I was very excited to make the decision and move to the U.S. for my husband’s MBA. When we started the journey of searching and applying for an MBA, Fuqua was one of his top choices because of the rank, the academic level, and the spirit of Team Fuqua.

All that is great, but I had different concerns coming into this adventure, and for me, as a partner it was choosing a place to live! I needed somewhere I could work, have fun, and go out for a drink with my soon-to-be friends from all over the world. At the time, Durham did not sound like the best place for a cool young professional as myself.

However, after doing my research and especially after living here for more than a year, I can proudly share with you that I love this place and I think you are going to love it too. To help you better understand this area, here are a few of the things I have learned about Durham:

1. Durham has a Great Culinary Scene!

As a foodie who loves to try new things I was happy to find out about the amazing food scene in town, with dozens of restaurants that have received national acclaim and media attention. Durham was chosen as the “Tastiest Town in the South” and as a foodie I’m telling you this is the place to be! Here, you can find anything you crave, from great coffee at Joe Van Gogh, to southern comfort food at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, and healthy and chic places like Parker and Otis.

2. Every Week You Can Find a Reason to be Festive

Durham is home to more than 47 annual festivals. Whether you are in to documentaries like me, or a beer fan like many of the students, or whether arts and culture is your thing, I am sure you can find the festival for you! Here are just some of them:

• American Dance Festival
• Bull Durham Blues Festival
• Durham Arts Council’s CenterFest
• Festival for the Eno River
• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
• Native American Powwow
• NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
• NC Pride Parade and Festival
• SunTrust Broadway Series at DPAC
• World Beer Festival
• And the list goes on and on…

3. Durham is a Great Place for Kids

As a partner, I have a lot of partner friends who moved here with their kids or even had some while living here. Through them I have learned that Durham is a wonderful place to raise kids. It’s known for great school systems, considered as one of the “Top 20 Places to Educate Your Child” by Forbes and has been included among the “100 Best Communities for Young People.”

I also found out that Durham offers many cool places to spend quality time with your kids like the famous Duke Lemur Center and the Museum of Life and Science (which by the way, I took my nephews to and they loved). Durham has also made lists of best small cities for relocating families. You can read about other Durham accolades here.

4. Durham Is a Great Place to Visit

We all want are families to visit us when we are here and to have fun together. Whenever our family comes to town, they enjoy the city and the warm welcome of the Fuqua community and can’t wait to visit again. Durham, also known as the Bull City, and its features are well known and your guests will love it here! You might be surprised to know that Durham:

• Has the #6 best public garden as voted by Trip Advisor—The Sarah P. Duke Gardens
• Has a top 5 most-attended theater nationally—The Durham Performing Arts Center
• Has one of the top family friendly museums in the Southeast—The Museum of Life and Science
• Was voted “America’s Foodiest Small Town” by Bon Appetít
• Is recognized as the “Best Basketball Town to Visit” by CNN. Let’s go Duke!.

5. Durham has Many Business Opportunities

As a part of the Fuqua and the Durham community, I was happy to learn that the city has many business opportunities and is a part of the blooming Research Triangle Park. It is home to some major corporations and fascinating startups. Here are a few of Durham’s business superlatives compiled by the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau:

• #3 Best Place for Business and Careers
• Highest wages in the South
• National top 10 corporation for working moms
• World’s leading research and development center
• Among best workplaces in higher education
• #9 top Mid-sized City for Young Professionals.

Want to learn more about this young innovative city? Here is a fun list of 40 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Durham and a new Duke web site that talks about Durham’s history, things to do, living options and more. Also feel free to reach out to me with questions. I hope you got a better sense of Durham and I’m looking forward seeing you in town!