If Durham, NC is a possible destination for you, it will be important to learn all you can about the city. Your Durham movers can get you there, but then, it will be up to you to make your way around the city. There are six main ways to stay “green” in Durham, and navigate around the city.

1. The Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) runs 18 fixed bus routes serving all of Durham. Buses run 5:30 am to 12:30 am Monday-Saturday, with reduced schedules on Sundays and holidays. You can pay by coin or bill, or buy a pass. Each bus is wheelchair accessible, and has a bicycle rack.

2. The Bull City Connector is a fare-free bus service that runs to key destinations within Durham’s central corridor. This includes Duke University, Durham’s historic Downtown, Ninth Street, and Golden Belt. 

3. The Durham Train Station is located in a historic tobacco warehouse in Downtown’s historic West Village. It’s served by the Carolinian and Piedmont Amtrack service to and from Charlotte, New York City, and points in between.

4. Triangle Transit runs regional bus and shuttle services, paratransit services, ride-matching, vanpools, and an emergency ride home program for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.

5. Taxis are available throughout the Durham area. Taxi stands are prevalent, and services are available at all hours of the day.

6. If you are in need of a rental car, you can find a variety of providers such as Avis, Budget, and Enterprise.

Once your Durham movers have gone, you’ll be ready to head out on the town. Take some of these suggestions for ways to travel around Durham and adjoining cities.


(Photo attributed to Flickr member @Oran Viriyincy via the creative common license)

Winter can be a difficult time to move if you are battling ice and snow. Your Durham movers will be mindful of the hazards and will pay attention to the road conditions. On the other hand, moving to Durham in the winter provides you with great things to experience.

1. Holiday shopping on Ninth Street. This is called “Durham’s alternative shopping district.” It’s located in historic Old West Durham, two blocks from Duke University’s East Campus. Get in the holiday spirit and enjoy the decorated windows. There are clothing and jewelry stores, the Regulator Bookshop and Java Cafe, and an old fashioned drug store where you can get a fountain drink. There are many eating establishments from the upper end of dining, to the places where the locals eat.

2. KwanzaaFest at the Durham Armory, starting January 1, 2012. There will be a nightly candle lighting celebration which will include musical entertainment and performances by artists from throughout the Triangle, each representing the evening’s Kwanzaa theme. This is an event for the whole family, with interactive programming, audience participation, and lots of vendors. The event is free and open to all. Come and celebrate the heritage and unity of the Durham Community through song and dance. Donations accepted.

3. Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, January 14, 2012 at 12 pm. The parade will start at W.D. Pearson Elementary at 3501 Fayetteville Street. This parade has been named “one of the top 20 events in the Southeast,” and can’t be missed! Featuring floats, marching bands, steppers, horses, motorcycles, school groups, and more, it’s a family-friendly, multi-cultural event. The parade is free and open to all.

Once your Durham movers are gone, and you have settled in, try these winter excursions and get to know your new community.


(Photo attributed to Flickr member @D.H. Parks via the creative common license)

If you are ready to move to Durham, and need to make plans with a Durham mover, it is time to decide on the neighborhood you will call home. There are many choices in Durham, one of which is Hope Valley.

Hope Valley extends from Chapel Hill Road south between Hope Valley and Garrett roads to Swarthmore Road. It is made up of about 930 households. It was originally laid out as a country club suburb, developed around an 18-hole golf course in the 1920s. It was created by developer Mebane & Sharpe, Inc. to attract young professionals from Durham’s tobacco, textile, and health care industries.

The homes from this early period are eclectic, and consist of Tudor, English Cottage, Colonial, Norman Provincial, and even Spanish revival style homes. There are winding, narrow roads that weave through the hilly terrain of the neighborhood.

The Hope Valley Neighborhood Association serves the community, and cares for the common areas, produces a newsletter, website, and keeps up a neighborhood watch. They also keep an eye on zoning matters, and provide a voice for Hope Valley residents at an inter-neighborhood council.

One highlight of the year in Hope Valley is the annual “Night of Lights,” a luminary event which many neighbors participate in. It is a uniting symbol when all the streets are lined with luminaries, not to mention a beautiful night to take a walk or drive.

Your Durham mover will be happy to take you to Happy Valley if you decide that is the place for you.

(Photo attributed to Flickr member @asurroca via the creative common license)

Maybe you are about to move to Durham this winter, and want some advice for your upcoming relocation. After your Durham movers have your belongings unpacked, get out and enjoy the town with these tips.

1. You will need a coat and gloves, but save the sub-zero parka for Colorado ski trips. The average temperature in Durham in the winter months is 40 degrees, making it chilly, but not frigid. The area gets about 4 inches of snow each winter, but it tends to melt off within days. You may want to sell your snow blower if you come from a location with heavier snows.

