A trip to the Skylight Exchange
4 Aug
I took a step back in time recently when a friend introduced me to Chapel Hill’s Skylight Exchange. This hole-in-the-wall is enthralling. It’s part cafeteria, part record store, part used book store and part music venue.
I could spend hours in this old-school place browsing titles and thumbing through records, looking for the perfect ironic cover to hang on the wall.
And the sandwiches. Oh the unique sandwiches. I ordered the BBQ chicken salad, and it was the best sandwich I’ve had in recent memory. I’ve heard that the shakes are stellar, but I didn’t get one. I need to make another trip there so I can try one.
I don’t know much about the history of this place, but it’s pretty well hidden. When I asked two of my chick friends, both UNC grads, if they’ve ever been there, neither had heard of it. It’s tucked in an alley off Rosemary Street.
Certainly, some of you have been there before and can share some details I’m leaving out about this eclectic venue.
Definitely an interesting place! If you get a chance to see a concert there, I highly recommend it. It’s very intimate.
Oh, and they make good peanut butter & banana sandwiches too.
Their food is always incredible. At least everything I’ve ever tried. They were a favorite hangout of mine in high school (’90 – ‘94)!
Wow. I’ve never seen it in the daytime. I didn’t even know it had a different name. Check my photostream for the tag “nightlight” to see it after hours. The pictures are weird because they have a terrible lighting setup!
I love the Skylight exchange (Their Blondies are to die for).. When I lived in Chapel Hill (I’m out in SW Wake county now), it was one of my favorite hangouts.
Great concerts/music. I’ve see the Rev. Billie C. Wurtz there a couple of times.
-JasonR
Wow, that brings back memories. I used to go there to see a couple of bands (Harlequin Jones and Avatar) in the very early 90s. The good ol’ days.
Also, despite my visits back then, I don’t remember the food at all. Can you believe that? I didn’t eat food back then.
The Skylight is a great place with much lore. I think that part of its endurance as a place-with-actual-personality-that-doesn’t-get-co-opted is that it’s in the less-trafficed boundary between Carrboro and Chapel Hill. There has been worry over what the new condo development across the street will do to that block’s personality, but for now the Skylight survives as a hangout for non-quite-contents who can order simple and yummy sandwiches (often with interesting names).
There used to be a sign up that said, “Please Don’t Smoke (Too Much)”. Since gone. The little shack around back with ratty moldy furniture and books is a must-glance-at but don’t hang out there.
An old blog of mine on the place:
http://archerpelican.typepad.com/tap/2004/06/skylight_exchan.html
Oh I have fond memories of this place from college. I went to NCSU but another friend at State told me about this wonderful place and that we must go have lunch there and shop for books. I am pleasantly surprised to hear that its still open 10 years later.
It sounds like I really need to head over there at night to see a band. It’s awesome that this place has been around for so long, and yet remains so hidden. Sounds like it truly is an institution.
omigosh. it’s so long ago that i don’t even remember what bands i saw at the skylight – but definitely back to the mid-80s and it was there before that.
Ah, memories. I see they haven’t reupholstered.
I sold my entire record collection there for funds to move (back) to Alaska. I didn’t make it. And I still want my Pop Goes the World disk back.
There used to be a small cupboard on the right as soon as you entered. You could put your band (or whatever) flyers and a check in there and then The Flyer Guys would come pick them up and staple them all over town. They knew all the good places to staple, and could even get in the dorms. Peek in and see if it’s still there.
its gone now, fuck,