North Ninth Street: Coming into Bloom

In a world of crumbling curbs and muddied gravel lots, nestled among gray trees yet to show the greening buds of April, lay bright bursts of color where one would only expect the wear and tear of several decades of neglect.

When one closely examines the facades, however, the paint is not as fresh as one might expect - it's slowly peeling away. But this chipping paint is a badge of character.

A hidden book shop, a food shack reminiscent of Myrtle Beach, an old car wash, a music store - all mainstays in what would seem to be an area devoid of style. These buildings are developing a street-wide personality that is only now beginning to come into its own.

This is the area of North Ninth street - the "back alley" between A-1 Stop Mail Shoppe and Elmo's Diner up and down Markham, over to Broad - a place where many were once afraid to wander after the twilight hours. But those uneasy sentiments are on the wane as a change is shaping the storefronts and faded buildings. A promise of something greater, something special shows in the creation of Vin Rouge, Cozy and the survival of the mainstays - and it isn't the coming and going of another college bar.

A hand painted sign reads "Redz Hair Studio." Step through a newly painted red door that used to open into an old massage parlor, and you enter a room of radiant color, reminiscent of the art-deco designs of South Beach.

The room is open - all walls demolished - creating a large open square that's continuity is only interrupted by the curious, centrally positioned fireplace. Beads dangle before the mantle, candles rest among the ledges. Soft, gently positioned spotlights highlight the corners, and beautiful thrift furniture rests in the thoughtfully created space. Every wall is a separate, solid bright red creating a sense of openness, acceptance and flow.

"The best feng shui in the city."

The sleek, sterile white and black of other salons doesn't resonate here. Redz goes for something different - something more promising in the world of style.

A lifetime Durham resident, Andrea spent the previous five years at Wavelengths before her creative drive pushed her toward opening her own studio.

"It's something I had been thinking about for four years," she said. "I was seriously looking for the last two years, and this building, specifically, for a year. The day the sign went up, I snatched it up and signed the lease"

But why Durham?

"It's all about the air," she said. "There's something special about Ninth Street. It's laid-back. Everyone can be whoever they want to be - anything goes for whoever, whatever you are".

Lindsey Locke, Trinity '02, saw the promise and opportunity of the Durham area during her undergraduate years.

Dreading a career in a cubical and missing her involvement in the lounge and club scene of her hometown of D.C., she now finds herself in the process of seeking an ABC retail permit for The Siren's Lounge - her own "classy, upscale martini bar" across the street from Redz Hair Studio, most likely opening sometime this summer.

"I remember attending an event in this building when I was a sophomore," she said, "and what made it so special was its historical aspects - high ceilings, tin roof, the moldings...."

Lindsey has beeen renovating the 2,300 square foot building in the hopes of providing something different - a real lounge with a bar resting upon a 155 gallon aquarium, and Ninth Street's only permanent dance floor.

"What Durham has, and other larger cities are lacking, is prime historic real estate, and it just seems like no one is tapping into these opportunities," Locke said. "What is here is beautiful."

This architecture also inspired Andrea.

"I would have never picked a new building," she said. "I wanted something old, something with character - something that I could use to create my own air.

After four months of renovations with her "pops", she did make it her own.

"I named it Redz because red is bright, hot, the color of fire - fiery like those who work with me"

Along with Andrea, her associates - Kara Pezzimenti, John Patrick Carver and Jaques Trombley - are some of the area's best hair stylists, and their perpetutally booked schedules attest to this. They each work with a distinct style, and, as Andrea put it, "We draw our inspiration from each other."

A recent trend in fashion has been to create character where it previously didn't exist. It exists in our clothing - the Abercrombies of the world go beyond simple fading and "wearing" of the new styles. The idea is to reproduce both the style and the age, to create something akin to the pricless original. This style transcends clothing, as the architecture of shops - even housing - is switching from that of a sleak, modern to that of an ecletic, vintage. Shops are built to resemble old warehouses, graced with the reproductions of old advertisements and murals. Just go to Southpoint.

However, the "originals" rarely come in such pre-wrapped perfection. That's why it's so difficult to work with the original - to have the patience and creativity to wipe away the dirt and uncover the authentic beauty that lies beneath.

"The process is slow," Andrea noted while pointing across the street to the future Siren's Lounge. "It's going to take awhile for the entire street to change - but Lindsey and I are just the beginning"

Much like spring is barely becoming visible, as the green is merely a whisper among the dull browns and grays, the facades of these old buildings are only now becoming revitilized.

Sitting on the front porch of Redz, Andrea stared toward the buildings across the street, and a few seconds later, looked toward the exterior of her own building.

"I'm going to keep the yellow exterior, but I'm going repaint it," she said. "I want it to be brighter."