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So for my overall impressions:
Durham was weird. I know people are sensitive to comments about Durham, and I certainly am not an expert after spending 8 hours there. However, I found a lot of it to be sort of... dirty and empty. The Streets at Southpoint was really cool, and Brightleaf Square was neat (but surprisingly small). The areas near Duke seemed to be like artificially built up to suit yuppies or something. Like "luxury loft apartments" with the gritty, authentic atmosphere of... TGI Fridays or a shopping mall. Not that it's a bad area, but I feel like I could live more comfortably in Raleigh, and wouldn't gain much by visiting. The rest of the areas in Durham seemed to be either empty or scary or both.
GLC, I find it really odd that you classified the area around Duke as
"seemed to be like artificially built up to suit yuppies or something."
But you like Brier Creek and Southpoint. What?
BC and Southpoint seem very "built up to suit yuppies" IMHO. Nothing screams yuppie like Pottery Barn, Cheesecake Factory, or Nordstrom.... all of which you find at Southpoint (BTW, I live by Southpoint.)
It's fine that you did not like Durham. And I agree that parts of Durham are run down. Scary is relative so I can see how it could be scary to some and pretty mild to others.
I know that you were considering Portland too. I don't know if you have visited or ruled it out, but if you did not like the area around Duke then you probably will not like Portland. You might like Beaverton, Hillsborough, or Vancouver. But the mall atmosphere or Brier Creek type development isn't as big in the Portland metro area... even in the burbs.
Thanks for the positive feedback, guys! And I feel I may have been a bit harsh on Durham, but I was only going on what I saw. I'm really looking forward to discovering for years all there is in the Triangle area.
Ha you weren't harsh on Durham at all, in fact you said just the opposite of what a lot of people say! Usually people think it's completely dangerous and fully gang infested. You just think they want to be about yuppies.
GLC, I find it really odd that you classified the area around Duke as
"seemed to be like artificially built up to suit yuppies or something."
But you like Brier Creek and Southpoint. What?
BC and Southpoint seem very "built up to suit yuppies" IMHO. Nothing screams yuppie like Pottery Barn, Cheesecake Factory, or Nordstrom.... all of which you find at Southpoint (BTW, I live by Southpoint.)
It's fine that you did not like Durham. And I agree that parts of Durham are run down. Scary is relative so I can see how it could be scary to some and pretty mild to others.
I know that you were considering Portland too. I don't know if you have visited or ruled it out, but if you did not like the area around Duke then you probably will not like Portland. You might like Beaverton, Hillsborough, or Vancouver. But the mall atmosphere or Brier Creek type development isn't as big in the Portland metro area... even in the burbs.
Now c'mon. I love Nordy's and I'm not into the "built up yuppie" thing either!
Now c'mon. I love Nordy's and I'm not into the "built up yuppie" thing either!
Oh, I love Nordy's. And I'm a bit more earthy than the typical Nordy shopper. But let's face it. You and I both probably shopped at Nordy's a whole lot more when we were "young upwardly mobile professionals" before we had kids and when we had more expendable incomes. Nordy's isn't in my budget now. Except for shoes. Can't beat them for shoes.
Nordy's isn't in my budget now. Except for shoes. Can't beat them for shoes.
Have you tried the La Canadienne shoes?? Oh my, talk about comfort. Just about as comfy as my Danskos!!
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Got a question about the Durham thing....
What?
