Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC

[slvitale]

Hi everyone,

I plan on applying to Duke for the 2013 school year. Though I have both researched the school online and visited the campus, I was wondering if anyone here could provide some "student-perspective" details. My advisor noted that the program was strong in Victorian Lit--my proposed area of study.

Thanks!

[iowaguy]

Hi y'all, I'm trying to figure out my finances if I were to attend Duke. I'm considering buying a house in Durham a couple miles from campus & renting out the extra rooms.

If I had a decent 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, and rented 2 bedrooms, how much do you think I could rent each room for? Let's assume just an average house, maybe in the $120,000 range, in a decent-but-not-great neighborhood 2-4 miles from campus...

As a side note, how feasible do you think it would be to find graduate students as roomies? Ideally would like to rent to someone in study mode vs. party mode...

Thanks,

IowaGuy

[Leftheel]

Hi y'all, I'm trying to figure out my finances if I were to attend Duke. I'm considering buying a house in Durham a couple miles from campus & renting out the extra rooms.

If I had a decent 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, and rented 2 bedrooms, how much do you think I could rent each room for? Let's assume just an average house, maybe in the $120,000 range, in a decent-but-not-great neighborhood 2-4 miles from campus...

As a side note, how feasible do you think it would be to find graduate students as roomies? Ideally would like to rent to someone in study mode vs. party mode...

As a grad student at UNC Chapel Hill, I would not pay more than $300 base rent for just a bedroom in a shared house. Might pay more for a private bathroom. It kind of depends on to whom you advertise. As a psych grad, I don't receive a large stipend but I know the MCB grads make a ton.

I'm not sure about the Duke market, but it should be easy to find hardworking grad students anywhere, especially if they're second or third year. You might double your possible roommate pool if you live somewhere between Duke and UNC. Good luck!!

Edited December 17, 2012 by Leftheel

[Shostakovich]

May have been asked before but too lazy to search through this big thread. How's the weather here throughout the year? Would be cool if someone's lived in the Southern California area before and could comment how much of a change I'd be looking at.

[iowaguy]

As a grad student at UNC Chapel Hill, I would not pay more than $300 base rent for just a bedroom in a shared house. Might pay more for a private bathroom.

 

How much of a factor is distance to campus?  i.e. how much more is the typical rent in the Triangle if you can walk to campus from your residence (let's say, less than 2 miles) than if you're further away?  Thanks!

[MammaD]

Does anyone know what elementary, middle, and high schools kids living in Baity Hill would go to? My husband is still active military and probably wouldn't be able to move with us immediately, and my Veterans' education benefit (I served 17 years) would cover rent at Baity Hill for a 2 bed-2 bath ... I could totally make that work with my 3 kids but am curious about the school thing. It might be nice to not have to worry about selling our home/buying one in Chapel Hill/finding a very cheap place for husband to live in the interim but only if it's the right thing for my kids.

Thanks in advance to anyone who knows. I'll have 2 in elementary school and 1 in middle school but could be there when the oldest starts HS and we've got our eyes on specific public schools.

Edited January 13, 2013 by MammaD

[ragumar13]

NYT just did a "36 hours" piece in Durham

 

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/travel/36-hours-in-durham-nc.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[ChemLeg]

I hate to put it bluntly, but I have no better way to ask this: where in the triangle is it friendly to observant Jews to move to?

 

I'm serious - I'm actually an observant Jew from NYC. Is Cary my only option (or is it a bad option), or does Durham or Chapel Hill offer alternative options?
Fairly observant myself. Any suggestions? Proximity to Kosher food is a big plus. I don't want to be perpetually attached to the Hillel club. 


(I have applied to Duke, NCSU, and Chapel Hill for my programs)

[iowaguy]

Continuing with the Carrboro theme, how realistic would a bike commute be from Carrboro to Duke's West Campus?  I understand that the Research Triangle is not the most bike-friendly place; are there bike lanes, trails, etc that would make that bike commute realistic?

[UNCAnthro]

Referring to the bike commute from Carrboro to Duke West Campus, it's certainly possible to bike to Durham using bike lanes, but I would suggest biking to UNC campus and taking the Robertson shuttle to Duke. You can bring your bike on the bus and there is no charge for the service once you get a (free) GoPass. The bus service runs fairly regularly and biking from Carrboro to UNC campus is not bad at all.

