Off Campus
Once you find a place to live and prepare for school, you’re going to need to know where the grocery stores are, where to open a bank account, and how to get your electricity up and running in your apartment. This section attempts to give you some information on essential services like getting a North Carolina Driver’s License or finding the best student checking account.
Auto Registration, Insurance, and Drivers' Licenses
Auto Registration and Insurance
You are required to register your vehicle for North Carolina license plates within 30 days of establishing residence or accepting employment in this state (non-residents do not need to do this). To register your vehicle, you must provide proof of ownership such as the title or current registration card, plus a notarized bill of sale for a used car, or a manufacturer’s certificate of origin for a new car. You must also prove that your car is covered by liability insurance from an insurance company licensed to operate in North Carolina. The minimum amount of liability insurance required is $150,000 for all property damage in an accident, $25,000 for injuries to any one person in an accident, and $50,000 for all personal injuries in an accident. All new residents of North Carolina must pay a one-time title and highway user’s fee of $35, plus a user’s tax of 3% of wholesale value, up to $150. An annual $5.00 Triangle Transit Fee to improve public transportation will also be charged in Durham, Orange, and Wake counties. Personal checks will be accepted with 2 forms of identification. Within 10 days of registering your vehicle, you are required to have it inspected at an authorized N.C. Inspection Station.
Local North Carolina License Plate Agencies
Chapel Hill: University Mall,
201 S. Estes Drive, Suite 137;
(919) 929-0204
Northgate Mall
1058 W. Club Blvd,
(919) 286-4908
Durham: Executive Park,
1920 Highway 54, Suite 430;
(919) 544-6607
Driver’s Licenses
North Carolina will honor an out-of-state driver’s license for 30 days after you move here, but after that you will need a North Carolina driver’s license if you intend to establish residency. A new license costs $10 cash. You will need to provide proof of insurance and are required to pass a vision test, a road-sign recognition test, and a written test on driving knowledge. A valid driver’s license from another state usually exempts new residents from taking a road test. The North Carolina Driver’s Handbook, a study guide for the written and road sign recognition tests, may be checked out free of charge from any driver’s license office, and should be looked at before taking the test.
Local North Carolina Driver License Offices
Carrboro: Intersection of NC 54 Bypass
& NC 54 Business, 104 V Carrboro Plaza;
(919) 929-4161
Durham (south): 277 NC Hwy. 54 West
(Homestead Market, Exit 276 off I-40);
(919) 560-3378
Durham (east): 101 South Miami Blvd;
(919) 560-6896
Hillsborough: DMV Bldg.,
1201 Hwy. 70 West; (919) 732-2427
Banks
Bank |
On-Campus Location |
Off-Campus Location |
Student or Free Checking Features |
BB&T |
None |
505 S Duke St 4011 University Dr 1530 N Gregson St |
No minimum balance Unlimited debit card purchases through Visa, STAR, and Interlink Unlimited in-branch and ATM deposits No-fee BB&T Check Card |
Central Carolina Bank and Trust Co. (CCB) |
The Bryan Center on West Campus |
2714 Erwin Road 1516 N Gregson St 1231 University Dr |
No Minimum Balance No Monthly Maintenance Charge Free Classic CheckCard |
Bank of America |
The Bryan Center on West Campus Law School |
3200 Shannon Rd 3100 Tower Blvd 4811 Hope Valley Rd |
Free for first 6 months, or free for five years if your parent banks with us or if you have a monthly direct deposit, otherwise $3.95/month No minimum balance Free Check Card |
Wachovia Bank |
The Bryan Center on West Campus The East Campus Student Union Duke Hospital North Fuqua School of Business |
Chapel Hill Blvd Durham, NC 27707 3917 University Dr Durham, NC 27707 2000 West Main St Durham, NC 27705 |
