Old North Durham

What's it like to live in Old North Durham?

Old North Durham, established in the late 19th century as one of Durham's first suburbs, is a primarily residential neighborhood bounded by the former Norfolk Southern Duke Beltline railroad tracks to the north, Avondale Drive to the east, West Geer Street to the south, and Washington Street to the west. The dominant housing types are single-family detached homes, including late Victorian-era houses along North Mangum Street, classic bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s, and Colonial Revival homes, alongside mid-century structures and newer apartment buildings. Local green spaces include Old North Durham Park on West Geer Street, which features an athletic field, playground, and greenway access, and the smaller Bay-Hargrove Park on Hargrove Street. Daily lifestyle in the neighborhood is characterized by walkability, supported by an established grid of sidewalks where residents regularly jog, walk dogs, and travel on foot to nearby commercial districts.

The neighborhood's commercial activity concentrates along West Geer Street, a major corridor featuring a food and beverage ecosystem that includes Cocoa Cinnamon, Monuts, and local breweries. For remote-work options, Cocoa Cinnamon offers indoor and outdoor seating, while ReCity Network at 112 Broadway Street provides a structured coworking space featuring dedicated desks, meeting rooms, and office infrastructure. Switchyards, located just outside the neighborhood boundary on Foster Street, operates as a neighborhood work club. Commuters rely on local public transit through GoDurham bus routes, including Route 4 on North Mangum Street and Route 5, which run through the neighborhood to Durham Station, the central regional transit hub. From Durham Station, GoTriangle regional buses connect riders to Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Research Triangle Park. For automotive travel, the neighborhood is bisected north-south by North Mangum and North Roxboro Streets (U.S. Route 15/501 Business), which provide direct connections to Interstate 85 to the north and NC 147 (Durham Freeway) to the south for regional employment commutes.