NCEPR - Anyone live in the Research Triangle?

[VillainV]

Looks like we may be moving there next summer (job at UNC) and I’m interested in info on where to live, diverse neighborhoods and school districts, etc.

[DotAndBuzz]

We used to live in Durham. LOVED that city.

We lived in Woodlake, but right across the main road is also woodcroft (I think).

Our neighborhood had a huge lake in the middle, with a mile long trail around the lake. Also had a pool, and was in walking distance to delicious restaurants, doctors offices, hair salon, etc.

I looked up the house we rented when we lived there, and it sold for around 210k a few years ago. Was 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, large deck off the back, and a single car attached garage. I think was around 1500 sq ft.

I’d move back to Durham (like, Durham proper, not even a suburb like Cary or Apex) in a heartbeat. Chapel Hill is also nice, but SO SO EXPENSIVE, compared to Durham. We just drove there when we wanted to go over there. Super easy drive, maybe 15 minutes?

[firedancer10288]

My husband’s brother lived there for several years and we fell in love with the area. Their house was in a newer development in Hillsborough. I don’t know anything about the schools, but a college friend recently moved to the same area and she’s a teacher with 2 kids.

[VillainV]

Oct 19, 2021 12:37:08 GMT -5 Stan said:

I just left Durham. I loved it so much. I’d rec my neighborhood but it’s much closer to Duke. Check out SODU Parents Posse on FB. It’s a great group and can give lowdown on neighborhoods that are commutable. I will caution you though, safe spaces for black people in Durham are very important. There are a lot of white people moving to Durham, looking for diverse neighborhoods, and then gentrifying historically black areas and pushing black people out. It’s really heartbreaking. That’s part of what I liked about my neighborhood. It was truly diverse, not at all historical, and while prices are rising, it was staying diverse. I miss it. Congrats on the job!

ETA: people shit on the schools in Durham, but I tend to think that’s racism. My kid wasn’t old enough for public school. I’d considered the Quaker schools if we had stayed as well.

Thanks for the advice on neighborhoods. I definitely don’t want to threaten black neighborhoods, but would like my kid to go to a school with kids that don’t necessarily look like him. Would you mind sharing what neighborhood you lived in so I can file it away as an option? You can PM me if you want!

[urbancowgirl]

I've lived in Chapel Hill for 4 years and I love it here. I agree with the suggestion to join SoDu Parents Posse on FB. There's also an active FB parenting group for Chapel Hill called Chapel Hill/Carrboro Mothers Club. Tons of people here are transplants and there are lots of past posts about schools and neighborhoods. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the area!