Duke

[stmwap]

Anybody going to Duke this fall?  Looked at any apartments?

[JungWild&Free]

I'll be heading to Duke in the Fall.  I have amassed a small list of apartments to check out when I visit but most of the suggestions I've gotten from friends who did their undergrad there are pricey (at least for what I expected to be paying...names mentioned most were Station 9, The Lofts, Trinity Commons and The Alexan). Craigslist seems to point to some good deals but it's mostly apartment complex posters or real estate agents.  Seems like April or May should be enough lead time to find a place for Fall.

[iowaguy]

What are you guys expecting to pay for a relatively nice place within 2 miles of campus?

[JungWild&Free]

What are you guys expecting to pay for a relatively nice place within 2 miles of campus?

Somewhere around $900-$1100 to live alone, probably more like $500-$600 to live with roommates.  It looks like you can get exceptionally cheap places but the recommendations I've gotten from people in the know put the price more around the $1000 range for a 1BR

[iowaguy]

I'm thinking of buying a house in the Old West Durham area, as I hear it's safe & looks like could easily walk/bike to campus from there.  Unfortunately when I visited campus back in October I didn't check out the OWD area.  Have you scouted out the neighborhoods around campus?  Thoughts?

[JungWild&Free]

I didn't get a chance to look around the campus either since I was only there for the visit.  I am going to visit mid-May and I'd be happy to contribute more info then.  I have asked several people and they have pretty much said that East Durham is the place to avoid (and that is only on a block-by-block basis).  So OWD sounds like it could work.  I would definitely consult people who live in the area though.

[pikaStardust]

Hi everyone! I will also be attending Duke for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics program. 

As a starter, I am planning somewhere within walking distance of the campus and after a quick search, I have seen that there are couple of apartment complexes around campus. But I got the impression that not all of them are in safe neighborhoods. Have you heard any special places that you need to avoid?? (thanks JungWild&Free, I am adding East Durham to my list)

Any help is much appreciated as I won't have the chance to visit before picking a place. The first time I'll see the house will be the time when I'm moving in. 

[JungWild&Free]

Some advice I was given about places (a lot of these are VERY expensive but both people are double Dukers so they definitely know the area):

 

1. Station 9, off east campus. Modern style, concrete floors etc, there is an age limit so that restricts you to mostly grad students. Nearly all the fuqua kids live there. Super social

2. Trinity commons-- off west, basically walking distance. A lot of residents and medical people bc it's just down the street from the hospital on Erwin road. Brand new, verrrryy nice inside

3. The lofts-- these are also off west, right next to trinity commons. Very modern, very nice, a few more undergrads than the other two but also a lot of medical professionals.

4. Alexan-- these are about 15 min away from campus but another choice for grad students. Very nice on the inside and end up being a lot cheaper than the lofts and trinity commons that are right on Erwin rd.

 

And from a different friend:

 

"I lived at Station Nine (which has a bus to main campus) and loved it (just don't get an apartment on the pool because it can get loud). I've also heard good things about the Lofts, but neither of these are that cheap. If you are on more of a budget, I live at Claremont at Hillandale and its great- A little farther away and so it's cheaper. Other grad students I know live off apartments near Garrett road around 10 minutes from campus, such as Alexan at Garret road, Addington Farms, or Alden Place. A lot of undergrads live at the Belmont, so steer clear of that."

 

Hope that helps!  I basically made a big list of places and am going to run them by these people to see if I should eliminate any.  I did hear that LaSalle St. in East Durham is specifically a dangerous area. 

Edited April 3, 2013 by JungWild&Free

[allara77]

Have you heard anything about the University Apartments (www.universityapartmentsdurham.com) and Bardford Ridge?

[JungWild&Free]

I have not heard of Bardford Ridge, but someone in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill thread made some comments about University Apartments.  I would look it up (pretty sure it was this year), but I remember the review was pretty positive.

[iowaguy]

Some advice I was given about places (a lot of these are VERY expensive

 

Jung - what is the ballpark price range for one of these nicer apartments?

 

I'm asking because I bought a house in Walltown (moving in July 1) and am going to rent a room or two to other grad students/professionals.  Curious as to what the rental rate is for a "nice" apartment between 1-2 miles from campus (so that I have a feel for comparable value/price points).  I have not seen any apartments in person, so I don't have a feel by just looking on Craigslist as to how "nice" a given place is for the price...

[JungWild&Free]

Jung - what is the ballpark price range for one of these nicer apartments?

 

I'm finding $1000-$1350 being the range for most of the nicer 1 beds