$540,029Average Value$305Average Price per Sq Ft13Homes For Sale
A welcoming, woodsy community near downtown Durham
A love for beavers, creativity and inclusivity defines the Durham neighborhood of Duke Park. Resting a little over a mile north of the city center, this community began as a farm that belonged to tobacco tycoon Brodie Duke at the end of the 19th century. The farm would become a city park, and homes would pop up around it by the 1920s. This namesake green space remains a big draw to the neighborhood today, which works to preserve its century-old homes surrounded by towering trees. The preservation effort extends to the environment. The community made headlines in the early 2000s for its unique beauty pageant organized to save a family of beavers slated for removal from the wetlands north of Interstate 85. The event is now an annual tradition celebrated during Pride Month. In addition to a central park and passionate neighbors, Duke Park offers quick access to the highway system, downtown and Duke Regional Hospital, which is about 2 miles away.
A little over a mile north of the city center, Duke Park began as farmland.
Duke Park made headlines in the early 2000s for its unique beauty pageant organized to save a family of beavers slated for removal from the wetlands.
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Residents connect with nature at Duke Park and nearby wetlands
Visiting the neighborhood’s central green space, also called Duke Park, is often part of daily routine. Stretching across 17 acres, this forested park tied to the neighborhood’s beginnings features a playground and dog park, along with courts for tennis and basketball, all connected with walking paths. “When my daughter was little, I took her there all the time,” says Stacy Slone, a longtime Durham resident and Realtor with Keller Williams Elite Realty. “It’s a great place to walk your dogs or have birthday parties. I always see people at Duke Park.” South Ellerbee Creek Trail provides a scenic route through Pearl Mill Nature Preserve, where a pollinator garden blossoms in springtime. Birdwatchers visit Beaver Marsh Nature Preserve, which is north of the neighborhood. The site is home to dozens of bird species, plus frogs, dragonflies and a big beaver den. Several parks are sprinkled around downtown Durham, including Durham Central Park, the venue for the city’s farmers market and festivals.
Pearl Mill Preserve provides some great trail for walking and running.
Larger kids can enjoy the lower playground at Duke Park.
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The Beaver Queen Pageant: protecting wetlands and celebrating pride
About 1,500 Durhamites descend on Duke Park’s namesake green space each June for the annual Beaver Queen Pageant. “Typically, there are around five to seven contestants. They dress up and act out their ‘fur-sonas,’” says Nicole Llinás, the executive director of the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, which organizes the event along with Beaver Lodge Local 1504. “This year, Woody Wonka was the winner. He performed alongside a group of kids dressed as Oompa Loompas. They changed the lyrics of 'Pure Imagination' to be about wetlands, beavers and conservation.” The pageant began in 2005 to prevent the North Carolina Department of Transportation from removing a den of beavers living in the wetlands north of the neighborhood, and now it returns each year to raise funds to protect all of Durham’s critical wetland habitats while providing an inclusive space for people to express themselves. "There’s a lot of Pride-adjacent attire,” Llinás says. "There are lots of flags and rainbows everywhere, but also environmental themes, like kids as butterflies and fairies." Along with a parade through the park, festivities permeate the rest of the neighborhood with tailgates and after-parties.
You can enjoy Pickle ball and the dog park at 17 acre Duke Park.
There’s a lot of Pride-adjacent attire during the Beaver Queen Pagent.
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From bungalows and cottages to ranch-style homes and Craftsman designs
The branches of mature pine and willow oaks reach across Duke Park’s wide streets, casting shadows on the pavement. While most of the neighborhood is gridded, a few roads are curvy around the neighborhood park and to the east. Ample street parking is available, but many properties have driveways. With the development in the early 1900s, the community features a broad mix of home styles, from historic Victorians and bungalows to tall Craftsman and low-lying ranch-style homes. Cottages and Cape Cods are found throughout. These homes rest on lots between a tenth and roughly half an acre, with spacious front yards decorated with flowering bushes and manicured garden beds. Most properties fall between $375,000 and $685,000, but modernized historic homes and 21st-century builds well over 2,000 square feet can range from $900,000 to nearly $1 million.
Duke Park homes sell after 26 days on average, compared to the national average of 45 days. Potential homebuyers should note that Interstate 85 rests along the neighborhood’s northern edge. “On the northern side, you’ll hear the highway,” Slone says. “Some people won’t want to live there with the noise. Others are fine with it because of the location.”
Duke Park
Duke Park is a friendly, diverse neighborhood in Durham, known for its community spirit and walkability.
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Local eats and boutiques along Ninth Street
Restaurants, boutiques and familiar retailers line Ninth Street, 2 miles west of the neighborhood. That’s where Llinás says residents will pick up groceries from Harris Teeter or Whole Foods Market. Local shops fill the colorful brick storefronts, resting shoulder to shoulder. They’re stocked with clothing, used books, vinyl and home goods. This four-block stretch also hosts a range of eateries serving American fare and international cuisine. Dain's Place offers a pub vibe for burgers and brews. A few doors down, Devil's Pizzeria serves New York-style slices late into the night, while Cosmic Cantina draws in a crowd for Mexican food and margaritas. Nightlife and entertainment are nearby in downtown Durham, featuring The Bullpen, a designated social district where of-age residents can walk around with open beers, wine and cocktails. Plays and concerts take center stage at institutions like The Carolina Theatre and the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Harris Teeter anchors the Shops at Erwin Mill near the Duke Park neighborhood.
The shops at Erwin Mills feature nationally acclaimed and locally owned retail and restaurants for Duke Park residents to enjoy.
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Future veterinarians get a head start at Northern High School
Durham Public Schools allows families to apply to magnet schools and specialty programs through a lottery, or students can attend their assigned schools. Club Boulevard Elementary, Lucas Middle and Northern High serve Duke Park. Club Boulevard earns a B rating from Niche. The magnet school offers a Spanish Dual Language Program. Lucas Middle receives a C-plus and is one of the district’s Montessori schools. Northern High gets a B-minus and features an Academy of Pre-Veterinary Medicine and Plant Sciences. The neighborhood is near several alternatives, including the unrated Durham Nativity School, a private Christian all-boys middle school, and the B-plus-rated Central Park School for Children, a public kindergarten through eighth grade school. Duke Park sits less than 2 miles from the private Duke University’s East Campus and roughly 3 miles north of North Carolina Central University, a historically Black university.
Club Boulevard Elementary School in Durham, NC has 387 students near the Duke Park neighborhood.
Located in Durham, NC, Northern High School has 1,307 students and serves the Duke Park neighborhood.
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Commuting around the Research Triangle
A few streets are lined with sidewalks, but Llinás says, “It’s a little too far to walk from the neighborhood into downtown.” However, she says biking is a popular way to get around, with dedicated bike lanes lining Washington Street and the South Ellerbee Creek Trail hugging the neighborhood’s west side. Duke Park is home to Durham Bike Co-op, which helps cyclists with repairs and organizes group rides. A city bus is also an option for commuters, with GoDurham bus stops dotting North Roxboro Street. Interstate 85 serves as the neighborhood’s northern border and provides quick access to Research Triangle Park, about 10 miles away. It hosts hundreds of top companies, such as IBM and Fidelity Investments. Raleigh-Durham International Airport, offering hundreds of nonstop flights to destinations including Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and New York City, is roughly 15 miles southeast.
Duke Park is home to Durham Bike Co-op, which helps cyclists with repairs and organizes group rides.
A city bus is also an option for commuters in the Duke Park neighborhood.
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On average, homes in Duke Park, Durham sell after 20 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Duke Park, Durham over the last 12 months is $479,500, up 7% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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