‘Stranger Things’ in Real Life: A Tour of the Town That Inspired Hawkins
On the Monday after Netflix dropped the final episodes of Stranger Things season 4 (or what some might call Independence Day), I followed my iPhone’s advice and drove two hours northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina, to the city of Durham. I wanted to see in person what I’d recently seen on my TikTok “For You” page – the approximate spot where main character Will Byers disappeared all the way back in season one, a highly doable distance away from me. Stranger Things Your Suffering Is Almost At An End Unisex Tshirt, I guess this is where I should introduce myself. Hi, I’m Meara, I’m 23, and I’ve seen all of Stranger Things. The third season of the show is my favorite. I have spent more than a little bit of money on Stranger Things merch. I am, very predictably, a Steve Harrington fan.
You may already be familiar with the Duffer brothers – the twins who created Stranger Things and write, direct and executive produce episodes of the show. They grew up in Durham, just a few podcast-listens away from the Stranger Things lover you’re reading right now.
The Duffers have sprinkled references to real Durham locations across all four seasons of the show. While the fictional town of Hawkins isn’t filmed in North Carolina – it’s actually filmed in the bordering state of Georgia – real bodies of water, streets and other places in Durham have been name-dropped as landmarks in the madeup town. The intersection of Kerley and West Cornwallis in Durham. Not pictured: The demogorgon that took Will. When I realized I could check out these spots in person, I rounded up my iPhone camera and my passion for Stranger Things and hit the road. My visit to Durham would eventually include a slice of a pineapple-topped pizza (Argyle-approved!) and some very friendly pizza employees. But before then, I had to stop at the notorious Will-napping spot, Kerley and Cornwallis.
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Alphabet Upside Down Unisex Tshirt
The tour begins, So, to be clear, the intersection of Kerley and West Cornwallis roads in Durham isn’t the place we actually see on the show. But the Duffer brothers use the name of that very real intersection. Here’s when it happens: In the very first episode of Stranger Things, young pals Mike, Lucas and Dustin explain to police chief Hopper that before Will disappeared, he’d been traveling on a street they call “Mirkwood,” located “where Cornwallis and Kerley meet.” (If you’re having trouble picturing a road at an intersection of two roads, check out this neat fan-made map of Hawkins). The audience sees Will vanish not far from that location, in the Byers’ shed. The Will Byers encounter happened under prime spooky conditions at night, but my visit took place in the late afternoon. The green street signs and flow of traffic didn’t seem usual, but the huge trees that flanked the area could definitely have been hiding a demogorgon or two. I felt a tinge of embarrassment when I lifted my phone to snap a selfie, but figured nearby residents are probably used to seeing fans loitering on that corner. The things we do for Stranger Things. Identical twins Matt and Ross Duffer, 38, grew up close to that intersection in Durham. Their ’90s childhood included bikes, train-track expeditions and the fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering, according to an interview they did with the Los Angeles Times. (Though they were born in the ’80s, when Stranger Things famously takes place, the Duffers are admittedly more ’90s kids). They made their first movie in the third grade with a gifted video camera, and have been tackling projects as a duo ever since. The brothers have acknowledged the Durham references. In an interview with the Raleigh News and Observer in 2017, Matt Duffer said that in addition to name-dropping “landmarks and street names” on the show, they’ve made deeper-cut nods to an adult neighbor and a close childhood friend. Speaking about the Durham Easter eggs to local news station ABC 11, Matt said that “as much as Stranger Things is an ode to the films of our childhood that we grew up loving, it’s also an ode to our childhood. So that’s why we like to do those little shout-outs, because really, more than anything, it’s just about us and our friends.” Matt also told the News and Observer that Hawkins is a blend of a few things, including Georgia and Durham. (“Fictional towns in Stephen King books” and “suspense scenes in 1980s horror movies” are also in the DNA of Hawkins, he said.) I reached out to the Duffer brothers for this story but didn’t hear back right away.
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Arcade Poster Style Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Demobat Slayer Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Dustin Just Try To Resist These Pearls Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Eddie Munson Hellfire Clubs Dungeron Master
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Eddie Munson Leader Of Hellfire Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Eleven And Friend Pixel Style Unisex Style
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Hawkins High School Logo Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Max Mayfield 1983 Hawkins Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Pray For Max Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Rose Glass Door Vecna House Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things The Demogorgon Live Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things The Demogorgon Van Gogh Style Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things There’s More Life Than Stupid Boys Unisex Boys
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Upside Down Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Vecna In The Upside Down Vintage Style Poster Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Welcome To Hawkins Indiana Unisex Tshirt
Click here to buy this shirt:
Stranger Things Your Suffering Is Almost At An End Unisex Tshirt
6 Available products for Stranger Things Your Suffering Is Almost At An End Unisex Tshirt
- Classic Men’s Shirt
- Classic Women’s Shirt
- Women’s The Boyfriend Tee
- Women’s Heather Wicking Tee
- Women’s Scoop Neck T-shirt
- Women’s Slouchy top
- Women’s Organic Tee
- Men’s Short Sleeve Tee
- Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
- Men’s Cotton Crew Tee
- Unisex Ultra Cotton Tee
- Men’s Heather Dri-Fit Tee
- Men’s Polo Shirt
- Men’s Jersey Polo Shirt
- Unisex Ringer Tee
- Men’s Lightweight Fashion Tee
- Men’s V-Neck
- Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve V-Neck Tee
- Women V-Neck
- Women’s Jersey Short Sleeve Deep V-Neck Tee
- Unisex Hoodie
- Unisex Heavy Blend™ Full-Zip Hooded Sweatshirt
- Men’s Lightweight Zip Hooded Sweatshirt
- Unisex French Terry Zip Hoodie
- AOP Unisex Zip Hoodie
- Unisex Longsleeve
- Unisex Jersey Long Sleeve Tee
- Unisex 3/4 Sleeve Baseball Tee
- Unisex Tri-Blend 3/4 Raglan Tee
- Men’s Varsity Jacket
- Youth T-shirt
- Unisex Sweatshirt
- Tank Top
- Men’s Sleeveless Performance Tee
- Women’s Cut & Sew Racerback Dress
- Women’s Pencil Skirt
- Women’s Cut & Sew Casual Leggings
- Women’s Sponge Fleece Wide Neck Sweatshirt
- Kids Regular Fit Tee
- Infant Long Sleeve Bodysuit
- Mug
- Phone Case
- Bags
- Unisex Flip-Flops
- Available Size: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL Available Color: Black, Cardinal Red, Forest Green, Gold, Navy, Royal, Sport Grey, White…
Home: Boomidiadeal
