Durham, NC, United States

High school rivalries and basketball glory are the least of your worries in Durham, NC. With the former Durham High School campus now home to the Durham School of the Arts, the city has traded sports dominance for artistic flair. However, the transition hasn't been entirely smooth - the 1995 closure of the traditional high school was part of a larger school district merger that has left a legacy of bureaucratic headaches. And while the city's African-American population has grown to over 40% since the 1950s desegregation efforts, tensions persist. Overall, Durham is a complex blend of history and change that may not suit everyone's tastes.