April 2021

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It’s been a year since I signed off my April 2020 editor’s letter with, “At press time, we didn’t know how or when the disruptions to our lives would end.” It was our annual Home & Garden issue, and we pivoted quickly the day we went to press, adding “canceled” notes at the top of stories like a preview of the Chapel Hill Garden Club’s biennial tour. 

Our home and garden coverage looked different throughout 2020 as we made our own editorial pivots. Our pages featured a lot of porches and patios (#backyardgoals!) as many people spent the extra time at home tackling outdoor projects. In this year’s Home & Garden edition, you’ll find a story about a couple who turned to gardening at the beginning of the pandemic and grew the hobby into a business (page 38). Writer J. Michael Welton details the rich history of modernist architecture in Chapel Hill (page 58) and showcases two new takes on the style.

As for me, I snagged a pair of black-and-white palm tree pillows for my outdoor chairs and am looking forward to observing the signs of spring from my comfy perch. The disruptions to our lives haven’t quite ended, but as numbers of COVID-19 cases drop and more folks get vaccinated by the day, I can also see hope on the horizon. 

P.S. Click here to sign up for our monthly Home & Garden newsletter featuring inspiring homes in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties, organization tips, virtual events not to miss and more. We send it on the fourth Saturday morning of the month, so read it with your coffee – you may just wind up at a home improvement store later that day, ready to get started on a new project. 

FEATURES

20 ‘Living Like LewLew’
UNC freshman LewLew Whayne makes the most of her first year at Carolina while continuing to live with the aftereffects of two rare disorders 

22 All the Write Moves
Novelist, playwright and professor Bland Simpson on growing up in Chapel Hill and his latest projects

28 A Sense of Wonder
Through hands-on science and nature programs, Wonder Connection brightens hospital stays for kids by nurturing curiosity and joy 

30 Commercial Office Space in the Post-’Demic
Some hesitation among tenants but – for  most part – Chapel Hill is still bullish on the office

34 Along for the Ride 
For decades, the Carolina Tarwheels Bicycle Club’s weekly rides have kept bikers connected on local roads 

HOME & GARDEN

38 Planting Seeds 
A startup is dedicated to teaching people how to grow their own food 

42 ‘The Copperline Chronicles’ 
A look back at growing up with the Taylors in Morgan Creek

52 Living By Consensus 
The members of Arcadia cohousing community know their neighbors are only a knock away 

58 Quiet Modernism 
For 75 years, Chapel Hill architects have practiced restraint in public and private spaces

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 

6 Editor’s Letter 

8 About Town
Events not to miss 

12 Noted 
What we’ve heard around town …

18 What We’re Eating
News from our restaurant community, plus a dish we love 

78 Dining Guide 

86 Weddings
Michael McPeak and Madeline Robinson 
Jon Collins and T.J. Scott
Kyane Epps and Jack Kleissler 

PEOPLE & PLACES

10 Annual Pauli Murray Awards
11 BCBSNC and UNC Partner to Deliver Meals 

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