Columbus vs RTP (Raleigh, Durham, Cary: for sale, apartment complex, renting)

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

Bull City Rising,
I enjoy people for all walks of life if the area is clean and cultured. I have grown a dis-like of the hipster culture and generation (Williamsburg in Brooklyn). I'm more of a Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Carrol Garden and Fort Greene type of guy vs Williamsburg. I would pick the upper east side over the upper west side in NYC too. I hope that provides some perspective into my tastes and comfort zone.

Honestly, it doesn't help. I'm not one to spend more time in NYC than it takes to fly through EWR, JFK or LGA. :-) FWIW, Manhattan and Brooklyn residents tend to pick Durham over Raleigh disproportionately to the counties' share of population, while Long Island/Nassau Co./Suffolk Co. residents pick Wake over Durham. The best way to figure it out is to come down and see both areas.

[rijn_in]

True. I have a few places to look at in Raleigh and Durham during my work trip now. I'm sure one of the areas will click with me. Hipsters are not my piece of cake is the main thing to extract from my comments.

Durham:
American Tobacco District
Ninth Street
Brightleaf Square
Southpoint

Raleigh:
Glenwood South
North Hills
Cameron Village
Glenwood South/5 Points

Did I miss any areas?

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by Bull City Rising

It's tough to answer that. In many ways, both are.

I think in the central Raleigh area, you're going to see more purely "young professionals" with all that encompasses. In Durham you're going to see a mix of young professionals, grad/professional students, more creative class (artists/musicians/chefs/etc.). Though there are plenty of places for nightlife, bars/sports bars, etc. in each location.

Durham's price point allows a more eclectic mix, something my wife and I (who are both young professionals in our early 30s) enjoy. Durham will tend to lean more liberal/progressive; Raleigh more middle-of-the-road.

So both cities are "geared towards people in [your] age group" -- the question is, what kind of people are you looking to live near and be around?

In much the same way that Durham residents don't like the sort of generalization about their city being dangerous, etc. that comes from the likes of "certain people" on this forum, it gets pretty tiresome hearing Durhamites suggest over and over that they are somehow more creative, more cool and more progressive than Raleigh.
The reality is that Raleigh and Wake county are home to so many more people than Durham/Durham County that it's simply more things to more people.
The Creative Class is alive and well in Raleigh, thank you very much. Raleigh's home to SparkCon SparkCon ,
Artsplosure Artsplosure , Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts Arts Center Artspace | Visual Art Center and the monthly First Friday Art Walk (the second such in the entire country) A walk in the art: Galleries bloom after dark: Special Issues: Summer Guide: Independent Weekly: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill. Raleigh is home to most of the gay bars in the Triangle and the first Baptist Church in the Southeast to be tossed from the Southern Baptist Convention for performing same sex commitment ceremonies. Raleigh is home to the state's most comprehensive university design program: NC State's College of Design. NC State is also home of the state's largest engineering program, which has pumped thousands of employees into Research Triangle Park. Raleigh is home to Raleigh Little Theatre, Theater in the Park and the Raleigh Ensemble Players. The State Symphony and Carolina Ballet company are also based in Raleigh. And, with some of the more recent restaurant rankings and reviews for the Triangle, the likes of Fins, Vivace, Bloomsbury Bistro and Second Empire have all received raves. Live music is also alive and well in Raleigh as evident by this poll: City's Best - AOL Local City's Best
By all means tout your city to those who seek advice. Since you live there, you are the best source for explaining your community. As for Raleigh, those of us who live here can best represent its attributes.

[rijn_in]

lol. What have I started now... :P

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

Bull City Rising,
I enjoy people for all walks of life if the area is clean and cultured. I have grown a dis-like of the hipster culture and generation (Williamsburg in Brooklyn). I'm more of a Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Carrol Garden and Fort Greene type of guy vs Williamsburg. I would pick the upper east side over the upper west side in NYC too. I hope that provides some perspective into my tastes and comfort zone.

I totally get what you are saying. I really like Brooklyn Heights. But, I'll refrain from correllating your areas of preference in NY to those in the Triangle. They are simply not going to be apples to apples comparisons. You might like several areas or none at all.
While the areas you refer to have clearly defined vibes and scenes, I think you will find that the areas in the Triangle are sometimes more about what they are becoming than what they currently are. Mind you, these places aren't devoid of current identity but they are growing and constantly evolving as new residents move in and make their marks. After all, this is one of the fast growing communities in the nation. Some people enjoy being part of that emergence while others want more stability. And, to a certain extent, some localized areas will see more change while others move more slowly and deliberately through time. This is going to be true for both Raleigh and Durham.
Good Luck!

[rijn_in]

Translation. The Triangle is still maturing and changing. I shouldn't expect the areas to be mature and full of people.

What is the commute from the Raleigh and Durham areas to/from RTP? Duration/miles/painful?

[nclover]

I think your best bet is one you already mentioned. If you decide to move here, rent for a year and explore the area. Only you can decide what appeals to you most. Best of luck with your decision.

[MrsSteel]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

Translation. The Triangle is still maturing and changing. I shouldn't expect the areas to be mature and full of people.

What is the commute from the Raleigh and Durham areas to/from RTP? Duration/miles/painful?

Remember that RTP is pretty big, so how long it takes to commute there completely depends upon your destination within RTP. For example, I live in southern Durham & I can be within RTP in 5 minutes. However, if my destination is on the other side of RTP, it might take me an additional 10 to 15 minutes to get there without heavy traffic. Luckily, RTP is centrally located for this region, so it's a fairly short commute for most people no matter which town they call home. I bet most people spend 30 minutes or less on the road each way. The exceptions are the people driving in from the outer towns like Clayton or at times when the traffic is especially dense.

The heaviest traffic during rush hour is along I-40 east of RTP - basically, the roads leading to Raleigh & Cary. I can't comment on how painful that trek is since I'm in Durham, but I'm sure someone else can weigh in on it for you. I imagine it's a piece of cake for people who move here from big cities.

[DanielleNC]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

Translation. The Triangle is still maturing and changing. I shouldn't expect the areas to be mature and full of people.

What is the commute from the Raleigh and Durham areas to/from RTP? Duration/miles/painful?

Originally Posted by rijn_in

Durham:
American Tobacco District
Ninth Street
Brightleaf Square
Southpoint?

For the areas you are interested in so far in Durham, it will take you about 10-15 minutes to get to most of RTP. From downtown Durham you would take the Durham Freeway which is an easy and quick commute and doesn't see traffic nearly as bad as I-40. Or like MrsSteel mentioned, there are some places SW and SE Durham where you can easily be to RTP within 5 minutes.

[rijn_in]

Does anyone have recommended apartment, etc rentals for these areas? Worst case. I can get into a nice apartment close to one of these areas.

Durham:
American Tobacco District
Ninth Street
Brightleaf Square
Southpoint

Raleigh:
Glenwood South
North Hills
Cameron Village
Glenwood South/5 Points