Welcome! You'll be arriving just in time for the first (and probably last) snowfall of the year. When it happens just stay in until it melts (the next day). All we get is ice on the roads, no one knows how to drive on it (but thinks they do), and most everything shuts down.
I'm sad to say I'm not to familiar with Chapel Hill, but I can tell you that unless you have access to the schools bus system I don't recommend commuting via public transportation. I work in Durham, and when I lived in Cary (I'm now in Raleigh) taking the bus to work was a 2 hour commute vs <20 minutes in my car. One good thing to mention is that our highway system is pretty extensive in the Triangle area so you can get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time.
Where to live (and avoid)? From what I hear Chapel Hill (but I'm a State grad so I have biases) is pretty snobby and filled with hippie students and big money southerners with nothing to do but mess in other peoples business.
Bullet list time!
- Durham is currently doing a big effort of cleaning up its city and reputation. As such there are a lot of really nice areas, strong growth, and plenty to do. You can also go one block to far and encounter "old" Durham, that is not a good thing.
- Cary is the Containment Area for Rotten/Relocated Yankees. At least it is historically. The triangle is becoming much more homogenized with transplants. Cary is another area with a lot of money, and a bit snobbish. It's also expanding southwestward into both:
- Apex & Morrisville which are the places people who like Cary, but want to get away from, or can't afford it go. Morrisville is a place you might consider, it's near Durham and Chapel Hill.
- Raleigh I don't really recommend if your working at Chapel Hill. It's a bit of a drive unless you're toward the western end, like Brier Creek (a nice up and coming Raleigh neighborhood.
- Garner is to far from where you work with no benefit worth a look that you won't get elsewhere.
- Holly Springs is one of the 2 Suburb towns. When you're looking at houses keep this place in mind as well as...
- Fuqway-Varina used to be two separate towns until 1963. They still have two downtowns it's kind of neat. Like Holly Springs it's another place to keep in mind when looking for a house.
When looking for a place near UNC I recommend driving out about 15 minutes and looking around there. You'll find places that are fairly cheap due to being near campus (take that how you will), and not stupidly expensive by nature of being right near campus.
