Moving to Durham for job at NCCU (Roxboro, Trinity: for sale, real estate)

[daprofessor]

I recently accepted my first college teaching position at NCCU and need to plan my May/June 2009 relocation. I am a single mom with a son who will start middle school and we won't move in enough time for the magnet school lottery for DPS. I understand that the area around NCCU is not the best but want to know about good commutable distances in the city of Durham and other quality public middle schools that fall outside the lottery process. Also for kids that move mid year can they request space in lottery schools if it is avaiable or does living close to these schools help...

I have already decided to live in Durham as a best choice for me so really intersted in insights on living there vs how much better other schools districts, etc may be.

[DebbieF]

You can look at back towards Southpoint area.

[toot68]

NCCU is about dead center of Durham, so it will be an easy commute from virtually any part of Durham. Are you looking to buy or rent, and what's your price range?

It seems the best regarded middle school is the Durham School of the Arts, which is a magnet, but I 'm not sure if there is a walk zone around it (I know the elementary magnets have walk zones, not sure about the middle school ones)...if so, the walk zone would likely include most of Trinity Park, which is a great part of town. Then there's githens, which draws from southwestern Durham and has nice range of homes for sale and rent, ranging from rural on the orange county border to older subdivisions like Woodcroft and newer ones like Hope Valley Farms.

[mdp_az]

toot68 gave you some great recommendations. You might also consider areas in the Brogden Middle School / Riverside High School district. Those neighborhoods tend to be in the west-central and northwest parts of Durham.

Rogers-Herr is a well-regarded magnet Middle School located between Southpoint Mall and NCCU. I'm not sure what areas are districted to it, but its another you might look at.

You mentioned comparisons of DPS to other districts. I moved from Wake County earlier this year to a Easley/Brogden/Riverside district in part to get my son into those schools and out of the redistricting mess in Wake County. Durham has some very good...and unfortunately some rather bad public schools. However, they are neighborhood schools, so if you move into a good district, you should have some confidence that your child won't be moved from one school to another. Additionally, DPS offers a very good choice program for situations where the base school may not be the best fit.

Welcome to the Bull City!

[daprofessor]

I think that renting my be the best option in the short term with the hope of purchasing once I am more familiar with the area (and after I sell or rent) the home where I currently live. I would prefer a 3 bedroom townhome and would prefer to pay under 1100-1200 per month. Complex amentities are great but I can do with less for some nice sized personal space. Right now my commute to walk is walkable and so not interest in more than a 2-25 min commute to work. For me I want to live in an area with great school choices for my son and if I need to commute a litte longer I will but being a single mom would like some opportunities to be involved with my son's school and PTO.

I have been online looking at schools and love the magnet programs but like I said we will miss the boat for the 09-10 school year...thank you for the other suggestions and giving me somewhere to start my research.

Could someone tell me the zip code for the Trinity Park area mentioned by a previous poster?

[jill7930]

I'm pretty certain that DSA (Durham School of the Arts) is completely by lottery. We are also in the Brogden MS/Riverside HS zone and have never heard any complaints about it. My boss has his son at Brogden and has been pleased so far for the most part. I believe it is the smallest MS in the district. I have also heard very good things about Carrington Middle (which feeds both into Riverside and Northern HS) which is in the more Northern section of Durham. Several colleagues have kids there and are pleased with it. The aforementioned Rogers Herr is a magnet, and is also one of the two year round middle schools.

The previous poster was correct that NCCU is very centrally located, so you should indeed have an easy commute from just about anywhere!

Best of luck!

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by daprofessor

For me I want to live in an area with great school choices for my son and if I need to commute a litte longer I will but being a single mom would like some opportunities to be involved with my son's school and PTO.

I have been online looking at schools and love the magnet programs but like I said we will miss the boat for the 09-10 school year...thank you for the other suggestions and giving me somewhere to start my research.

Could someone tell me the zip code for the Trinity Park area mentioned by a previous poster?

Welcome to Durham! I have 2 children at Creekside Elementary in SW Durham. We are zoned for Githens Middle. I've heard Githens has a very active PTA and is a solid middle school. I would also recommend looking at Brogden.

Rogers Herr and DSA and WG Pearson are all magnet and you will have missed the lottery date. HOWEVER, apply as soon as you move here. This year at the elementary magnets there was a TON of last minute shake out. People who accepted a spot and then changed their minds. I know several people who got spots at their number 1 choice school literally the week before school starts.

Sheppard Middle has an IB program. The school overall does not have the greatest scores. But we have a neighbor who goes there and he and his family love it. I think he is in the IB program.

Lowes Grove has been hit or miss.... depending on the principal. A few years ago they had a fabulous principal who had to retire early due to medical issues. This year they got a new principal in hopes of turning things around a bit. I don't know anyone w/ kids there this year so I'm uncertain of the status.

There is also Kestrel Heights Charter School in South Durham. It is middle and high school years. You have to be a resident in NC to attend a charter school BUT you might be able to apply before you are resident. I would check on that. I know several families w/ kids at Kestrel and they LOVE it. There is also Voyager Academy Charter School in NOrth Durham ... it is 4th grade through 8th. It is pretty new but I've heard excellent things about the principal and the school. Again you might be able to apply before moving. I think you just have to prove residency before your child attends. BUT double check on this.

In regards to searching for homes in Trinty Park, the zip code areas are huge here. So the zip code will give you TP along w/ tons of other areas not near TP. I would recommend putting Trinty Park in the subdivision field on a real estate search engine such as Fonville Morisey (http://www.fmrealty.com/). Or check out Marie Austin Realty (http://www.marieaustin.com/). They specialize in older neighborhoods like TP.

Good luck!

[toot68]

You can find rental housing pretty much anywhere in Durham in your price range.

I don't know much at all about the neighborhoods within walking distance of NCCU. Driving through there, there's homes that are gorgeous, some that could be gorgeous with some love, and alot that are run down. Someone that knows that area well might be able to direct you to a couple neighborhoods that might work for you.

Within 5-10 minutes, the options will expand greatly. I love the area are around Forest Hills Park off of University, numerous rental homes in there (but no townhomes, off the top of my head). A bikable distance to campus (1-2 miles). Trinity park lies on the other side of downtown, about 2-3 miles away, and connected to that is the Watts Hillandale area, which will be 3-5 miles away. Here, there's alot of old homes for rent, and also some newer condos and refurbished condos in tobacco warehouses...definitely kids in the neighborhoods, but I don't know how many are in the condos. Then to the south of campus, there's tons of new development that has sprung up along Martin Luther King and S Roxboro as you head down towards Woodcroft. Probably alot more townhomes in this area. Beyond that you are about 6 miles out and in the Southpoint area, where there again will be alot more townhomes. But again, you can see you are way out from campus, but still only 6 miles/12 min away. Plenty of good options, and you haven't even tapped into areas in western or northern durham yet.

[daprofessor]

That's you guys are really informative and I think I will start to look into the rental housing market but don't really have the time or skill to maintain yards, etc and so was looking for something low maintenance.

I have looked at a few of the properties owned by TICON properties - like Audbobon Lake and they look ok and price seems good.

I am coming to the area in late January and wonder if I sign a lease that start in May or June would that be ok for the school lottery since I would be a resident at the time school starts....I may call DPS and ask.

[goat1of2]

I'm thinking that NCCU might have an off-campus housing office which lists rentals--although they probably cater to students, they should be willing to help a prospective professor as well.

Duke has an excellent off-campus rental service which anyone can use: Student Affairs | Community Housing | Find Housing