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All I have been doing the past few days is reading, reading and more reading and the end result - I am overwhelmed and confused.
Premise: I need to move to Durham, NC from Nashua, NH for a new job in the RTP starting 06/01/07. I am excited about that, but also terribly confused about where to settle in. To start with, I'd have like to move somewhere near to my workplace, but the general impression which I have been given about Durham is to avoid it like the plague because of it's high crime rate. Durham has been compared to the Dorchester/Roxbury area of MA by a co-worker of mine. I would trust his views, but also want to throw this question out to the other residents - is it really that bad? Could it be that a certain section of Durham might be maligning the rest too? Or would you agree to his view? If so, why would the RTP be even built in that area?
To speak about my particular case, I am single and what I am looking for is a quiet (not too far from the stores/malls though), crime-free, pleasant neighborhood near to RTP where my wife can join me in another 6-7 months (I'm engaged atm) and where we can peacefully live at least for 1 year till we stake out the place and buy a house. Not too much to ask, right?
Any particular city/community you would recommend? If so, why? Any recommendation on the apartments? If I read up on them in rent.com or Yahoo! Real Estate, everything is fine and dandy, but I take such claims with a pinch of salt. Apartmentratings.com does have a few useful reviews, but then again it doesn't cover every apartment in the area.
All & any replies are most welcome! Hopefully I will even make some friends before I get down there.
P.S #1: Let me know if you need more info.
P.S #2: Oops, wrong forum, I think. Admin/Mod, please move the thread to 'Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary' sub-forum.
Just wanted to say hello........I grew up in the triangle, but my sister and her husband just moved back to north carolina after 6 years in new hampshire...they started in nashua and ended in merrimack. My brother in law works for autodesk........
They had to do the find an apartment in a weekend kind of thing when they moved which can be challenging. Anyhow, email me if you have questions about places in the area.
I think you should visit Durham and get your own opinion of the city. To be honest with you, I am not impressed with it. My one and only visit was a bad experience. I stay away from it if I can. However, my wife works for Duke Hospital. She likes the hospital but hates she has to travel to and from Durham. She too had a bad experience when she first started working there and ventured out during her lunch hour. Needless to say she is afraid to venture out any more.
Some other places to consider are Chapel Hill, Mooresville, Cary, Apex and N Raleigh. These are all cities that are close to RTP. Good luck with your search!
All I have been doing the past few days is reading, reading and more reading and the end result - I am overwhelmed and confused.
Premise: I need to move to Durham, NC from Nashua, NH for a new job in the RTP starting 06/01/07. I am excited about that, but also terribly confused about where to settle in. To start with, I'd have like to move somewhere near to my workplace, but the general impression which I have been given about Durham is to avoid it like the plague because of it's high crime rate. Durham has been compared to the Dorchester/Roxbury area of MA by a co-worker of mine. I would trust his views, but also want to throw this question out to the other residents - is it really that bad? Could it be that a certain section of Durham might be maligning the rest too? Or would you agree to his view? If so, why would the RTP be even built in that area?
To speak about my particular case, I am single and what I am looking for is a quiet (not too far from the stores/malls though), crime-free, pleasant neighborhood near to RTP where my wife can join me in another 6-7 months (I'm engaged atm) and where we can peacefully live at least for 1 year till we stake out the place and buy a house. Not too much to ask, right?
Any particular city/community you would recommend? If so, why? Any recommendation on the apartments? If I read up on them in rent.com or Yahoo! Real Estate, everything is fine and dandy, but I take such claims with a pinch of salt. Apartmentratings.com does have a few useful reviews, but then again it doesn't cover every apartment in the area.
All & any replies are most welcome! Hopefully I will even make some friends before I get down there.
P.S #1: Let me know if you need more info.
P.S #2: Oops, wrong forum, I think. Admin/Mod, please move the thread to 'Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary' sub-forum.
I moved to Southern Durham in November of 2005 from Massachusetts. Most of Durham IS safe and enjoyable. The bad areas are very limited and extremely easy to avoid. I would check out The South Terrace at Auburn apartments, The Lodge at Southpoint apartments and they are just completing the new Southpoint Village apartments. They are all excellent, safe and beautiful. Just Google them. Let me know if you need any other info.
All I have been doing the past few days is reading, reading and more reading and the end result - I am overwhelmed and confused.
Premise: I need to move to Durham, NC from Nashua, NH for a new job in the RTP starting 06/01/07. I am excited about that, but also terribly confused about where to settle in. To start with, I'd have like to move somewhere near to my workplace, but the general impression which I have been given about Durham is to avoid it like the plague because of it's high crime rate. Durham has been compared to the Dorchester/Roxbury area of MA by a co-worker of mine. I would trust his views, but also want to throw this question out to the other residents - is it really that bad? Could it be that a certain section of Durham might be maligning the rest too? Or would you agree to his view? If so, why would the RTP be even built in that area?
To speak about my particular case, I am single and what I am looking for is a quiet (not too far from the stores/malls though), crime-free, pleasant neighborhood near to RTP where my wife can join me in another 6-7 months (I'm engaged atm) and where we can peacefully live at least for 1 year till we stake out the place and buy a house. Not too much to ask, right?
