Old West Durham’s name is the first hint at how historic this community is in Durham. Most homes were built in the early 1900s, and residents are close to Ninth Street restaurants and direct routes to Duke University’s campuses. Commuting is easy, with the university and Duke University Hospital minutes away, and it’s easy to get downtown. Old West Durham offers a place to live surrounded by history and conveniences.
While exploring the neighborhood, you’ll see homes that were built in the late 1800s to the occasional new build. “Like any old neighborhood, it’s the older homes that are appealing to people,” says Kathy Bennett, a Realtor and broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - York Simpson Underwood who sells everything from starter homes to luxury properties. “There’s a romanticism, and a real diversity of style, which is appealing to people who may have grown up in a cookie-cutter neighborhood. ... The other thing is the mature trees.” While there is new construction, most residents in Old West Durham want to preserve the character of the older homes by touching up instead of tearing down and building new.
Small cottages and bungalows have sold in the low $200,000s to $500,000s, while those with some renovations have fallen in the $500,000s to upper $900,000s. Contemporary new construction and homes with full renovations can go for $1 million to $2 million. The median sale price is lower than those in areas like City Center and Central Park, but higher than nearby Watts Hospital-Hillandale. You can also find apartments and condos for rent in complexes like Berkshire Ninth Street and Station Nine.
Residents have an easy time getting around the area and the greater Durham scene. You might drive or bike to restaurants along nearby Ninth Street or the Harris Teeter off Hillsborough Road. It takes less than 10 minutes to reach Duke University’s East and West Campuses. The Duke University Hospital is also a quick drive from the neighborhood. “Duke Hospital is a huge employer in our area,” Bennett says. “You’ve got the university, and then you've got the hospital. Both are major, major employers. ... That appeals to people because they’re close to work.” You can also catch a GoDurham bus at one of the Hillsborough Road stops and take it to campus or downtown. The Raleigh-Durham International Airport is about 20 minutes away using the nearby Durham Freeway.
Ninth Street has been the community’s shopping and dining corridor since the early 1900s. “Lots of restaurants have sprung up there,” Bennett says. “Depending on where you live, you can walk to shopping. The farmers market is not that far away.” Ninth Street’s restaurants are diverse, from Elmo’s Diner to Juju Durham. You can even get coffee and a treat at Monuts. Ninth Street may be the busiest destination, but Hillsborough Road also has options, like Cocoa Cinnamon cafe and Vin Rouge, a gourmet French restaurant. With Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Whole Foods in the neighborhood, residents have their choice of convenient supermarkets.
Students living in Old West Durham are zoned for Durham Public Schools, usually attending E. K. Powe Elementary School. The district offers a lottery system for applying to public magnet and charter schools in the area, like the nearby North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Of course, one of the biggest draws to the area is living near Duke University. Duke is among North Carolina’s top private universities, known for its medical research and athletics. The neighborhood is closest to Duke’s East Campus, but the West Campus is minutes away by car, bus or bike.
Locals can enjoy the outdoors close to home by playing a round at the public, 18-hole Hillandale Golf Course. Oval Drive Park is where Old West Durham and Watts Hospital-Hillandale residents go to let their kids run around the playground and join in annual events organized by the Watt Hospital-Hillandale Neighborhood Association. Duke’s West Campus is surrounded by areas that are open to the public, like the:
Jennifer Feinstein
Northside Realty Inc.
(888) 375-7040
10 Total Sales
1 in Old West Durham
$650,000 Price
Dave Wylie
Compass -- Chapel Hill - Durham
(252) 375-8626
171 Total Sales
1 in Old West Durham
$899,000 Price
Samantha Greaves
Compass -- Chapel Hill - Durham
(984) 369-8254
53 Total Sales
1 in Old West Durham
$650,000 Price
Monica Foley
Foley Properties & Estates Co.
(888) 612-8474
62 Total Sales
1 in Old West Durham
$431,000 Price
Anita Oxford
Compass -- Raleigh
(855) 578-2074
133 Total Sales
1 in Old West Durham
$535,000 Price
Carla Sevilla
Glenwood Homes
(984) 355-9974
165 Total Sales
4 in Old West Durham
$315K - $640K Price Range
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Old West Durham | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 3 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 4 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 4 | 4 |
| Robbery | 3 | 4 |
| Burglary | 6 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 6 | 4 |
| Larceny | 5 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 4 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
On average, homes in Old West Durham, Durham sell after 32 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Old West Durham, Durham over the last 12 months is $554,500, down 13% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
$1,644 - $3,330 per month
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Historic area north of Duke's campus with a golf course and interstate access
Historic district near downtown Durham, offering walkable, urban living
Community-focused neighborhood home to Durham’s Hidden Dinosaur
Historic neighborhood between downtown and Duke University’s East Campus
