Columbus vs RTP

[rnc2mbfl]

Commuting from downtown Raleigh to RTP is easier than commuting home from RTP to downtown Raleigh. I have no idea why going to RTP is easier than leaving it.
That said, I typically work from home to start my day and breeze into the office before 9 AM in less than 20 minutes without delays. My commute to my company in RTP is mostly freeway once I leave Wade Ave. in Raleigh and the exit to my campus is right off I-540. If I leave by 4:30 PM to go home, the commute is usually 25 minutes or less. If I wait past 5PM, the commute can take an extra 10-15 minutes depending on back-ups on I-40 between the airport and the I-40/Wade Ave. split. Once past that, it's smoothe sailing all the way into downtown via Wade Ave.
In Raleigh, you can look at a variety of housing options like the much discussed "Oberlin" apts on the corner of Wade Ave and Oberlin Rds. I have mentioned a new project that is about to be delivered called 712Tucker in Glenwood South. There's also a bunch of cheap post war apartments on Hillsborough St. and just east of Cameron Village that might suit you.

[rnc2mbfl]

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?

I think you shouldn't expect the people to be so densly packed into the area. Even the "urban" areas that have walkable amenities aren't going to feel urban to someone coming from NYC. Plus, almost eveyone is going to have a car.

[rijn_in]

The 712Tucker in Glenwood South apartment complex is perfect, but the price point above my projected housing budget. A 1100 sq/ft 2 bedroom apartment is $1,735 dollars. I'd prefer to keep it around $1,350 and below. I travel around 50% of the time. I've been on the road for 3 or 4 weeks continuously lately. Oberlin Court might be a better mix of location and price for me. Is Crosland the high end apartment rental company in the Triangle area? Any other suggestions that have a better price and location mixture?

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

The 712Tucker in Glenwood South apartment complex is perfect, but the price point above my projected housing budget. A 1100 sq/ft 2 bedroom apartment is $1,735 dollars. I'd prefer to keep it around $1,350 and below. I travel around 50% of the time. I've been on the road for 3 or 4 weeks continuously lately. Oberlin Court might be a better mix of location and price for me. Is Crosland the high end apartment rental company in the Triangle area? Any other suggestions that have a better price and location mixture?

If you end up liking that area, look at Craigslist, etc. to see if there are condos and townhouses in the area that are individually rented. I have a rental condo in the area and from what you tell me about the pricing for 712Tucker, my tenant is getting a hell of deal.
I'd also reach out to miamiblue on this forum. I think she has some good tips on how she found her place to live in Glenwood South after having lived in the burbs when she first got to Raleigh.
You might also want to test the "for sale" market of condos to see if any owners might be interested in renting to you while they wait for the housing market to come back. You never know?!
There is the opposite end of the spectrum available too when it comes to housing costs. There are several post war apartments that are grittier and NOT luxurious. Those can be had for less than half the price of the 712 Tucker project. If you desire info on them, let me know and I'll see what I can find for you.
A bit further from DT but certainly not far away is Alexan at North Hills. I have no idea what those prices are but they should be less than 712 Tucker. You can also look in the Bishops Park area just a few blocks north of Glenwood South. It's typically cheaper and there are several condo complexes there that have owners who rent individual units. A quick search on craigslist turned up a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in Brighthurst for $1250. So, your budget is totally doable but maybe not in the shiny new luxury complex. I used to live in that area and really liked it too. It's a 5-10 minute walk to Glenwood South, 5 points and Cameron Village and sits right off of Wade Ave for an easy straight shot to the airport and RTP. But, it feels like a large collection of tight suburban buildings with surface parking lots and 3 story buildings next to a city park. Just go see for yourself if you think that might interest you.
Here's a google maps link. For reference, the Bishops Park area is just north of Fred Fletcher Park. You'll see Cameron Village off to the west. Glenwood south is below Fred Fletcher park by a few blocks and 5 points is up Glenwood a few blocks north of Wade Ave. http://maps.google.com/?q=loc%3A+WAD...+RALEIGH+NC+US

[Awakening Escapade]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

I've heard that Durham is "dangerous". Are there good ice cream parlors in the area?

Okay- this really made me laugh. I love ice cream too- but I'm not sure it'd tip the scales of whether to move to a 'dangerous' city or not. Hehehe

I'd vote for RTP area- but I like being able to get to the beach for the weekend. Two hour trip to the coast- wins over Columbus in a heart beat for me. Columbus is nice - but not a place I would consider living. So it really depends on your personal tastes.

[rijn_in]

Point taken... I'm a little bit of an ice cream nut. So far more people are recommending the Triangle area.

I'm going to pass on the WWII apartments. I've had enough of those over the last few years. I'm trying to reduce my housing expenses (never home). 712 Tucker doesn't help me put a dent on that front. The 1735 didn't even cover the use of the pool, etc. Tucker offered me two months of free rent. I sent miamiblue a private message about her experiences. I'll look at Alexan after work and the other areas that you mentioned. I'm curious what my craigslist search will reveal.

[MrsSteel]

Let's tackle that ice cream question while we're at it. If you do a simple search on Google, you'll find tons of ice cream shops in the area. There are a number of Baskin Robbins and Cold Stone Creamery locations throughout the area. You can even find locally-made ice cream if that interests you.

I'm a fan of Maple View Farms, a local dairy. They have locations in Hillsborough & Carrboro, but there's nothing like eating their ice cream at their country store while sitting in a rocking chair on their porch & looking out over the rolling hills.
Maple View Farm Country Store

If you like frozen custard, you should check out Goodberry's.
Goodberry's Creamery, Inc.

There are lots of gelato stores around - too many to list. Henry's Gelato in Cary is supposed to be really great.
Henry's Gelato - Fine Italian Gelato in North Carolina

If you love shakes, Cook Out is the place to go. Not an ice cream shop, but a locally-owned chain of drive-through burger stands. In addition to burgers and hush puppies, they have more than a dozen flavors of shakes including cherry cobbler and watermelon.
Cook Out - Durham, NC, 27704 - Citysearch

If you want an old-fashioned soda shop, you can take a short drive to Pittsboro to S&T's Soda Shoppe.
S & T Soda Shoppe - Pittsboro, NC

Lat but certainly not least, there's Locopops - a Triangle institution. They sell gourmet popsicles in some very interesting flavors. Definitely give them a try.
LocoPops

That's all I can think of right now, but there's bound to be more out there. At least now you know that there are tons of options!

[jill7930]

Originally Posted by MrsSteel

If you love shakes, Cook Out is the place to go. Not an ice cream shop, but a locally-owned chain of drive-through burger stands. In addition to burgers and hush puppies, they have more than a dozen flavors of shakes

My in-laws from Columbus can barely resist hitting Cookout for shakes every night during their visits to Durham. They limit it to only every other night or so. MrsSteel is correct about the awesomeness of Cookout's shakes, but vastly underestimates the number of flavors. It's over 40, and the price is very fair! As an aside, my in-laws are actually moving here at last and close on a house in Durham today! Wonder if their move is due in part to having closer proximity to a Cookout?

[rijn_in]

Nice. What blogs should I read to become familiar with the area?