The Downtowner: An Interview with a Fellow Downtowner

One of my goals for my column this year is to periodically share a Q&A with a fellow downtowner. In my 10 months of living downtown, I’ve quickly learned that folks are here from all walks of life and from cities across the country.

Let’s begin with Kelly Fitzgerald, who lives in my apartment complex. While we have chatted multiple times, it was fun to have a deeper conversation and get to know her better. (More of these interviews are coming soon, and I will be branching out of my own apartment community!)

Kelly, 26, is an art director at McKinney and a Colorado native who moved here in April. She has joined the Junior League but is still searching for a church in the area and is looking for an outlet as a singer, either at open mics or in a musical theater setting. “Being on stage is what I love the most,” she told me. I can relate!

She also wants to do more yoga this year and take some art classes.

Here is an edited version of my conversation with Kelly:

Tell me about your background.

I was born in Boulder and went to UC-Boulder, then went to Denver for a year and worked there. I work in advertising. And then after Denver, I felt like I needed to branch out. I got a job in Kansas City at an ad agency there, where I was working on Gatorade for two-and-a-half years. And then I moved at the end of January last year to Winston-Salem and then to Durham last April. In Winston, I was at an ad agency. They brought a few of us on, but then they needed to lay off the majority of the agency. Fortunately, McKinney here in Durham recruited me the following day.

You said you worked on Gatorade. What are you working on now?

I’m mainly working on SEC Network and just did some college football championship stuff. Choice Hotels. And I’m working on MSNBC – for Chris Hayes. We’re doing their show campaign, for his live TV show and his podcast. And his perspective and how he makes information more digestible. Some of the spots have gone live on MSNBC already.

So you didn’t choose Durham, really. McKinney brought you here. What did you know about Durham, coming here the first time?

I was in Winston, and that time was such a whirlwind. I had only been in North Carolina for a couple of months when we found out most of our jobs would be eliminated. I just had this feeling of, “OK, I have to go.” I had interviewed with agencies in Boston, in LA. I was familiar with McKinney because my mentors who picked me up out of college actually worked here. I had heard nothing but wonderful things. I came and visited, and it just felt right. And the fact that I was already in North Carolina – I had just moved across the country. The idea of moving across the country again was a lot to digest. It felt like Winston-Salem was a stepping stone to get me here. In a way, Durham chose me. I came down on April 10th, the day of the explosion, which was intense. My friend and I were driving into Durham, and there was a big plume of smoke. We were wondering if it was a controlled burn or a brush fire – we didn’t know what had happened. We were driving up a little before 10 am. It was a little eerie in town that day. Obviously, everybody was really affected by that. I knew I wanted to be downtown since I moved here without knowing anyone. And I toured around. I actually looked at one place near the explosion. I had an appointment. All the police had blocked off all the streets, so I was trying to navigate through these back parking lots of Durham. And then I came and looked at Van Alen, and I knew this is where I wanted to be. It’s such close proximity to work. I walk two blocks to commute every day.

Have you ever lived in a downtown before and had that walkability?

Not the walkability. In Kansas City, I lived downtown, but I lived on the Missouri River, and my office was on the other side of the Missouri River. So it wasn’t walkable, but it was like a mile. So I still had that downtown feel. In Denver, I lived in the Highlands area, right next to downtown.

What are some of your favorite downtown spots?

The farmers’ market is fantastic, and I can walk there. I walk everywhere on the weekends. I got a new car before moving here, but I drive my car maybe once a week. Really only to go to the grocery store. Or if I go near Southpoint. It’s such a walkable city. It’s not a huge downtown, but there’s so much to do. Wine Feed – I’m a member of their wine club there. Restaurants – there are so many, but one I have been to a lot is Mothers & Sons. Oh, the Durham Hotel rooftop! My co-workers and I all work a lot and really closely together, and we all like each other so we go and hang out after work. Sometimes we go to 21c after and get a martini and go look at the art, late night. When it’s nice out, Ponysaurus is great. I love finding a place with a good patio, good drinks, and food or food trucks. We’ll go to Surf Club often. I love those types of places. For me, The Oak House is my neighborhood spot to go to. Sometimes, I will take my computer there and work. Or I’ll go with friends and drink. The wine there is fantastic. I love the M restaurants. M Sushi is some of the best I’ve had. Their menu is so creative. We’ll pick up Hutchins Garage pizza sometimes.

