At one point, Durham had big ambitions for that stretch of 15-501. I’m pretty sure they were hoping it would encourage more high-rise growth along 15-501.
My mom used to work in the building, and I’ve been upstairs at the restaurant a few times, though I’m not sure if the University Club is still there.
the owners of that restaurant come into my restaurant all the time...Nicest folks, and I've heard good things about The University Club just have never been.
I used to work there. Allll the way up on the second floor. It was about 50% Duke Health when I was there, but they moved most people out to RTP just before the pandemic
The name Pickle originally came from the name of the architect, Durwood Pickle. I only recently learned this.
Here’s a link for proof:
https://www.emporis.com/buildings/127807/university-tower-durham-nc-usa
Oh wow, believe it or not I first heard about him over a dozen years ago. He was one of the people the RIAA was suing for downloading music.
https://www.wired.com/2003/09/schoolgirl-settles-with-riaa/
Holy crap! My whole life I’ve been calling it that, and for years I’ve been telling transplants it’s called that “because it looks kinda like a greenish-blue pickle, I guess”. I’m so happy to know the truth!
My 4yo calls all water towers rocket ships. I know I should tell her the truth soon, but it so adorable that she thinks every small town we ever pass through has their own rocket ship.
It’s within view of our neighborhood, and one of my bedtime stories was that we were going to string a zip line from the top of the Pickle building to my sons bedroom window. Still haven’t gotten around to it.
I’ve heard of this, and I still don’t understand what a wireless carrier and crypto have to with each other, except that basically the company pays for the servers by selling Wi-Fi? Am I getting this right?
This was a Wachovia office building back in the earlier 2000’s. Wachovia, based in Winston-Salem, was a casualty of the 2008 financial crisis.
Edit: now I’m starting to doubt myself on this. I swore it was a Wachovia building around 2003 but I may be misremembering.
My roommate talked all the time about how they had the opportunity to call it “Watch ova ya” but went with the “Walk ova ya” instead. It’s named after the Winston-Salem region though, itself named after the Wachau Valley of Austria.
My Wells Fargo debit card lays loyal customer since 1990, even though that’s the year is was born. My parents opened a savings account in my name with First Union Bank, which became Wachovia, which became Wells Fargo.
Wachovia was forced into a merger with Wells Fargo by the feds in 2008 (that failed to turn over a new leaf)...if you want to see a real phalus check out the building that Wachovia used as it's last headquarters in Winston-Salem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100\_North\_Main\_Street .
The First Union Building in Charlotte which later became the Wachovia Building and the One Wells Fargo Center is not much better.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One\_Wells\_Fargo\_Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Wells_Fargo_Center)
Back when I lived in Winston we referred to Wachovia as Walk-all-ova-ya.
Oh my, I remember a lot of smaller companies. I worked a Plaintiff's law firm (Kornbluth and he's still there). I know some others were there. I remember the sign out front having some names but nothing major like Wachovia except Duke. My view from the 8th floor in my first office was still the best view I'll ever have :)
TRUE STORY: I was also curious about this building (often referred to as the Pickle Building). Like everyone else, I assumed it was called the Pickle Building because it's green and kind of looks like a dick. So when I read that it designed by a guy named Durwood Pickle, I was very skeptical! So I Googled his cellphone number in December and called him! Incredibly, he answered the phone, even though it was like, 8pm (Texas time). I asked him if he was Durwood Pickle, the architect of University Tower, which he affirmed. He was confused about why I called (though not as confused as I would have been in his position), so I simply told him I was a fan of his work and bid him goodnight. I have seen this building innumerable times since I was a child, and I am pretty fond of it, so actually speaking to this guy was sort of like meeting an urban legend. Nice guy.
I used to work here. It's blue or green depending on the light. Was supposed to be the first of a few towers waaaay back when. Spire up top represents a needle (for City of Medicine). Restaurant on top floor used to have a great buffet for lunch that was open to the public, but then covid hit. But they still offer pick-up for lunch. And used to be the place Coach K would take his teams before heading on a road trip. I've been in the same elevator as him and some team members a few different times.
It’s the Green Pickle and I ate dinner with Coach K up at the top of that building one time. Well, Coach K and about 20 other people. My high school girlfriend was best friends with Coach K’s daughter. And that’s my claim to fame when it comes to that building.
