Are there kids to play with in the Forest Hills area? (Durham: appointed, how much)

[Heathercp]

Although I've yet to set foot in the Triangle, I find myself increasingly drawn to the older neighborhoods of Durham. I think they've got everything that I want, but I'm wondering if they're going to have what my 8-year-old wants: friends. He wants to play with other kids after school, not sit around all afternoon in front of the tv. Okay, sitting around watching tv is certainly on his agenda somewhere, as well as the occasional video game, but he's used to wrestling matches on the trampoline and role-play in the tree house.

I'm worried that if I look for a house away from the newer developments I'll be depriving him of the opportunity to have kids his age nearby. I really want to be close to the city and I love older homes - mid century and older - but what have I gained by moving in if it means I've got to drive to every playdate.

Is there anyone out there dealing with a situation? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[coltank]

There's a great park there, and I always see kids.

[Heathercp]

Thanks, Coltank. That's what I was hoping to hear.

[leighbhe]

I would also suggest going on trianglemommies.com and posting the same question, they may be able to shed more light as well!

Leigh

[Heathercp]

I'm sure you're right, Leigh. I registered there yesterday, but for some reason I couldn't log on to post or view the forums. After registering I got a message saying something along the lines of it taking 24 to 48 hours to proof my registration. I got antsy and couldn't wait (househunting from across the country makes one very impatient, I'm finding) so I decided to ask here.

It looks like the trianglemommies site will be a great resource, so I appreciate the tip. I'm not sure I ever would have found the site if I hadn't heard of it through this forum.

[Bull City Rising]

Hi Heather,

I know several folks with kids who live in Forest Hills, and I'd echo the comment that the great park there is a big draw for all sorts of families. I've got a friend who lives there with his wife and their two young children. He also used to be president of the n'hood association there, so I've emailed him to see if he can shed more light on living in Forest Hills with kids.

[Heathercp]

Great, BCR! I'll be on the lookout for more info.

BTW, your enthusiasm for Durham is infectious. Since my husband commutes out of RDU, we could choose to relocate to any number of towns. But your posts and Web site give me the sense that Durham is going to be my kind of place. I can't wait to actually get there and see for myself. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

[Heathercp]

I was reading through some of the threads at trianglemommies.com and ran across this post:

I was at Forest Hills park today (May 17) around noon and several vans were broken into in the parking lot. The side windows were smashed in and I know that some of the moms had their purses and their wallets stolen.

I'm so bummed. The thread went on to say that the park was nice, but that there were lots of creepy people lurking about and that the restrooms were littered with what looked like drug paraphenalia. It's so disheartening.

[Bull City Rising]

Hi Heather,

Below is some information provided by my friend who lives in Forest Hills. Regarding the car windows -- sadly, there's no question that things like that happen in urban areas more often than suburban ones. I think really it's a question of what your used to and what your expectations are that determine how comfortable someone is in a city area vs. a suburban one. Much as I love Durham, I'm also the first to say, the Bull City isn't necessarily the right choice for every individual, couple, family, etc. All depends on what individuals are looking for and how much they value the trade-offs. The plus side of the Triangle is, there really is something for everyone in terms of desired lifestyle/neighborhood!

More on Forest Hills:

We just returned from a long weekend at Wrightsville beach, which we spent with five other couples and their children, ages 2 thru 9, and all of us from essentially the same block in Forest Hills. Our kids know each other really well thru school and trips like last weekend's, so it's not at all unusual for them to end up playing at one another's houses after school, and during the summer. There are at least three other families with kids in that age range in that same two-block radius who didn't go on this beach trip.

One of the real benefits of living in Forest Hills includes being generally no more than two blocks away from one side of the park or another. This benefit keeps families with children, or even just folks who'd like to start having them soon, interested in the old houses there. In the last ten years or so, the neighborhood has seen a boom in the arrival of families who've purchased homes from elderly neighbors and then fixed them up to one extent or another. Now, some of those relatively recently renovated houses are starting to turn over.

On the downside, depending on your worldview, this can be relatively expensive living, and many of these kids know each other through various private schools, since Durham's public schools, particularly the ones in the center, are (still) struggling to meet their potential. There are a few good magnet schools in the system for those who express interest and are fortunate during the annual assignment process....

Also, a number of the families in our neighborhood have working parents who choose to send their kids to extended day school enrichment programs. So after-school in the neighborhood isn't -quite- as lively as it might be otherwise, certainly nothing like the days when I was growing up, which is not an entirely bad thing, IMO. These kids can take chess and/or Chinese in the afternoons, for example, in addition to running all over the playground and gymnasium with their best friends for an hour or two. When we were that age, my sister and I spent most of that time of day watching reruns of "Gilligan's Island."