Honoring Durham's "Curb Appeal" Champions

By a ratio of almost four to one, Durham residents rate appearance and physical upkeep a high community priority. Destinations hoping to attract visitors and newcomers understand that curb appeal is an essential investment that delivers a high rate of return.

The Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden 

Golden Leaf Award Winner - Landscaping and Maintenance

Photo by Rick Fisher

For some, appearance means removing litter and planting flowers.  From a destination marketing standpoint, it’s more about creating and maintaining a community’s unique sense of place.  

Landscaping –particularly around gateways—is a part of that, but it’s also about historic preservation, urban forestry, attractive streetscapes with wayfinding, and well-maintained, weed-free medians. 

Keep Durham Beautiful, the Durham City-County Appearance Commission and Durham City-County Environmental Affairs joined together last week to present the Gold Leaf Awards, an annual event recognizing properties that illustrate the value that Durham puts on community appearance.   

The 2012 Golden Leaf Award Winners are to be commended for raising the bar for excellence in design and maintenance of commercial, residential and community properties.  They have shown leadership in  raising community awareness of the value of good appearance and stewardship.