@Will, I think that's an interesting idea. I like the old sign, but I hear your point. Maybe Scott would be willing to host a doodle poll or something on his site for different designs in the future. (This assumes an awful lot of Mr. Harmon's generosity and patience to be willing to get public input on a private project, but maybe it's feasible). I'm sure whatever comes of this discussion will be another jewel for Durham.

@Clif I don't want to monopolize the conversation either. My point earlier was that we, as a city, have already defined ourselves on substantive grounds. The sign isn't replacing substance with style. And as far as fun goes, I guess we'll just agree to disagree. I think it would be Disneyland if we created a sign to look like it was historic, but I think it's different when you recreate a piece of history. @Scott, great summary of the restoration rules. Good luck with the sign ordinance.

@Clif, Maybe "best" is a bit of an overstatement. I think that sign is a fascinating snapshot or artifact of "Durham Exceptionalism." It's a piece of history, and a time I find fascinating. It is all arrogance and pompousness. It makes me picture a barrel chested man in a tuxedo, top hat, and a monocle declaring how great Durham is. I think for the past 30-50 years Durham has been declaring who we are through RTP, Duke, the ADF, Full Frame, and now the revitalization of Downtown, DPAC, and any other number of projects. The sign is fun and jaunty and connects this high point of Durham's history to past high points. That's my 3 sentence argument for it. In summary, it's fun!

@Scott - I bet you could do a kickstarter campaign to raise some of the money for a "Durham Renowned..." sign I would give a few bucks.

@Cormoran TTA goes to and from the airport. I've used it, and it works. It's not ideal, but that's because we've chosen to live in such a sprawling area with a low population density. There are very few cost effective transit options because of ridership levels. I live near downtown Durham though, and this works well for me. Give it a shot next time. http://triangletransit.org/bus/airport/

@John - If the commute to work is killing you, it would be great if you moved to one of the neighborhoods downtown. That way you'd have the short commute you want, and no one's neighborhood would have to be destroyed to shorten your commute. win/win!

Here Here. Mr. Martin. I completely agree.

@doug. The revolution will not be franchised.

I hate it when small businesses open up in vacant buildings and provide jobs. It makes me sick.

This comment thread is why I love Durham. So many different opinions from wildly different perspectives, and no one takes the bait on troll-ish comments. I think posting with real names, in a small city, helps that.

It would be great to see more apartment buildings come online soon to provide more customers for downtown, and more people within walking distance. The Chesterfield will hopefully open soon-ish, and Morris Ridge is planned, but does it have a start date?

@Andy My partner and I bought an abandoned home in Cleveland-Holloway and have slowly been renovating it over the past 3 years. Yes it takes time, and money, but we lived in one room while working on the rest of the house and it made owning a home a possibility, and much less expensive than buying downtown or in Trinity Park. www.shaketheframe.com

The abbattoir would certainly add an "air" of authenticity.

@KennyL I agree with you, but something is better than nothing. If the market doesn't support it, then we'll at least have a renovated space.

I love the commenting culture here that even the trolls couldn't get anyone to get mean.