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I'm hoping to move to the Triangle next summer and will likely be working either in RTP (more likely) or Chapel Hill. My husband and I lived in Durham in a former life, and now find that we don't recognize a thing! Given that, we'd love some advice about neighborhoods to consider. Here are our parameters:
- We have two kids (6 and 2) and would like a decent public school. Diversity is a plus for us, as we're a multiracial family.
- We don't yet know where my husband will be working, but there's a decent chance it will actually be east of Raleigh (Clayton is a possibility). I think we may prefer to live closer to my work than his. (On that note, any advice about looking for jobs as a pediatrician would also be much appreciated.)
- We'd like to be able to walk to at least some restaurants, parks, etc. We're more urban than rural.
Of course there's more, but I think those are the most important parts. I've gotten a lot of good information by lurking around here for the last several weeks, and I really would appreciate advice about our situation. I feel like somewhere in Durham is probably the right choice for us, but it's hard to pin down where to look, specifically.
I think you are right that durham probably has the most diversity, but driving from durham to clayton would not be fun, as it could be 45 minutes. Of course if he would be going opposite of traffic, but I still think it would be 45 minutes as it can be a bit over an hour with traffic. I think durham is a great city and offers quite a bit for families, etc. The friends I know who live there with kids seem to live either in the hope valley area or in the southpointe mall area.
Apex might be a good choice, as it may be closer to clayton, it is definitely growing so there may be a need for a pediatrician (I would also suggest holly springs for that as well)
I would also suggest joining trianglemommies.com if you can, they can give you a lot of resources for the kids, etc. I know there is one pediatrician on board, who has her own practice in apex (ramsdell pediatrics). She may be able to help you wade through some of the issues on that). I have a friend who is a doctor who moved from chicago to wake forest and she had a tough time finding the right practice for her. I think it was a long process, so the more you can do before you move the better.
Good, diverse walking neighborhoods in Durham include Watts-Hillandale and Trinity Park. You wouldn't feel out of place here as a multiracial family. Talk to parents who have kids in the local schools; they have the most relevant opinions of the schools. Publically available test scores don't tell the whole story. These neighborhoods are in the vicinity of Duke's campus. Unfortunately, they don't have easy access to 40, although the Durham Freeway is a straight shot to RTP and 40 in the event your husband works in Clayton.
I know Watts-Hillandale has Oval Park and a greenway, and depending on where in that neighborhood you lived, you could walk to the restaurants/cafes on 9th St. and Broad St. (Broad street in particular has seen several places open recently, and 9th street is getting a soda shop, which sounds fun for kids.)
Does he do the kind of work where he'd have to go in every day, or would telecommuting be an option? I prefer to sacrifice on the commute (within reason) and live in a neighborhood that suits me.
Other lovely neighborhoods include Forest Hills and Hope Valley (the old HV neighborhood, distinct from the various new subdivisions that use the Hope Valley name)
Have you considered moving to Clayton. I know that is does not have as much diversity as Durham but Clayton has some of the best schools and is exploding with new people and subdivisions.
Thank you all for the advice! It's funny to see a mention of Oval Park... I went to NCSSM for high school (years ago!) and used to walk to that park to get away sometimes. I had forgotten about it and didn't realize that was the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood.
It sounds like Durham may be our best bet, but we'll just have to wait and see where, exactly, I end up working. I wish my husband could telecommute, but that's hard as a clinician. I'm not keen on starting out in Clayton, because I don't think it's quite our vibe, and I wouldn't want to have to move if he was able to get a different job later. I'm probably naive, but I'd really like to find the right spot and not have to move my daughter's school later.
My understanding was that trianglemommies.com wouldn't allow you to join unless you were already in the triangle. Are they no longer rejecting new members for simply being in the process of relocating? It would be a great resource.
Again, thank for the neighborhood names. I've been busy searching and ogling...
Trianglemommies lets you join if you have definite plans of moving to the Triangle area within a certain timeframe - 6 weeks or 3 months or something like that. They only reject potential members who aren't sure if they really are going to relocate, or don't have a timeframe for their move yet. The thinking is that moms be able to communicate with other local moms, rather than have a more national vibe like babycenter.com for example.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiriL
Thank you all for the advice! It's funny to see a mention of Oval Park... I went to NCSSM for high school (years ago!) and used to walk to that park to get away sometimes. I had forgotten about it and didn't realize that was the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood.
It sounds like Durham may be our best bet, but we'll just have to wait and see where, exactly, I end up working. I wish my husband could telecommute, but that's hard as a clinician. I'm not keen on starting out in Clayton, because I don't think it's quite our vibe, and I wouldn't want to have to move if he was able to get a different job later. I'm probably naive, but I'd really like to find the right spot and not have to move my daughter's school later.
My understanding was that trianglemommies.com wouldn't allow you to join unless you were already in the triangle. Are they no longer rejecting new members for simply being in the process of relocating? It would be a great resource.
Again, thank for the neighborhood names. I've been busy searching and ogling...
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