No monthly service fee No minimum balance requirement Free Check Card |
Grocery Stores
Store |
Location |
Comment |
Durham Food Co-op |
1101 W. Chapel Hill St. Durham, NC 27701
|
All-natural foods, bulk foods Open to all, but members receive a discount Annual Membership Student: $20 |
Food Lion |
2000 Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham, NC 27707 3022 Fayetteville St., Durham, NC 2930 W. Main Street, Durham, NC |
Typical grocery store Quality varies greatly by store |
Harris Teeter |
1720 Guess Rd 3823 Guess Rd 1817 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy |
Large supermarket Nice meats and fruit |
Kroger |
1802 North Pointe Dr 3457 Hillsborough Rd. 3117 Shannon Rd |
Large Supermarket Quality varies greatly by store Owned by Fred Meyer (for West Coasters) |
A Southern Season |
Hwy 15-501 @ Estes Dr |
Gourmet grocery store with good selections of wine, cheese and bread |
Whole Foods |
621 Broad Street |
Natural and organic foods
|
Religion and Spiritual Centers
Baptist
White Rock Baptist Church
3400 Fayetteville Street, Durham
(919) 688-8136
Buddhist
Eno River Buddhist Community
4907 Garrett Road, Durham
(919) 220-0321
Catholic
Holy Cross Catholic Church
1400 S. Alston Avenue, Durham
(919) 682-4852
Holy Infant Catholic Church
5000 Southpark Drive, Durham
(919) 544-7135
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
810 Chapel Hill Street, Durham
(919) 682-3449
Duke Law Contact: Chris Hart, 3L, (919) 475-7857
St. Matthew Catholic Church
1001 Mason Road, Durham
(919) 479-1001
Christian Science
First Church of Christ Scientist
1800 N. Roxboro Road, Durham
(919) 688-6181
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
3902 Berini Drive, Durham
(919) 383-5799
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Durham North Carolina Stake Center
1050 Airport Road, Chapel Hill
(919) 967-0997 (Office)
(919) 967-0989 (Foyer)
(919) 967-0988 (Family History Center)
Durham 1st and 2nd Wards
3902 Berini Drive, Durham
(919) 383-5799 (1st Ward)
(919) 967-0989 (Hall)
Durham 3rd (Young Single Adult) Ward
400 Country Club Road, Chapel Hill
(919) 967-0987
Chapel Hill 1st and 2nd Wards
1050 Airport Road, Chapel Hill
(919) 967-0986 (2nd Ward)
Episcopal
St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church
1902 W. Main Street, Durham
(919) 286-1064
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
1737 Hillandale Road, Durham
(919) 286-2273
St. Philips Episcopal Church
403 E. Main Street, Durham
(919) 682-5708
Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church of Saint
Barbara
1316 Watts Street, Durham
(919) 682-1414
Hindu
Hindu Society of North Carolina
309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville
(919) 481-2574
Islam
Masjid of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman
3034 Fayetteville Street, Durham
(919) 683-5593
Muhammad’s Mosque #34
304 South Driver Street, Durham
(919) 957-4850
Jehovah’s Witness
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness
635 Bon Air Ave., Durham
(919) 220-9205
Jewish
Beth-El Conservative &
Orthodox Synagogue
1004 Watts Street, Durham
(919) 682-1238
Freeman Center for Jewish Life
1415 Faber St., Durham
(919) 684-6422
Jewish Federation and Family
Services of Durham & Chapel Hill
3700 Lyckan Parkway, Suite B, Durham
(919) 489-5335
Judea Reform Congregation
1955 W. Cornwallis Road, Durham
(919) 489-7062
Lutheran
Advent Lutheran Church
230 Erwin Road, Chapel Hill
(919) 968-7690
Our Savior Lutheran Church
2109 N. Duke Street, Durham
(919) 220-6104
Christus Victor Lutheran
Evangelical Church
1615 E. Highway 54, Durham
(919) 544-7195
Church of the Abiding Savior
Lutheran
1625 S. Alston Avenue, Durham
(919) 682-7497
Grace Lutheran Church
824 N. Buchanan Boulevard, Durham
(919) 682-6030
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church ELCA
1200 W. Cornwallis Road, Durham
(919) 489-3214
Mennonite
Durham Mennonite Church
603 Lynn Road, Durham
(919) 596-4702
Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship
Friends Meeting House
531 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill
http://www.rtpnet.org/chmf/index.html
Duke Law Contact: Rebecca Rich 2L
Methodist
Asbury Temple United Methodist Church
201 S. Alston Avenue, Durham
(919) 688-4578
Bethesda United Methodist Church
2309 S. Miami Boulevard, Durham (919) 596-3948
Duke University Chapel
West Campus, Duke University
Methodist Church
504 W. Chapel Hill Street, Durham
(919) 683-3467
Epworth United Methodist Church
3002 Hope Valley Road, Durham
(919) 489-6557
http://www.epworth-umc.org/
Glendale Heights United
Methodist Church
908 Leon Street, Durham
(919) 220-6138
Mount Sylvan United Methodist Church
5731 N. Roxboro Road, Durham
(919) 471-0032
Resurrection United Methodist Church
4705 Old Chapel Hill Road, Durham
(919) 489-6552
University Methodist Church
150 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
(919) 929-7191
http://www.chapelhilluumc.org/
Moravian
Christ The King Moravian Church
4405 Hope Valley Road, Durham
(919) 489-1711
Non-Denominational
Chapel Hill Bible Church
260 Erwin Road, Chapel Hill
(919) 408-0310
http://www.biblechurch.org/
Duke Law Contact: Ben Stark, 2L, (919) 452-5960; Kenny Ching, 2L, (919) 599-1590
Christian Faith Center
101 S. Peachtree Street, Creedmoor
(919) 528-1581
Churches Serving Internationals
1305 Odyssey Drive, Durham
(919) 544-6304
Cornerstone Bible Church
5707 Guess Road, Durham
(919) 479-0189
Durham Congregations In Action
504 W. Chapel Hill Street, Durham
(919) 688-2036
Hope Creek Church
4723 Erwin Road, Durham
(919) 490-0685
http://www.hopecreek.org/
King’s Park International Church
1305 Odyssey Drive, Durham
(919) 544-6304
http://www.kpic.org/
Raleigh Christian Chinese Church
1426 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh
(919) 834-3815
http://www.rcccweb.org/
Triangle Vineyard Christian
Fellowship
3915 Western Boulevard, Raleigh
(919) 233-8463
http://www.trianglevineyard.org/vineyard/welcome.htm
Pentecostal
3300 Idlewood Village Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27610
Duke Law Contact: Dorrian Horsey, 2L, Dorrian.Horsey@law.duke.edu
Presbyterian
Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church
1902 Perry Street, Durham
(919) 286-5586
http://www.blacknallpres.org/
Duke Law Contact: Nathan (1L) and Bethany Chapman, (919) 806-5960
Church of the Good Shepherd PCA
3741 Garrett Road, Durham
(919) 490-1634
http://www.cgsonline.org/
Duke Law Contact: Dan Rocke, 3L, (919) 599-2206
Covenant Presbyterian Church USA
2620 Weaver St, Durham
(919) 682-1484
First Presbyterian Church
305 E. Main Street, Durham
(919) 682-5511
North Carolina Korean
Presbyterian Church
116 Tom Wilkinson Road, Durham
(919) 471-1168
Presbyterian Urban Ministry
305 E. Main Street, Durham
(919) 683-2647
Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church
927 W. Trinity Avenue, Durham
(919) 682-3865
Westminster Presbyterian Church
3639 Old Chapel Hill Road, Durham
(919) 489-4974
University Presbyterian Church
209 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
(919) 929-2102
http://www.upcch.org/
Duke Law Contact: Jill Miller, Office of Student Affairs
Seventh-Day Adventist
Five Oaks Seventh-Day
Adventist Church
4124 Farrington Road, Durham
(919) 489-7777
Immanuel Temple Seventh Day
Adventist Church
1309 Lincoln Street, Durham
(919) 682-5210
Unitarian Universalist
Eno River Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship
4907 Garrett Road, Durham
(919) 489-2575
United Church of Christ
Pilgrim United Church of Christ
3011 Academy Road, Durham
(919) 489-1381
Zion Temple United Church of Christ
508 Sparella Street, Durham
(919) 596-4705
Shopping Centers
Brightleaf Square
On the corner of Main St. and Gregson St., downtown Durham, Brightleaf Square is a restored tobacco warehouse with very nice though somewhat expensive specialty shops. Contains a travel agency and several restaurants including Satisfaction’s, a favorite Duke hangout, El Rodeo and Nikko’s.
