Ninth Street, with its striped awnings and shady sidewalks, harkens back to the days when things moved more slowly and people watching at an outdoor cafe was a favorite pastime. Billing itself as “Durham's alternative shopping district,” Ninth Street is located in historic Old West Durham, two blocks from Duke University's East Campus. Park the car and window-shop past clothing and jewelry stores, browse the books at Regulator Bookshop and Java Café, and then pull up a stool at MacDonald's Drug Store, a 1916-style shop with an old-fashioned soda fountain.
• Hours: Shop and restaurant hours vary.