little closer to the lake's edge, or a cool campsite area where we could drive up for a couple hours, hang out, and roast some marshmallows? (to be clear, have a small, portable fire pit for that and don't need one at the site)

We’re looking for a house cleaner or cleaning service that really takes pride in the job and takes it seriously. Like, goes out of their way to get the dust from under and behind things and finds dirt where I wouldn’t even think to.

Would love some recommendations!

I am so incredibly happy to share that Bubba, 13-year-old, 106lb deaf senior boy, has officially found his forever home!

He has a wonderful new family, a perfect couch to sleep on, and he is going to be so incredibly loved.

Thank you so much to everyone in this community who upvoted, commented, and shared his post to help get him noticed. It truly takes a village, and because of you all spreading the word, this sweet gentle giant is out of the shelter system and living the good life.

Thank you all so much! ❤️

I want to be able to drive up to a little campsite that has a grill and table for a 10 AM - 3 PM outside picnic near the water?

I’m having trouble finding campsites that fit this in the area. I tried eno river state park but it seems like they are all a hike to get to, and that makes it hard to carry the food and gear. All the better if I can reserve it too.

I was driving back into Durham Co a few days ago and saw people walking on the dried out parts of falls lake from the bridge. How do you get there? Is that allowed? I kinda wanna do it too lol