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Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
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Old 04-20-2013, 09:51 AM
 
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Hi all,

I'm contemplating moving into the Durham area (most likely in the Forest Oaks Drive town homes) and am trying to make a pros/cons list compared to my other choice of Philly (very different I know).

I currently live in MD and just wanted a change. I have a couple friends in both places and thought both would be quite different than how/where I'm living now.

I've visited the area twice now but wanted to get others' opinions of the pros and cons. I work in the mental health field but am not limited to just that field in terms of employment. I guess some of my concerns are that: it is still suburban life (what's the range of things to do); how is the nightlife; what is there to do during the winter (outdoor things are a big pro for NC); how is the social atmosphere (I'm 25 and would love to meet new people/friends)


Can't wait to hear your responses! Thanks!
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Old 04-20-2013, 11:33 AM
 
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I think Durham has pretty much everything. Plenty of things to do in and around downtown Durham with DPAC, restaurants, pubs/bars, etc. Weather is great and it rarely gets below freezing in the winters. Usually in the high 30s to low 40s at worst. I live down by Southpoint and the nice thing that my wife and I like about the area is that it's spread out, there are so many trees, and the people are usually very nice to you. I thought I wanted live in a big city and after 7 years in Cleveland, OH I was done with that. In Durham and other place in the Triangle you can live in a beautiful area that seems semi-rural, but be within 5-20 minutes of grocery, restaurants, gas, etc. Plenty to do in my opinion.
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Old 04-20-2013, 12:34 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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I lived in Philly (downtown) from 1978-1989, and have lived in Raleigh (on the border of Durham) since last year. (Phoenix, AZ in between) So my comparison is general and somewhat dated.

Weather - Durham is way better unless you like to ski. And Philly isn't even that well located for skiing, so I'd still give the nod to Durham. But do keep in mind that I detest very cold weather.

Cost - Durham COL is certainly going to be less than Philly. Especially when it comes to housing.

Size - here Philly gets the top rating. After all, it's the sixth largest city in the country now, while Raleigh/Durham fall well below that. It's up to you whether or not that is a big issue. But, when you combine Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill together, the culture and activity offerings would compete favorably with Philly.

Airport - Philly the winner. By a mile. RDU airport is small, and most flights do require a change of plane in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, etc.

Hope this helps some. . .
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Old 04-20-2013, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,762 posts, read 15,691,264 times
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Hi,

I grew up in Philly. I lived in Maryland for 10 years and in NoVa for 12. Now I live in Chapel Hill, but I've only been here a bit over 1 year. Here is my overall comparison of Durham to Philly. I'll try to be objective.

Durham:
-Is is a smaller city with Raleigh, another small city nearby
-Outside of Raleigh and Durham, there is mostly suburbs with a few towns (Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Hillsborough, etc)
-Is more southern, obviously
-Warmer weather
-Slower pace
-Is more rural (You can go from Durham to Deliverance in 15 minutes flat)
-Has a high percentage of transplants (you'll meet people from all over; you won't feel left out like everyone is from here and you are not)
-Less traffic/congestion
-A bit farther from the beach (but longer season to use it)
-Cheaper housing (you can get much more house for your money)

Philly:
-One much larger, central city core with lots of different districts (Chinatown, Old City, Museum District, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, etc.)
-Colder weather (spring comes later and winter starts earlier, a good 10 degrees colder in winter)
-Easy access to other large cities (2 hours to NY, 3 to DC)
-More expensive
-More congestion and traffic that goes along with living in a big city
-Mid-Atlantic in feel (faster pace)
-One large central city with suburbs and independent towns surrounding it
-Not as rural nearby (drive farther to get to the rural areas)
-Much more to do. (If Durham has 10 major things going on in a night, Philly probably has 100.)
-Professional sports teams in all four major sports
-Larger airport; many more flights
-People are born, live, and die in Philly. So it may be harder to fit in. You will probably mostly meet Philly people, other Pennsylvanians, people from NJ and NY
-So much history and important landmarks in Philly (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, etc.)


