Eastway Village: a gem of urban living


By Erica Smith

NCCU Staff Writer

the Durham VOICE

thedurhamvoice@gmail.com

Nestled in the corner of Taylor Street and Alston Avenue sits a gem of urban Durham living: Eastway Village.

Eastway Village, single family homes and condominiums, was built on the property of the former Few Gardens Housing Project.

Durham's Eastway Village. (Photo by Erika Smith)

Durham’s Eastway Village. (Photo by Erica Smith)

“This community is designed for home ownership” says Earl Phillips, Northeast Central Durham (NECD) executive director with the City’s Department of Community Development.

The homes range from 1,200 square feet to 1,456 square feet, and include three to four bedrooms and two to two and a half baths. Three of the layouts include garages. Single family homes sell for $103,900 – $132,900.

The condominiums range from 1,008 square feet to 1,160 square feet, and sell for $90,900 – $107,900.

“It’s a really quiet, nice neighborhood,” says Stacy Anson, 30, who has lived in Eastway Village since December.

Despite the outward appearance, other residents express concern about Eastway Village’s NECD location.

“Eastway Village itself is a pretty safe community because Durham police officers live out there, but if you go a block around the corner in either direction it is not a safe place at all especially at night,” says Milton Gainey, 42, Durham resident. “It is still pretty houses in the hood.”

Eastway Village appears to address the issue of delinquents spilling over from the surrounding area into the community by erecting fences around the condominium community.

“It is really quiet here, but sometimes you can here gunshots in the surrounding areas,” said Anson.