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One problem. I already wanted to move here, now I really really want to.
I'm thinking of durham area. All of the pictures except for one posting made it look nice and rural. but the one looked very urban. which is it? I'm hoping rural, cause I never did learn how to parrallel park! laughs
One problem. I already wanted to move here, now I really really want to.
I'm thinking of durham area. All of the pictures except for one posting made it look nice and rural. but the one looked very urban. which is it? I'm hoping rural, cause I never did learn how to parrallel park! laughs
Central Durham -- the area I think of as bordered roughly by I-85, US 70, 15-501 Bypass, and MLK Jr. Pkwy. -- is definitely an urban area. Historic downtown, quaint shopping districts, upscale (and downscale) urban neighborhoods close to the historic core. And lots of parallel parking and parking garages!
The southern part of North Durham -- I-85 up to about Infinity Road or so -- is more traditionally suburban, developed in the 50s-70s during the 'white flight' from city centers, though this area is now very racially integrated. Ditto southern Durham, the new-development area south of the South Square area.
North of Infinity Road or thereabouts you get into country/rural areas *real quick*. The Treyburn development is up there and is the most 'suburban' think there (along with some developments up the Cole Mill Road corridor.) Then, Bahama, Rougemont, and the like -- rural areas with VFDs that will fight to the death against incorporation into Durham.
PS -- I'm making this its own thread to keep the photos thread on topic.
Parts of Durham are rural (exurban is probably a better description) but I would characterize the majority of the town as suburban. As BCR mentioned there are some nice streetcar suburbs and historic areas but there is no part of the town that could accurately be called urban.
North of Infinity Road or thereabouts you get into country/rural areas *real quick*. The Treyburn development is up there and is the most 'suburban' think there (along with some developments up the Cole Mill Road corridor.) Then, Bahama, Rougemont, and the like -- rural areas with VFDs that will fight to the death against incorporation into Durham.
Our neck of the woods, which is west of Old Erwin/751, is also rural, and begins only a couple miles from Duke's campus.
Ok.. live in NH.. I love the sound of Durham, but everybody warns us not to live there. I like urban, I like historical, I like neighborhoods, walking and shopping. My 12&14 year old boys need to ride their bikes in safety. Really involved in sports and school.. honor roll guys. Husband will be working at RTP. We currenly live on a lake in a town w/pop of 3500. yup.. 3500.
Would this home work for us?
618 Shepherd Street
Durham, NC 27701
what have people warned you about when they tell you not to live in Durham?
In some ways it will be a world of difference from New Hampshire. New England winters versus practically zero winter for instance.
But New Hampshire is a very relaxed tight community friendly kind of state. and that's my perception of the Durham area, so culturally might not be too too different.
It's definately very different from where I curretnly live. I've been in the same house for 8 years and finally met my neighbor 2 houses up for the first time last week. We know the names of all the neighborhood kids and pets, but wouldn't recognize the adults in the neighborhood. Where I am now, everyone does their own thing and except for the one day a year that our development does a yardsale (which you either love or hate), there's zero sense of community.
Having a sense of community would be nice. although i don't look forward to the restrictions of the home owners associations in the durham area. I like hanging my laundry outside, want to be able to have a shed for storage, and would like to have a playset in the yard for my daughter.
My biggest concern with home owners associations is that they'll prohibit my pets though. Here in ny state, many home owners associations prohibit more than 2 pets, and we have 5 cats. Whenever my neighbors see a new stray cat around they call and ask us if any of ours got loose! laughs. No, we aren't adding to our litter. We adopted a pregnant cat from a shelter and kept all the kittens several years ago (yup we spay/neutered them all asap!). They all stay inside, so they don't terrorize the neighborhood and stay safe, so our neighbors don't mind them.
Bowlake, I think BullCityRising, a moderator on these boards, would be an excellent person to answer any questions you might have about that neighborhood. Hopefully he'll pop in here today.
The people who warn you not to live in Durham are usually people who have spent very very little (if any) time exploring Durham. Believe me on this. When I first moved here, I came with the idea that Durham was horrible. Then I met people who live there, explored the area, really studied the facts, and found that I love it! Now I own a home in southern Durham & am thrilled with our choice.
McMartian, the HOA restrictions can vary considerably from one neighborhood to the next. In our neighborhood, many people have pets, sheds, and playsets. I don't know what the rules may be about hanging laundry out to dry, but I imagine it wouldn't be a problem as long as it's in the back garden. Our HOA must approve changes made to the external portions of a property (the style of fence or shed, for instance), but it's easy to see what passes their standards just by driving around the neighborhood. But again, that's just how it goes in my neighborhood. While looking at homes, it's a good idea to see if the HOA rules are listed anywhere on the internet. If that doesn't work, ask your realtor to get you a copy.
what have people warned you about when they tell you not to live in Durham?
When the conversation turns to Durham the elephant in the room is always race. Black people live in Durham and because of that a lot of white people won't.
Things haven't always been this way in NC but many recent white transplants only want to live in lilly white Cary or North Raleigh. They won't even consider Durham.
Ok.. live in NH.. I love the sound of Durham, but everybody warns us not to live there. I like urban, I like historical, I like neighborhoods, walking and shopping. My 12&14 year old boys need to ride their bikes in safety. Really involved in sports and school.. honor roll guys. Husband will be working at RTP. We currenly live on a lake in a town w/pop of 3500. yup.. 3500.
Would this home work for us?
618 Shepherd Street
Durham, NC 27701
I would echo what others have said about Durham in re it being a great place to live. That said, I think everyone has to find what *their* comfort level with individual places and parts of cities is. Durham is a wonderful place and my wife (a Milford NH native) and I love living in close to the city center. There are definitely more suburban neighborhoods where you can be close to the city life but not in the heart of it every minute.
The street you've named -- on the block you're talking about, you're in a pretty dense urban area that's a mix of downscale and upscale on the same block. It's what I'd tend to think of as an "urban pioneer" block in the West End area... a block that has been low-income for some time, but to which Duke grad students, singletons, some young professionals are moving into.
Could a family with a couple of kids move there? Yes... if you're comfortable with being in a very transitional neighborhood. From what you mention about kids and small-town experience, my gut feeling is, this could be a bit too "pioneering" for you, but certainly, check it out.
BTW, if you go about 4-5 blocks south on Shepherd, Arnette, etc. -- you end up in much more 'gentrified' areas. (The relative merits, socioeconomically and politically, being beyond the point of this discussion.)
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shephard st
