Author: aj ([email protected])
Date: 08/12/2002, 05:30 pm
Message: My husband and I (and soon to be baby) will be moving to the Triangle area from NYC and will be heading down soon to look for apartments. Any recommendations on unique areas to live that have a good mix of culture and activities? Thanks!

Hi, aj, and welcome to the Triangle.

First question: where will your jos) be located? Sorry to tell you, but even though we haven't got nearly the traffic problems NYC does, we do have unpleasant rush-hours on a couple of our highways, and this might affect where you want to live.

Finding a "mix of culture and activities" may be a bit of a cold-water shock to you if you are the sort of NY'ers that go-go-go and do lots of theater, music, nightlife, etc. But we manage to have a nice lifestyle down here, nonetheless.

I'm guessing you will ultimately be choosing between Cary and Chapel Hill, esp. since it's hard to learn the neighborhoods of Durham and Raleigh that will feel like home to you until you've been here a while (e.g., there are some areas out Glenwood Ave. north of Raleigh you might like, and some areas in SW Durham, but....).

Cary is a newer, younger community, closer to Raleigh; Chapel Hill is older, somewhat more expensive, very university-town. Schools in both places are very good.

Tell us more about what you think you'd like to find.

ttt

The apartment community where I live, Summit Crest in Raleigh, just won an award for the best luxury apartment community in the United States. It's centrally located in Raleigh, near Crabtree Mall. Number is 919/786-0688. Its sister property, Summit Overlook, also nearby, has craftsman-style townhouses with stone porches. Really darling.

Most of the fanciest and nicest apartment complexes here are high on amenities and quality of life but low on personality. That's not to say one is better than the other -- I personally like the brand-new cookie-cutter type places because of the amenities, but I know a lot of people hate those type of complexes. They are mostly in newer areas of the Triangle. There has been a lot of building in the Brier Creek area between Raleigh and Durham lately -- around the I-540/Hwy 70 area. There's also been a lot of new construction around the swanky new Southpoint mall in Durham, and in the Morrisville and Cary areas.

You can find funkier apartments with more personality closer to downtown, but they can be very hit or miss. There are a lot of older houses that have been converted to apartments in areas like Five Points and Hayes Barton in Raleigh. It really depends on what type of place you're looking for.

Chapel Hill is a wonderful place to live, but it is also the most expensive place in the Triangle. You also really pay to have a Cary address. Some of the best bargains in the Triangle are in less chic places like Durham where there is new construction that's just as nice as anywhere in North Raleigh or Cary but at a lower price. Durham has a bad reputation among a lot of people for being poor and slummy, but that is mostly from people who aren't really familiar with it. Yes, there are some bad parts of Durham, but there are also really bad parts of Raleigh. I personally just bought a house in Durham in the Brier Creek area and I couldn't be happier. You get more for your money in Durham than in Cary or North Raleigh.

I agree with NCer, a big factor on where you want to live will be where you and/or your husband will be working. If you're working in Raleigh, you probably don't want to live in Chapel Hill, for example. Try to avoid having to commute on I-40 in the Research Triangle Park area if at all possible because of the horrendous traffic.

Looks like there are several people here who are happy to help out -- just give us a better idea of what you're looking for! And welcome to NC!

Thanks everyone for such great responses. My husband will be working at Duke University and I work from home, so it's not a problem for me. I understand what you're saying about the cookie cutter houses, but after living in a studio apartment for ten years, cookie cutters are sounding nice to me! We both love being outside and some type of "community" feel will be nice. We've heard so much about Chapel Hill being funky and expensive, but it's also relatively close to Durham so we may look there first. I'm going to scroll down everyone's posting and check out the apartments one by one. AGain, thanks so much for your advice thus far. IT's really helpful, as is this entire site.

Sorry but I have to disagree with the above poster who says there are places in Raleigh as bad as the bad sections of Durham.........NOT!!! North Raleigh is a lovely area to live in....I've been here for 11 years. If I were you, I'd choose N. Raleigh or Cary, depending on my job location. Welcome to North Carolina - you'll love the sweet tea and biscuits!!!

George, go spend the evening hanging out in Chavis Heights and then tell me there aren't bad neighborhoods in Raleigh.

Okay, arguing over where the worst neighborhoods in the Triangle is probably not the best thing we should be doing to welcome AJ to the area.;-)

AJ, since your husband will be working at Duke, you really ought to concentrate your search on Durham and Chapel Hill. Anyplace else in the Triangle (like Raleigh or Cary) is too far away to make much sense. Yes, Chapel Hill is very expensive, but since you're coming from NYC, you probably won't feel it so keenly. An important thing to remember about Chapel Hill is that it's a college town, so many of the apartment complexes are predominantly undergrads, who tend not to be the best neighbors. (I know, I used to be one). You really have to pay top dollar to get a place where you won't be the only people who aren't students.

