Our Navigating the Community Series seeks to explore an event or place in the area and provide a review to show readers what to expect. This includes knowing what to do when you arrive, how to move around the space and any sensory experiences you may encounter (sounds/noise, lights/visuals, smells, etc). Our goal is to take the guesswork out of trying someplace new!
For this Navigating the Community Series post, we went to The Common Market which recently opened in Durham, NC. They have an amazing location in Charlotte so we were excited to check out this location.
The first thing we noticed pulling in was a dedicated parking lot, a very clear ramp to enter, and an outdoor seating area. For parents with children it is worth noting there is not much of a barrier to the road, so if you have a child who takes off, this might be something to plan for.
Once inside, the space is very open. It is a very large rectangle with an open air downstairs area. The walkway is pretty narrow between some of the displays and tables, but you can navigate around. There are essentially 4 sections: the bar downstairs, the market upstairs (sandwiches, snacks, bottled drinks), Mid Bloom Coffee upstairs, and The Parlour Junior (icecream) outside.
We ordered coffee from Mid Bloom Coffee, and quickly forgot to take a picture. There is a cashier right at the coffee bar and the options are very simple, which is nice. Their only milk options are whole or oat, so that is important to know if you are unable to drink either of those. Coffee pickup is at the other end of the bar, near the main door with sugar and half and half located in the same area.
For the Market, there is a menu on the wall, drinks in cases, and snacks/toys/gifts on various shelves around the perimeter. You then checkout at the counter. They call your name, if you order food, when it is ready at the pick up window.
Since we were there at 10 AM on a Tuesday, the bar and Parlour Junior were not open. However, the bar seemed straightforward with prices and beer options on the wall behind the bar. Parlour Too has a walk up window on a gravel path. The window is located on the opposite side of the building from the parking lot. They have several options posted and it appears your ice cream is picked up through the window.
Navigation: Navigating the space is easy, although the aisles are not very wide with people in the space. There are lots of tables and different styles of seating arrangements (bar, 2-seaters, larger tables). The wifi password is posted throughout the space on the walls and columns. There is an accessibility elevator that goes between the floors, in the middle of the space directly across from Mid Bloom. There are 2 handicap accessible/gender neutral bathrooms upstairs and one downstairs, both towards the back of the space with lots of space to move in once inside. We did not see changing tables, so something to be aware of if that is a need.
Noise: We were surprised that it was fairly quiet. There was music playing in the background. When a name would be called it could be startling for some but was not loud today. If it’s busy I could see it getting loud. The tables outside have umbrellas so it would be a nice escape if it got too loud. Today they had the side windows open which may have helped with conversation noise. Downstairs was quieter during the morning and has a few tables in corners which allow some privacy and conversation.
Lighting: Most of the lighting is from the large skylights in the ceiling or the various strings of lights. There are a few spotlights throughout as well. Downstairs they do have two games and the one claw game was brightly lit. The walls are painted very strong colors. We noticed this the most in the bathrooms, which are painted a bright blue and bright red.
Smells: We didn’t smell anything strong, but we were there around breakfast time and did not stay through lunch. We will check next time and update if needed!
We are excited to have The Common Market Durham as a place for get togethers with friends or even small groups. The space offers lots of options for everyone and appears to be very accessible. This probably isn’t the best place for small children, unless watched closely outside, but would be good for older children or adults to meet. We plan on returning to have a working breakfast or lunch.
Links to the food options in The Common Market Durham for more information:
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