Bull City Market
Broad St. and Main St. Contains Wellspring Grocery, Hair Cuttery, a bike store, Cinelli’s restaurant, and a Ben and Jerry’s.
Festival Centre
Hillsborough Rd. Contains a large Kroger, Shanghai Chinese restaurant, used book store, Dollar General, clothing store, craft store, subs, and more.
K-Mart Plaza
On Avondale Road off of I-85. Has a movie theater, a K-Mart, and several other stores. During the summer, vendors sell things right out of their truck; if you’re timing is right you can get fresh produce or fresh fish from the coast.
Lakewood Shopping Center
On Chapel Hill Road near Morehead Avenue. It is a strip mall containing a Food Lion, sports bar (T.J. Hoops), Duke Surplus Store, an Ethiopian restaurant (The Blue Nile), and other small stores and restaurants.
Loehmann’s Plaza
On Hillandale Rd. It is a strip mall containing several stores, including a very good Greek restaurant (Papa’s Grill), TCBY, and Loehmann’s department store.
New Hope Commons
15-501 immediately before I-40. New strip mall containing Barnes and Noble Bookstore and Cafe, WalMart, Best Buy, Marshall’s, Zainy Brainy (a great children’s store) and several other stores and eating places.
Ninth Street Area
Begins where Erwin Road intersects Main St. Revitalized neighborhood shopping area that is very popular with the Duke community. Includes several boutique and specialty shops, a Mexican restaurant specializing in big, fresh burritos (Cosmic Cantina), a cocktail/cigar bar (The Lounge) under Cantina, Bruegger’s Bagel Bakery, book stores, a music store, pizza, sandwich, and ice cream shops, a toy store, and much more.
Northgate Mall
At Club Boulevard and Gregson St. Contains Sears, Belk’s, and Hecht’s as well as many other stores and eateries. The surrounding area has a Harris Teeter, a Jiffy Lube and a Boston Market.
North Pointe
Off of Guess Road at the I-85 exit. Includes Kroger, Home Depot, PetSmart, and several small stores. Costco, a members-only discount warehouse club, is next door.
Oakcreek Village
On 15-501 and Garrett Road. Includes T.J. Maxx, Durham Sporting Goods (DSG), a Chinese restaurant with a large buffet (The Panda Inn), Chili’s, and several other small stores and restaurants.
South Square Area
On 15-501 Business. In transition, the mall was demolished after The Streets at SouthPoint were completed. The area currently has a Super Target and a Sam’s Club will open soon. Three smaller strip malls are very close to South Square Mall: Westgate, Regency Plaza, and Parkway Plaza. These strip malls contain a K-Mart, Kroger, Food Lion, Pier One Imports, Office Depot, and several other stores and restaurants.
The Streets at SouthPoint
The newest local mall, located at I-40 and Fayetteville Rd. Contains most major mall chain stores including, Nordstrom, Hechts, and Sears, a movie theater, and an open-air walkway boasting larger stores such as Barnes and Noble and Pottery Barn, and several nicer restaurants including Maggiano’s Little Italy, Firebird’s Rocky Mountain Grill and California Pizza Kitchen.
Wal-Mart Plaza
3500 North Roxboro. Includes a beauty salon, and several other stores and restaurants.
Willowdaile
3823 Guess Road. A strip mall that contains a movie theater, food stores, and Italian and Chinese restaurants.
Woodcroft Shopping Center
On Hope Valley Rd. in South Durham. A strip mall containing a Food Lion and several excellent restaurants including sushi and Mexican restaurants (Bandido’s).