As for Durham, yes there are some really bad sections, but I am yet to see a city that doesn't have any bad neighborhoods. A general rule of thumb is that the edges of Durham are usually nicer than the middle. You will also find more newer, nicer apartments along the edge of Durham. There are a lot of nice complexes along Hwy 54 between Chapel Hill and Durham, near the new Southpoint Mall in Durham (Fayetteville Rd at I-40), and in the Brier Creek area (around Hwy 70 and I-540).

I work at Duke and just bought a place at the edge of Durham, almost in Raleigh, near the airport. Even though I'm 12 miles from the university, it only takes me 15 minutes to get to work because I don't have to get on I-40, which is the area parking lot. I live in a perfectly nice neighborhood that is exactly like the nice neighborhoods in north Raleigh or Cary or Chapel Hill, except my house was cheaper. (Taxes are higher in Durham, though).

A new coworker just moved here from So. California and her real estate agent scared her off of Durham, so she bought a condo in Chapel Hill and likes it but is complaining about the horrible traffic getting to and from work. (Keep in mind that she came from So. California, so she knows traffic).

I've lived in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill and all of them have a lot to offer. I loved living in Chapel Hill when I was working at UNC, but for me it didn't make sense to live there and commute to Duke. A lot of people do it, though. A lot of people also live in Durham and commute to UNC.

There has been a lot of overbuilding of luxury apartments in the Triangle, so they're offering a lot of move-in specials and incentives to get people in. You shouldn't have trouble finding a very nice apartment in Chapel Hill or Durham.

I have lived around the Triangle for most of my life, and what Rich is saying makes a lot of sense. I live about 10-15 minutes from Duke (not far from the new mall mentioned) and lived in Chapel Hill for quite a while on two occasions. I would definitely want to live in Durham if I worked at Duke. My wife used to work in Raleigh and the drive was a real pain for her on many occasions. Chapel Hill and Durham run right together now, but the traffic on 15-501 (between Chapel Hill and Duke) can be painfully slow at times. Still, even from the far side of Chapel Hill, your husband could probably be at work in half an hour or just over. Southwest Durham might be the first place to look for a house. The area between Fayetteville Road and Hwy 751 (aka Hope Valley Road) is exploding with new homes ranging from around $120,000 to $300,000 (many more are on the way). It is ten minutes from the new mall, which is up-scale and seems to really appeal to transplanted urbanites. Hwy 40, which takes you to Raleigh, the airport, the RTP, Greensboro, and other areas of interest, is right by the mall.

If you do decide to go the apartment route, you do need to be careful in Chapel Hill about not being around too many students. The same will apply in parts of Durham, but Duke has a smaller number of students, and it isn't really a college town like Chapel Hill. There are new apartments/condos in parts of Southwest Durham and on Hwy 54 as mentioned, and the Southpoint area has been zoned for more apartments, a Target store, and other amenities.

Another area to look is the part of Chapel Hill around Airport Road, out toward Hwy 40. Lots of apartments there, but again many students. That would be in Chapel Hill but with good access to 40 as a faster route to work. Traffic on the Durham-Greensboro part of 40 is not nearly as bad as Durham-Raleigh until you get near Greensboro, which doesn't impact you.

Let me jump on the Durham bandwagon. There are several new home developments in southern Durham that might be of interest if/when you want to buy a home. Try to find something near Highway 751 (also known as Hope Valley Road).

If you want more of a small town setting, try Hillsborough. It's just up I-85 (or Highway 70) from Durham.

Yes, when I was house-hunting the two areas I liked best were the Hope Valley Farms/751 area that ncgrrl mentioned and the Miami Blvd/Page Rd/Lumley Rd area (generally around the new Brier Creek development and up towards RTP), which is where I ended up. There are apartments in both of those areas.

The Durham Freeway is a great way to get to Duke -- the traffic is much easier to deal with than it is on I-40 or 15-501 coming from Chapel Hill. Both those roads are usually at a standstill at rush hour, but the traffic on the Durham Freeway usually moves at the speed limit unless there's an accident. That's why I went a little further away from Duke -- because I would be coming in on the Durham Freeway, I knew the traffic would be much lighter and therefore I could move further out and still spend less time on the commute.

