<p>i'm seriously considering applying to Duke ED. I really love every aspect of Duke (of what i've seen and read) except for Durham. I'm was also considering applying to UPenn ED but changed my mind. The aspect of penn that i like more was philly.
My question is whether Durham is that bad? i mean as a student, do you mind that the city isn't the best or is it whatever.</p>
<p>Durham has its moments and is pretty quaint. There are a bunch of charming areas around here, namely the newly renovated Tobacco Road area (when I was a freshmen they bussed everyone out there for some free food and a Durham bulls game) and 9th St. </p>
<p>I've only passed by Philadelphia by train but obviously it would be much different there. Durham is more secluded, in a comforting kind of way. Mostly everyone stays on campus, overall, so you wouldn't be spending that much time in Durham unless you really wanted to.</p>
<p>Been to penn and also live in the philly metro area. I'd say the two are completely different. </p>
<p>Philly is a large city with lots of people and things going on 24/7. Durham isn't. </p>
<p>Philly has practically everything and easy access to them. Durham is rather limited in some things and access is rather difficult without access to a car. </p>
<p>Philly is more integrated with the penn whereas Duke is more self-contained. </p>
<p>If I went to Penn (which I nearly did), I'd be out in philly all the time. In contrast, I barely go into Durham more than a couple times a year. I actually go to Raleigh/Cary much more. </p>
<p>Just some of my thoughts</p>
<p>It's relative to where you're coming from. I came from a really rural area, where everything was an hour away. I was happy being in Durham and its close proximities to malls, bookstores, places to eat, other cities, etc. However, if you are coming from NYC or LA, you'll be disappointed.</p>
<p>What really got me was when Duke students called Durham and the area around Duke "the ghetto" or "in the hood." If you hear this, take it with a grain of salt; most of the students saying this came from country clubs, gated communities, and private boarding schools, where everyone looked like they do and were on the same SES level. Some Duke students come from neighborhoods and schools where there were no African-Americans. With Durham being 40% African-American and 40% white, it often gets mislabeled as "ghetto" or "hood".</p>
<p>As far as the safety factor, most of the crimes in Durham occur in East Durham and in the area of Fayetteville Street, both of which are far from Duke's campus and the area around Duke. I ventured out around Duke's campus and the area around Duke at night, often by myself, and I never once felt unsafe. Of course, you have to use your common sense and "street smarts" (if you don't have any, brush up on them before going off to ANY college).</p>
<p>Durham is a nice city with lots of cool places, and really anything your heart desires. If you can't find it in Durham, Raleigh's 30 mins away, the beach is 2.5 hours away down I-40, the mountains are about 3.5 hours away, Greensboro is an hour away, Charlotte is 2.5 hours away, DC is about 5 hours away, and Atlanta is about 6 hours away...</p>
<p>I am a Duke parent and my son is a freshman. I visited the school during school searches and I have a little bit more to comment on as my son attended a summer program at Penn and I visited both areas. Durham is a relatively small town with some interesting stores as well as some surprisingly nice restaurants. I am sure just like any city it has crime problems though I never felt that was an issue during our visits. The Duke Campus was from my perspective one of the most esthetically beautiful that I have seen. It sits in the middle of a forest and is bordered by the Duke gardens and a heavily forested area. Only parts of it are walking distance to Durham. I researched the school because I believed that you have to not only have strong academics but the opportunity to have a true college experience, whether participating in events or just screaming you head off at a college basketball game. From what I read and saw personally Duke offered top notch academics coupled with the ability to have other things like sports that bring students together for the school. I would never knock Penn. It is an Ivy and very strong school with great programs. It is in a city and while it has some areas of campus that are very nice it is more like attending an urban school. The surrounding area is not however as much fun as lets say Boston/ Harvard. The programs are strong, but I really don't beleive there is any appreciable difference academically between the schools, but that is dependent on the program you want with each school having particular areas of strength. If I had to compare I think the most analogous campus to Duke might be Stanford. it is in Palo Alto and remote from San Fran and if you did not have a car I don't think you would get into the city that often. Oddly students at both schools I recall reported high levels of satisfaction with the school. Much more I can't say, but thus far my son is very happy at Duke. All in all look inside yourself and decide what type of environment is best for you. Anyone who wants to knock either school is really very foolish or just being sophomoric. The only thought I had for my son was that his field of interest likely takes him to a large city for work. We live in one now- why not get different experience in an incredible setting if you have that opportunity? As for your decision- go to the school where you feel you have the best fit , obviously if you get accepted. The only down side to that is that selectivity among top schools is so competitive often you have to choose to take advantage of ED in admissions.</p>
<p>"What really got me was when Duke students called Durham and the area around Duke "the ghetto" or "in the hood." If you hear this, take it with a grain of salt; ......With Durham being 40% African-American and 40% white, it often gets mislabeled as "ghetto" or "hood"."</p>
<p>Aint' THAT the truth!</p>