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I will admit I'm getting a bit addicted to the thoughts, views && opinions of NC locals, seeing as how I'm moving there to begin work in Butner. The advice I've received as been more than helpful && has helped rule out Raleigh. Now that I'm settling on Durham I would like to know some of it's pros and cons, points of interest && what some of you may call "hot spots" It's hard to define what I like to do in my spare time seeing as how I'm willing to try anything once (twice if I like it lol) But I will say some of the things that I dislike are close minded people, extremely small towns, && the obvious (unsafe neighborhoods, etc.) Thanks in advance!
ehh.. urban sounds more appealing. Because I'd like to be close to most. Shopping, movies, things like that but safety is a huge issue. Especially going to an area where I don't know anyone! Lol
What has made you rule out Raleigh? Raleigh is very sprawling. North Raleigh is hardly part of the same city as downtown or southeast Raleigh.
I live in Butner and find myself frequenting Wake Forest for shopping. Movies and dining are all in North Raleigh for us. We don't do the club/bar thing anymore.
Regardless, you've decided on Durham. Okay, so what exactly are you looking for? You mentioned shopping and movies but I, personally, wouldn't do either in Durham and again... I live in Butner and Durham is really convenient.
Honestly, if I had to choose over, personally I'd live in Raleigh. ...LOL...
This poster has expressed interest in DURHAM, and is asking for advice on specific areas in the city. Durham is a wonderful place, and just because some of YOU wouldn't spend time there, doesn't mean OTHERS don't want to. I live in Raleigh, and visit Durham regularly. I actually prefer Durham to Raleigh. A Chapel Hill to Butner commute sounds particularly grueling, and he has "ruled out" Raleigh for whatever reasons.
There are many nice, safe places in Durham. The Southpoint area - it is safe, growing, plenty of wonderful shopping, new subdivisions and apartments springing up. If you're working in Butner, I'd also recommend the northern part of the city to be near I-85. The downtown area is nice, with the new condos, and American Tobacco Campus.
The population is very diverse an open-minded, and I think you will find plenty of stuff to do.
A little more info would be nice for more advice. What is your price range? Rent or buy? Apartment, house or townhouse? Schools for kids? What are your interests? Do you like the arts? Bar-hopping? Museums? Sports? I know you said you'd try anything once, but there's a ton of stuff to "try once". LOL
There comes a point when you can do more research yourself (this is the Internet, after all) than by asking "Just tell me everything about Durham!!"
The blog Bull City Rising (http://www.bullcityrising.com - broken link) is an excellent Durham Blog, and I found this page (http://www.bullcityrising.com/more-durham-blogs.html - broken link) that links to many other Durham blogs you can investigate and probably spend hours reading.
And of course, I would imagine you've already checked out the Durham main home page (http://www.durham-nc.com/ - broken link), especially the things to do (http://www.durham-nc.com/thingstodo/ - broken link) section. And also Durham Culture. These sites can answer questions you didn't even know to ask yet.
Sites like City-Data work best when the asker has some notion of the area and are clarifying between X and Y or ruling out Z, IMHO, than they are for "tell me absolutely everything!" kinds of questions.
The obvious suggestion is to live in the downtown area. Hard to beat a place like West Village if you are looking to rent. You'll get to 85 in less than 5 minutes, giving you a short commute to work. Carolina Theatre, Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham Bulls Ball Park and American Tobacco campus all in walking distance. Dozens of restaurants and bars in walking distance. Short walk to a free 5 minute bus ride to 9th street, where you'll have more dining and a few more bars, and Whole Foods for grocery shopping. The area offers a lifestyle that is tough to beat for a single person...get home from work, then park your car till the next time you go to work.
Regardless, you've decided on Durham. Okay, so what exactly are you looking for? You mentioned shopping and movies but I, personally, wouldn't do either in Durham and again... I live in Butner and Durham is really convenient.
I guess you must not have been in Durham in the past decade or so. Things are a wee bit different here than they used to be. I also have spent time in the Butner/Creedmoor area so I'm happy to help with some comparisons.
My wife and I live just outside downtown in a nice neighborhood with tree-lined streets and Duke's campus. We're a 10 minute walk from a Whole Foods organic market -- though like Butner, we have Food Lions too, if that's your thing. We'd have to walk about 25 minutes to get to the Food Lion.
There isn't a single main drag like there is in Butner/Creedmoor with your Sonic, McDonalds, KFC, Hardees, former-waffle-shop-where-sketchy-stuff-must-have-happened, and Wendy's. We have multiple main drags, which means you have to choose between frequenting places like Southpoint (where there's a Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, etc.) or New Hope Commons (Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or South Square (Super Target, Sam's Club, Harris Teeter.)
Butner is closer to Henderson, the remaining drive-in movie site in central N.C., after Durham's closed. However, we do offer movies via the Carolina Theatre downtown, an historic early 20th-century theatre that shows art films and which hosts the country's largest documentary film festival every spring. There's also three other multiplexes in Durham, including one with an IMAX. I'm not sure they've perfected IMAX for drive-ins yet.
We don't have huntin', fishin', or guttin' the results of the first two here, but there are plenty of scenic spaces like the Eno River city and state parks, Duke Forest, and the northern trailhead of the American Tobacco Trail, which runs from downtown to Southpoint and is great for walking, jogging or biking.
We don't have real farmers in the city like you'd find in Butner, but we do have a great farmers' market, heavy on natural foods and foodstuffs and a center for the community, just a few blocks from a great brewery, beer garden, playhouse, yoga studio, bakeries, restaurants, etc.
My wife and I love living in Durham. I just finished walking to work after stopping at my favorite coffeeshop for some hot tea -- and where I ran into a neighbor and chatted for a bit. With transit here, on Friday I left my car at work and took a bus to the airport -- no parking charges and I was there in 40 minutes' time door to door.
I'm still not sure where all the Durham hatin' comes from -- though I have guesses.
Though I can say, unequivocally, that in a weird parallel to the quoted poster, I live in Durham and would never drive to Butner for movies or shopping. I'd go to Raleigh instead, personally.
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