Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC

[nessa]

I had to reply, just to stick up for Duke As for your questions:

-I'm a vegetarian, and haven't had any issues. Really, Durham isn't that Southern culturally, and it's enough of a university town that being a vegetarian, at least, is easy. I don't know of any vegan-specific restaurants, but there are plenty of places that offer dishes. Just in the few blocks near my apartment, there is a chicken and waffle place that offers vegan waffles- obviously without chicken, too (http://www.dameschickenwaffles.com/) and a coffeeshop/deli that has several vegan offerings on the menu (http://beyucaffe.com/). I wish I could offer a more comprehensive list, sorry! Just avoid the barbecue places...

-you can bike around Durham, I do it, but the streets are narrow. Durham is making a serious effort to add as many bike lanes as possible, but some roads just can't accommodate them. The closer you get to campus, the more bikeable it will be. Check out the bike co-op (http://www.durhambikecoop.org/) for some really friendly fellow cyclists. Also, as you've guessed, the weather will be much more bike friendly than Toronto!

-like lslavic, for real wilderness hiking I would point you farther west, towards Asheville. There are plenty of trails around here, but they are still in populated areas. Once you get out west, though (maybe starting 2 hours out), there is a lot.

-for dancing, I know Duke hosts the American Dance Festival- can't say more than that personally but they might be able to point you towards some classes.

Congrats on your acceptance! As a midwesterner, I've had a lot of fun experiencing the South; I hope you do too!

[Megan]

I just read through this whole thread, so I'm not going to quote in my reply, but I wanted to add a few things I didn't see specifically addressed. I did a year of grad school at UNC, and lived in Carrboro.

Firstly, as for veganism/vegetarianism, as most people have pointed out you will not have a problem. Except for major cities, I'm not sure there's a place that's easier. I would say it would be easier in Chapel Hill than in Saint Paul, MN, where I thought it was very easy. Also, careful with the southern stereotypes. I'm from a mid-sized southern city, not even a major place, and there are tons of vegetarian and vegan options (including one great totally vegan restaurant). Honestly, there are too many vegetarians/vegans in the world for it to be impossible to find resources in urban areas. Chapel Hill, however, will particularly cater to your needs, but I wanted to add this in case you want to travel to other parts of the south while you're at UNC.

Secondly, somebody asked if a bike and zipcar would be sufficient. Absolutely. I had a bike and a roommate whose car I could borrow occasionally (the old fashioned zipcar), and I was very happy. The bus system is also great and is free so if you're like me and try to avoid biking in the rain (yeah, I'm a wimp) you have options. This was IN Chapel Hill/Carrboro. I have no clue what biking in Durham is like, but a couple other posters seem to have addressed this.

I also want to add to the overall happy feel of this thread by saying I absolutely loved my time at Chapel Hill. I loved the school, practically had my office at Open Eye Cafe, and generally loved the area. It's also affordable, even eating all the great food that's available! Good luck making your decisions.

[d1991]

Hi everyone, I'm at UNC currently and have lived in both Chapel Hill and Durham. Currently, I commute from Durham (southwest, near Southpoint) to Chapel Hill and it's really not that bad, and it appears that a LOT of grad students commute from east of Chapel Hill. If you live near Southpoint, it's about 15-20 minutes to campus if you have a parking spot. If not, the park and rides are really great (~2 miles from campus). The buses run very often (every 5 minutes during rush hours) and it's free! That will add 10-15 minutes to your commute, though. Chapel Hill is a nice college town, but it's very expensive and housing can be pretty run down with pest problems. If you live in Southwest Durham, you can find very reasonably priced housing in new-ish homes. There's not really anything in Chapel Hill but the school and some restaurants. Most students come to Durham to go to the mall, Target, Wal-Mart, and do other shopping.

Durham is a lot more culturally interesting than Chapel Hill, in my opinion since it's not a college town. It has a lot of history and downtown is experiencing a sort of renaissance. There are way better restaurants than Chapel Hill and almost everything downtown is locally owned and uses uses local ingredients. There are a TON of delicious food trucks roaming around Durham, and most of them don't go to Chapel Hill because of some annoying CH ordinance. There are some unsafe areas in Durham, but they are easy to avoid. Downtown and Southwest Durham are very safe, possibly even safer than Chapel Hill.