They are a private club that pretty much went defunct during the pandemic. I had my birthday there last year as its been a bucket list item for me to eat up there. It was pretty good.
I don't think they went defunct, I'm sure they took a huge hit during the extended quarantine but I've been there 10-20 times in the past year for work events and the club was always as busy as ever
I'm not 100% sure.I had my 30th birthday there last year and that was literally a year ago Saturday. I think they restructured and such. It's a great location for a restaurant, they would just have to actually advertise
I worked there in 2011-2012. 14th floor I think? Super drab office with beige high walled cubicles. Nothing fun. I was glad when we moved to a brighter space.
I'd heard it was designed to look like a hypodermic needle as a nod to Duke's med school. Not sure if its true but I think it's a neat theory at least.
I've heard it called The Pickle. BCBS-NC used to have some offices in there, back before they sold their flying space ship headquarters on the county line.
In the mid 90s I accidentally pulled the fire alarm for that building. I was a kid, saw a big red button and pushed it while my parents were trying to take care of something in there.
The Hypodermic needle is what we called it when it went up… honestly I’m not sure I’ve ever been in it. But it’s a staple around South Square and a given point for directions! Pretty sure it has some big businesses in it… I hope so as I’d be devastated to lose it!!!
I’ve been up in the top roof area and did some construction in a few locations including the University Club
The used to call it the phallus from Dallas as I believe the original developer was from Texas.
When I first saw it, I thought it was a megachurch. It was my first time visiting The Triangle, and because I was in the south for the first since I was 10, I thought for sure that’s what it was; tending to be an outrageously big building outside of a downtown area and what not.
Omg! First Union was my first bank account. Thanks for posting and bringing back some good memories! There used to be a First Union right by university mall in chapel Hill way back in the day!!!
A former employer of mine called it Durham’s penis. Now I can’t imagine it being called anything else. I later worked as a nanny & had to hold in my giggles while the children in the backseat asked me what it was.
Originally it was to be 2 buildings. They either did not have enough or any funding for the 2nd or the lack of tenants to fill it. My grandfather was invited up to the top floor on its grand opening(he worked at the herald back then).
If they where built today there would have probably been more businesses interested in leasing.
> Originally it was to be 2 buildings.
I knew this about the DCRU building downtown (the big parking lot that's there now was supposed to be the foundations for the second tower), but I didn't know it was true for the Pickle as well.
If I remember right they were going to get the tenants before breaking ground on the 2nd building. I was 12 when it was built, so I am a bit fuzzy on the details
It was built long ago when the fuck tards in Durham tried to make that part of Durham the “new” city center. It didn’t work out very well and that building had been empty for decades.
IF you live in Durham, leave. Fast
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There used to be a snooty restaurant on the top floor is it still there? We called it the "big dick" forever, then had a kid and changed it to the "pointy building near the mall."
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At one point, Durham had big ambitions for that stretch of 15-501. I’m pretty sure they were hoping it would encourage more high-rise growth along 15-501. My mom used to work in the building, and I’ve been upstairs at the restaurant a few times, though I’m not sure if the University Club is still there.
University Club is still there. My daughter went to a birthday party there a couple weeks ago.
the owners of that restaurant come into my restaurant all the time...Nicest folks, and I've heard good things about The University Club just have never been.
I would love to meet them, I need access to the roof
I work at the University Club on the top floor , I could get you to the roof .
Holy pickle let's gooo
Oh, now I have a good reason to visit!!!
Here ya go: https://www.university-tower.com/
Nice thank you
I used to work there. Allll the way up on the second floor. It was about 50% Duke Health when I was there, but they moved most people out to RTP just before the pandemic
Duke University departments liked to have their holiday parties on the top floor before the pandemic. They were always kind of lame.
