Moving from Downtown Durham to North Hills/Raleigh (Chapel Hill, Cameron: apartment complex, chapel) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina (NC) -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

erin1980 · 07-23-2018, 07:30 AM

My husband and I have been living in the Triangle for a few years (we left for a year and came back but we've been here for combined time of about 3 years). During this time, we've lived on the west side of the Triangle, in Chapel Hill (near the Whole Foods) and then in downtown Durham.

I love the walkability of these two neighborhoods so much. We're currently in downtown Durham in a temporary sublet. I love walking to restaurants and grocery stores in Durham, and I love the co-op here. I loved Chapel Hill as well, especially the library, the parks and the Whole Foods/Trader Joe's.

My husband just took a job in the North Hills area of Raleigh and has a very early schedule. I work from home as a web developer so I can live anywhere. I would like him to have a short commute so we've started considering moving to North Hills at the end of our sublet.

So I guess my question is: will I like that neighborhood compared to Chapel Hill and downtown Durham? There are some things I really like about the area already: the restaurant Sassool, the grocery store Sprouts. I would love to find a good walking path in the area.

pierretong1991 · 07-23-2018, 07:42 AM

where in North Hills are you looking at? (also isn't Sprouts north of 540??)

erin1980 · 07-23-2018, 07:49 AM

Sprouts is a good 10-15 minutes away from the area we're looking at but that's way closer to us than it is now (and we love Sprouts, it's like an affordable Whole Foods).

We are currently targeting the apartments Park & Market:

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...AxgQ_BIIxwEwCg

frankpc · 07-23-2018, 07:50 AM

Are you confusing North Ridge with North Hills?

North Hills is Six Forks and I440.

North Ridge further north and east off Falls south of I540. Sprouts off Falls just north of I540 .. Sassool a bit west of there

Frank

Ah, just saw your post ... North Hills it is. I wouldn't consider that close to Sassool or Sprouts but all relative ...

farebluenc · 07-23-2018, 07:53 AM

Sassool and Sprouts aren't in North Hills. They are both near 540. That drive down Six Forks can sometimes take 20-30 min depending on traffic. I live in North Hills, but have to drive my daughter to daycare up there.

North Hills does not have the charm of downtown Raleigh, but it is walkable and has lots of restaurants, stores, Target, movie theater, etc. We also have great access to the greenway system. Definitely check out Aladdin's if you like Sassool. I'm also obsessed with Viva Chicken, which just opened. It's also a short drive from Costco, Trade Joe's, Harris Teeter, and a Wegman's is coming soon.

farebluenc · 07-23-2018, 07:55 AM

I looked at an apartment at Park & Market. It was above a bowling alley and I could hear the bowling pins the whole time I was looking around. The parking situation also seems very annoying,] as there is only one entrance into the building.

There are lots of apartments nearby in that price range. I would maybe recommend not living exactly on the North Hills Shopping Center.

erin1980 · 07-23-2018, 08:07 AM

I'm originally from a place where driving 15 minutes to eat or grocery shop is a quick drive

.

Thanks for the heads up. We're going to see what we think of Park & Market first but we'll definitely look at other places too.

Any thoughts on whether I'll like the neighborhood around Park & Market (it's close to my husband's job, he could actually walk to work)?

pierretong1991 · 07-23-2018, 08:10 AM

Allister North Hills is a quieter alternative to the hustle/bustle at North Hills. The downside is that you'd have to walk across the 440 bridge but it's still just a short walk over to North Hills. I lived at that apartment complex when I first moved to Raleigh.

farebluenc · 07-23-2018, 09:21 AM

It's really just a personal preference, because it's very different than the vibe you will get living downtown or Cameron Village. That being said, I like that everything is convenient and do spend the majority of my time in that shopping center, mostly at Target...

You might also check out Anderson Flats. It's not as walkable, but still a very quick drive. I lived at Jones Grant when I first moved to Raleigh, because it was across the street from Trader Joes.

erin1980 · 07-23-2018, 10:18 AM

We spent a year in an apartment that was next to a grocery store and I basically want to go back to that level of convenience. Thanks for all of these suggestions!

I'm still a little reluctant about the move to Raleigh (our friends are mostly in Durham) but a little more excited as I look at how nice the apartment photos are.