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Old 03-19-2012, 10:07 PM
 
Location: State College, PA
10 posts, read 15,092 times
Reputation: 14

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Hey all,

My girlfriend and I have been living in Houston, TX for the past few years, and we absolutely hate it. The weather, the layout, the distance from home...just about everything is pushing us away. We've been doing our research for a good while now, and the Raleigh/Durham area seems perfect for us. I'm originally from Jersey, right outside NYC, and she's from Buffalo, NY, so we're closer to home (without being too close) and we get a touch of snow without having to dig ourselves out of the driveway come January.

We're in our early 20's, young professionals, and we don't have traditional jobs that require a commute to a specific location. A good amount of our time is spent writing, which we like to do in a coffeeshop-type atmosphere, so being close to places like that, parks, or other public spaces where we can go and focus our attentions would be great. We haven't narrowed it down to anywhere specifically yet, although the downtown Durham area seems very attraactive to us.

We don't have any kids (nor plan on having any anytime soon), so schools don't matter, although being close to Duke/UNC/or NC State's libraries would be awesome. Ideally we would like to rent a place around 1100 a month (although that can be shifted upwards for a spot we love, or shifted downwards to help save for upcoming wedding expenses) that has one bedroom and a space for an office area (2nd bedroom perhaps?), and some outdoor space. We've been looking at townhouses and downtown lofts (both Raleigh and Durham), but we're just not finding a whole lot of information anywhere.

We're making a trip at then end of April to scout a few places out in order to move in mid-May, but we just don't know where to start looking. Thanks so much in advance! I know these things are so annoying to see time and again, but I couldn't find any that matched our needs in the forum's history.
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Old 03-20-2012, 05:16 PM
 
286 posts, read 684,037 times
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I don't have specific advice on where to look as far as where to live but wanted to say "welcome" from another former Houstonian. (well Tomball/The Woodlands to be more specific) I am pretty sure that both Raleigh and Durham can meet your needs and be a good fit for you so I would plan a visit to both areas when you come here. You'll be really happy with the "traffic" after driving around Houston. Oh, and we finally have Blue Bell ice cream in some stores here.
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Old 03-21-2012, 04:11 AM
 
Location: RTP area, NC
1,277 posts, read 3,539,894 times
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I too send a second 'welcome'! I know not a thing about Durham so am hoping some of the Durham folks will jump in here.

re: Raleigh/Wake County: I would suggest looking at the Glenwood area downtown Raleigh between Peace and Hillsborough, from Glenwood over to the beltline (going west). That area puts you relatively close to NC State. There is also a greenway near Meredith that crosses over 440 and goes to the art museum. Glenwood offers nightlife. Shopping is close by. Farmers Market fairly close. etc. etc. Not walkable exactly, but very convenient.

Also -- be advised that when you say 'Raleigh', folks (like me) might offer up more general 'wake county' options -- we are a relatively large county with lots of different kinds of environments - urban, suburban, rural -- so wake has a lot to offer.

Brier Creek (Raleigh) & Southpoint (Durham) areas have plenty of apartment options -- and are pretty central to all three areas -- durham, raleigh, chapel hill -- so keep those areas in mind if you don't find exactly what you are looking for in your first visit.

Wake County does have tons of parks and open space (I think) -- with Falls Lake, County parks, Jordan Lake etc.

The typical travel time between most things here is 20-30 mins. Unless you are traveling from Northern wake to southern wake which could take you an 45mins to an hour... So if you pick a place relatively central, you will really only be 20-30 mins from anything & everything...

Good luck!
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Old 03-21-2012, 05:04 AM
 
699 posts, read 1,702,926 times
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Early twenties, coffeeshop atmosphere, university library, park ... you might want to check out Chapel Hill. Battle Park is 90 some acres of gorgeous, lots of coffeeshop atmosphere available, decent downtown area, Weaver Street Market, and, of course, UNC libraries.

Rents will likely be a bit more than in other areas, but you might feel right at home in Chapel Hill.

Best of luck on your search.
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Old 03-21-2012, 05:13 AM
 
Location: Zebulon, NC
2,275 posts, read 6,294,947 times
Reputation: 3622
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReaderGirl View Post
I don't have specific advice on where to look as far as where to live but wanted to say "welcome" from another former Houstonian. (well Tomball/The Woodlands to be more specific) I am pretty sure that both Raleigh and Durham can meet your needs and be a good fit for you so I would plan a visit to both areas when you come here. You'll be really happy with the "traffic" after driving around Houston. Oh, and we finally have Blue Bell ice cream in some stores here.
Another former Houstonian here adding my welcome as well. I second everything ReaderGirl said. You'll not only be happy with the traffic, but the lack of billboards as well. Summers can be pretty hot, but don't last nearly as long as in Houston.

Just about the only thing I miss in Houston (besides my friends) are the restaurants. However, I've managed to find some decent Texas barbecue (not trying to start a debate, as I love NC barbecue as well), found a great recipe for enchiladas with chili gravy (you won't find that here), and now that Blue Bell is here, I'm all set.
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Old 03-22-2012, 01:37 PM
 
Location: State College, PA
10 posts, read 15,092 times
Reputation: 14
Thanks all! This really helps narrow down our search, especially with regard to our lack of specificity. Even if we're in a place for a few months to a year while we figure out what area really does fit our needs, this really does help us starting out. We're visiting in the end of April to move in mid-May, so knowing where to look while we have the time is key.

Hopefully some Durham people will offer their advice
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Old 03-22-2012, 01:59 PM
 
4 posts, read 4,432 times
Reputation: 12
I would not recommend Durham area because of its 'specific' criminal activity. You may take a look at a criminal statistics for both Raleigh and Durham, and from this standpoint Raleigh NW and Raleigh North areas could be your choice. NW between 540 and 440 beltlines seems more suitable for your needs - just look for apartments along or around US70 (Glenwood Ave.) and to the W/NW of NCSU (don't go to east or south). Chapel Hill is pricey and does not have what Raleigh proposes in terms of cultural and other activity (small city ... boring ...)
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Old 03-22-2012, 02:17 PM
 
Location: Durham, NC
754 posts, read 1,689,963 times
Reputation: 514
Downtown Durham would be a good fit (Chapel Hill for sure) with your price point and your choice of activities but I'm not sure about availability because we're not renters. They're kind of touchy about linking here, but if you search Google for Downtown Durham and browse the first result you can search for available rentals downtown. The most popular (discussed here) seem to be Golden Belt and West Village Apartments. I believe anything on the American Tobacco campus has a long waiting list. At least, that's what's usually said here. Good luck!
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Old 03-22-2012, 02:23 PM
 
3,670 posts, read 7,144,901 times
Reputation: 4269
i think you would like chapel hill- perhaps more to the carborro side. durham isn't as bad as people make it out to be and its cheaper. i wouldnt relocate just to live in durham, though. i dont know much about living in raleigh.
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Old 03-22-2012, 03:05 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
10,728 posts, read 22,756,587 times
Reputation: 12325
If you don't care about schools, Durham would be my pick, near Duke so you'd be near the libraries (and not very far from Chapel Hill and those wonderful libraries as well. Durham schools don't have as good a reputation as Chapel hHill's or Wake county's, but tha'ts moot for you, plus the cost of living is generally lower (certainly than Chapel Hill--got to pay for those great schools somehow!). I grew up in Raleigh and will never leave, but find myself going to Durham for most of my extracurricular activities, especially in the Arts.
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