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I have heard that Northside is the bad part of Chapel Hill - based on crime stats in the various areas.
I don't know where you heard that from--it's the wealthier section of Chapel Hill, except for SV, Meadowmont and the historic district. Perhaps the crime indicates that b/c of targeting the homes in the wealthy section. When I think of "bad" I think drug riddled areas, and all that goes with that.
I don't know where you heard that from--it's the wealthier section of Chapel Hill, except for SV, Meadowmont and the historic district. Perhaps the crime indicates that b/c of targeting the homes in the wealthy section. When I think of "bad" I think drug riddled areas, and all that goes with that.
Northside is the name of a neighborhood. It is right behind Franklin St. Call the local police - they know about it. We spoke with police and discussed this neighborhood because if you research crime stats by area - it comes out as the highest crime area of Chapel Hill.
As I've mentioned before I think Durham (even the Southpoint area) has a different personality than Chapel Hill. I wouldn't characterize them as good vs bad -- just different and one might be a better fit than the other.
From a housing price standpoint you definitely get more for your money -- as I happened to be out in the Parkside/Northwoods section of Chapel Hill this week and saw a few "For Sale" signs, I decided to compare the prices with those in the Southpoint (used 27713 zip) and found that in general the CH homes were $20. to $35 more per square foot then similar houses in Durham (to keep my Durham comparisons similar I only looked at homes built in the same timeframe as the CH homes -- 1995 to 2000. That amounts to $50K to 87K on a 2500 square foot house.
As previously mentioned -- the Southpoint area elementary schools are good as is Jordan High School. As already pointed out if you dig into the test scores you find that subgroups compare fairly well. Middle school gets a bit dicey -- right now Githens seems to get getting a fairly good reputation while Lowes Grove is suffering a bit -- a few years ago it was reversed so that may change again. However there are also three magnet middles in Durham -- Rogers-Herr, DSA and now Pearson. In addition Kestrel Heights charter is also nearby. And if all else fails you can always pay for a private middle school with the money you save on your mortgage and taxes.
The Southpoint area is also very convenient -- close to RTP, centrally located between downtown Durham and Chapel Hill, and now with the back roads being expanded getting to things in Morrisville and West Cary/Apex is also easy. Although convenience will be highly dependent on where you have to drive -- if you will be working in Chapel Hill the Southpoint area may not offer an advantage. It will if you work in RTP.
Ok, I've probably run on enough for now. Best of luck making your choice.
Durham and Chapel Hill are historically such different places. Chapel Hill was built around a university (The first public university in this country!) and Durham was built around the tobacco industry. Two completely different worlds that still play a part in how they function today.
The OP mentioned SW Durham and appreciation. I personally think Chapel Hill will always appreciate more than Durham in part because of the stricter development regulations. Last spring we purchased a 2 year old home in the Southpoint area and it had appreciated a bit over 17% in those two years, with no improvements. About 8.5% each year. This is based on the 2 purchase prices. The house appraised higher than the purchase price. BUT with the slow down I do not think it's appreciated that much this year at all.
I honestly find more similarities between the area around Southpoint and Cary. And I find more similarities between parts of Chapel Hill and ITB, an area I that can rival Chapel Hill on appreciate.
Also, another poster spoke about a sense of community. You will find a very strong sense of community in SW Durham. Within suburbs and even between neighboring suburbs you will find strong social ties. Can we walk to the locally owned neighborhood cafe, not always. But there are other types of community here. I use to be an urban dweller and did not believe "real community" exsisted in the burbs. But I was wrong. It's amazing what I can see when I open myself up to other possibilites.
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