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My husband is seriously considering a position in Durham. We are looking for an extremely family-friendly neighborhood with great public schools. A pool community might be nice as we are used to Minnesota weather. I have heard great things about Chapel Hill (both the enviro-friendly liberalism & progressive thinking appeals to us). But ANY suggestions or at least a direction to point us in would be much appreciated.
We have a big family (3 boys aged 6,4 &1) with our final child arriving in August (a girl). Ideally, a five-bedroom, newer home around the 500k range with young children everywhere would be the best for us. We'd like it to be the home the kids grow up in (not one we will be leaving in a few years).
Well, the first question is: where is the position in Durham? Saying Durham could mean a lot of things. It may mean a position in the Research Triangle Park, in which case you could live in Raleigh or Durham or Chapel Hill. Or you may mean something in downtown Durham, or on the north side of Durham, in which case you might want to focus on North Durham and Chapel Hill. I am personally all about minimizing commute, especially if you have young children.
Also, where do you live now? I'm from NC but lived in the Twin Cities for almost 10 years. What cities do you like there? Are you looking for the same thing?
And, what is your definition of "newer"? My house in St. Paul was built in 1896, and I can guarantee you that everything there is newer than that, but there are trade-offs here between new construction and construction 10-20 years old. The newer construction tends to feature smaller lots and fewer trees.
A pool is not hard to find; even if you aren't in a pool community there are plenty of communities that accept non-residents as members, or there are lots of YMCAs around.
Congrats on your expected girl. 3 boys is a handfull but 4 would put me away. Look some more into Chapel Hill/Carrboro if you are looking for progressive folks and great schools for your kids. Some counties around here are in great flux about year-round vs traditional school years so know about that. The whole area is very much filled with older homes and newer homes and somebody is always moving so you will probably be able to find what you are looking for. Having just been thru a major move I would advise pick the location first and then concentrate on particular schools and amenities. Picking a house first only to find out something you don't like about the location would be heartbreaking. good luck and get ready for a BIG change in weather. ...
Northern Durham has some great public schools. For homes in the size and price range you're considering, you might look at Eno Forest, Riverside on the Eno, River's Edge, Treyburn, Croasdaile, Whitehall, etc... Treyburn is farther out than the others, so that one would be more dependent on where in Durham the job is.
I live in Durham, and like it very much. I would also check out Hillsborough (Churton Grove) or Chapel Hill (Southern Village, although you might be priced out of SV).
Treyburn is great if you don't mind the drive and the values in that neighborhood right now are unbelievable. Very custom stuff from the Mid 200's that sell other places in the Triangle for 400's plus.
Ideally, a five-bedroom, newer home around the 500k range with young children everywhere would be the best for us.
That may be a challenging price point with those specs in Chapel Hill. Not saying it's impossible, but much of what you'd find of that size and vintage in Chapel Hill will be a couple hundred thousand (+) more.
Congratulations on the baby girl that is due in August!!! After 3 boys, I bet you've had a name picked out for some time!! Ok.ok...before I get bumped off by the mods, I better get back on topic.
Deciding on the specific area will require a lot of research from you prior to visiting. Just like you are doing...online (Chamber of Commerce websites, news articles and individual posts) to get some options that will work for you and your family.
There are many, many homes in pool communities in your pricepoint, very nice home with oodles of custom features. Will you have the luxury of planning a trip to visit for at least a week or two before your relocation? Every area has its own atmosphere and personality. You would also want to visit while school is in session (not a problem right now for year-round schools and not too far away for the traditional calendared schools now that we are mid-summer break), so that you can get a good feel for the schools, teachers, other students that will be attending with yours, amenities, etc. Also, consider what age of home you would like. Setting repair concerns aside for older homes, some of the custom features of the 80s & 90s became standard features in the 2000s. Trends in architecture and interior design differed greatly from the 80s 90s to now and it is important to know what your personal taste is. Schools and types of homes will narrow the search greatly and then you can choose from subdivisions and communities when you visit.
Thank you for all the replies - I have been thoroughly researching all of your helpful suggestions! I still do not have a good grasp as to where in Durham my husband's new position will be. I believe it is downtown, I know it is across from the new Durham Bulls Stadium, and the company is called McKinney.
It does look like infact we will be accepting the position and moving early this Fall. ANY continued advice/suggestions would be so greatly appreciated (and NEEDED - as we have NEVER stepped foot on North Carolina soil). We will be living in corporate housing for up to 3 months until we find the neighborhood/schools/house that works for us.
I have a few random questions (some of these coming from my 4 & 6 year olds):
Are there a lot of snakes in backyards?
Is the Triangle area in general friendly to midwestern newcomers?
Are there many stay-at-home moms in these family-friendly planned communities?
I am guessing we don't need our sleds/snowboards/snowblower...correct?
How is North Carolina for children with asthma/environmental allergies? Minnesota is pretty awful, so I am not worried about it being bad as much as I am hoping it may be an improvement.
Thanks again - this board has been invaluable to me!
Corly
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I have heard great things about Chapel Hill (both the enviro-friendly liberalism & progressive thinking appeals to us). But ANY suggestions or at least a direction to point us in would be much appreciated.
