<p>How isolate is the campus...meaning, are their places to go off campus in walking distance? Like Chipolte or Brueggers? Is the food only on campus? What about drugstores or other "shopping stores"? I am wondering how students get to places like these. Where is the bulk of the dining on West? Do the students get tired of the food at the student union? Do the students feel isolated?</p>
<p>There’s a Chipotle literally across erwin road from west campus. There are multiple grocery stores within a few miles including Food Lion and Kroger and a Whole Foods next to east campus, Costco is also not far away. Duke isn’t in a rural location, it’s close to downtown Durham, and not far from Raleigh and Chapel Hill, you really don’t need to worry about being isolated. Students either have cars or will rent from zipcars or whatever franchise is on campus. Whole foods is walkable from east campus.</p>
<p>A lot of stuff is walkable from East, not so much so from West. My friends without cars tell me they almost never eat off campus.</p>
<p>There aren’t many options to go off campus on West without going out of your way, but Ninth Street is a great option to eat off of East. There is an easily accessible Brueggers on Ninth Street across from Cosmic Cantina and there is also a Chipotle off of West but it is definitely out of the way. Most people tend to eat on campus though. There are eateries scattered all over campus but most, last year, were centered in the West Union building and the Bryan Center. I think this year most eateries will temporarily be in the new Events Pavilion while they renovate the West Union. And yes, people do get tired of the campus food.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that restaurants on Erwin opposite west campus are terribly out of the way. For engineers and people who do research in the med school and in the Research Dr. buildings its actually fairly close and walkable. But certainly many undergrads who stay around the main quad don’t go because it’s not as accessible as West Union or Bryan Center.</p>
<p>Way back when I was in school (in the 80’s), Hanes and Trent were freshman dorms on what was called North Campus. Even Hanes Annex across Erwin housed freshmen. Almost a third of the class walked from that area every day (or rode an inconvenient bus).</p>
<p>Brief reply: East Campus, which is where all freshmen reside, is within easy walking distance of Ninth Street, Main Street, Bright-leaf, and so forth.</p>
<p>Middle of West dorms are about a mile from the place where Chipotle, Mediterra Grill, Dunkin’ Donuts, Noodles Company, Firehouse Subs, TGI Fridays, Enzo’s, Another Broken Egg, Chopped Greens: <a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps;
<p>(half a mile for Pratt folks in the engineering complex)</p>
<p>What about a drugstore or shops? What if you need a cvs for stuff? Where do students go?</p>
<p>There are easily accessible drugstores and the like all over. Durham is a city of over 200,000 people located in the Research Triangle that has about 2 million people. There are plenty of things to do and you should have all your needs/wants met. It certainly helps to have a car, but isn’t required and a lot of people survive without it (I didn’t have one, but knew people that did and hitched rides with them occasionally.) You don’t really need to leave campus for any essentials, but it certainly broadens the experience.</p>
<p>There’s small stores on both East and West campus where you can buy basic groceries, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.</p>