501 North / Duke Street in Durham (Roxboro: real estate, crime, new home)

[fallgirl]

Went to look at a new home community and loved the little community, but did not love what I saw on the business route of 501. I had my husband stop at Walmart to p/u a real estate guide. I can tell you that even in broad daylight I was a little uncomfortable with the element that was out in front of this Walmart. They looked like gang types. I worked in Manhattan and rode the subways for over nine years and never felt that uncomfortable. It is very difficult to get a feel for an area when you are comming in from a totally different direction and don't see everything the area has to offer. I am a realistic enough person to know that there is no perfect place but on the other hand I don't want to move into an area that I don't think is safe. Is that area slated for any type of redevelopment? How bad is the crime there?

[Bull City Rising]

The US 501 (Roxboro Rd) corridor between I-85 and about Durham Regional Hospital (just north of that Wal-Mart) is an "okay" area but has some areas with more poverty and with somewhat higher crime. I've had the same unease about that particular Wal-Mart. (There's a new Wal-Mart Supercenter opening off the Glenn School Rd. exit on I-85, about 10 minutes drive from there, next year -- I'd be shocked if that US 501 Wal-Mart you visited stays open as I bet it will close.)

Further west from that Wal-Mart are some very upscale neighborhoods (Guess Rd/Cole Mill Rd. corridor); further north on US 501 is also a fine area. South of/nearer I-85 are a few really terrific neighborhoods (Duke Park, as well as Old North Durham and Northgate Park.) Further east you get into more rural areas.

The projections for the next 25 years show the major development area in Durham being the northeastern part of the county -- north of I-85, east of Roxboro. So redevelopment (with the uncomfortable gentrification that follows) is on the way as the economic forces drive re-use of land, but that's a mid- to long-range prediction.

In terms of actually seeing where crime happens -- the Durham Crime Mapper is the thing to check out. http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/gis_apps/..._entryform.cfm

[DebbieF]

Were you at that Braggtown walmart? I would choose another one to go to. I hear they are going to close that one, because of what goes onaround there, and the thefts.

[alice_61]

This article is interesting and mentions the Wal-mart, http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Con...id=oid%3A31990.

[fallgirl]

Thanks to all of you that answered. I am not really sure what the town was, I just know that I would never go near that area. Thanks for the info.