The heart and soul of Durham can be found on the three campuses of basketball
powerhouse Duke University, forming a crescent around downtown Durham.
The East Campus, with its stately Georgian architecture and oak-lined
streets, has a Steel
Magnolias look and serves as home to university freshmen. The Central
Campus hosts the administration buildings, while magnificent Gothic architecture
distinguishes the newer West Campus, home of Duke University Medical
Center.
In1996 the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership was founded with a commitment to build relationships with and improve the 12 neighborhoods nearest the Duke campus. These neighborhoods include:
Burch Avenue: Just south of Duke Central, this community houses the Medical Center Laundry, a communications tower, and Duke's satellite dishes.
Crest Street: This historic, closely knit African-American community, with multi-family apartment buildings and two retirement centers, is located in the area north of the Duke and VA Medical Centers.
Lakewood Park: Once known as the "Coney Island of the South," this former 27-acre amusement center is home to office buildings and small community businesses.
Lyon Park: Cornell Street, Morehead Avenue, and Lakewood Avenue bound Lyon Park, which has seen substantial renovation since the mid-1990s.
Morehead Park: Once the most prestigious neighborhood within the Durham city limits, Morehead Park currently offers single-family homes and multi-family rental properties.
Old West Durham: Many homes in this neighborhood are the original mill houses from the early 1900s. Folks in this booming social area know each other by name.
Trinity Heights: An interesting blend of houses, apartment buildings, and condominiums, this neighborhood is listed with the National Register of Historic Places. Duke is funding the construction of 40 new single-family homes and townhouses on vacant lots.
Trinity Park: According to Money magazine (December
2000), Trinity Park is one of the "Best Neighborhoods" in the Durham area.
Single-family homes—the most predominant housing here—are the residences
of university faculty and staff.
Tuscaloosa-Lakewood: This neighborhood of 500 homes boasts racial and economic diversity.
Walltown: One block from the East Campus, this area has undergone substantial renovation since the early 1990s.
Watts Hospital/Hillandale: Bounded by Broad Street, LaSalle Street, Interstate 85, and Englewood Avenue, this neighborhood has benefited from the success of nearby Ninth Street, a trendy shopping district.
West End: This formerly blue-collar area has a solid core of energetic and passionate community leaders who consistently work to improve the neighborhood.