Transportation
Air Travel
Approximately 11 miles from the city centers of both Durham and Raleigh, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is conveniently located off exits 284 and 285 of I-40. More than 15 airlines operate 400 daily flights from two terminals. Also, Continental also has an expanded schedule out of the Greensboro airport ,which in many cases, can be more economical. (See the yellow pages for airline and travel agent listings.) RDU Information: (919) 840-2123. The airport has recently developed its parking facilities. Additionally, there are several Park and Ride lots to help avoid parking congestion close to the terminals. For parking rates and other airport parking questions call Airport Parking Information at (919) 840-2140.
Taxi fare between Durham and the airport costs about $30, but can be shared if you are lucky. Sometimes touted as unreliable, there are several limousine services that run between Durham and RDU International Airport. Check the yellow pages or http:// triangle.citysearch.com/ using the keyword “limousine” to find these services.
Bus Service
Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA): This is Durham’s local bus service. Its routes span most of the geographic region within the city limits. Along with the Triangle Transit Authority, DATA offers users access to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Research Triangle Park, Cary, and the Raleigh area. For pricing and routes, call 683-3282.
Greyhound Trailways Bus Line: Their bus station is located at 820 W. Morgan St. near Gregson Avenue and just three blocks from East Campus. Very good service to Raleigh is available. Service to other large cities is reasonable. For ticket information, call 687-4800.
The Ride Board
The ride board can be found in the lower level of the Bryan Center. It is useful if you need a ride or riders for a journey. Other bulletin boards around campus also often post ride notices; don’t miss the one in Perkins Library.
Utilities
Cable TV
Time Warner Cable. Basic cable costs around $14/month. Orders can be placed by phone with a Social Security number. At time of connection, payment must be made of an installation fee and one month’s service fee, which can vary. Located at 708 E. Club Blvd. Call: (919) 220-4481 or
(888) 489-2666 (http://www.twcnc.com)
Electricity
Duke Power Company. Applications for service can be made by phone or in person at the Duke Power Office on 410 W. Chapel Hill Street. One business day’s notice is required for connection of service. Customer service: 382-3200. (http://www.dukepower.com)
Gas
Public Service Company of North Carolina. Unless you have had service in the last 12 months, you must go to the office with a copy of your lease and I.D. The deposit, which is based on the number of rooms in the house, may be waived by obtaining a cosigner or three letters of credit. If you call in the morning, gas can be hooked up the same day. Located at 3001 Harvard Ave., Durham. Hours: M-F: 8 am-5 pm. Customer Service: (877) 776-2427 or 688-2188 (fax)
High Speed Internet
Time Warner Cable. About $44/month with modem rental. http://www.twcnc.com
Verizon DSL. Deals starting at $29.95/month. http://www.verizononline.com
Duke University has set up a number of options for high-speed internet that can save you money; check out this website for more info: http://www.oit.duke.edu/access/
Residential Telephone Service
Verizon. You can set up service over the phone. Unless you have had previous service, you must pay a deposit, which varies depending on the service you are ordering and whether or not a serviceman must come out to your house. Connection will take a minimum of 2 days.
New Residential Service: (800) 483-4000
Water and Sewer
City of Durham. Most apartment complexes will take care of arranging this service. Houses may or may not need this service. Ask your landlord if you are not sure. Located at 101 City Hall
Plaza. (919) 560-4411
Wireless Phone Service:
AT&T Wireless: (919) 967-7800
Verizon Wireless: 544-4000 or (800) 800-4483
Sprint PCS: (800) 480-4727
Cingular Wireless: 403-2590 or (888) 327-1900
ALLTEL: 233-3000 or (800) 788-2260
Duke also has a wireless phone plan that you might want to check out. Details are available here: http://www.oit.duke.edu/resserv/cellularservice.htm
