Chapel Hill, NC area guide

Things to Do Near UNC Medical Center

Groceries, food, days-off ideas and shopping close to UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Made for travel nurses and RTs on contract.

5 groceries8 restaurants8 to do5 shopping

Photo: (User:Wgreaves) / CC BY 3.0

Groceries

Closest grocery stores to stock the fridge on week one.

• Weaver Street Market

  Local grocery store. Listed hours 7 AM to 10 PM daily

  ~1.6 mi / ~5 minMap
• Harris Teeter

  Harris Teeter grocery store. Listed as open 24 hours

  ~1.6 mi / ~5 minMap
• Food Lion

  Food Lion grocery store

  ~2.8 mi / ~7 minMap
• Whole Foods Market

  Whole Foods natural and organic grocery. Listed hours 7 AM to 10 PM daily

  ~3.1 mi / ~8 minMap
• ALDI

  Aldi budget grocery store. Listed hours 8:30 AM to 8 PM daily

  ~3.3 mi / ~8 minMap

Restaurants

Local spots with working websites. Places marked open late or early are handy around a night shift.

• Waffle House24 hours

  American restaurant. Listed as open 24 hours

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minWebsite
• Gizmo Brew WorksOpen late

  Pub

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minWebsite
• Moge TeaSit-down

  Bubble tea restaurant

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minWebsite
• Hibachi & CompanySit-down

  Asian restaurant. Listed hours 11 AM to 9 PM daily

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minWebsite
• Four CornersOpen late

  Restaurant

  ~0.9 mi / ~3 minWebsite
• Saladelia CafeQuick bite

  Cafe

  ~0.3 mi / ~2 minWebsite
• Cat Tales Cat CaféQuick bite

  Cafe

  ~1.0 mi / ~3 minWebsite
• BunsSit-down

  Burgers restaurant. Listed hours 11 AM to 9 PM daily

  ~0.9 mi / ~3 minWebsite

Things to do

Parks, water, breweries and more for your days off.

• Leigh Farm

  Park, good for a walk between shifts

  ~5.1 mi / ~12 minMap
• Johnston Mill Nature Preserve

  Nature preserve, a good spot for a quiet walk outside

  ~7.3 mi / ~13 minWebsite
• Carrboro Community Garden at MLK, Jr. Park

  Public garden, nice for an easy stroll

  ~3.5 mi / ~8 minWebsite
• Jordan Lake

  Reservoir. If you fish, get a North Carolina license first

  ~15 mi / ~25 minMap
• Lake Crabtree

  Lake. If you fish, get a North Carolina license first

  ~19 mi / ~25 minMap
• Steel String Brewery

  Local brewery

  ~1.7 mi / ~6 minWebsite
• The Glass Jug Beer Lab

  Local brewery

  ~11 mi / ~19 minWebsite
• Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower

  Local attraction

  ~0.3 mi / ~2 minWebsite

Shopping

Malls and big stores for anything you forgot to pack.

• Target

  Target for clothes, home goods and basics

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minMap
• Carr Mill Mall

  Shopping mall

  ~1.6 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Kohl’s

  Kohl’s department store

  ~5.8 mi / ~14 minMap
• Marshalls

  Marshalls, discount clothes and home goods

  ~6.0 mi / ~14 minMap
• The Streets at Southpoint

  Shopping center

  ~7.8 mi / ~13 minWebsite

Laundromats

Closest self-serve laundromats for scrubs and linens when your rental or RV park doesn’t have a washer.

• Town & Country LaundromatEarly and late

  Self-serve laundromat. Listed hours 6 AM to 11 PM daily

  ~1.8 mi / ~6 minMap
• Carrboro LaundromatOpen late

  Laundromat. Listed hours 7 AM to 11 PM daily

  ~2.4 mi / ~6 minMap
• Hillmont Laundry Building

  Laundromat

  ~2.5 mi / ~6 minMap

Coffee shops

Nearest coffee shops, local spots first. Places marked “Opens early” are handy after a night shift.

• Cafe 1789

  Local coffee shop

  ~0.4 mi / ~2 minMap
• The Meantime Coffee Co.

  Local coffee shop

  ~0.6 mi / ~2 minMap
• StarbucksEarly and late

  Starbucks coffee chain

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minMap

Gyms

Closest gyms to keep your routine on contract. Ask about short-term or month-to-month memberships.

• Shortbread Lofts Gym24 hours

  Local gym. Listed as open 24 hours

  ~1.0 mi / ~3 minMap
• Personalized Fitness

  Local gym

  ~1.9 mi / ~6 minMap
• Orangetheory Fitness

  Orangetheory Fitness gym

  ~2.9 mi / ~7 minMap

Nearby RV parks

Monthly-stay parks near UNC Medical Center from our RV parks list. Call to confirm the rate and a spot for your dates.

• Spring Hill RV Park

  3500 Old Greensboro Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

  Call for monthly rate

  ~8.4 mi / ~17 minRates & phone
• Jones Station RV Park

  2710 Jones Dr, Mebane, NC 27302

  Call for monthly rate

  ~21 mi / ~34 minRates & phone

Need a license for North Carolina? See the state licensing boards, then run through the contract checklists and housing tips.

Looking for your next contract? See North Carolina travel contracts posted by staffing agencies.

Sources: place data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), plus each place’s own website and Wikidata. Last checked Oct 2026.