Any Durham natives on this board? (Raleigh, Fletcher: condos, houses, neighborhoods)

[sugarandcream]

Are there any natives from Durham on this board? If so, do you think Durham has changed over the years and if you do, how so?

[DanielleNC]

I'm not native, but I have been here most of my life so I will answer anyways. The most noticeable is the growth. There have been different neighborhoods popping up everywhere the last 22 years since I've been here. The most obvious would be SW Durham. Southpoint and area shopping centers are everywhere down there. I never had a reason to go to the part of town until Southpoint opened in 2001. Northgate has gone downhill since Southpoint opened, which is sad b/c it is very convenient to the northern part of town and had great shops. South Square mall was torn down and replaced by another shopping center. Just up the road are two more shopping centers. Near Northgate another shopping center. Lots of new growth, especially in the last 10 years.

Durham has some of the greatest restaurants and entertainment in the area. Most know what they are or can search for it easily, so I won't get into all of that since there is SO much.

The revitalization downtown has been really awesome over the last 10 years. I noticed it really started with the West Village condos and then expanded from there. There have been many changes downtown and only more to come.

So Durham has become more urban and suburban since I moved to the area in '87. It has changed quite a bit and I love a lot of the changes that have come with it. I think there has been more good than bad.

[CHTransplant]

I can't respond on this thread but wonder if you're more interested in Durham County or the City of Durham? Some of the discussions about "Durham" on this forum seem to confuse/blend the two.

[sugarandcream]

Originally Posted by CHTransplant

I can't respond on this thread but wonder if you're more interested in Durham County or the City of Durham? Some of the discussions about "Durham" on this forum seem to confuse/blend the
two.

I am interested in Durham as a whole, including the city and county. They have always been very similar, IMO. Are they any different now and if so, how?

[DanielleNC]

Originally Posted by sugarandcream

I am interested in Durham as a whole, including the city and county. They have always been very similar, IMO. Are they any different now and if so, how?

The county is very rural compared to the city. I grew up about 7 minutes north of the city limits and there is a lot of farm land and woods scattered between neighborhoods, even to this day. You pass cows and horses before you get to my parents neighborhood. Bahama and Rougemont are in the county and are very rural with a lot of pretty trees and rolling hills, and of course LOTS of farm land. Some areas you almost feel you are in the Foothills. These areas haven't changed much except for a bit more developement. (no commercial)

[ncsualum2004]

Originally Posted by sugarandcream

I am interested in Durham as a whole, including the city and county. They have always been very similar, IMO. Are they any different now and if so, how?

I would disagree and so would my parents. There has been and still is pretty big differences between the county and city. I was born there and grew up there until moving to Raleigh for college. I'm in Winston now but visit the area frequently. I'll actually be moving back to Raleigh in August.

Main differences today I would say are more options - for shopping, dining out, entertainment etc. I actually would walk downtown even at night and feel pretty safe.

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by ncsualum2004

I would disagree and so would my parents. There has been and still is pretty big differences between the county and city.

Looking at a map, there's a huge part of the county outside of the city north and east of the city limits. Seems like those portions of the county would be very different from the more urban areas in and around the city.

[Francois]

I am interested in Durham as a whole, including the city and county. They have always been very similar, IMO

Huh? The county used to be VERY rural while the city was known for having "urban" problems...they are not at all alike, especially years ago.

[memorytheatre]

I'm a native, born at Duke. Durham has changed as much or more in the past 35 years (my age) than probably any city/town in America. I grew up for the first 10 years of my life on Bluestone Rd. in the Carpenter Fletcher area sort of near the hwy 55 & 54 intersection. This was before I40 was built and that changed things dramatically. Ours was one of the first houses built in the neighborhood and all around us were tree's, woods, and open space. We built huge dirt tracks to race our bikes and were free to roam the woods and hillsides. The woods and my yard were full of turtles and salamanders and the air was full of fireflies. There were even clear seasonal creeks full of crawdad's around our neighborhood. I remember when there were still families of river otters in the Eno.

All that is gone now. The woods and pastures where we used to roam and build trails are now cookie-cutter subdivisions and strip malls packed with SUV's with New Jersey plates.

The out-of-control development actually made me move far away to an area where the same process had already taken place because it was painful to watch such cheap and tacky sprawl engulf the landscape that I had known. That and the lack of creative career opportunities in North Carolina. All of the talented, highly creative people I knew all over the triangle ultimately had to move to New York or California or somewhere else to pursue creative careers. Now, as an adult parent possibly interested in moving back, the growth offers some advantages in that there are many more people and thus potentially a broader range of jobs. There is a greater wealth of dining options and interesting spaces that have popped up here and there.

But housing costs in some areas of Durham are over-inflated in my opinion.

If I do move back however it will most probably be to Orange County somewhere. I am a graduate of Durham Jordan and the Durham school system and would not send my children there. The Durham city governance is one of the most dysfunctional and frustrating bureaucracies I've ever had chance to experience. At least it used to be. The Duke lacrosse fiasco and other recent events leads me to believe that very little has changed in regards to that aspect of Durham.

But in terms of growth and culture (for the good and bad) Durham could not have changed more over the past three decades.

Durham city and county are vastly different.