Want information about Watts St. near Northgate mall in Durham (Trinity: hardwood floors, apartment complex)

[Hansson]

Hello,

I just posted about moving a piano...and continue by asking about the area I'm going to move to in a few weeks. I thought I'd want to get out of my old and too generic (and expensive) apartment complex and get another place to stay with more character and hardwood floors! (yay, no more carpets, yuck!). So, I will rent an upstairs apartment in an old Victorian house, with a couple of apartments downstairs.

My question concerns the area. My future apartment is on Watts St., very close to Northgate Mall (you can see the mall across the street). After being in Durham for more than 1,5 years, I'm still uneducated about the different areas and neighborhoods. What is this part of Watts Street called? West Durham? North? Would you say it's a safe/nice area to stay? I like the fact it's fairly close to Duke East Campus and the area has lots of lovely streets with old houses, trees...(Drove there a bit today). Perfect for walking with dogs. Any areas closeby I should avoid?

Just very curious about my future neighborhood--willing to know any info you might give me! I don't know much anything, such as where to do groceries, what's the area called (like I mentioned above) and so on.

Thanks!

[dcgrl]

That's the Trinity Park neighborhood. You can read about it here: Welcome to Trinity Park
You can check the Durham crime mapper for crime stats in that area (they'll probably be kind of skewed because of your proximity to the mall--the number of larcenies will be pretty inflated, because lots of larceny (shoplifting) occurs in the mall. Durham Crime Mapper

Trinity Park is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Durham for the reasons you mention you like your new rental (great architecture, great walking, etc.) There's a very active neighborhood association.

from that location, it's about a mile straight down Watts to Brightleaf Square for dining and bar hopping and coffee. You can also walk to the farmer's market, which is about 1.5 miles from your new place. You're also a mere half-mile from Broad St. Cafe, Watts Grocery, and Joe Van Gogh for entertainment/coffee/food. I think you've chosen a lively and fantastic place to live--I hope you enjoy it! Look into joining the neighborhood association to get involved and meet your neighbors.

All that said, it is an urban area and you need to take precautions and use common sense when you're out and about.

[Hansson]

Thanks dcgrl! I appreciate your information! I might join the neighborhood association to get to know some folks in my area. Thanks again