Feel free to ask me questions! I have lived in North Durham near Duke, Southwest Durham, and on campus housing in Chapel Hill.

Edited February 23, 2012 by d1991

[Networc]

d1991: What is considered Southwest Durham - is it the area roughly bounded by I-40, 751, 55, and Scott King Road? Everything I've street-viewed in that area looks really nice. Would it be hard to find a house to rent in that area (is everything for sale)?

Thanks in advance!

[d1991]

d1991: What is considered Southwest Durham - is it the area roughly bounded by I-40, 751, 55, and Scott King Road? Everything I've street-viewed in that area looks really nice. Would it be hard to find a house to rent in that area (is everything for sale)?

Thanks in advance!

I consider Southwest Durham to be roughly bounded by 15-501, MLK Parkway, 40, and 55. I think most of the stand alone houses are for sale but there are quite a lot of townhomes in and around Hope Valley, and those are easier to rent out so I assume it shouldn't be too hard to rent around here. There are some nice apartment complexes around Southpoint/Fayetteville Rd as well for rent.

[gellert]

There are a TON of delicious food trucks roaming around Durham, and most of them don't go to Chapel Hill because of some annoying CH ordinance.

...which was recently overturned! Yay!

[presque_partout]

you can bike around durham, but it's not particularly fun, especially near duke and getting over to north durham. many roads in downtown durham do not have bike lanes, nor are the shoulders wide. as well, durham's rather hilly. in general, even for duke students, i'd recommend only living in durham if you're coupled off. there's plenty to do there, especially food-wise, but when it comes to general nightlife and accessibility, carrboro/chapel hill offers better options (though not more). i know of several duke grad students who live in carrboro, and commute to duke (though they are third years+).

[sacklunch]

Anyone have any info on living within walking distance to West Campus? I have heard conflicting reports about its "safety," though some say it's totally fine by campus.

thoughts?

[sheetz]

Hi Everyone!

I've read through most of this topic, but I thought I would refresh this question since I know some of the answers are from a few years back and I wanted to see if anything has changed or there are any new perspectives. I'll be attending UNC Chapel Hill in the fall and my fiance will be going to NC State! We're looking for a great place to live that's affordable and somewhere between the two, giving us both relatively good commutes. Any insight for the two of us on places to live that are safe, affordable, and fun??

Thanks!

[sacklunch]

Not many seem to have posted this season! I'll be moving to the Duke area and am looking for cool/nice roommates. If anyone is interested, send me a message!

[flamecmndrlaharl]

Yeah, this season's been pretty quiet from the Duke graduates. Anyway, from what it sounds like, it looks like I'll be hanging a lot in the Carrboro area. Is it easy to get there from Duke? I probably won't have a car.

Are there any hardware/tool/craft stores in the area? I'm a pretty big DIYer.

Also in terms of dangerous, how is it in relation to San Francisco/Berkeley?

[presque_partout]

Yeah, this season's been pretty quiet from the Duke graduates. Anyway, from what it sounds like, it looks like I'll be hanging a lot in the Carrboro area. Is it easy to get there from Duke? I probably won't have a car.

Are there any hardware/tool/craft stores in the area? I'm a pretty big DIYer.

Also in terms of dangerous, how is it in relation to San Francisco/Berkeley?

the robertson scholars bus runs between duke and unc's campus every thirty minutes, and it's free. once in chapel hill, you can take chapel hill transit nearly anywhere in chapel hill/carrboro. that said, every time i go to duke or durham, i drive.

you could bike between durham and chapel hill/carrboro, and some people do. a fair amount of bikers use erwin road, though it's rather hilly and barely has a shoulder, so that ~15 mile ride isn't for novice cyclists.

Edited April 9, 2012 by presque_partout

[DorindaAfterThyrsis]

Is anyone aware of or had good experiences with relocation companies in the area? Due to financial reasons, it is pretty unlikely that I am going to be able to do a recon visit in advance of moving, and am looking into the possibility of hiring someone to find me a place to live. Any suggestions, positive or negative, are greatly appreciated!

