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I have been offered a job at Duke and was wondering where most folks live in the area? Drove around Durham for several days and really didn't like the surroundings. Are there suburbs people live in outside of Durham? It seems like there are some safe areas but the questionable areas are very close by. I am looking to rent first before I buy. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have been offered a job at Duke and was wondering where most folks live in the area? Drove around Durham for several days and really didn't like the surroundings. Are there suburbs people live in outside of Durham? It seems like there are some safe areas but the questionable areas are very close by. I am looking to rent first before I buy. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Where do folks that work at Duke live? Let me see. I work at DUMC and live two blocks from campus drive. My neighbors include the chief attending for Pediatrics, a few faculty in various social sciences departments, the chair of my department and another BCH faculty member, several grad students, a couple of post-docs, at least four DUMC physicians, and, by my count, at least two dozen members of the maintenance and janitorial staff. I live in an urban neighborhood where most homes date from 1900-1920. The oldest homes actually date from 1875. But I guess you'd call my neighborhood "questionable" because we're diverse in both ethnicity and income level.
Duke University is located in Downtown Durham. I understand if you don't want to live in an urban environment. No one is forcing you to. If you like the 'burbs, then check out areas by the Southpoint Mall. That's a decidedly suburban environment, and is only 15-20 minutes from Duke. Just because a neighborhood isn't something you'd be into doesn't make it "questionable", though.
Last edited by peperoberto; 09-24-2011 at 11:25 AM..
Reason: I was a bit harsh the first time around.
People working at Duke live all over the Triangle - my husband and I included. We're in West Cary. My neighbor across the street is a nephrologist and I have a good friend who is an oncology fellow who lives nearby. I have several friends from work who live in Durham, in the Brier Creek area of Raleigh and quite a few in Chapel Hill. I have co-workers in Hillsborough, Mebane etc. I think you'll be able to find a suitable place in Durham or in any one of the surrounding areas. Really depends on what it is you are looking for.
In Durham you will find the most suburban area to be around Southpoint, which is nice and safe and a pretty convenient commute. Check out neighborhoods like Woodcroft and Hope Valley (both old and new) to get an idea of the area. Lots of nice rental options in the area. SW Durham is a good option if you want convenience to all of the Triangle and don't mind a busier area.
Even closer to Duke is North Durham. Nice and quiet and only 5-10 minutes away. There are a variety of nice neighborhoods from older to newer, and you can't beat the commute and prices compared to more overrated areas of the Triangle. I would really check into Durham a bit more. I understand if the area surrounding Duke isn't your thing, but Durham is very diverse and there is much more out there.
I would also check out Hillsborough. Easily 15-20 minutes to Duke, quaint, quiet, and offers a lot for a small town. Tougher to find rentals though, but worth checking out to buy in the future.
Check out all your options and decide what's best for you. I just didn't want you to write off Durham so quick, just based on one area. Durham really has a lot to offer, and has a lot of community pride. Good luck!
I will check out the area around South Point Mall and Hillsborough. It can be hard to move to a new city when you have only been there once and you don't know anyone. Thanks for the responses.
There are plenty of great neighborhoods close to Duke that you wouldn't necessarily run into just driving around. Try the area surrounding Watts Hospital, a very popular neighborhood near Duke (bordered by 9th Street on one end and Hillandale on the other, from Hillsborough Road to I-85). Trinity Park is another interesting neighborhood right downtown but it may be more adventurous than what you are looking for.
Depending on your price range you might like the Lakewood neighborhood (less expensive) or Forest Hills (more) - and southwest Durham has lots of wonderful housing choices (between Garrett Road and 751/Hope Valley Road). If all you want is new and malls, then the Southpoint area may be your best bet but give these other areas a try. Durham is a vibrant and interesting community and really should be thoroughly sampled!
Hello OP. I will pretty much mimic what others have suggested about places to live. Duke is probably the largest if not one of the largest employers in the Triangle and the state so their employees live everywhere. But I don't where you look at in Durham because the housing stock is completely different depending on where you were. Around Duke is more "urban". Older homes and more of a walkable environment. North Durham is more rural/suburban and many Duke employees live here. South Durham/Southpoint Mall area is very suburban and is close to alot of shopping. The only "questionable" areas I can think of in Durham would be places that you absolutely have to go out of the way to get too. But anywho, good luck.
We live in Chapel Hill and a lot of our friends and neighbors work at Duke. If you're close to 15-501 or 40, it's an easy commute and there are a lot of nice neighborhoods with great schools within easy driving distance.
It can depend on how old you are, whether you are looking for "family" neighborhoods or more "urban", creative-type areas, or quiet older-resident types, or whehter you want a really active n'hood that has street picnics every holiday, or somewhere you can just be "left alone".
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