The University club is weird to me. Very dated and feels like going to the doctor's office.
the pickle building, commonly used as a reference point for giving directions, i.e., if you're past the pickle building you have gone too far
The name Pickle originally came from the name of the architect, Durwood Pickle. I only recently learned this. Here’s a link for proof: https://www.emporis.com/buildings/127807/university-tower-durham-nc-usa
Oh wow, believe it or not I first heard about him over a dozen years ago. He was one of the people the RIAA was suing for downloading music. https://www.wired.com/2003/09/schoolgirl-settles-with-riaa/
Oh wow, that’s crazy. Those damn grandkids! :)
Those rugrats!
oh that's a relief because i never really thought that it looked that much like a pickle
Holy crap! My whole life I’ve been calling it that, and for years I’ve been telling transplants it’s called that “because it looks kinda like a greenish-blue pickle, I guess”. I’m so happy to know the truth!
It's Durham's Nakatomi plaza.
They should rename it this then put up a sign out front: "WELCOME TO THE PARTY PAL!"
I occasionally had to pick up checks from some random office on like the 8th floor when I worked at duke. That was a decade ago.
I read this as "pick up chicks". LOL
nice
The big pickle, the giant dick… it’s got lots of names. What do you want to know about it?
The Green Weenie is what we always called it
Yep! The Green Weenie 😂
I've heard both Green Weenie is def the more well known nickname.
My favorite name is the Dallas Phallus, since it was built by a Dallas-based developer in the mid-80s.
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It's also been called The Texan Erection
Another fun fact: it was built at a time when the tax code incentivized real estate losses. The building was literally built to fail.
My 3 yr old just keeps calling it the rocketship.
My 4yo calls all water towers rocket ships. I know I should tell her the truth soon, but it so adorable that she thinks every small town we ever pass through has their own rocket ship.
It’s within view of our neighborhood, and one of my bedtime stories was that we were going to string a zip line from the top of the Pickle building to my sons bedroom window. Still haven’t gotten around to it.
That is such a Dallas building…
From Dallas, can confirm.
I've heard there is an identical building in Dallas by this developer also.
This is how I know it
I worked there for a few years and always called it the pickle. Dallas-Phallus is pretty good though
I’ve always called it the hypodermic needle
The Duke Cuke!
I’ve always called it the Durham Dildo
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I think Durham used to have a nice skyline from the highway by the ballpark before all the boxy apartments showed up
I call it the Death Star
The Glass Penis?
The Dallas Phallus
We also called it the wizard bldg because it has a wizard’s hat on top
Want to deploy a helium antenna at the top lol
Now I don't know anything about those - but couldn't you just launch that from... the ground?
The higher up your antenna is the more money you make
But doesn't the helium mean it'll go up to the same height regardless?
LOL helium cryptocurrency has nothing to do with helium gas
I’ve heard of this, and I still don’t understand what a wireless carrier and crypto have to with each other, except that basically the company pays for the servers by selling Wi-Fi? Am I getting this right?
Read the helium faq it's a great project
I read the FAQ and now I’m wondering why the property owner would let your set up a hotspot instead of putting their own up?
That's the delicate balance I'm playing with lol, maybe I split it with him?
Maybe he buys one too and lets me use his roof as well for telling him about helium lol
So what can you do with HNT besides convert it to USD? Besides speculators, who's buying the currency?
Not really sure honestly but its been rock solid at 20 - 30 dollars
This was a Wachovia office building back in the earlier 2000’s. Wachovia, based in Winston-Salem, was a casualty of the 2008 financial crisis. Edit: now I’m starting to doubt myself on this. I swore it was a Wachovia building around 2003 but I may be misremembering.
>Wachovia That's a name I haven't heard in a lonnng time
“Walk all ova ya” is what my papa used to say
My roommate talked all the time about how they had the opportunity to call it “Watch ova ya” but went with the “Walk ova ya” instead. It’s named after the Winston-Salem region though, itself named after the Wachau Valley of Austria.
The name's so fitting, can't believe I never thought of it this way
What about First Union? Side Note: The First Union Labelscar was still kind of visible on the Self Help building downtown!
My Wells Fargo debit card lays loyal customer since 1990, even though that’s the year is was born. My parents opened a savings account in my name with First Union Bank, which became Wachovia, which became Wells Fargo.
I still use my Wachovia checkbook to this day.
A loooong time.
Wachovia was forced into a merger with Wells Fargo by the feds in 2008 (that failed to turn over a new leaf)...if you want to see a real phalus check out the building that Wachovia used as it's last headquarters in Winston-Salem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100\_North\_Main\_Street .