Oh yeah, I meant to say that Dan is right about I-40 on the Greensboro side of Durham being much easier than on the Raleigh side. The area around Southpoint is on the edge where the traffic starts to thin out. I wouldn't hesitate to pick a place out there if I found something I really liked. (The new mall is pretty snazzy, has some great places to eat, and has a lot more character than your standard suburban mall, which is why that area is becoming a hip place for twenty- and thirtysomething urbanites).

When I say you should look someplace where you will avoid the I-40 quagmire, I mean you want to avoid having to travel on the section from Raleigh/Cary through the airport and out to where the Durham Freeway forks off.

Okay, have been in aj's situation since we got here (him at Duke, her at home) and have been living happily in Chapel Hill. Once in a while I wish we lived more toward Duke Forest or off Garrett Rd. nearer Duke, but let me let everyone who lives in Chapel Hill and uses 15-501 to get to work in on our "secret" -- not so secret, but I can't believe you are all basing complaints on rush-hour commute between Durham and Chapel Hill and you don't think about alternatives to 15-501, e.g. Erwin Rd, either from its end in Chapel Hill on 15-501 or from Whitfield Rd. north of I-40.

In other words, aj, it's not out of the question to live in C.H. and it's growing daily, to the regret of some who have been here for a while. Meadowmont is a huge new development off I-54 that many people claim to love already. The route from there to Duke wouldn't go near 15-501 and wouldn't take long.

DO be wary of apt. complexes that are full of undergrads, but those are closer to downtown CH; those with grad students aren't as "rowdy" and will have small children, as you will soon.

You may also find you can afford a small house, which is worth doing if you can swing it.

One last comment -- lots of people who work at Duke live in C.H. BUT remember that UNC-CH and Duke are ARCHRIVALS in sports, esp. basketball, so be careful about wearing Blue Devil t-shirts on the streets of C.H.!!!!

Again, thanks all. I'll be very careful not to wear colors that may get me kicked out of my neighborhood. As I was jammed in the subway this morning (and let me tell you, being pregnant and jammed on the subway is not fun in 95 degree heat!), all I could think about was a nice air conditioned car to myself with my radio on, traffic or no traffic! We'll probably go the rental route at first so all of these communities you list are good options. Thanks for keying me in about the college communities as well. I'm not really up for frat parties anymore.
Looking forward to driving down this fall and checking out the area. From all of your posts, I think we'll do a few dry runs from different communities and clock them.

But it is perfectly ok and fun to wear UNC colors when in Durham. Hey, I do it all the time. Of course, it is a better idea during football season than basketball season lately

I live on a Tar Heel street in Durham. Several have UNC flags hanging on their front porch. However, no Dukies show their color in CH. Maybe it's because CH is a true college town, and Durham is a town with colleges. Even as a child, we mocked, taunted and teased those poor souls who wore Duke clothes to school.

NC'er, don't tell people about Erwin Road, keep it the secret way into CH to avoid all the lights on 15-501.

AJ, as someone moving from a big city, you might prefer to rent a home in an established neighborhood -- they have trees. Most new neighborhoods in the area were clear cut to build the homes. You might get one tree and 10 shrubs.

Also there are some neighborhoods (Briar Chapel in Durham, Meadowmont in CH) that incorporate homes and shopping to make it feel more neighborly. Meadowmont is outrageously expensive and I don't know much about Briar Chapel except it has a BJ's.

If nothing else, these posts should give you an idea of how (mostly) friendly people are this way. We are suffering in the same heat down here that you are having, but: good news-- _everything_ is airconditioned and it does cool down overnight (no heat-island like Manhattan); bad news -- we can have heat waves like this into mid-Sept.

The frat-party thing in CH is pretty much confined to the area around the Univ. The rest of the town is a nice, largely residential place, and anywhere you live that straddles the CH-Durham neighborhoods will be nice.

re:house vs. apt -- you may be surprised at what you can rent -- have you looked at prices? Roughly how much are you paying for what in NYC?

So true about the friendly posts. I grew up in Atlanta so I do miss the southern hospitality and am quite looking forward to coming back "home," even though I've never been to NC. We're not sure how many years we'll be in the area, so that's why we decided to rent. Our 700SF apt in NYC is ridiculous in terms of rent - we get a deal through my husband's job, but it's still around $1600 - this is half of market value! And they forgot to put drawers in the kitchen (I guess that was extra). It's been a fun 10 years, but I think it's time for friendlier skies (and people)

AJ, I meant you might be able to rent a house -- entirely possible at $1700/month. In any case, that level of rent will CERTAINLY get you a LOT more than 700 sq. ft.

Warning, you'll get used to the space fast and wonder what you were thinking of in NYC.