N. Mangum street in Durham? (Raleigh, Chapel Hill: for sale, condo, crime rates)

[rieboots]

Is this a nice street? ARe the houses kept up nicely? Is it safe? Generally, what would you say the area is like?

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by rieboots

Is this a nice street? ARe the houses kept up nicely? Is it safe? Generally, what would you say the area is like?

N. Mangum St. runs through parts of the Old North Durham and Duke Park neighborhoods, which are nice urban neighborhoods in Durham. It also runs through some areas that are more downtrodden, and through downtown. Near downtown, a number of upscale new condo projects are going in. Most of the OND/Duke Park neighborhood lies on the cross/side streets like Markham, Knox, Acadia, Glendale, Seeman, etc. Mangum is a relatively busy southbound (one way) arterial.

Some of the houses, particularly around the Mangum/Trinity intersection, are nicely maintained, including some really "wow" homes. There is also a beautiful B&B at that intersection. Other houses on the southern side of N. Mangum are not as well maintained.

Duke Park and OND are extremely progressive communities with strong a artistic/creative bent. (Examples include the public and performance art that appears in traffic circles and the annual Duke Park Beaver Pageant). Little Five Points to the south on N. Mangum features the Bull City HQ, a performance space for bands and music and home to a bike co-op (bike repairs and training). The park itself in Duke Park draws hundreds of kids and families on weekends nine months out of the year.

I think if you were thinking about living on N. Mangum, you'd want to ask yourself if you're committed to living in a diverse environment in an urban area. This is by no means a suburban area, and it's more citified than other urban neighborhoods like Trinity Park or Watts-Hillandale in Durham. I have a lot of friends who live in the area and love it, but they're also urbanites (former NYC/Bostonians/SF to the core) who are looking for that experience.

[rieboots]

East Geer street is the cross street...that's the area I'm interested in.

Thanks for all that info!! I appreciate it!

[askmisterbrown]

Great information, Bull City Rising. I would only add that the northern end of N. Mangum has absolutely fabulous early-20th century houses; it's one of the most beautiful streets in the whole Triangle, in my opinion. And I think the northernmost block is not as busy as the rest of the street. If you want a big beautiful historic house, but aren't rich, N. Mangum and the surrounding streets are the best deal in the Triangle, especially the closer to downtown you go. As B.C.R. implies, you have to have an open mind and an open heart. But you will have great neighbors sharing the adventure with you. Maybe one day I can find a job in Durham and join you!

[rieboots]

So would E.Geer street/N.Mangum street be considered the north part? That's the nice part?

[askmisterbrown]

Geer crosses Mangum five blocks south of Duke Park, and I would say that it is probably barely into the nicer northern part. There are gorgeous fine homes there but some are dilapidated and you're close to some rough areas. You will definitely want to check it out yourself; each block is different and it is all improving gradually. You can go to the Durham County web site and look at photos of the houses. Go to "public records databases", "property taxes," then under "search by location address" type in Mangum. Look for properties in the 900 block and nearby. But the photos are not necessarily recent, so again, you want to go there yourself.

[Bull City Rising]

Great comments, Askmisterbrown!

BTW, Rieboots, is this the house you were looking at on N. Mangum? From today's The Durham News N&O supplement:

"The Manning House, an 1880 residence at 911 N. Mangum St. better known for its role as Annie Savoy's (Susan Sarandon's) home in the 1988 movie, is for sale. Listing price is $439,000.

For the money you get, besides instant celebrity, 3,596 square feet (according to county tax records; 3,550 according to the listing at trianglelistings.marketlinx.com), four bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, porch, neoclassical pediments, foliate plaster ceiling medallions and a long entry with photo in the "Durham Architectural and Historic Inventory."

Present owners Jeffrey Burdette and Trudy Johns have restored the house, which they bought in 1996 for $120,000 according to county records."

[rieboots]

Originally Posted by Bull City Rising

Great comments, Askmisterbrown!

BTW, Rieboots, is this the house you were looking at on N. Mangum? From today's The Durham News N&O supplement:

"The Manning House, an 1880 residence at 911 N. Mangum St. better known for its role as Annie Savoy's (Susan Sarandon's) home in the 1988 movie, is for sale. Listing price is $439,000.

For the money you get, besides instant celebrity, 3,596 square feet (according to county tax records; 3,550 according to the listing at trianglelistings.marketlinx.com), four bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, porch, neoclassical pediments, foliate plaster ceiling medallions and a long entry with photo in the "Durham Architectural and Historic Inventory."

Present owners Jeffrey Burdette and Trudy Johns have restored the house, which they bought in 1996 for $120,000 according to county records."

Yup, that's the one.

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by rieboots

Yup, that's the one.

Ahh, cool. There's an open house on it both days this weekend, 2p-5p. My wife and I took a look at it today -- GORGEOUS. 11' ceilings it seemed on the first floor, with four fireplaces on floor 1 and 2 on the 2nd. Very nicely restored, all the original touches -- goes great if you have some American Rococo or Victorian furniture to furnish it with!!

Huge back yard, too -- the largest I've seen for any urban neighborhood house in Durham. One quibble: There's 3 bdrms upstairs, but one's been converted to an (awesome) walk-in closet, so you essentially have 2 bed/2 ba. upstairs unless you convert back the closet. The back bedroom/bath on the first floor could make a great in-law suite or even rented room/au pair suite if needed.

The owners have been making the commute from Durham to Raleigh (where both work) for a couple of years and it's just too much to do daily. They've lived there 10 years and loved it.

In terms of neighborhood -- my comments and Askmisterbrown's stand. On either side, you have nice homes. Down the street 3-4 houses away, you get into rougher areas. However, those areas are very likely to improve in the coming years. Actual crime rates best checked via Durham Crime Mapper online.

[4macs]

I have just read your exchange from the beginning of May about the James Manning house. My husband and I just looked at the house a couple of days ago and really like it. We are living in Chapel Hill right now and want to move to an older house in Durham. I really appreciate your comments and your suggestion to check out crime mapper, which we have done.