Anyone from Durham county NC area?

[Laika]

Hello Southeast forum!

I'm looking at moving to Durham County, NC and wanted to get real and honest feedback from people of what it's really like. Ultimately I'd like to also go to school in the area too so I've mostly just done research in that regard so far. I currently live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. It's very plain which is OK but there's a few things about the area that make me willing to move.

I can find information on crime statistics/E85 availability/weather all on my own but the things I'm looking for info on....

-What are the people like, on average?

-How are the drivers? Drivers around me are clueless yet aggressive which is a bad combination. They drive like they're more important than everyone else and as if they're constantly in a rush to get nowhere.

-Are there deer everywhere? Everyone in my town is too anti-gun to kill these things like the "rats with hooves" that they are so they infest the area and wreak havoc on motorists.

-What is the car scene like?

Please, do feel free to add any other info that you think I could benefit from having. Thank you in advance for the help!

[WolfpackS2k]

I live in Raleigh (in Wake County) which is the next county over and about 30 minutes from downtown Durham. I don't spend a lot of time in Durham but I think it's fair to say the areas are similar enough for me to answer your questions.

1) Most people would say that southerners are nice. However I've lived in the Northeast (NJ & NY) and I wouldn't say they're nicer here than there. From where you would be moving, I'd say there's probably no difference.

2) The drivers are horrible. Clueless, inconsiderate and slow would describe most of the bad ones. Get used to meeting people that do not know how to parallel park (despite both downtown Raleigh & Durham having LOTS of street parking).

3) There are a lot of deer around, but they're mostly just a problem on the roads in the fall. I've never had a problem, but one of my friends was hit by 2 deer one year, just 2 months apart (they both ran into the side of his car). Still, it's best to keep your eyes peeled.

4) I don't personally spend a lot of time seeking out car clubs, scenes, etc. However the monthly Cars & Coffee meets always get good showings, usually several hundred cars from all walks of life. These are held on the first Saturday of every month in Raleigh (Durham has one as well, but I'm not sure of the date). I haven't hung out with any FT86 peeps yet, but I used to hang out on occasion with some fellas from S2KI.com and they're more or less the same type of enthusiasts we are.

As a final aside I will say, hope you like beer. NC has a huge flourishing microbrewery industry and the Raleigh-Durham region is home to 15-20 breweries, most that are damn tasty! Oh, but Happy Hours are illegal, thanks to the state's idiotic southern religious roots.

[Laika]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

I live in Raleigh (in Wake County) which is the next county over and about 30 minutes from downtown Durham. I don't spend a lot of time in Durham but I think it's fair to say the areas are similar enough for me to answer your questions.

1) Most people would say that southerners are nice. However I've lived in the Northeast (NJ & NY) and I wouldn't say they're nicer here than there. From where you would be moving, I'd say there's probably no difference.

2) The drivers are horrible. Clueless, inconsiderate and slow would describe most of the bad ones. Get used to meeting people that do not know how to parallel park (despite both downtown Raleigh & Durham having LOTS of street parking).

3) There are a lot of deer around, but they're mostly just a problem on the roads in the fall. I've never had a problem, but one of my friends was hit by 2 deer one year, just 2 months apart (they both ran into the side of his car). Still, it's best to keep your eyes peeled.

4) I don't personally spend a lot of time seeking out car clubs, scenes, etc. However the monthly Cars & Coffee meets always get good showings, usually several hundred cars from all walks of life. These are held on the first Saturday of every month in Raleigh (Durham has one as well, but I'm not sure of the date). I haven't hung out with any FT86 peeps yet, but I used to hang out on occasion with some fellas from S2KI.com and they're more or less the same type of enthusiasts we are.

As a final aside I will say, hope you like beer. NC has a huge flourishing microbrewery industry and the Raleigh-Durham region is home to 15-20 breweries, most that are damn tasty! Oh, but Happy Hours are illegal, thanks to the state's idiotic southern religious roots.

So from the sound of it, everything will be almost completely the same. That's kind of a bummer. On the bright side, I definitely enjoy beer and supporting the microbrew industry. Thanks a lot for responding. I should be headed down there one of these weekends for some scouting of my new neighborhood etc.

[WolfpackS2k]

Glad to be of service.

Also, day trips to the beach are easily doable. And it's beach season here from early May to the end of October

[bds7692]

basically everything wolfpacks2k said haha.. i also live in wake county in the raleigh area and only go to durham on occasion, but i know enough about it to offer you insight.

-What are the people like, on average? i guess it's the same anywhere you go, there're good parts of durham and there're bad parts of durham. people are generally nice i guess. there's a lot of people in the raleigh/durham area that are from all over the place though (lots of northerners, including myself), so it's not like the people who live here were all born and raised here. i don't think you'll notice a big difference in people's mannerisms here than where you are.

-How are the drivers? they suck for the most part and a lot of people seem to think they're the only car on the road. i barely see people use their turn signals which is a huge pet peeve of mine. also, when i let people merge who are trying to merge over in front of me, they almost never wave to say thanks.. and i hate that so much haha. maybe those are just two things i'm picky about that wouldn't normally bother people.

-Are there deer everywhere? yes yes yes. they are really bad on backroads, not in the city. especially during mating season (towards the end of the year). i swear they are suicidal. they'll just jump right out like they own the damn place. i've never hit a deer but i've come close and it's scary. like i said they're rare in cities, where theres a lot of traffic and development and street lights, but back roads at night area nightmare where you have nothing but an occasional stop sign and a lot of trees/forest/fields/uncharted area. they'll be everywhere there. you just have to be very alert when driving at night and watching the sides of the road especially if there's a lot of open, undeveloped land around. sometimes there'll be like 30 of the damn things just hanging out and i swear they're waiting for a car to come by so they can all just throw themselves in front of it. crazy ass deer.

-What is the car scene like?
i'd say it's pretty good. like wolfpacks2k said there's the cars & coffee meet on the first saturday of every month in cary (right next to raleigh) that generally has a good turnout. i haven't been in a few months but last time i did there were some sweet cars there. a few ferraris, i think 2 gtrs, and like every corvette in the entire world. i guess it depends on what you like haha. my ex would always bring his 350z nismo and that was the only one in the area that we knew of until like 6 months ago. there's a little bit of everything.

[WolfpackS2k]

i barely see people use their turn signals which is a huge pet peeve of mine. also, when i let people merge who are trying to merge over in front of me, they almost never wave to say thanks.. and i hate that so much haha. maybe those are just two things i'm picky about that wouldn't normally bother people.

That drives me crazy! Hello, I just did you a big favor, acknowledge me you rude person!!

[bds7692]

Makes me wanna drive by and flip them the bird but I contain myself haha.