[Chande]

I accepted an offer from Duke and my fiance and I will be moving to Durham in late June or early July. I have one car and he doesn't have one, so either he needs a job he can walk/bike to or take public transportation to (or carpool with me) until he makes enough money to get a car of his own. We visited the area for about 5 days over spring break and found an apartment we like and we're submitting the application for it today. So I think we have most of the bases covered so far other than my fiance finding a job. Is there anything else I should start planning for the move now, and any advice on helping significant others with a job search in the area?

[WordMorris]

Anyone have any info on living within walking distance to West Campus? I have heard conflicting reports about its "safety," though some say it's totally fine by campus.

thoughts?

I live off of Duke West. Some of the apartments are shady as hell. Stay away from Maureen road, but you'll be fine on La Salle. Or you could live near East (a much nicer part of town) and just take a bus over to West.

[WordMorris]

This is a hugely informative thread. Awesome!

I've been accepted to Duke, and am considering the offer and will be travelling to Durham at the end of the month (my first time to the South! Prepare for the Canadian invasion!), and I'm wondering if you helpful bunnies have anything you'd like to contribute about the following:

-more suggestions for vegans! I admit that in my stereotyped vision of the South, getting by as a vegan might be a little difficult....but Gellert has challenged my assumption on this. I'd love to hear more about how easy it is to eat out in the Durham-area without getting quizzical "What's a vegan?" looks. (I get them here in Toronto a lot, too....so this question isn't only a product of cultural stereotyping )

- how bike-able is Durham? I'm a pretty hard-core cyclist (and commute by bike year-round in Toronto...yes, even in winter), and would love to be able to continue to get around on my bike. Are there lots of bike lanes in Durham? Wide streets? A thriving bike culture?? What's the terrain like?

- I grew up on the West Coast, and am a very avid hiker/backpacker/outdoor adventure woman. How accessible it Durham to areas where these activities are possible? The more remote the better (i.e. I'm not a big fan of gentle strolls on gravel footpaths, and won't camp anywhere where you are able to actually drive into your site )

- This could be a long shot but: I'm entering academia from a career as a professional modern dancer. The dance scene in Durham seems a little thin (based on my cursory google searches). Anyone have any insight on if there is any sort of professional dance community in Durham and the surrounding areas? I need to be able to take good, advanced or (preferably) professional-level classes in modern or ballet technique pretty much daily.....and it's looking like that might not be possible in Durham. Am I missing some hidden gem of contemporary dance in North Carolina?! Help!

Durham is pretty liberal, and while most of the Vegan/vegetarian place are in Chapel Hill, most Durham places have at least a few Vegan friendly menu items. Duke is also pretty active about offering vegan and vegetarian friendly food options.

Don't think that Durham is Deep South. It's not. It's more East Coast than South. Outside of the Triangle area, however...

Durham is semi-bikable. I know lots of people who bike. It's hilly, though, and there aren't many bike lanes. There is, however, a thriving bike culture.

There are State and National parks all over North Carolina. You're a few hours from both the beach and mountians. Check out the Eno River. It's incredible!

Duke hosts the American Dance Festival every summer. http://www.americandancefestival.org/ Though from what I gather, many dancers are actually in Greensboro.

[gellert]

-more suggestions for vegans! I admit that in my stereotyped vision of the South, getting by as a vegan might be a little difficult....but Gellert has challenged my assumption on this. I'd love to hear more about how easy it is to eat out in the Durham-area without getting quizzical "What's a vegan?" looks. (I get them here in Toronto a lot, too....so this question isn't only a product of cultural stereotyping )

I think most people in Durham, happily, will know what a vegan is -- and probably know one or two themselves! Recently there was a "Vegan Challenge" in Durham for restaurants to offer interesting/novel vegan options, which has helped out a lot.

International Delights - 9th St, a lot of vegan options - it's a Mediterranean restaurant, so loads of falafel, etc.

Twisted Noodles - Thai restaurant that has vegan options on request

Blue Corn Cafe - Mexican, 9th St, vegan options

Full Lotus - 9th St, juice bar, vegan and organic/raw!

Beyu Caffe - a whole ton of vegan options

Yamazushi - sushi restaurant in SW Durham with a vegan menu

Francesca's - coffee and gelato (including vegan gelato and sorbet) on 9th St - great study atmosphere!