2. You can get out and ice skate at local skating rinks. There aren’t many outdoor opportunities, but the indoor facilities are nice. Try out Hillsbourough’s Triangle Sportsplex or the Cary Ice House. They are both open year-round and offer public skating sessions, hockey lessons, and figure skating lessons. There are competitions and leagues to participate in.

3. If you are chilled and need a warm up, there are many restaurants that offer a cozy fireplace to pull up to. The Firebirds Wood Fire Grill has an indoor stone fireplace where customers can settle in with a drink. The restaurant has a relaxed feel with exposed woods, bold colors, and stacked stone columns. Sit at the bar and enjoy a cocktail while listening to upbeat music, giving a hip atmosphere to the place.

Once you decide to make Durham home, your Durham mover will be willing and ready to get you there despite the weather!


(Photo attributed to Flickr member @thebuffafamily via the creative common license)

Christmas in Durham is a time for traditions and fun, and once your Durham movers have you settled in, you’ll be able to participate. Look into these ways to celebrate the holiday season.

1. City of Durham Holiday Fun Fest. This free event is full of holiday fun. Go sledding with provided sleds, visit the petting zoo, enjoy a mini-parade, sit on Santa’s lap, and fill up with holiday treats. The festival takes place December 3, 2011, in Durham Central Park.

2. Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters. This celebration at Historic Stagville takes you through an 18th century plantation home decorated for the holidays, and an original slave quarters from the 1850s. You’ll find vendors, artisans, decorations, crafts, games, food and music. Entrance is free but donations are accepted.

3. See The Christmas Carol at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sat. Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. Remember the meaning of Christmas as you watch Ebenezer Scrooge deal with his ghosts and become more than just a mean old miser. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

4. Head over to Raleigh for the Winterfest Celebration and Tree Lighting on December 4. This is two months of fun starting with the Mayor’s tree lighting and a visit from Santa, performances, carolers, and carriage rides. Ice skate on a 45x90 foot outdoor ice rink constructed just for the celebration.

5. Watch The State Christmas Tree Lighting on Union Square in Raleigh. The Governor and the First Gentleman will light the tree. Watch the luminaries being lit, then musical performances on the Capitol grounds. If you go to watch it live, you will be invited into the Capitol for an open house to see the beautiful decorations.

Tell your Durham movers “Merry Christmas” as they depart, and get ready to meet new people and experience new holiday traditions in your new hometown.

(Photo attributed to Flickr member @fihu via the creative common license)

Fall is a great time to have your Durham movers pack you up and move you to Durham. This is a beautiful season, with lots to see and do. Check out these five things not to miss in Durham in the fall.

1. Experience the Durham Art Walk Holiday Market. Taking place November 19-20, this is the place to find locally handmade gifts for your holiday shopping list. You’ll find everything from jewelry to scarves to hand thrown pottery. Also, enjoy musical performances and food vendors. There is a free shuttle if you tire of walking. Admission is free.

2. Visit Ganyard Hill Farm for a day of fall fun. Admission gets each person a pumpkin, which you can pick from the patch. Take a hayride, try out the corn maze, let kids play in the corncrib, and see the goats, chickens and other animals. You can buy Indian corn, apples, hay bales, corn stocks, even scarecrows and other handmade crafts.

3. Tour the countryside and view the fall foliage. There is no better time to see the Piedmont than in the fall. Take Highway 751 between Durham and Apex for a scenic drive. Take a walk and have children pick up colored leaves for a leaf collection. Dry leaves in the pages of a book, then frame for a memory of the fall.

4. Shop at the Durham Craft Market. This is an open-air market with artisans from Durham selling their handmade jewelry, woodworking, glass, pottery, metal, photography, fiber arts, and more. You will find that these are fine and affordable arts and crafts items. Open October 22.

5. Explore the Museum of Life and Science for their “Fall into the Harvest Season” festival. There will be a variety of hands-on activities and local experts who will teach about agritourism, folkways, sustainable farming, and green living. Investigate the rest of the museum where you can sit inside an Apollo Space Capsule, see a Lunar Lander, and touch a 13-foot tornado. Outside you can see bears, wolves, lemurs, and a barnyard full of animals. Fall festival is November 12 from 10 a.m. - 4p.m.

Send your Durham movers on their way, and get ready for autumn fun in your new city.

(Photo attributed to Flickr user @ DrBacchusvia the creative common license)

Moving to a new area comes with a lot of decisions to make, and choosing your child’s new school is one very important decision. This can influence where you choose to live, and will affect your child’s daily life. Before you call your Durham mover, you need a destination. How do you choose where to send your child? Try these resources for more information about public, private, and charter school options for your child.

Check out this website: www.strongdurhamschools.com. This website is an effort by members of Durham Allies for Responsive Education, a community group formed to support and strengthen the Durham public schools. It’s on this site that you can read testimonials from parents, teachers, and other Durham residents who share the positive aspects of Durham Public Schools. You can search by particular elementary, middle, and high schools to find opinions on each school. You can email the site creators in order to actually speak with the person who wrote the opinion, in order to get more information.