What about outdoor activities?

I walk up near the farmers’ market and then walk on Main Street. Sometimes when I go on walks, I don’t have a plan. I’ve never done the American Tobacco Trail. I would like to. I’ve gone up to Duke’s East campus and done that loop. I’ll meander through Brightleaf and stop at Parker and Otis – such a dangerous store. It’s like Pinterest exploded! I love the Trinity Park area – so cute. During the summer, we were walking everywhere. And the scooters around town have been a main mode of transportation. It’s such an easy town to get around in.

What have been some of your favorite experiences or memories since you moved here?

The rooftop events at Van Alen. The fact that the Bulls stadium is right there, and we can watch the fireworks in the summer is such a unique experience. I love going out to the coast – I’ve done that a couple of times. I’ve gone to Kure Beach. My mom and I went to “Aladdin” at DPAC. I went to visit Honeysuckle Tea House. Walking around Duke Gardens.

What are your aspirations as far as what you haven’t discovered?

I really want to get more into the arts community. I sing – I’ve done a lot of musical theater – and I’ve been meaning to get more into that here. I want to explore live music more. I love wine tastings – you can’t go wrong there. And good food! I keep hearing about Saxapahaw and need to visit it. I want to find more of that – being outside of the city while still being close. A friend and I walked around Umstead State Park last weekend. There are so many beautiful areas that I honestly get overwhelmed sometimes figuring out what to do. I want to explore more parks and go to the mountains more. I need to start planning multiple weekend trips.

Have you had a lot of people come and visit you?

My mom, my sister, and one of my best friends from Kansas City. I’m trying to get everyone in Kansas City – we have a close group there – to rent a beach house on the North Carolina coast this summer. I’m trying to get everybody out here – and secretly wanting to get my own family to move here. People love it. They are very pleasantly surprised at how much Durham and the Triangle has going on. I tell my family and friends that I’m never bored. There’s always something going on.

What has surprised you the most about Durham?

It’s much more progressive. When you think of the South as an outsider, you have one way of looking at it. It’s very creative and very progressive.

Do you ever think, “I wish downtown Durham had X or Y”?

That’s a good question. I love that we have Bulldega and the Durham Co-Op, but I would love for us to have a grocery store downtown. If we could get a Trader Joe’s here – oh my gosh. Part of my Sunday routine is driving to Chapel Hill to go to Trader Joe’s. I feel like the American Tobacco area right now – because that’s where my office is – it’s largely businesses. It’s missing restaurants and storefronts and bars. Tyler’s Taproom closed literally the day that I started my job. I do love the food trucks that come every day – that’s really cool.

What do you miss about other places you’ve lived?

I miss my family. Being out here without family is tough. Durham is a little bit smaller than some of the other cities I’ve lived in. I don’t know if I miss it, but I notice it. I loved going to the Chiefs games in Kansas City. They have a fun culture around that. I miss snowboarding. I’m good with the climate here, though. I’m not a cold weather person really. The heat doesn’t bother me.

Do you see yourself living here for the long haul?

I do. I really like the area. I’m happy here. And I would love to have a place where I can build a community and feel like I can be here for a bit. I love the people I work with. I work for a great company – they’re wonderful. And Durham has everything I need. I just need to be more intentional about seeking out certain things – the arts, DPAC shows.

 

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After a decade as an editor with various NC magazines, Andrea Cash launched her own creative services company, Andrea Cash Creative, in 2017. She helps small businesses and organizations in Durham and Chapel Hill with content strategy and creation, branding, PR, social media, and video and event production.

Andrea is passionate about community building, doing work that benefits the greater good and helping entrepreneurs grow their business in a purposeful way. Outside of work, Andrea sings in her cover band Penny’s Bend, plays tennis as often as she can, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and Book Harvest, and runs communications for grassroots progressive group FLIP NC.