There are food trucks that are veg*n friendly as well -- for example, the Korean truck (I forget its name atm!) and The Parlour for vegan ice "cream."

Hope this helps!

Edited April 15, 2012 by gellert

[annieca]

I'm considering the dual MLIS/MA in Public History between Chapel Hill and NC State. I've heard it's about a half hour commute from Raleigh to Chapel Hill unless something goes wrong, and then it's two hours. I've also heard it's better to live in Raleigh and commute to Chapel Hill than the other way around.

However, this was all advice from someone who thinks Tar Heels are the bane of the world's existence and is a firm supporter of NC State.

Is there a good place in between CH and Raleigh?

I'm looking for a one-bedroom or studio (preferably one bedroom) with non-on street parking, laundry in the building and PLEASE, not in someone's basement. Knowing that, what communities do you recommend?

[freemancw]

I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide some insight into how various apartment complexes in Chapel Hill were rated in terms of grad friendliness. Most importantly, I mean being fairly quiet. Here is a non-comprehensive list I've generated from Padmapper:

• Chapel View
  
• Chapel Ridge
  
• Glen Lennox
  
• Laurel Ridge
  
• Rock Creek
  
• Ashbrook
  
• The Villages of Chapel Hill
  

Edited April 20, 2012 by freemancw

[sheetz]

Does anyone know anything about Morrisville? Seems to be about half way between Raleigh and Chapel Hill....

[WordMorris]

On 4/23/2012 at 2:51 PM, sheetz said:

Does anyone know anything about Morrisville? Seems to be about half way between Raleigh and Chapel Hill....

Towns like Apex, Cary and Morrisville are kind of half way between Raleigh and Chapel Hill. It really depends on which highway and which part of town you're going to. Also, these towns are full of soccer mom corporate types. Mostly families.

[mooncake88]

Anyone have any info on living within walking distance to West Campus? I have heard conflicting reports about its "safety," though some say it's totally fine by campus.

thoughts?

I lived off of West as an undergrad and biked to school most days from Morreene Road. I would say the general area is fine, but there are some low-income housing options in the area that are good to know about.

[Networc]

Are there any other ISPs in southwest Durham that offer higher speeds than Time Warner Cable? Anyone have any experience with TWC?

[d1991]

On 5/11/2012 at 9:55 AM, Networc said:

Are there any other ISPs in southwest Durham that offer higher speeds than Time Warner Cable? Anyone have any experience with TWC?

I live in SW Durham & it seems like TWC has a monopoly on the area. My internet through TWC is fast and reliable at around $60/mo and I think there are even faster options than the one I have.

 

On 4/20/2012 at 6:01 AM, freemancw said:

I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide some insight into how various apartment complexes in Chapel Hill were rated in terms of grad friendliness. Most importantly, I mean being fairly quiet. Here is a non-comprehensive list I've generated from Padmapper:

• Chapel View
• Chapel Ridge
• Glen Lennox
• Laurel Ridge
• Rock Creek
• Ashbrook
• The Villages of Chapel Hill

Glen Lennox has a lot of grad students. It's on 54 about 1 mile from campus. Not a lot of students live on 54 in general since there's not a lot of housing. It could be sort of noisy in apartments close to the roadside. The apartments do seem kind of old and I've heard some instances of break ins and thefts.

Chapel View & Chapel Ridge have a lot of undergrads, though I think they're quieter than apartments closer to campus. They're off of MLK Blvd, about 4 miles from campus. They're very nice & relatively new and come furnished. I think both have pools and gyms.

I don't know about the other places you listed, but a general rule of thumb is the farther away from campus, the cheaper, quieter, and nicer the apartments are.

[RobDinwiddie]

I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide some insight into how various apartment complexes in Chapel Hill were rated in terms of grad friendliness. Most importantly, I mean being fairly quiet. Here is a non-comprehensive list I've generated from Padmapper:

• Chapel View
  
• Chapel Ridge
  
• Glen Lennox
  
• Laurel Ridge
  
• Rock Creek
  
• Ashbrook
  
• The Villages of Chapel Hill
  

I moved into Chapel View Apartments last year and have been pleased. The apartments, while they are older, are pretty spacious. For me, the volume level has never been an issue. I think that they're still signing people up to live here for fall. http://viewstudenthousing.com/