Raleigh-Durham Neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

We're thinking of moving to Raleigh-Durham due to the high housing costs in this area. We'd like to visit and check out some neighborhoods and would love to get ideas which neighborhoods to consider. We prefer something urban. Any feedback about the living in the area would also be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

We lived a few miles from Duke. It was about a 20 minute walk (and we could walk because the residential streets had sidwalk). The thing I noticed about Durham was that there are definitely pockets of bad/run down houses/neighborhoods. However, if you go two blocks in the other direction there would be these really cute nice kept houses. So, definitely a hodgepodge.

The weather is really really hot down there too. In the winter, there seemed to be a lot of ice storms as opposed to snow or plain rain.

Also, Harris Teeter is one of the main grocery stores down there. I don't see them too much around here.

[Anonymous]

We lived in Durham in Woodcroft for 4 years while I was getting my PhD. It's a sad city, most of the urban living areas are really run down. And I second HOT! We had a lovely front porch and back deck (that we'll never have in DC) and never got to use them. Perhaps there are better urban living areas in Raleigh. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

Friends of ours who would like for us to move down there recommend the Cameron Village neighborhood in Raleigh.

[Anonymous]

For urban & walkable, check out:

1) The Town of Carrboro (which is next to Chapel Hill) - crunchy, cute, family-friendly, and very walkable, with a small number of stores, restaurants, and an awesome co-op market (Weaver Street Market)

2) The Five Points neighborhood in Raleigh, about 1 mile from downtown, but old houses, tree-lined streets, and restaurants

3) The areas near Ninth Street in Durham - gentrifying, but great old houses and walkable to Duke's East Campus (lots of green space), Whole Foods, stores/restaurants

That said, don't think you'll find anything as cosmopolitan as DC in the Triangle; its very stratified racially and socioecomically and feels very provincial. I couldn't wait to move back to DC.

[Anonymous]

I second Carrboro, it's funky-ish and different than anything else in the area. I remember when I first moved to Durham, everyone said to check out 9th St., and then I got there and thought: this is it? So basically, I agree with the PP...the best of what "urban" Durham has to offer just made me homesick for DC.

[Anonymous]

Where are you expecting to work? We lived in Durham for several years and had friends from Chapel Hill all the way to Raleigh. I would definitely live in the town in which you plan to work. Living in Carrboro/Chapel Hill and working in Raleigh would be about 1hr. each way!