Old West Durham

Living & working in Old West Durham

Old West Durham is an in-town neighborhood located between downtown Durham and Duke University's West Campus. The neighborhood has a historic character dating back to its origin as a late 19th-century mill village built for Erwin Cotton Mills. Today, the housing stock consists primarily of historic Craftsman bungalows, Tudor cottages, and early-to-mid 20th-century single-family homes, alongside modern mid-rise apartment complexes such as Berkshire Ninth Street and Station Nine. The primary commercial corridors are Ninth Street, Broad Street, and Hillsborough Road. The Ninth Street strip is a highly walkable commercial center that contains independent businesses, restaurants, the independent Regulator Bookshop, and a Harris Teeter grocery store. For outdoor recreation, residents utilize Indian Trail Park, an 8.5-acre public green space that features a shaded playground, outdoor fitness equipment, and trailhead access to the West Ellerbe Creek Trail.

The local economy is heavily anchored by Duke University and the Duke University Health System, which are adjacent to the neighborhood and serve as major employers. For remote workers, local coffee shops like Cloche Coffee on Broad Street and Joe Van Gogh on Broad Street offer dedicated space for laptop work, while downtown Durham, situated just over a mile away, hosts coworking spaces such as American Underground and Mint Coworking. Commuters connect to regional employment hubs, including Research Triangle Park and the cities of Raleigh and Chapel Hill, via nearby highways such as North Carolina Highway 147 and Interstate 85. Local public transit is provided by GoDurham, with Route 11 and Route 11B running along Main Street and Hillsborough Road to connect the neighborhood directly to the downtown Durham Station. Regional transit options are managed by GoTriangle, which links Durham to the broader Triangle region.