Overall, most of what you can get in Durham or the Triangle you can get in Philly except for a slower pace, smaller city feel, less traffic, less costly housing, a southern feel, high percentage of transplants, and warmer weather. If any or all of those things are important to you then Durham would be a better fit. If you want a bigger city, more entertainment and sports options, close to other big cities, colder weather, then Philly would be a better pick.

(Also, you didn't say where in Maryland you live. If you live in Baltimore, then Philly would be fairly similar. If you live in the DC area, then I also think Philly is also more similar other than the international feel of DC - although the suburbs of the Triangle remind me of the suburbs of NoVA).
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Old 04-20-2013, 07:36 PM
 
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I grew up in S Jersey close to Philly, & my family all still lives in the City/surrounding area, etc...I've lived in Durham 13 yrs. The advice above from michg is spot on and very good. I'll highlight which things seem most pronounced to me.

I can tell you what I miss about the Philly area...although Durham has great restaurants and has become quite the foodie town, there are some missing links. I was spoiled by Philly's Chinatown - excellent authentic Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese with tons of choices. We certainly have those cuisines here, but somehow it's not the same. I also miss Philly hoagies and cheesesteaks, but if you're not from Philly perhaps that won't be a big deal.

There's definitely more going on there. While we have DPAC and other music venues, when I look at the Weekend section of the Philly Inquirer when I'm visiting my parents, I cannot believe how many choices there are in one weekend for top name bands to see, many choices of theater productions, etc. It's not that there are aren't things going on here, but surely not as much, even if you add up all that's going on between Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham all together.

Like the PP said, Philly has a large historic downtown with so many different sections - South Philly, South Street area, historic downtown/Olde City, University area, etc. Durham has a very small (but vibrant and foodie) downtown with everything else around being suburbs of different kinds.

Having said all that, the Philly area was a great place to grow up, but I would pick living in Durham hands down for what I like. I LOVE the weather here. We have a short fairly mild winter - usually early Nov to late March (though this winter was especially long and cold) - and it provides so much more time for enjoying outdoor activities. If you like hiking, etc, Eno River State Park has tons of trails and sections to explore - it's wonderful. There are many other local places to hike and enjoy the outdoors. I despise snow and hate flying into Philly when the high is 32. We just don't deal with that here for extended periods.

Durham has a great feel to it - there's a real sense of community, and although it's a small city, it feels like a small town. I run into people I know EVERYWHERE in Durham, all the time. Whenever I meet someone new, they always seem to know a bunch of people that I know. It's just like that here.

I love the lack of traffic. The Philly roads: I-95, the Schuylkill, etc are always slow going and mucked up with wrecks and back-ups. Add in any games at the stadiums and there's gridlock. My mom commutes 12 miles into Philly from Jersey and her life is ruled by the KWY traffic report. My parent's house is 25 minutes from the Philly airport, but we always leave 2 hrs early because the traffic is so iffy. In Durham I live 20 min from RDU and never have that issue. We just don't have traffic here like the Philly area - my blood pressure rises every time I drive around Philly from the slow going traffic.

I love the slower pace down here, the trees, the Southern food culture (shrimp & grits, sweet tea, fried okra, BBQ, hushpuppies, etc), & the real city pride.

I don't think you can go wrong with either place. My demographic is different than yours (41, married with 2 kids) but there are plenty of young professionals and grad students, etc around. Best of luck with your decision!
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Old 04-24-2013, 01:13 PM
 
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Thank you all for the replies! They are really informative and it's nice to get perspective from those that have lived in both places.

I'm currently in the suburbs outside of Baltimore but am familiar with the city very well. I do like Baltimore but mostly wanted a change which is why I picked Philly (wanted a city a bit bigger than Balt but not as big as NYC).


