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I'll be moving to the Triangle in a few weeks, and will be working at RTP (Cisco). My wife and I want to live in an urban area where we can walk to shops/restaurants/gym, and it seems that downtown Raleigh or Durham are our best bets.
My question is this: is it better to commute from Raleigh or Durham. I've heard that traffic is worse coming from Raleigh. Any thoughts?
Durham will definitely be a better commute, and probably a better urban feel as well, especially in a few more years when more of the projects are completed. The restaurants there are also a whole lot better.
I'd suggest you definitely check out both areas. DT Raleigh reminds me more of a "traditional" Southern city's downtown; Durham's has a grittier, brick warehouse feel.
From a pure commute perspective, it's about 10-15 minutes from DT Durham to I-40/NC 147. From DT Raleigh I'd expect you're looking at twice to three times that time, depending on traffic and time of day.
I'd suggest you definitely check out both areas. DT Raleigh reminds me more of a "traditional" Southern city's downtown; Durham's has a grittier, brick warehouse feel.
From a pure commute perspective, it's about 10-15 minutes from DT Durham to I-40/NC 147. From DT Raleigh I'd expect you're looking at twice to three times that time, depending on traffic and time of day.
Both are worth a look. Good luck!
I work at Cisco and have a condo in downtown Raleigh. It takes me between 18-25 minutes to get to work depending on the traffic lights on Wade Ave. and the Wade Ave. extension merge with I-40.
It's really a straight shot from DT Raleigh....Wade to I-40 to 540 W then the Davis exit right onto Cisco's campus.
Frankly, I think it's easier to get to Cisco from DT Raleigh than many parts of the suburbs.
Durham WILL be your best bet in terms of commute time. Downtown Durham does have a loft industrial feel but the area is developing quickly. Traffic is not much of an issue in Durham. Furthermore, the research triangle IS in Durham. If you decide to forego a "downtown" neighborhood, try "Grove Park" in Durham. It's a quick & very short drive to Downtown Durham 10 minutes or less, 10 minutes or less to the Research Triangle, 10 minutes to Raleigh, and about 15 minutes to RDU airport. www.grovepark.org
Stick with Raleigh. You may have a slightly longer commute, but the city is head and shoulders above Durham. Durham is trying to make some improvements, but it is no where near the quality of Raleigh. You will have many more choices in everything in Raleigh and it looks a whole lot nicer to boot.
I would say visit and get a feel for both cities and drive the commute during rush hour. Durham will win hands down for commute time. They are both completely different cities with a different feel.
As others have said, Durham is definitely better for commute reasons, but as for the cities you will have to see both for yourself. I would not choose an area SOLELY based on the commute...DT Raleigh and DT Durham shouldn't be viewed as interchangeable...more like separate but equal
Agreed, visit and make up your own mind. We try to avoid Raleigh if we can, we live in south durham. I think one main thing is that Raleigh is the 'big city' while Durham simply isn't. Poorly lit, confusing navigation, lack of street signs, you name it. The infrastructure isn't what I'd expect from a major city. I don't think the restaurants are all that good here either, but I'm a recent transplant myself. That said, my commute is very easy (to UNC - 20 minutes), and I really enjoy that aspect.
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