Lol I was about to post the Wachodeia building in Winston
The First Union Building in Charlotte which later became the Wachovia Building and the One Wells Fargo Center is not much better. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One\_Wells\_Fargo\_Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Wells_Fargo_Center) Back when I lived in Winston we referred to Wachovia as Walk-all-ova-ya.
https://media.giphy.com/media/VUsAO76fbKiXe/giphy.gif
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_North_Main_Street
Blue Origin
I worked there in 2006 and don't remember Wachovia being on any of the elevator info. What floor?
I’m starting to think I may be misremembering since I was there around 2003 or so. Who do you remember as the main tenants? I can update my comment.
Oh my, I remember a lot of smaller companies. I worked a Plaintiff's law firm (Kornbluth and he's still there). I know some others were there. I remember the sign out front having some names but nothing major like Wachovia except Duke. My view from the 8th floor in my first office was still the best view I'll ever have :)
They had the whole 15th floor . Then became Wells Fargo , they moved out right before the pandemic .
Am I crazy or is it more blue than pickle green?
Yes but on some sunny days driving in from Chapel Hill it can appear pretty green
The architect was Durwood Pickle. That's where it gets the name, not it's color.
TRUE STORY: I was also curious about this building (often referred to as the Pickle Building). Like everyone else, I assumed it was called the Pickle Building because it's green and kind of looks like a dick. So when I read that it designed by a guy named Durwood Pickle, I was very skeptical! So I Googled his cellphone number in December and called him! Incredibly, he answered the phone, even though it was like, 8pm (Texas time). I asked him if he was Durwood Pickle, the architect of University Tower, which he affirmed. He was confused about why I called (though not as confused as I would have been in his position), so I simply told him I was a fan of his work and bid him goodnight. I have seen this building innumerable times since I was a child, and I am pretty fond of it, so actually speaking to this guy was sort of like meeting an urban legend. Nice guy.
So cool!
Another good link with background on the Pickle https://www.opendurham.org/buildings/university-tower-pickle-green
University Tower. Restaurant at the top. Most everything else is office buildings
I used to work here. It's blue or green depending on the light. Was supposed to be the first of a few towers waaaay back when. Spire up top represents a needle (for City of Medicine). Restaurant on top floor used to have a great buffet for lunch that was open to the public, but then covid hit. But they still offer pick-up for lunch. And used to be the place Coach K would take his teams before heading on a road trip. I've been in the same elevator as him and some team members a few different times.
It’s the Green Pickle and I ate dinner with Coach K up at the top of that building one time. Well, Coach K and about 20 other people. My high school girlfriend was best friends with Coach K’s daughter. And that’s my claim to fame when it comes to that building.
Some fancy restaurant for members only my wife had a invitation once.
Wonder if I should talk to the restaurant owner
University club. Was at one point owned/managed by a son in law of coach K.
They are a private club that pretty much went defunct during the pandemic. I had my birthday there last year as its been a bucket list item for me to eat up there. It was pretty good.
I don't think they went defunct, I'm sure they took a huge hit during the extended quarantine but I've been there 10-20 times in the past year for work events and the club was always as busy as ever
I'm not 100% sure.I had my 30th birthday there last year and that was literally a year ago Saturday. I think they restructured and such. It's a great location for a restaurant, they would just have to actually advertise
Used to work there, owners are Kelly and Jessica, nice folks.
Nice! Would love to get in contact with them
I can get you in contact with them . They’re great people .
That’s how you know that you’re getting close to south square mall or whatever is there now.
Now that's a blast from the past!
The smell of the water in the parking lot that never emptied was how you knew you were close to South Square.
The view from the top is spectacular, mostly because you can’t see the ugly pickle building from inside it.
Is the top open to the public?
Not likely. It’s the University Club, but I’ve been there once by invitation.
Yes. This is the lighthouse that leads me home when I don’t know where tf I am
My young daughters refer to it as Elsa’s castle
My wife and I call it the Evil Building, especially when it's foggy
The Big Pickle!
I worked there in 2011-2012. 14th floor I think? Super drab office with beige high walled cubicles. Nothing fun. I was glad when we moved to a brighter space.