[sooshaloosh]

I've been accepted to NC State for a PhD in Statistics and am wondering what neighborhoods we should be investigating.  My husband and I are looking to move in the summer and have previously lived in Houston, downtown Philadelphia, and downtown Austin.

 

Walkability, access to running trails and outdoor spaces, a little more of an "urban" feel, and ease of access to campus are our priorities.  Also, we don't want to live in an apartment or condo in a complex.  The best option for us would be to rent a house or a detached townhome / duplex.  Our budget is pretty flexible, we'll have a monthly take-home total of ~$4300 between his salary and my stipend.

 

Any suggestions?  We're going for a campus visit weekend at the end of February and would love to walk or drive around some neighborhoods to get a feel for them.  Could anyone suggest an apartment locator to work with?

[33andathirdRPM]

Congratulations on the acceptance, sooshaloosh! I've been accepted to the Ph.D. program in Operations Research at NCSU - we may cross paths at some point!

 

I am also curious about the Raleigh area. I have a vehicle, but I'd prefer to be close enough to campus to be able to walk or bike, or use public transportation. Are those options viable near NCSU campus? Is housing that's suitable for a grad student (read: not close to loud undergrads) available nearby?

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[viggosloof28]

Congratulations, sooshaloosh and 33andathirdRPM!  I just got accepted to UNC for History and will almost definitely be accepting.  Maybe I'll see you guys around town sometime this fall!

 

I'm moving from the Houston area, and - from what I've been reading - am hoping to find a more walking/biking/outdoor friendly town.  It sounds like there are lots of great places for graduate students to live in Carrboro, but that is more on the UNC side of things.  Not sure about NCSU...but it also sounds like public transportation in that area is quite good (of course, compared to Houston, any city will seem like a transportation haven to me now!).

[queenleblanc]

Chapel Hill has a great and FREE bus system... Best pubic transportation in the triangle area of NC. Biking friendly in town as well. You can make it without a car in CH if you must. There is also a bus that goes to Duke if you need it (robertson). There is a triangle bus that you can pay to go to the south pointe mall, which I did take as an undergrad with no car on campus and you can survive that way. That bus is the triangle transit authority (TTA). Plus, parking on unc's campus is expensive and limited. You will have to park and ride for most things you do on campus. Some apartments have shuttle busses that drop off on campus.

As far as Raleigh, there is a bus system for getting to campus (the wolf line) and it does extend a bit past campus to several apartment communities on Oberlin Rd, Avent Ferry Rd, etc. The apartments around Raleigh are a mix. Some are graduates, some are undergrads, and there are a lot of young career people in Raleigh so if quiet is important, you can find it, although you will probably pay more for it. If you want to go completely without a car, you really need to make sure you are on the wolf line. There is a city bus line as well if you have no car; however, I would recommend a car in general for NC State and Duke students, even if you only use it for your trips to the grocery store or out of town events (etc).

Edited February 3, 2013 by kcald716

[33andathirdRPM]

Congrats on the UNC acceptance!!

[sooshaloosh]

Thank you all and congratulations yourselves!

 

I have definitely seen a lot of recommendations for the Carrboro area, but I think that's probably a little far out for us.  I've been looking in the Boylan Heights area, though I hear that in terms of safety it's a bit hit or miss.  We'll have a car, but I'd rather not have to use it on a daily basis, if possible.

 

33andathirdRPM, I suspect we will run into each other!  Congratulations!  I hear wonderful things about Raleigh, I'm sure we will enjoy it!

 

viggosloof28, what part of Houston are you from? My husband and I were both born and raised there.  My family is in the Northwest part of town in Cy-Fair and my in-laws are in Sugar Land.

[viggosloof28]

Congrats on the UNC acceptance!!

Thanks!

 

viggosloof28, what part of Houston are you from? My husband and I were both born and raised there.  My family is in the Northwest part of town in Cy-Fair and my in-laws are in Sugar Land.

No kidding!  I'm not from Houston originally, but have been living here the past three years out in Katy!  Not too far from Cy-Fair and Sugarland...though it's kind of a drive into campus at UH. Do you miss Houston lots?  I haven't been able to get used to the heat and humidity here at all!

[sooshaloosh]

Oh that is quite the drive, you're right.  I don't particularly miss Houston, but it's home!  The heat and humidity are something one never fully gets used to, I assure you. 

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on commuting into campus at NC State?  How is traffic in Raleigh?

