Some cities are so distinctive that, if you were suddenly placed in one of them and your blindfold removed, you would instantly know where you were. Boston's like that, as are San Francisco, New Orleans and Las Vegas.

The more I get to know Durham, the more I believe it belongs in this couldn't-be-anywhere-else category. The legacy of the city's industrial past is a collection of gritty, muscular structures that give Durham a look and a feel very much its own.

Contrast this with the bland, sprawling, capital city southeast of here. Or with North Carolina's biggest urb, the so-called Queen City. Could a city be more generic-looking than Raleigh or Charlotte?

Durham has other strengths. Wonderful places to eat, for example, and a downtown that's poised for a breakthrough.

Among all these other virtues, we learned this week, Durham can claim an additional "best places" title: Best place to lose your dog.

Bean, the mild-mannered pit bull, turned up last weekend and was reunited with her owners, Rebecca Silver and Bryan Proffitt.

The theft of Bean from Proffitt's car on Ninth Street two weeks ago touched off a community mobilization. Message groups buzzed. People searched. It was an amazing outpouring.

After Bean was returned last Sunday, Silver thanked everyone on the blog she created for Bean (http://beanthepit.blogspot.com/ tells the whole tale), and invited visitors to contribute to the promised $1,000 reward. The money was raised in less than a day.

What a town!