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)