Any particular city/community you would recommend? If so, why? Any recommendation on the apartments? If I read up on them in rent.com or Yahoo! Real Estate, everything is fine and dandy, but I take such claims with a pinch of salt. Apartmentratings.com does have a few useful reviews, but then again it doesn't cover every apartment in the area.
All & any replies are most welcome! Hopefully I will even make some friends before I get down there.
P.S #1: Let me know if you need more info.
P.S #2: Oops, wrong forum, I think. Admin/Mod, please move the thread to 'Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary' sub-forum.
If you're working in RTP, there is no need to focus on Durham. Parts of Cary (particularly western Cary...subdivisions like Cary Park) will probably be more convenient to the park.
As far as Durham is concerned...I grew up there so I'm a bit biased. It has its sketchy parts, but they are generally separated from the nicer areas where you'd be looking. There are some areas there is some overlap, but it is not as bad as the crime statistic might suggest. If you could get a map that shows the distribution of the crimes that drive the statistics, you would likely see them concentrated in several areas of the city in which you would not be looking for a house.
Thank you so much for all the replies, suggestions and advices. I have been busy the past week and hence the late reply.
I must admit that I am hearing conflicting opinions on which parts of Durham to stay away from - devindrake says to stay away from the SW side, MrsSteel says that the NE side is the most crime-ridden, Bull City Rising said the issues are on the E & SE parts - so which one is it? Or would it be safe to assume that people have had experienced different issues almost everywhere in Durham? If so is it safe to say that if I have another choice (Cary, which is also closer to RTP?), then I don't even need to consider Durham, whatever area it might be? Also, is the crime problem totally concentrated in Durham or has it spilled over the borders just a little to other cities too?
@Bull City Rising, Great comparison of MA-NH Vs. NC. Thanks.
@southward bound/leighbhe, Hi there!
@Southpoint, I checked out the opinions about South Terrace at Auburn & Lodge at Southpoint, and the reviews are pretty bad and all the good reviews looks like they have been written by the management themselves. You sure about these two? :/
@pacific493, Would you know any good apartments in Cary then?
@All, I have been doing some calling up and reading (yeah, more reading) and right now have 3 apartments shortlisted for site visits on 05/17/07 & 05/18/07:
1) Beech Lake Apartments in Durham.
2) Woodlake Downs in Raleigh.
3) Cumberland Cove (Stratford) (http://www.cumberlandcoveapts.com/j/s/i/iFrame.jsp?p_usid=&p_pgid=9&p_poid=FEFCH1324F&p_fp id=LKDK1324E - broken link) in Raleigh.
Anyone ever heard of these? Any good/bad opinions? Am I getting my money's worth? Are the areas good? >_>
I think you may have misread DevinDrake's & BCR's posts (emphasis mine).
Quote:
Originally Posted by devindrake
The key is to stay in the SW side of Durham.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bull City Rising
There are pockets of Durham (like Nashua) that have issues with crime and drugs; those are generally on the eastern and southeastern side of downtown, with a bit up north of I-85 on the eastern side of Roxboro.
Hi all NCers and would-be NCers , Premise: I need to move to Durham, NC from Nashua, NH for a new job in the RTP starting 06/01/07.
Congrats! I hope it's not with IBM Global Services, though, as you could be looking for another job shortly.
Quote:
I am excited about that, but also terribly confused about where to settle in. To start with, I'd have like to move somewhere near to my workplace, but the general impression which I have been given about Durham is to avoid it like the plague because of it's high crime rate. Durham has been compared to the Dorchester/Roxbury area of MA by a co-worker of mine. I would trust his views, but also want to throw this question out to the other residents - is it really that bad? Could it be that a certain section of Durham might be maligning the rest too? Or would you agree to his view? If so, why would the RTP be even built in that area?
Living in town would probably be bad. Street gangs run rampant in many areas around downtown, north Durham, along the Fayetville Rd corridor, etc.
But there are newer communities around South Point and Brier Creek that you would probably find to be PERFECT. VERY close to some EXCELLENT shopping opportunities, right by the major highways and easy access to RTP.
I recently moved out of the South Point area of Durham and had an 8 minute commute to my job in RTP. Now I'm in north Raleigh and have a 20 minute commute. My commute time would probably be closer to 8 minutes again if I had lived in Brier Creek.
Congrats! I hope it's not with IBM Global Services, though, as you could be looking for another job shortly.
Living in town would probably be bad. Street gangs run rampant in many areas around downtown, north Durham, along the Fayetville Rd corridor, etc.
But there are newer communities around South Point and Brier Creek that you would probably find to be PERFECT. VERY close to some EXCELLENT shopping opportunities, right by the major highways and easy access to RTP.
I recently moved out of the South Point area of Durham and had an 8 minute commute to my job in RTP. Now I'm in north Raleigh and have a 20 minute commute. My commute time would probably be closer to 8 minutes again if I had lived in Brier Creek.
Watchout Viridari. Isn't North Raleigh where that creep is stalking people walking down the road? Also, that's where nice homes are being broken into. Maybe the Durham gangs followed you there. Watch out, they are everywhere.
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