Something I've been thinking about of late: I am concerned with meeting people in Philly (stereotypes of the 'hard' native) but know there will be lots of things to do all the time. My perception of Durham is that they people will be friendlier but that there won't be as much to do... Not sure what trade off I'm okay with :/
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Old 04-24-2013, 06:26 PM
 
3,743 posts, read 13,630,423 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jkgourmet View Post
Airport - Philly the winner. By a mile. RDU airport is small, and most flights do require a change of plane in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, etc.
I think this can go the other way - Philly's airport is old and sprawling, and is a hassle to get to, plus the air traffic is terrible. Yes, its a hub, but that brings its own problems. RDU is a small airport that is easy to get into and out of and is modern, with all the amenities you'd like, like power outlets. Yes, you have to connect in a hub city, but that's the only downside imo.

OP, if you come from MD, you'll get all the amenities of a large city without the problems overly-large population centers have, including lower taxes, less traffic, and friendlier people. Also, the infrastructure is newer (to brand new), housing is generally just nicer because its modern, and the weather is much better, if not perfect.

We have all cuisines here and its the same game to find the really good ones. I get better dim sum here than I ever got in Philadelphia's Chinatown, for example.

Another plus is that you don't have to travel as far to get places and parking is usually easier. Plus, every place serves liquor/alcohol and they almost all take credit cards.

Probably the only down side is the public transit system. The Metro is great, but the Triangle area is not sense enough to support such a system.

Last edited by Sayantsi; 04-24-2013 at 06:39 PM..
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Old 04-24-2013, 07:45 PM
 
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,762 posts, read 15,691,264 times
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Knowing you are from Baltimore, I think if you are looking for something different then Durham is your place. Philadelphia and Baltimore really have a very similar feel to each other.

I disagree with the PP the airport thing. It is easy to get to the airport here, but it is hard to find direct flights, something I always took for granted living in Phila. and DC. It's funny, because my neighbor just said the exact same thing to me yesterday. She is planning to go to Germany this summer and she said, "I never realized that I took for granted being able to fly directly from Phila. and Boston." They're going to drive to Charlotte to get a direct flight.

I booked my husband a flight to Florida a few months ago, and I was shocked that there was only ONE non-stop flight from Raleigh into either West Palm or Fort Lauderdale. I used to have a pick from at least a dozen living in DC.

But unless you fly often, I wouldn't let that make your determination. As I said, if you are looking for a change, and a bit of a slower pace, then try the Triangle. If you are comfortable with the Balto. lifestyle, then you will like Phila. It's like Balto. but bigger.
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Old 04-25-2013, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
19,358 posts, read 27,562,622 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sayantsi View Post
I think this can go the other way - Philly's airport is old and sprawling, and is a hassle to get to, plus the air traffic is terrible. Yes, its a hub, but that brings its own problems. RDU is a small airport that is easy to get into and out of and is modern, with all the amenities you'd like, like power outlets. Yes, you have to connect in a hub city, but that's the only downside imo.

OP, if you come from MD, you'll get all the amenities of a large city without the problems overly-large population centers have, including lower taxes, less traffic, and friendlier people. Also, the infrastructure is newer (to brand new), housing is generally just nicer because its modern, and the weather is much better, if not perfect.

We have all cuisines here and its the same game to find the really good ones. I get better dim sum here than I ever got in Philadelphia's Chinatown, for example.

Another plus is that you don't have to travel as far to get places and parking is usually easier. Plus, every place serves liquor/alcohol and they almost all take credit cards.

Probably the only down side is the public transit system. The Metro is great, but the Triangle area is not sense enough to support such a system.
Good points about the airport. I'd still prefer the hub to avoid having to change planes somewhere along the way, but your points are extremely valid.

But here's the important question: Where do you get that dim sum??????????????????
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Old 04-25-2013, 10:59 AM
 
3,743 posts, read 13,630,423 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jkgourmet View Post
.

But here's the important question: Where do you get that dim sum??????????????????
Dim Sum House in Morrisville, off Airport Blvd, behind Babymoon Cafe. Cart service is weekend only but the quality is excellent and they treat non-Asians well.

There is another place in Durham with a good reputation but I've never been, as this place is always so good.
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