Chapel Hill, NC Guide

Restaurants

Chapel Hill has a diverse array of restaurants that every foodie will love. You can start your day off with a coffee and fresh pastry at Perennial or at Bread & Butter with fresh-baked breads, both located downtown. For great sushi or other Asian-style food, Elements is the place to be. Not only is their food locally-sourced when possible from farms in the area, they also have multiple awards including the Opentable Diners’ Choice Award, Best of Chapel Hill, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and more.

For a true Chapel Hill tradition, check out Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery. Their menu is a variety of eclectic southern-inspired dishes with locally-sourced ingredients, and they brew their own beer and distill their own vodka, whiskey, and gin.

Be sure to also check out these local favorites:

• Kipos Greek Taverna
• Tallulas
• Hawthorne & Wood

Arts and Attractions

In downtown Chapel Hill, the Ackland Art Museum is a great place to see a variety of artwork. With pieces from artists in both North Carolina and across the country, the museum has multiple permanent and about 12 featured exhibitions every year. The resident professional theater company at UNC, Players Repertory Company, puts on shows all year. With a new play almost every month, this company is sure to entertain with their wide range of shows.

If you’re interested in science, check out the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on UNC’s campus. Opened in 1949, this became the first planetarium ever to be on a college campus. Its founder, John Motley Morehead, also founded the North Carolina Science Festival in 2010, making it the first statewide celebration of science in the country.

Chapel Hill hosts exciting events throughout the year including:

• Tracks Music Series
• Movies Under the Stars
• Festifall Arts Market

Shopping

If you’re looking for shopping in downtown Chapel Hill, look no further than Rumors Boutique and Light Years Jewelry. At Rumors, you can browse hand-selected vintage pieces, or you can bring your own to sell. After you’re found the perfect outfit, you can head to Light Years for the finishing touches. They are locally owned and operated and sure to have the perfect necklace, bracelet, or ring to complete the perfect outfit.

Also located downtown is Eastgate Crossing. This shopping center is home to many different stores like Ulta Beauty, Petco, and more. When you’re done shopping, you can grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurant choices like Chipotle, Chopt, or Zoe’s Kitchen.

Check out these nearby shopping spots as well:

Schools & Employment

Living near the Research Triangle Park area means you will have a number of employment opportunities, with numerous corporations headquartered in Chapel Hill. Of course, the UNC system is a standout, consistently being amongst the top ten largest employers in town.

Living in Chapel Hill also means you’ll be districted to one of two public school systems: Chapel-Hill Carrboro City school district and the Orange County school district.  This means your children will be able to attend high-performing schools such as:

What’s more, there are also a number of quality private schools in the area, such as: