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Can someone tell me a little about this area? Seems like there is some new shopping here, most of it a bit 'higher end' (prices in Super Target are a bit high). Also it's very busy...is the whole Triangle this 'congested'? (reminds me of Long Island!).
That 15-501 strip with all the shopping is by far the most congested area of Durham. Aside from that specific area, I have yet to experience any significant congestion in Durham. I find traffic here to be great besides that. They've been trying to expand that section for as long as I've lived here. I'm not holding my breath that it'll fix everything, but it might make it more tolerable. I would not judge the whole area based on those couple miles of road, because the rest is quite different. I find it to be pretty laid-back here.
Need some suggestions...continued from my other post
We're only in the area a few days. Currently staying near 15-501 roads by Chapel Hill Blvd. We don't like this area at all...I need suggestions where else we can check out for the next 2 days. We're interested in shopping but not insane roads like these which remind us of Long Island. A family friendly neighborhood with decent shopping and schools, some things to do...a suburb, not "Sunrise Hwy"
Should we check out Cary or Apex or Chapel Hill instead (not looking for a super expensive area, though). Thanks, will check this out later for suggestions.
Can you describe a little more what it is you are looking for. Are you planning to buy a house or rent and apartment. What is expensive (What is you basic price range). Where are you planning to work? Do you want to be within a certain distance of your Job? The Triangle is Huge so recommending places to look is tough without knowing what parts you are zeroing in on.
We're only in the area a few days. Currently staying near 15-501 roads by Chapel Hill Blvd. We don't like this area at all...I need suggestions where else we can check out for the next 2 days. We're interested in shopping but not insane roads like these which remind us of Long Island. A family friendly neighborhood with decent shopping and schools, some things to do...a suburb, not "Sunrise Hwy"
Should we check out Cary or Apex or Chapel Hill instead (not looking for a super expensive area, though). Thanks, will check this out later for suggestions.
Chapel Hill and Cary are the more expensive towns in the Triangle and also have a bit more traffic than Durham in general. SW Durham has most of the traffic and shopping (on par with traffic, shopping, and suburbia like the rest of the Triangle). Anywhere in the Triangle area where most of the shopping is will have more traffic. You can find a small town like Hillsborough or live in North Durham where there is little traffic and get to the larger shopping centers and mall in 10-20 minutes. Does that sound like what you are looking for? Or would you like local shops like in downtown?
We're only in the area a few days. Currently staying near 15-501 roads by Chapel Hill Blvd. We don't like this area at all...I need suggestions where else we can check out for the next 2 days. We're interested in shopping but not insane roads like these which remind us of Long Island. A family friendly neighborhood with decent shopping and schools, some things to do...a suburb, not "Sunrise Hwy"
Should we check out Cary or Apex or Chapel Hill instead (not looking for a super expensive area, though). Thanks, will check this out later for suggestions.
Get on I-40 and go about 6 miles east (Exit 276) to the Southpoint area aka Southwest Durham. I HIGHLY recommend Woodcroft as a GREAT family-friendly neighborhood that isn't 'cookie-cutter' (especially the older part on the south side of Woodcroft Parkway). That's where we live and we love it. Hope Valley Farms is nice, too, although a bit too 'same same' for my tastes.
For shopping, there's Southpoint Mall, SuperTarget (not the one on 15-501), Lowe's, Best Buy, Old Navy, etc all within 5 minutes at most. Rumor has it a SuperWalMart is coming soon as well (and for those who'd like to chime in on the Pros and Cons of this, please find the other threads already started).You can get to Duke, UNC, RTP, or Downtown Durham all in about 15 minutes.
I get what you're saying about 15-501. We lived in some apartments near there when we first moved in and were not impressed. The road is a nightmare, as is getting in and out of either the SuperTarget shopping center or the New Hope Commons shopping center (WalMart) down the street.
Mike
Last edited by whiteboyslo; 09-01-2010 at 05:39 PM..
Thanks all.
We don't have jobs yet. It's hard to do so much in a short period. Feel pressured but we have to move and need to find a place.
Anyhow, Mike...I was at the mall today...liked what I saw...seems like a 'better area' than around here. The mall is high end-- I liked the design and mentioned to the hubby that this is a better area.
I will check out that neighborhood. Our budget is quite small now and yes, we'd rent first.
I was worried it was 'rural' here but no way, it's insane (to drive around..)
Yeah, Southpoint is GREAT. It has to be one of the nicest malls I've been to and it's never all THAT busy or hard to get in and out of (except around the holidays, but what mall isn't?).
Driving isn't too bad depending on what you're used to. For all the griping I hear from the locals, I have to see anything compare to the daily grind I'm used to from SoCal (not saying I want to). The biggest issue is getting through RTP during 'rush hour'. If you can set yourself up to not have a commute that goes through it, you'll be fine.
SW Durham has the most shopping and family-friendly neighborhood options for the price. Apex is affordable as well, but it doesn't have as much shopping as Durham and is not as central. I'll echo the recommendation for Woodcroft. I love the neighborhoods along Hope Valley Rd. too. You have everything from smaller, older homes, to the newer cookie-cutter subdivisions, to the amazing mansions. It's quite mixed, but it's all nice and wooded. That area has such a nice feel to me, and it's right in between Duke University and Southpoint.
The area of town you are staying is indeed among the most congested in Durham - don't judge all of the city by that.
Don't overlook West Durham (where I live) and lower North Durham. They have a much quieter feel than the rest of Durham and are a little farther from shopping, but are by no means rural. I will paste below an adapted "driving tour" of the area I posted on another thread for someone sometime ago - it would be about 45 min or so round trip
To see some of North Durham (and incorporate the Loch N'ora and American Village Areas), I'd do the following:
Take 15-501 to the the New Hope Commons strip mall (Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Dick's) and turn onto Mt. Moriah road heading West (away from the Outback and towards Dicks). Follow Mt. Moriah Rd all the way to the end, where it ends at Old Erwin Rd. Make a right onto Old Erwin. At what should be the next light (Mt. Sanai Rd.), Forest View elementary will be on your left and the Loch N'ora subdivison on your right. Houses there may be more pricey than what you are looking for (upper 280s, lower 300s). You will pass Duke School (private school) and then Old Erwin will end at a traffic circle. Take the circle 2/3 the way around (you enter at 6:00 and want to get off at 9:00) and follow Rte 751 as it goes through the Duke Forest to the first right, Constitution Drive. Make a right onto constitution and follow it past a few apartment complexes to the 4 way stop and then make a left onto American Drive. You will pass a brand new pricey phase on the left called The Colony at American Village. Follow American all the way until it dead ends at Neal Road.
At Neal Road, make a left. Follow to the end and make a right onto Hillsborough Rd at the stop sign. Follow Hillsborough to the first light, which is Cole Mill Road and make a left onto Cole Mill. Follow Cole Mill. There are some very nice neighborhoods all along Cole Mill of varying prices and age. There are some million dollar homes surrounding the Croasdaile country club. Make a right at the first light onto Rose of Sharon Road. Some nice neighborhoods off Rose of Sharon include River's Edge (left onto pump station lane) and Fieldstone on the Eno (left onto Ridgestone Parkway) about a mile or so down Rose of Sharon. Continue down Rose of Sharon and you will pass Riverside High School.
Follow Rose of Sharon to the end and make a left onto Guess Road. Follow Guess Rd. a few lights up to Umstead Road. Make a left onto Umstead. Plenty of nice neighborhoods off Umstead, including Autumn Ridge, Grande Park, and all the way at the end is Country Club Heights. Umstead ends back at Cole Mill Rd, and there's an entry to Eno River State Park there. Check it out!
I think this will give you a good flavor of "lower" North West Durham. There's a lot of Durham still North (and East) of there, but it's putting you out a bit father into "the country" and farther away from shopping, downtown, etc. Which is great if that's what you want.
Last edited by jill7930; 09-01-2010 at 09:38 PM..
Reason: screw up in directions
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Need some suggestions...continued from my other post
It's hard to do so much in a short period. Feel pressured but we have to move and need to find a place.
