North Carolina Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Durham, North Carolina

Population: 222,000

Located in Durham County

If you¹re looking to settle in a region that¹s somewhat sheltered from the current economic downturn, consider Durham, ³North Carolina¹s leading city in providing an excellent and sustainable quality of life.²
 
Durham is known as a former tobacco and textile-based economy that has
transformed into a diverse, technology-based economy for the 21st century. At 50 years old, The Research Triangle Park is the largest and most
successful science park in the United States, employing nearly 50,000 people
on more than 7,000 acres at nearly 160 companies of all sizes.
 
Duke and North Carolina Central universities and many City of Medicine, USA,
medical and weight management centers are based here. Durham is also home to
13 historic sites, three art centers, 12 signature annual events with
national or regional recognition, plus dozens of other core and celebrated
annual events, six science and nature centers, and great spectator sports
venues.
These are just a few reasons why Durham was recently named by Forbes as the
third best place in the nation to ride out a recession, partly due to the
diversity of its industries, the strength its healthcare system and
education, and the presence of The Research Triangle Park. Mostly driven by
education and medicine, Durham's larger industries include: healthcare,
biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, education, software design, and building
materials.  
 
Last year, nearly 2,000 new jobs and $750 million in capital investments
were made here.  Furthermore, Public-Private Partnerships are sinking $1
billion into Durham¹s downtown development, creating a thriving urban space
for professionals to live, eat, work, and play.
 
Durham's vibrant quality of life and commitment to arts and culture
contribute to its ever-growing popularity.  A few crowd-pleasing events that
take place here include
the world-renowned Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Hayti Heritage
Center Blues Festival, CenterFest, numerous cultural arts festivals and
concerts sponsored by the City's Department of Parks and Recreation.
 
Durham's neighborhoods surround Duke and North Carolina Central universities
and Research Triangle Park and range from historic homes on tree-canopied
streets to renovated downtown lofts to communities planned around lakes or
golf courses.
The median sales price for homes in Durham is $142,000 based on 681 home
sales between December 2008 and February 2009. Housing options in Durham
range from downtown trendy loft-style apartments for young professionals and
empty nesters to horse farms in the country; from new suburban developments
for family-style living to historic neighborhoods in the heart of the city.
There are currently 2,809 resale and new homes in Durham on Trulia,
including 1 open house, as well as 441 homes in the pre-foreclosure,
auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process.
 
 
 
Of worthy note is the fact that Durham has the highest concentration of PHDs
in the U.S. and highest Creative Class share of total employment in North
Carolina. Durham is home to three world-class research universities within
25 miles, as well as several other higher education institutions, such as
North Carolina Central University and Durham Technical Community, both of
which host small high schools on their campuses, and Duke University,
through its Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, is providing support to
seven schools that are close to its campus. The university partnerships here
are thriving.
 
The younger generation also has remarkable educational opportunities with
practical, hands-on learning after school through Durham Public Schools
Business Support. The Superintendent¹s Business Advisory Council, which
comprises approximately 40 area business leaders, is involved in a big way
with leadership support of principals and by pairing mentors with students
for the North Carolina graduation project. Furthermore, a middle-grades
Montessori school will open in Durham as a result of a partnership with
Durham County and the YMCA. In conjunction with Communities in Schools, the
Durham Performance Learning Center is a small high school that offers online
learning. Plus,
two Community Learning Centers are open in housing communities as a
collaborative effort among DPS, the Durham Housing Authority, the YMCA,
North Carolina Central University, Durham Parks and Recreation and others in
the community. These centers focus on providing tutoring and homework
assistance.
 
Durham offers a splendid array of unique shopping --Brightleaf Square's
turn-of-the-century tobacco warehouses resurrected as specialty stores and
restaurants, Ninth Street's funky and eclectic shopping district near Duke's
East Campus, traditional malls such as Northgate, and the new 1.3 million
square foot shopping complex, The Streets at Southpoint.
 
When you¹re ready for some respite from shopping, be sure to check out
Durham¹s numerous trendy restaurants and eateries. Food is a distinctive
highlight to Durham. In fact, Durham boasts some of North Carolina's most
notable chefs and restaurants. More than 300 restaurants can be found in
Durham, with fare ranging from good ol' North Carolina barbecue to grilled
steaks to fresh seafood and with styles ranging from traditional favorites
to more exceptional fare, such as Caribbean, Ethiopian, and Middle or Far
Eastern.
 
Once you¹ve eaten to your heart¹s delight, you may want to take a nice
stroll at one of Durham¹s 66 parks, which offer great access to gymnasiums,
outdoor basketball, playgrounds, Frisbee golf, tennis courts, pools and
trails. The West Point on the Eno Park has 395 acres of trails, historic
buildings and beautiful woods along the Eno River. Several new parks are on
the horizon for Durham in the next year, including a Skate Park in downtown.
 
When it comes to environmental matters, Durham is the first community in
North Carolina to have completed a greenhouse gas inventory and adopted a
greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan. Durham was recently listed as
having one of the top 10 recycling programs in the country by Waste News.
 
Whether on the front line or working behind the scenes, the Durham Police
Department provides outstanding service for the welfare and betterment of
Durham citizens. There are an estimated 175 active Neighborhood Watches
throughout Durham.  Another Durham PD program is Project Safe Neighborhoods
(PSN), a comprehensive, strategic response to gun violence. The Durham PD
works with other law enforcement agencies and members of the community to
reduce violent crime, particularly involving firearms. The program targets
repeat offenders and also partners with the community to provide resources
for offenders who are committed to changing their involvement with criminal
activity.
For more information on these programs, visit www.durhampolice.com.
 
For more information on Durham, visit
durham-nc.com. Durham is "Where Great Things Happen."