nice apartments/lofts/townhomes near duke (Durham, Trinity: hardwood floors, best neighborhoods, for rent)

[bluesky22]

Hi All!

I am relocating to Durham in a couple months because I will be a resident in the Duke Medical Center beginning in June and I want to get some more information on nice apartments, lofts, or townhomes relatively close to Duke or in south/southwest Durham. My price range is from $900-1300/month, and I would really like something with hardwood floors and a little more space (>900 sq ft) if possible. Safety of the area is definitely a major concern as well (I mention this since I don't know anything about the area and which neighborhoods are good/bad in this respect).

I will be making a trip to Durham later this week and have a rough list of the properties I am going to look at. I would appreciate any insight into any of these properties, in addition to suggestions on places I may have missed.

Lofts at Lakeview
Station Nine
Trinity Commons at Erwin
West Village
American Tobacco Living
The Lodge at Southpoint
Golden Belt Lofts
Baldwin Lofts

I am also interested in looking at townhomes, but am not sure what the best neighborhoods are for young professionals (that aren't too suburbia-like). I am 26 and single and would love to meet other young people in the neighborhood. The ones that have been suggested to me are:

Hope Valley and Hope Valley Farms
Woodcroft
Wyntercrest

I would love any comments on these neighborhoods, and suggestions for other neighborhoods/subdivisions. Thank you so much for any input or advice! I really appreciate it!

[xylemphloem]

Congrats on matching with your residency and welcome to Durham and Duke!

Here are some impressions of the places on your list that I have visited:
-Lofts at Lakeview - Very nice units, nice amenities (great pool, common areas for residents). Still feels a bit "student-y," which makes sense given its immediate proximity to campus. I believe has wood floors, at least in parts of the units.

-West Village - When I think "non-suburban young professional," West Village would be my closest match to that description. Converted warehouse space, wood floors, high ceilings, with a mix of both Duke folks and people working downtown.

- Lodge at Southpoint - More suburban than your other options. Carpeted floors. Probably more space for your money and still plenty to do (walking distance to the mall and surrounding amenities) but a different feel. Mix of university folks (both Duke and UNC), young families, retirees, etc.

- Woodcroft or Hope Valley Farms - Again nice, but much more suburban feel. Wooded lots, grass, probably more young families than young singles, though a mix of both.

[peperoberto]

Baldwin Lofts is being converted into Condos, so I'm not sure if there will be any available for rental. Golden Belt has a notoriously long waiting list. West Village also typically has a waiting list, but they have many more units, so it isn't too bad.

If you want to really be in an urban environment, I'd say go with West Village, American Tobacco, or Golden Belt. Station 9, Lofts at Lakeview, and Trinity Commons are all quite convenient to Duke, but they're not really walkable to downtown. Station 9 is really close to 9th street, which has a few bars and restaurants, but you'd probably still end taking the bus, biking, or driving downtown.

American Tobacco is right next to the bus station, and there is a Bull City Connector bus that is free and runs on 15 minute headways from 6:30am to midnight M-F (20 minute headways on Saturday). The bus runs from Duke South (connected to the entire Duke Med Ctr) to Golden Belt, and it's free. West Village is also on the BCC line, as are Station 9 (stop about 3 blocks away), and Baldwin Lofts.

You'll be doing the bulk of your work at Duke Med Ctr, and not Durham Regional, correct? Either way, you would still probably want a car, but if you work mostly at Duke Med Ctr, then you can get by without having to drive to work, even for the overnight shifts.

If you want to save some money, check out University Apartments. It's a newly renovated 1930's complex near Duke's campus. It's a block from the Duke bus stops, and there are buses 20 hours a day that can take you to the Med Ctr. It's in a more residential setting, but it is still about a half mile from Brightleaf Square, and 3/4 of a mile from American Tobacco or the downtown loop.