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Mid-Rise Apartment
Duke Central Campus, 1500 Duke University Rd | Durham
Overview
Photos
Amenities

Top Amenities

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  •  Cat friendly
  •  Dog friendly
  •  Doorman Building
  •  Fitness Center
  •  Furnished Units Available
  •  Granite Countertops
  •  Hardwood Floors
  •  Stainless Steel Appliances
  •  Surface Parking Lot
  •  Swimming Pool
  •  Walk-in Closets
  •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

User Rating

5.1
Average
33 Reviews

About this Location

Limited nearby
public transit
In a quiet
neighborhood
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
14 min walk

Pricing 

  • Bedrooms

    •  Walk-in Closets
  • Convenience

    •  Package Receiving
  • Entertainment

    •  Coffee Bar
    •  Grilling Station
  • Included

    •  Heat Included
  • Kitchen

    •  Dishwasher
    •  Garbage Disposal
    •  Gas Range
    •  Granite Countertops
    •  Microwave
    •  Refrigerator
  • Laundry

    •  Washer/Dryer In Unit
  • Lease Terms

    •  Furnished Units Available
  • Living Room

    •  Air Conditioning
    •  Ceiling Fans
    •  Hardwood Floors
    •  Vaulted Ceilings
  • Parking & Transportation

    •  Bike Storage
    •  Surface Parking Lot
  • Pet Terms & Amenities

    •  Cat fee  
    •  Cat friendly
    •  Dog fee  
    •  Dog friendly
    •  Max Pet Weight  
    •  Max Pets Limit  
    •  Pet deposit for cats  
    •  Pet deposit for dogs  
  • Sports & Fitness

    •  Fitness Center
    •  Swimming Pool
X

Overall rating 5.1/10, based on 33 renter reviews Write a review

8.5
Location
4.7
Amenities
4.5
Management
6.3
Value
5.2
Social
5.5
Safety
Excellent
1
Great
4
Good
20
Average
6
Terrible
2
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1
Terrible
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Go elsewhere

Please please do not live in this apartment complex! You will regret it. There is mold growing within their AC units that they won’t clean as well as water leaving from pipes causing wall erosion. The management is not your friend. They also do not have any pest control in place so there are lots of issues with pests. There is a pool that was unusable because it was not clean. Their package room was a disaster. You had to hunt for your package in a room with hundreds of packages. I lost one or someone stole it and I never ordered a package again.

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  • 1 bed / 1 bath
1
Terrible
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Bad Management

This is my third year living in this apartment. We got a new property manager last spring and they have made living here unbearable. Rent went up by 30%, maintenance is unresponsive, and they are engaging in loud and messy renovations all over the property. I would not recommend this property anymore.

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  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 1 bath
4
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Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Bad management; In need of repair

Management has turned over three times since moving there in the summer 2020. I've had my room flood/water damage 2x. Maintenance is slow to respond and current management is terrible.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 1 bath
4
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Amenities
Management
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Safety

Great location, but series of negligent management companies

My roommate and I have been renting at Icon Downtown for a little over a year. Over this time, we've had three different management companies, which has created a lot of inconsistency and confusion for residents about basic matters like paying rent and getting repairs done.

The new management has prioritized cosmetic improvements (landscaping, exterior repainting) over critical repairs that are needed for residents (broken exterior doors, cockroach control). It feels like they are just using the rent increase they collected from us (+19% from year 1 to year 2) to fund cosmetic improvements to dupe prospective residents into signing leases. Unfortunately, the display apartments they show to prospective residents and the nice landscaping belie the below-average quality of the apartments we actually get placed in. Our bathtub is rusted out, the shower water runs erratically hot and cold, and, inexplicably, parts of the walls/floorboards have crumbled away, exposing the insides of the walls...

One thing the Icon Downtown website does accurately portray is the prime location, especially for Duke students. I'm grateful every day for how close Icon Downtown is to the university. I'm a 25 min walk from most of my classes, and two of the Duke Bus lines have stops nearby.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 1 bath
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Overall - happy here!

