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I am coming to interview for a residency in a few weeks. There are actually several. Some are exclusively in Butner (federal prison). One position is at UNC and Butner. I'd commute 3 days a week to Butner and then 2 to UNC Hospitals. Fun. That's about 40 miles. I am not sure where that means I should live, but I am thinking somewhere in Durham? If I only get the Butner position, not sure if there are options in Creedmor or if I should still think about Durham.
I want to look at neighborhoods while I am there for possible rentals. I would be moving with my husband and two children. My primary issue is a place that is safe and has a lot to offer my children (parks, libraries, etc.) Schools are also not an issue. We homeschool our children. My husband works from home, so there is no commute issue there. We are from NC originally, but I lived downtown Chapel Hill in college and in Raleigh for a bit after graduation. I know nothing about this middle part of the Triangle. I am hoping I can take advantage of both Durham and Chapel Hill.
I would love information on neighborhoods, rental realtors you'd recommend, anything.
My preferences:
- no more than a 20-30 minute commute for me
- we’d love to get our rent down to $1000-$1200 and we’d like 3 bedrooms (house or townhouse) in a nice residential neighborhood. But in the end, we could likely go up to $1600 for safety and happiness for our kids, but it would kill our savings.
Durham is significantly cheaper than other points in the Triangle. Chapel Hill and Durham both have very strong homeschool communities.
I know you said schools are not an issue right now, but if you see this as a long term move you might want to consider the schools anyway in case down the road your family decides to try out school. I have known many homeschoolers who do decide they want to try school later down the road in high school (and plenty who don't, too, but it's nice to have the option). You might not want to base the move solely on school districts, but it might be wise to not live in the area zoned for the worst high school, either. Even if you do homeschool all the way through, your resale value could be affected by the school your house is districted for.
Some place like Watts-Hillandale or Old West Durham would be about halfway between Butner and UNC. Northgate Park up around the NC Museum of Life & Science might work, too, but would be a little bit further to UNC, but probably a little bit cheaper.
I know families who live in the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood and it's very family friendly (they're homeschoolers, too), but I think it's more expensive than the Northgate area — not sure though.
I am coming to interview for a residency in a few weeks. There are actually several. Some are exclusively in Butner (federal prison). One position is at UNC and Butner. I'd commute 3 days a week to Butner and then 2 to UNC Hospitals. Fun. That's about 40 miles. I am not sure where that means I should live, but I am thinking somewhere in Durham? If I only get the Butner position, not sure if there are options in Creedmor or if I should still think about Durham.
I want to look at neighborhoods while I am there for possible rentals. I would be moving with my husband and two children. My primary issue is a place that is safe and has a lot to offer my children (parks, libraries, etc.) Schools are also not an issue. We homeschool our children. My husband works from home, so there is no commute issue there. We are from NC originally, but I lived downtown Chapel Hill in college and in Raleigh for a bit after graduation. I know nothing about this middle part of the Triangle. I am hoping I can take advantage of both Durham and Chapel Hill.
I would love information on neighborhoods, rental realtors you'd recommend, anything.
My preferences:
- no more than a 20-30 minute commute for me
- we’d love to get our rent down to $1000-$1200 and we’d like 3 bedrooms (house or townhouse) in a nice residential neighborhood. But in the end, we could likely go up to $1600 for safety and happiness for our kids, but it would kill our savings.
Thanks for any thoughts!
I know someone who also is split-duty between the UNC campus and Butner. They ended up picking south Durham off MLK Jr. Pkwy. as a mid-point, which works well for their commuting needs. They find it's about equidistant, given the UNC-CH commuting traffic; I assume they go to a park and ride lot and take the bus the rest of the way.
Watts-Hillandale, Trinity Park and other near-downtown west Durham neighborhoods would be great as well, though perhaps more ideally suited to a 15-501 commute than a 54 commute in to UNC. Price range would be a challenge in your ideal budget in those neighborhoods but should be doable if you looked at South Durham. You might also look at north Durham neighborhoods, north of I-85 and along or west of Guess Rd. South of Horton or so would be my suggestion to get a breather on the commute, though for Butner that also opens up the possibility of swinging over there via back roads instead of I-85.
Colorado,
I also think that you could live in Treyburn for the money you describe and have a reasonable commute to either job. Other places that may interest you would be the town of Hillsborough, or the town of Bahama- much smaller towns but they have some real charm IMO.
Just saw this thread and wanted to mention that UNC has an employee relocation program. Specifically, if you get a job there you'll be assigned a real estate agent (or rental agent) from a local reputable company (Fonville Morrisey) to find a place to live. They even give you a cash back bonus for a rental and contribute some money towards closing on a house. They can provide you with crime stats for various communities and areas to help you make your decision.
Last edited by Grunchlk; 01-10-2013 at 01:08 PM..
Reason: Spelling
I am going to also suggest you look in North Durham.
We live near Eno Park off of N. Roxboro Road and it is about 1/2 hour to Butner & 1/2 hour or so to Chapel Hill (not knowing where exactly @ UNC you are it is hard to give a better esitmate).
In the immediate area are things like Eno Park, the N. Branch of the Library, grocery stores, churches, and restaurants.
Downtown is a short 15 minute drive and there we have DPAC (performing arts center), the Bulls (baseball), farmers market, more restaurants, Duke Gardens and plenty of art galleries and fun things to do.
One thing I'll mention about Butner -- we actually looked at a house there when we moved to the area. It ended up being across the road from what appeared to be an open/active rock quary.
Maybe that wouldn't bother some folks, but the possible noise was enough to scare us off that house. So just watch when hunting for your appartment.
Someone mentioned Bahama, that would be a good choice too. A bit more north, but a nice little area. Well worth considering.
The last thing I will suggest is that once you get here, stop by the visitors center in downtown Durham. They have some amazing resources & the staff is very friendly and willing to help. They will be able to hook you up with some local maps, details on parks in the area and other activities and things you might be interested in. Durham, NC - Official Visitors and Newcomers Information
I work in Butner and live in West Durham, and the drive takes me 25 minutes. It's a very easy drive up 15/501 to 85 - NO traffic. From this part of Durham, it's about 15 minutes to UNC hospitals. There are several family-friendly neighborhoods in this part of town - Lochnora, Carillon Forest, Garrett Farms. The elementary school is fantastic - Forest View Elementary. I'd recommend this part of Durham. The Treyburn neighborhood in North Durham is also nice and VERY close to Butner, but it's kind of far from everything else. I also agree that Hillsborough is a good place to consider, as the drive to Butner would take 30 minutes and it's really close to Chapel Hill as well. They have a cool sportsplex for kids.
I am a tenant in a 3 bedroom 2 bath house in N Durham, right near 85 and about 20 - 25 min from UNC hospital. I am leaving in June or July. The rent is in your price range and there is a small backyard. I should let you know, though, that this is on a very busy road with a steep driveway and there are no children nearby that I have seen. If you want more details, please let me know.
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