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I'm looking to move to the Durham/Chapel Hill area in NC and had a few questions I wanted to ask before the move. Feel free to answer only what you can and/or make suggestions.
Is public transportation reliable and safe to ride on?
What are the libraries like? I'm big into books and libraries, so I'm wondering about size, variety of content, if they have study rooms open to the public, how the librarians treat people, the internet connection for laptops, and anything else you can think of.
Lastly, just how prevalent is religion? Is it an everyday aspect, a few times a week, or just on Sundays?
I'm looking to move to the Durham/Chapel Hill area in NC and had a few questions I wanted to ask before the move. Feel free to answer only what you can and/or make suggestions.
Is public transportation reliable and safe to ride on?
What are the libraries like? I'm big into books and libraries, so I'm wondering about size, variety of content, if they have study rooms open to the public, how the librarians treat people, the internet connection for laptops, and anything else you can think of.
Lastly, just how prevalent is religion? Is it an everyday aspect, a few times a week, or just on Sundays?
Thanks in advance for the help.
In general, Durham has crime problems. Ive never ridden the public transportation there though.
NC is in the Bible Belt. Not sure if this is still the case, but many of the campuses had preachers who would yell out Bible verses and preach in the public areas. They would debate the few students that would challenge them on issues like evolution, abortion.. etc.. For many people in NC, religion defines their worldview.
The libraries at UNC-ch and NCSU were great but I'm not sure if you can enter them now without being a student. Security since my time has been stepped up significantly.
What are the libraries like? I'm big into books and libraries, so I'm wondering about size, variety of content, if they have study rooms open to the public, how the librarians treat people, the internet connection for laptops, and anything else you can think of.
I was not clear if you will be a student at one of the universities. If not, they have rules about how and when non-students can use the university libraries. Check with the specific schools.
If you were speaking of public libraries, most (or all) have Wi-Fi connections. Durham County has one system, Wake County has another. Chapel Hill has its own city government, and perhaps a separate library system. They all have web sites where you can check for facts about sizes, locations, hours of service, etc.
NC is in the Bible Belt. Not sure if this is still the case, but many of the campuses had preachers who would yell out Bible verses and preach in the public areas. They would debate the few students that would challenge them on issues like evolution, abortion.. etc.
This is true on just about every college campus in every part of the country. It hardly defines the Triangle, North Carolina, the South or the "Bible Belt."
Public transportation in North Carolina as a whole is abysmal, but there are a few bright spots. Charlotte has made some good progress with public transport and Chapel Hill/Carrboro has a free and frequent city bus system. There are also free buses in downtown Raleigh, the R-Line, and Durham has the free Bull City Connector in downtown Durham. There are non-free buses too and the Triangle Transit Authority buses connect between the major cities in the Triangle. Durham and Chapel Hill are moving toward light rail, but that's several years out. There are a few places in the state that you can get around w/o a car, but most of North Carolina is very car dependent.
Religion in the major cities is not a big deal. It is here if you want it, but not in your face usually. Occasionally the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons will come knock on my door, but my steep driveway and my crazy dogs usually steer them away. In Chapel Hill I get far more knocks on my door from environmental causes than religious organizations. I honestly can't remember the last time someone asked me about church.
I love the newly remodeled and expanded Chapel Hill library. It's fantastic for a city of this small size. According to the town of Chapel Hill website it is the "busiest public library per capita in North Carolina serving approximately 375,000 people annually with an average of 1,085 visitors per day." They are very friendly and there are always people on the computers. They have many study rooms from small 2 person rooms to 6 person to large meeting rooms.
Durham is also a great town. Crime in Durham does happen, but it happens everywhere and in general I think it's a vibrant fun town. Can't speak to the library as I've never been.
The Durham Library system has a great selection, but most of the buildings are old. In some sections of town, the librarians have to keep an out out for folks who come into the library when it's air conditioned so they can take a little nap. I don't use the computers there, but have noticed that they don't seem to have the long lines that I was accustomed to seeing when I lived in Mesa, AZ.
I can't speak to Chapel Hill library system or to public transportation in either area (though I hear the CH is quite good for public transport.)
As far as religion? In the 1.5 years we've been here, we've never been invited to a church or been hassled. Maybe it's our vibe - we have no interest in religion, but respect that others believe differently. We've noticed more people in restaurants saying grace than we were used to seeing in AZ. More of our neighbors attend church. But I wouldn't call this area the "Bible Belt" at all. Once you get out of the metro area's, however, things change.
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