In the modern age, the culture in our mid-sized cities has largely been homogenized and doesn’t feel part of the surrounding state. If you moved to the Triangle from cities like Indianapolis, Columbus, St. Louis, or Minneapolis, it’s all going to have a fairly similar vibe.

There are still aspects of regional culture to be found in these cities. In Raleigh, you’ll find more BBQ and southern restaurants (though not as many as you might expect) than you will in northern cities. But you effectively never hear a Southern accent, hear any bluegrass music, or get proper Eastern Carolina BBQ if you don’t know where to go.

A few years ago, I got particularly interested in North Carolinian culture and searched for it in Raleigh. I was able to find pockets of it, some in plain sight, all around the city, and I’ve been enjoying them ever since. Let me share a few of my favorite aspects I’ve found for you to enjoy as well.

Photo courtesy of Brooke Balentine via Unsplash

Bluegrass

It’s probably not the first thing you think of when you think about North Carolina culture, but it’s an important part nonetheless. While bluegrass isn’t traditional in Eastern NC, where the Triangle is, it has contributed to our culture over the last few decades through large events. As the state’s capital, Raleigh lays claim to all NC culture, including the mountains of Western NC, where bluegrass comes from. Earl Scruggs, born in North Carolina, revolutionized bluegrass and gave it the sound it has today. If you want to hear some live bluegrass, I have a few events you can attend!

• Beer & Banjos - Every Tuesday at Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard, you can listen to a different act with friends and beer. What’s better than that!?

• East Bower Cider Co - Every Sunday, you can go listen to bluegrass while sipping cider at Raleigh’s first (and only) cidery. This is an easy 6-minute drive from Camden Carolinian.

• Raleigh Wide Open - This annual multi-day event is the largest celebration of bluegrass in the Triangle. Take your friends and listen to as many bands as you want.

Local History

No matter where you live or who you are, it’s important to understand your history. For southerners, being proud of their history is expected. Did you know that Blackbeard was killed at Ocracoke Inlet? Have you heard about the mystery of the Lost Colony? Do you know why our license plates read “First in Flight”? If you’d like to learn about this and more, check out some history museums. I’m leaving out the NC Museum of History since it’s closed for renovation and won’t reopen until 2028, but when it reopens, make sure to check it out.

• City of Raleigh (COR) Museum - Located in the historic Briggs Hardware building on Fayetteville Street downtown, you can learn about the history of Raleigh’s flag, baseball past, and even the Briggs building itself. The exhibits change out every so often so you can keep coming back to learn more. Like anything downtown it’s close to Camden Village District.

• Joel Lane Museum - Joel Lane was the founding father of Raleigh. If you want to see his old home, which has been largely kept intact and turned into a museum, you can check it out in the Warehouse District.

Photo courtesy of Drew Swinford

North Carolina Cookin’

One of the most obvious cultural differences you’ll see when you visit a new place is their food. Most people know what Southern food is: biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, BBQ, fried seafood, and more! Below, I’ve compiled a list of types of food and a few restaurants to check out to give you a good example of them.

• Calabash-style seafood - This is a method of frying seafood, not the specific seasonings. It’s lightly breaded then fried - that’s it. It comes from Calabash, NC and is popular all along the NC/SC coast.

  • NC Seafood Restaurant - This restaurant at the farmer’s market is a great introduction to Calabash-style seafood!

  • Cape Fear Seafood Company - A bit of an upscale seafood restaurant, you’ll have the best Calabash shrimp you could hope for; and probably the best hush puppies too! This is a short 5-minute walk from Camden Village District.

• Eastern NC BBQ - If you’re not from the South, you probably don’t understand that when a southerner says BBQ, they’re not just talking about the sauce. It’s the combination of many things, but most obviously the sauce and meat. In Eastern NC, vinegar-based sauce (yes, I know, but trust me, it’s good) and whole hog reigns supreme.

  • Sam Jones BBQ - This is my favorite BBQ spot in the Triangle. If you want the perfect introduction to Eastern NC BBQ, this is the spot. Order as much meat as you want, don’t add anything else to it, and enjoy.

  • The BBQ Lab - This is the second location for a middle-of-nowhere BBQ spot that is unassumingly located in a gas station, but this North Hills location, not far from Camden Overlook, gives Raleighites a lesson on good BBQ.

• Classic Southern food - This is what you think of when you think of Southern food and needs no introduction. It’s the biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, country ham, chicken and dumplings, sweet tea, banana pudding, and more that you know and crave!

  • State Farmers’ Market Restaurant - This is likely the best on the list and the most well-known. If you see a long line, don’t worry, it moves fast. The friendly waiters will be easily identifiable as they all wear overalls and will be bringing you a plate of biscuits and hushpuppies. This is an easy 11-minute drive from Camden Asbury Village.

  • Big Ed’s - This classic spot opened in 1958 and is currently located downtown in the historic City Market area. Again, long line, but it moves quickly; are you noticing a theme? Southern food is good. My recommendation: if you get pancakes, only get one!

These are some of the best recommendations I have to help you feel a little more Carolinian. Now that you’re settled in your new Camden apartment home, invite your friends over for a cookout at your community grills! Be as hospitable as possible (that’s the Southern way) and provide the Cheerwine, Carolina-style hot dogs topped with coleslaw, sweet onions, chili, and mustard, and whatever else sounds good! If you want to throw a party like that but haven’t made any new friends in your city yet, check out this blog post