The website for the Office of Charter Schools has a comprehensive list of the charter schools in Durham County. You’ll find a basic description about each school, contact information for administrators, and data about the school. On this site, you can also find a report card for each school, with test scores and information about their Adequate Yearly Progress status.

For information about private schools, look into www.greatschools.org. Besides listing all the private schools in the area, you can find information about teacher/student ratios, affiliations, and ethnicity make-up. Each school is rated with stars based on comments from the public. Read testimonials, both positive and negative, about each school.

Once you choose a school for your child, you will be able to find a new home in the right area. It will be time to call a Durham mover to get you there.

Photo:
Photo provided by Flickr user @49333775@N00 under the creative common license.

Before you schedule a moving date with your Durham mover, you may want to look into the safety of your chosen neighborhood. You’ll want information about sex offenders, gun crimes, and other violent and non-violent crimes that have happened in the area in recent months. This information may lead you to choose one neighborhood over another. Try these resources for up-to-date safety information.

1. Look up crime in your new neighborhood with the Durham Police Department Crime Mapper. Create a search by typing in an address or street intersection. Choose the type of incident, or if it’s a gun related crime. This will generate a map with crime locations, and will give you data about the number of related crimes in the time frame you choose.

2. Family Watchdog is another site to check out. It gives you the addresses of registered sex offenders in a given area. Also search the National Sex Offender Public Website. This site can generate a map of sex offenders, or can give you a list with photos. Read more on both sites for tips on keeping yourself and your family safe.

3. If you still need more information about crime in your new neighborhood, try the website Spot Crime. This site will create a map with information about arrests, arsons, assaults, burglaries, robberies, shootings, thefts, and vandalism. Check into this map when comparing one neighborhood against another for the number of past crimes.

Once you feel secure about the safety of your new neighborhood, you can feel comfortable scheduling your Durham mover, and committing to a new address. Once you arrive, check in with the neighbors to see if you can join the neighborhood crime watch group. You may be able to support their efforts, making the area all the more safe for everyone.


Photo provided by Flickr user @ell-r-brown under the creative common license.

If you are moving the family to Durham, NC, there are lots of choices for family-friendly neighborhoods. Check out these three neighborhoods, and you’ll be ready to call your Durham movers to get you there.

Audubon Park

This neighborhood consists of 300 homes in southern Durham County. It is a short distance from Sedwick Road and Highway 55. You’ll find this subdivision to be friendly and fun, with a pool house, playground, and tennis courts. There is a strong neighborhood watch committee, so you can rest assured knowing that your neighbors are looking out for your family.

Cleveland-Holloway

This neighborhood gets together to party, and often. Your children will grow up knowing their neighbors. From potluck dinners, block parties, a Halloween Parade, and holiday caroling, it will be hard not to form lifelong friendships. There is the opportunity to participate in community gardening and neighborhood clean-up efforts. You are a short distance from the Durham Farmer’s Market and the Durham Library, two perfect stops for a Saturday family outing.

Duke Park

This neighborhood is named after the park it surrounds, which is family friendly with it’s playgrounds and a picnic shelter that you can reserve for parties. Duke Park neighborhood has an annual Fourth of July Kids Parade and Picnic, which is indicative of how this area supports its children. Don’t miss the Night of Lights, where luminaries grace the sidewalks.

These neighborhoods are open to new families, so when your Durham movers are gone, step out and join in the fun!

*Photo provided by Flickr user @Listener42 under the creative common license

Moving to a new place can be daunting and difficult. Before you call your Durham movers and head off to North Carolina, there are a few things you should know before moving.

1. You’ll be pleased to know that the weather in Durham is lovely and temperate with four distinct seasons. Mild winters allow for activities such as golf all year round. Average temperatures are 70 degrees for a high, and 47 degrees for a low.
2. You won’t be at a loss to find medical care. Known as the City of Medicine, healthcare in Durham is a major industry that includes more than 300 medical and health-related companies and medical practices.
3. You might want to understand the geography of the Durham. You will be living on the piedmont, a geographic area lying between the mountains and coastal plains. Durham is in the northeast corner of North Carolina’s central piedmont. Durham is 130 miles from the ocean and 140 miles from the Appalachian highlands.
4. Other than being the University of North Carolina’s basketball team, you might notice that North Carolinians are nicknamed “Tar Heels.” This name comes from pre-Revolutionary days when tar, pitch, and turpentine were extracted from the pine forests of North Carolina for British naval stores.
5. You’ll want to start recycling if you don’t already. Durham was named number ten on the list of ‘Top Recycling Communities’. Call your local waste management and ask about options for curbside recycling.

For more information about Durham, check out the “newcomers” page on the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau website. The more you know before you go, the more comfortable you’ll be. Schedule your Durham movers, and be on you way to a new life.

Photo provided by Flickr user @wonderdawg777 under the creative common license.