Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband just found out that he will be doing a medical fellowship for 2 years at Duke University, so we will be moving to the area. As a UNC graduate, I am familiar with the area in Chapel Hill, but I am not familiar with Durham. We are looking to move somewhere close to Duke, and we are considering both Chapel Hill and Durham. I have heard that some areas of Durham aren't safe, so I want to avoid those areas and only focus on safer neighborhoods. We are looking to move to a newer construction type 3 bedroom townhouse in a community. What neighborhoods/areas/communities should we consider looking in? We won't have a lot of time to visit the area, since my husband has limited time off, so we are trying to make our search as focused as possible.
I would also appreciate any tidbits about the area, and your experience living there. We did visit for my husband's interview, and we had a great time in Chapel Hill and in Durham (visiting local college coffeehouses and bars). We are both in our early 30s.
We are planning to buy because in all likelihood, we will stay down in Durham after the fellowship is over. My husband really loved the area, campus, etc. We are looking for a 3 bedroom townhouse for $150,000 - $200,000. We want at least 1500 square feet and 2 bathrooms. We don't want a house because we don't want to have to maintain lawns, etc. We also want to be able to rent it out if we end up leaving Durham/upgrading after the fellowship is over. We are mostly concerned with finding a safe area that is nice to live in
Try Pickett Park off of Pickett Rd. This is southwest of Duke's west campus, near the SuperTarget on 15/501. These are new and have a craftsman look to them, with copper and stone accents. Priced from the low to high 200s. googling doesn't get you much, but if you find a real estate site that lets you enter the neighborhood name, you'll find several properties.
Alternatively, there are some loft-style condos for sale across from the Medical Center at Pavilion East. These are a higher price point, but they're pretty convenient for your husband.
He didn't try, but he should have! We both like the Tar Heels a lot better, but we won't be able to tell anyone down there...
I will check out the suggested developments. $200K is really the top of our budget, however. We are also looking to move away from apartment style housing (no lofts), as we currently occupy a 500 sq ft apartment in Manhattan. We are ready for something just at least a little bit more suburban...
I have heard that Northwest Durham between Chapel Hill and Durham is a good place to start. It is togh since we really won't have a lot of time to look, due to my husband's insane schedule (medical resident for the past 6 yrs).
d'oh--I missed your bit about budget. I think there's one or two listings at Pickett below $200k. Hope Valley Farms also has newer construction townhomes you can get in your range. Woodcroft is a neighborhood I like better than HVF, but it's older. It does have townhomes, though, some are quite sizable, too. HVF and Woodcroft are both South Durham.
Thanks for the info! There is this area I thought was very pretty in between Chapel Hill and Durham on Old Chapel Hill Road. Do you know what that area is called? Is that Hope Valley Farms?
The Hope Valley Farms townhomes (off S. Roxboro St. near the Kroger shopping center) are quite nice on the inside and have a lot of space. I had a friend who almost bought there, but was assigned overseas before he got a chance. HVF is very conveniently located to Duke, UNC, Southpoint, etc. Duke is about 15 minutes away. There are tons of sidewalks and people walking, jogging, strolling, etc. and the American Tobacco Trail is just a short distance away. Great playground, too, in case there are little ones in the picture (or your future).
Agreed... I think for a short commute to Duke the HVF, Woodcroft, Pickett Rd. areas would be good places to start.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As a UNC graduate, I am familiar with the area in Chapel Hill, but I am not familiar with Durham. We are looking to move somewhere close to Duke, and we are considering both Chapel Hill and Durham. I have heard that some areas of Durham aren't safe, so I want to avoid those areas and only focus on safer neighborhoods. We are looking to move to a newer construction type 3 bedroom townhouse in a community. What neighborhoods/areas/communities should we consider looking in? We won't have a lot of time to visit the area, since my husband has limited time off, so we are trying to make our search as focused as possible.