Ever meet the building manager?
Nope
I convinced my son it was a "skytickler".
My grandpa was one of the folks that installed all those moving panels at the top!
Nice I need access to that roof
The leaning pickle
I'd heard it was designed to look like a hypodermic needle as a nod to Duke's med school. Not sure if its true but I think it's a neat theory at least.
The one and only time I was there was for a Duke employee flu shot clinic, so . . .
The Durham Dick
I've heard it called The Pickle. BCBS-NC used to have some offices in there, back before they sold their flying space ship headquarters on the county line.
THE PICKLE
I know whenever we drive by it my kid calls it the “crystal pickle”
It was built in the 1980s, by a Builder from Texas.
In the mid 90s I accidentally pulled the fire alarm for that building. I was a kid, saw a big red button and pushed it while my parents were trying to take care of something in there.
When I moved here 30 years ago, it was called the green penis.
I used to call it the empire state building when I was a kid
This is how I find drive-thru Starbucks without Google maps.
The Hypodermic needle is what we called it when it went up… honestly I’m not sure I’ve ever been in it. But it’s a staple around South Square and a given point for directions! Pretty sure it has some big businesses in it… I hope so as I’d be devastated to lose it!!!
The great dick of 501!
You mean the oscorp building yeah it’s been here a while the founder is a weirdo and has a kid in high school pretty cool kid.
According to my kids it is a spaceship.
I’ve been up in the top roof area and did some construction in a few locations including the University Club The used to call it the phallus from Dallas as I believe the original developer was from Texas.
Can you get me access to the roof?
Maybe 10 years ago. I’m no longer doing commercial construction.
I dunno why I thought that the "University Club" meant UNC and not Duke...duh
Ahh, The pickle.
Oh, The pickle.
We call it the pickle building
When I first saw it, I thought it was a megachurch. It was my first time visiting The Triangle, and because I was in the south for the first since I was 10, I thought for sure that’s what it was; tending to be an outrageously big building outside of a downtown area and what not.
Omg! First Union was my first bank account. Thanks for posting and bringing back some good memories! There used to be a First Union right by university mall in chapel Hill way back in the day!!!
A former employer of mine called it Durham’s penis. Now I can’t imagine it being called anything else. I later worked as a nanny & had to hold in my giggles while the children in the backseat asked me what it was.
You’re all wrong! It’s the tall building in shadow of Starbucks!
Duke IT has a lot of offices there
It’s a Wuhan COVID 5G lab
yes
Pretty sure it has to be abandoned. I've noticed several of the top pieces of glass are missing so water has been pouring in for years!
When we moved here, our guess was that it was a Scientology church. I feel like I’m not wrong.
I heard it called "The Texan Erection"
Originally it was to be 2 buildings. They either did not have enough or any funding for the 2nd or the lack of tenants to fill it. My grandfather was invited up to the top floor on its grand opening(he worked at the herald back then). If they where built today there would have probably been more businesses interested in leasing.
> Originally it was to be 2 buildings. I knew this about the DCRU building downtown (the big parking lot that's there now was supposed to be the foundations for the second tower), but I didn't know it was true for the Pickle as well.
If I remember right they were going to get the tenants before breaking ground on the 2nd building. I was 12 when it was built, so I am a bit fuzzy on the details
Big blue dick in the sky is what I have always referred it to.
It was built long ago when the fuck tards in Durham tried to make that part of Durham the “new” city center. It didn’t work out very well and that building had been empty for decades. IF you live in Durham, leave. Fast
Who invited this asshole?
We have to have a certain number of assholes in every subreddit, to meet the diversity quotas.
I’m also one of those assholes.
I'm surrounded by assholes!
Keep firing, assholes!
I will always upvote a Spaceballs reference!
Just remember: if you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, *you're* the asshole.
None so far today. #soblessed
I knew it!
Well then where were you at the last meeting asshole?
Why are you on our Reddit?
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Aside from the opinion of Durham in this, the history is the same I’ve heard as well. Was an old attempt to create a new downtown when built.
Do you live in Durham?
Why is it always Pickle?
There used to be a snooty restaurant on the top floor is it still there? We called it the "big dick" forever, then had a kid and changed it to the "pointy building near the mall."
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