[JZappa]

I commute from Chapel Hill into Raleigh for a 10am class. It isn't too bad but I'm on the interstate at around 9:30 so that's past most of rush hour.

[iowaguy]

Downtown Durham - how easy is it to bike to campus from there?  Is it safe to live downtown?  How noisy is it compared to living around Old West Durham/9th St.?  Thanks!

[mpheels]

On 2/4/2013 at 9:57 AM, sooshaloosh said:

Thank you all and congratulations yourselves!

 

I have definitely seen a lot of recommendations for the Carrboro area, but I think that's probably a little far out for us.  I've been looking in the Boylan Heights area, though I hear that in terms of safety it's a bit hit or miss.  We'll have a car, but I'd rather not have to use it on a daily basis, if possible.

 

33andathirdRPM, I suspect we will run into each other!  Congratulations!  I hear wonderful things about Raleigh, I'm sure we will enjoy it!

 

viggosloof28, what part of Houston are you from? My husband and I were both born and raised there.  My family is in the Northwest part of town in Cy-Fair and my in-laws are in Sugar Land.

 

You can definitely live in Carrboro and get to/from campus without driving daily. The buses are fare free, and the routes are generally laid out to serve apartment complexes. There are also several routes serving areas of town with more single family homes. I currently live on one of the far edges of Carrboro, and my commute is 20 minutes from my front door to my desk at the UNC med school. I've also been known to walk home from work when the weather is nice (it takes an hour to get from UNC to the far edge of Carrboro on foot, closer to 30 minutes if you're only going down town).

[EcoBren]

I hate to put it bluntly, but I have no better way to ask this: where in the triangle is it friendly to observant Jews to move to?

 

I'm serious - I'm actually an observant Jew from NYC. Is Cary my only option (or is it a bad option), or does Durham or Chapel Hill offer alternative options?

Fairly observant myself. Any suggestions? Proximity to Kosher food is a big plus. I don't want to be perpetually attached to the Hillel club. 

(I have applied to Duke, NCSU, and Chapel Hill for my programs)

 

There is a conservative synagogue right next to Duke's East Campus - a number of observant professors and students live in that area. An orthodox minyan meets in a smaller room of the same synagogue (http://www.betheldurham.org/index.html). From what I can tell, the dinning halls on campus tend to offer kosher options and an observant professor told me that there are a few kosher restaurants in downtown Durham.

[nugget3]

Hi! I was just accepted to a master's program at NCSU. I've read through this thread, but a lot of it pertains to housing far from NCSU, or in the other Triangle cities. I'm not looking to drive, really at all. Can anyone who lives in Raleigh tell me some good neighborhoods close to NCSU, with good bike and bus access? I would also like to be close to grocery stores, and not too far from restaurants/nightlife. What is the maximum I should pay for a 1-bedroom apartment in those areas?

Thank you!

[sooshaloosh]

Congratulations, nugget3!  I wish I could help you out but I'm looking for places close to NC State as well.  In my (limited) research, it seems like places near campus run $500-600 for a one-bedroom but I've seen places looking for roommates to share a place for around $450/room.

 

I can't even seem to find an apartment locator that is reasonable to work with.  We'll be moving from out of state and it's so hard to even look at places online without any reference.  I've called three leasing companies so far and two of them have been exceedingly rude and the other didn't even respond!

 

If anyone has any suggestions as to a locator or relocation specialist, I would be greatly obliged. 

[viggosloof28]

Congratulations, nugget3!  I wish I could help you out but I'm looking for places close to NC State as well.  In my (limited) research, it seems like places near campus run $500-600 for a one-bedroom but I've seen places looking for roommates to share a place for around $450/room.

 

I can't even seem to find an apartment locator that is reasonable to work with.  We'll be moving from out of state and it's so hard to even look at places online without any reference.  I've called three leasing companies so far and two of them have been exceedingly rude and the other didn't even respond!

 

If anyone has any suggestions as to a locator or relocation specialist, I would be greatly obliged. 

Heh - I'm in the same out-of-state boat.  Fortunately, my program is having a visiting weekend in March.  I've managed to get myself a couple of extra days in town to scope out apartment complexes, etc., so hopefully I can get the ball rolling before the summer comes and all the good places have been taken!

 

I'll let you all know whatever I find out, though I'll be looking near UNC and am not sure how helpful that'll be...?