I haven't had any major issues with my apartment since living here. Maintenance is fairly quick to address issues. Parking is never an issue. Location wise, it's great because it's right near the SWS and within walking distance of downtown.

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  • 1 bed / 1 bath
6
Good
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University Apartments Review

Very Old building

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  • Roommates
  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 1 bath
6
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The new company raised the rent a lot

I like the apartment, it's a good size and has laundry and a dishwasher, everything is in good working order/condition, I have access to 2 gyms and 2 pools on the property, one of each on my side of the road (the newer buildings, not the historic buildings). They're not fancy but it's nice to have the option. The biggest issue is the new owners, the old management was much better and the new company is raising the rents by quite a bit. When I was looking, the smallest unit was listed for $600/month, and now they are starting at $1300. You could get something bigger/better for the same price. The location is really great though, 10-15 minute bike ride to campus, a mile to 9th street and a mile to downtown, right in the middle of all 3 areas.

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  • 1 bed / 1 bath
6
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University Apartments Review

Great location and price, old buildings

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  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 1 bath
4
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University Apartments Durham NC Review

My apartment was affordable and spacious. It did lack a few things such as a dishwasher and microwave. It was also close (within 20 minutes) enough to Duke to walk and not far from the East/West or SWX bus routes. The area itself could have been nicer/safer. The property bordered an area that was unsafe and sometimes that would blow in. Management was not great either. I was charged heavily for what I would describe as next to no damage after I moved out. Despite keeping a neat and tidy apartment I would often find cockroaches as well, indicative of a wider pest problem in the building. It was however pet friendly and had plenty of parking.

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  • 1 bed / 1 bath
5
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It's just okay

You can't really beat the price of the rent, especially with a roommate. It's in a great location; both Duke and city buses pass by and stop at Duke. It's not super close to grocery stores, but there is a co-op down the street for emergency needs. Amenities are fine; there is a decent sized pool and a little gym. My big complaints are about management. They are very strict with subleasing or getting out of your lease if you need to, and you really have to pester them to take maintenance requests seriously. They really hate doing more expensive repairs, but the little stuff they're pretty quick about. I told them the ceiling was sagging and cracking for months, and they finally came to look at it after I called the regional manager. The day the contractor came in was the day the ceiling finally collapsed. Another friend of mine has had mold in their apartment for 4 months; maintenance keeps painting over it. My first year was quite safe here, but this year two shootings occurred in the immediate area, one right across the street from my window.

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  • Roommates
  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 1 bath

The Neighborhood

Signature Spots

dining 19 Recs

The Nasher Café
Nasher Cafe
Quick Meal
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grocery 3 Recs

Whole Foods
Food Lion
Harris Teeter
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convenience 1 Rec

Rite Aid
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coffee 1 Rec

Dolce Vita
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About Duke Central Campus

Durham, NC's Duke Central Campus is a flourishing community that presents various academic and cultural experiences. It is the residence of Duke University and is situated near other esteemed universities. The locale boasts many entertainment opportunities, diverse culinary options, and picturesque ...
Duke Forest
College Life
Duke University
Duke Police Patrol
Beautiful Architecture
Median rents in Duke Central Campus
Studio
$
1,225
1 Bedroom
$
1,500
2 Bedroom
$
1,895

Getting around Duke Central Campus


Duke Central Campus Reviews

4 reviews
Safe and quite neighborhood. Constant patrol by Duke police. close to university gym and trail. Whole foods, main street and 9th street are steps away.
There have been a couple of crimes reported on and around Swift Avenue in the last couple of months. I have ever unsafe but it needs to be kept in mind that incidents do happen and people should be aware of how to keep themselves safe. No incidents have happened in the 300 Swift complex.
Very safe, there are duke police and security guards around entry points to the building
Several security incidents nearby including sexual assault. Homeless frequently on the street are sometimes aggressive.

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