Lakewood Park area in Durham? (Fayetteville, Chapel Hill: apartments, rentals, crime)

[ROW]

Hi, is there anyone out there familar with this area? I am moving next week to this area near Shoppes of Lakewood mall & Chapel Hill...Do anyone know if this is a decent area?

[Esperanza27713]

I lived in the Lakewood area (closer to Forest Hills, though) for five years. You don't say where exactly you'll be living, so it's hard to say much about the area except that it is generally an area of great diversity (there's a substantial Latino population in the area around Lakewood) and economic disparity (I lived two houses down for little box rentals in one direction and two houses down from one of Durham's most well-known millionaires in the other direction). The whole area is a total mix, and very typical of those parts of Durham where the wealthy and those not so fortunate coexist with varying results.

The Lakewood shopping center itself reflects this mix. There is a police precinct there, a couple of thrift stores, and the most convenient grocery store in the area, Food Lion. I went to the Food Lion when I just needed to do a quick run-in for something, but ended up doing my primary shopping at Harris Teeter on MLK, Jr. parkway. It was worth it to me to drive that distance. I have to say, I saw and observed a lot of interesting folk in the Lakewood Food Lion. There are also Mexican restaurants, some fast-food (not the big names, though), dry cleaners, etc. It is not a posh area. The shopping center has seen its better day, and that was numerous years ago.

It's a large area, so you may be in the part that borders Duke Forest neighborhood. I don't know as much about that area except that there are low-income apartments and nice houses, often butting against each other. I have friends who are Duke faculty who live in those areas that border Duke forest.

In the neighborhood across from Lakewood shopping center, you'll find some nice houses, and some not so nice houses. There are some great starter homes there and some great fixer-uppers, but it's hard to say in which direction some of the neighborhood is going.

[ROW]

Thanks for the post. I am moving right behind lakewood shopping center on Jersey Ave and was just trying to get an ideal about the area...thanks again

[barbwire1970]

There are gangs in the area. That area is not really safe except during the day. If I were going to run out and get a few things I would take a male or a gun or pepper spray or some sort of personal protection.

I have lived in Durham most of my life, born here. I have watched Lakewood go straight down the toilet. It's not just white, black or latino and/or mexican, it's anybody.

Be aware of your surroundings, if the hairs on the back of your neck stand up or you get a bad feeling, follow that gut feeling, it is trying to tell you something is not right.

I hope this helps you. Durham is not all bad but you got to be careful. I am in a wheelchair and have been robbed several times just last year.
I live on Duke St.

[Burningsky00]

barbwire, I agree with what you've posted...but that said...if you feel so unsafe in Durham, why would you have your address in the "location" part of your profile, that appears each time you post?! Not a good idea in any area!

[mia78]

I agree with the pps about the area. It is a real socio-economic mix there, but I think your specific area would be more along the lines of one of the rougher patches of Durham. With that said, I think the Food Lion there is pretty darn well kept considering the neighborhood it's in. The police precinct (and the cops who are hanging out at FL doorway) there makes me feel much safer. Definitely not your typical 'ghetto supermarket'. It's always been clean and the workers are courteous (this goes for the one on Fayetteville too, decent store in an economically disadvantaged area).

[bull_city_original]

You should have asked this question prior to your move; the area you describe is pretty ghetto (guns and drugs). That being said, I had a friend that lived there for a while...of course he had two boxer dogs, several guns, and was hip to the scene.

[bleached]

I live in the Lakewood neighborhood with my kids and we have never felt unsafe or experienced any crime. It is hit-or-miss on a block-by-block basis, as is the case with most mid-size cities. However, I frequently go shopping at the Food Lion in Lakewood alone at night (without men or mace) and have never had a problem.

We have one of the most active and engaged neighborhood associations in the city. When there have been problems in the neighborhood with drug houses or such things, the association takes quick direct action to resolve it. We were the first (and still only) neighborhood to adopt a Neighborhood Protection Overlay which significantly limits how areas can be developed in order to retain the historic personality and feel of the area.

Take it from someone who is actually in the neighborhood right now, it is a diverse, vibrant, engaged place to live and I think you'll really like it here!

[slinkywoman]

I lived on Pike St. for 9 yrs (a few streets over from Jersey). This was 12 yrs ago. It was great when I first moved there...a bit bohemian with a students population (close to Duke), but over the years it deteriorated and toward the end we heard guns every night. I would read the crime report in the paper every morning and they were usually perpetrated by people on my street or in my neighborhood. We were only burglurized once and while we were there we felt safe and never felt threatened, but I haven't been back in 12 yrs.