Triangle relocation thread

[Former Resident of HR]

What, exactly, does the term mean?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Uhm it comes from the term used for many centuries to segregate Jews in Europe. It basically means that all the people in the area are of the same group. In the US many of the poor residents of inner-cities were African-American and they just used the term ghetto to describe where they live. Now it means that something is run-down or in bad condition. Long live the fluidity of English!

Gay ghetto means most people in the neighborhood are gay. Doesn't mean it's a thugged out gay area, although that could be the case, I dunno A lot of people say "Gayborhood" as well but the gay ghetto term usually is more derisive (and sometimes for a reason).

I wanted to thank most of you for giving me an idea. Clubs are low in importance to me and safe, somewhat liberal areas are high in importance. So looks like Chapel Hill will be where I head first and then to Raleigh. Thanks again!

[njsaj]

I currently live in northern eastern NJ and I'm considering relocating to the triangle area. If I do, my office is near Miami Rd exit off Rt. 40. I want to buy a house in one of the better towns in the area but I know nothing about the area. So I'm looking for feedback.

My reasons for moving to the area are for a new job and to reduce the cost of living. The town I live in NJ is one of the best towns in the NYC area. It's about 5000 people and has 2 traffic lights. It's a very affluent small bedroom community 30 mins from the heart of NYC. Real estate in this town is expensive (new homes are going for over $1.7 million and fixer uppers for $800K). The high school has won multiple national Blue Ribbon awards. Half of the town has greater than 1 acre zoning. In short, the town is very desirable. I would like to find a quality town like this (but not as pricey) in the triangle area.

So I'm looking for a town [or development] that meets the following criteria:

* has high quality schools

* offers recently built homes (4BR, 2BT w/ at least 3000sf) that are at most $500K on at least a half acre (1-2 acre preferred).

* has a low crime rate

* NOT too near a highway or anything noisy

* not a busy town [i.e doesn't have lots of hotels, shopping, etc that will draw a lot of traffic]

I'm willing to commute 30-45 mins to the triangle.

I know I'm asking a lot and hopefully my criteria isn't too unreasonable. So I'd like to hear suggestions for towns/areas/developments that can meet at least a couple of the criteria I mentioned.

Thanks.

[JunktionFET]

Brier Creek is a growing mixed-use "edge-burb" centered around a gigantic shopping plaza, at US70 and I-540. Everything there is new and looks well-groomed. It connects with Alexander Dr which intersects Miami Blvd a few miles away. If your office is on Miami, living in this part of Raleigh would give you a short commute, plus a lot of convenience for shopping, eating, etc. You can actually avoid I-540 and I-40 altogether if you wanted.

Otherwise a popular spot is Cary (and the towns surrounding it, like Apex, Morrisville). All of them are similarly priced, relatively convenient, have nearly non-existent crime, and good schools. You would be facing a 30-45 minute commute in the morning, more than likely. Cary is about 15-20 miles from Miami Blvd on I-40 (depending on where in Cary you live).

[JunktionFET]

Oops, I guess I should've read your post a little more carefully Most of the lots in Cary and the surrounding towns are around 1/3 acre. Some of the higher end neighborhoods offer 1/2 acre. If you spend gobs of money you can probably get more.

If you want a reasonably priced house with 1/2 acre+ of land, you may want to check out some of the exurban neighborhoods sprouting up in southern or southwestern Wake County--in the vicinity of Holly Springs, Swift Creek, edge of Cary, edge of Apex, etc. Look for Hwy 55, Penny Rd, Ten-ten Rd, or Lake Wheeler Rd on a map of Wake County. There are a plethora of new neighborhoods seemingly growing out of the pine forests. The closer you stay to US1, the more conveniences you'll have nearby.

[Justin6882]

Sounds like he's looking for Chapel Hill to me.

[richthofen]

Sounds like he's looking for Chapel Hill to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For the most part, but finding acre lots there might be a bit of an issue...

[emoney]

There are a lot of different areas you could consider. You will find that your money will go ALOT further when it comes to Real Estate in this area, compared to NJ. One of the harder things to come by might be a house on a large lot (> 1/3 acre), especially with newer neighborhoods. You would probably have better options in rural Orange County, Chatham County. You might consider areas near Hillsborough in Orange County, it's a small town but still relatively close to everything. I'm not up on my Hillsborough neighborhoods however.

Since you don't mind the commute, you might consider areas in NE Chatham County, the area is close to Chapel Hill, Cary, and RTP, but it is still a rural county. Governor's Village and Governor's Club are 2 neighborhoods that come to mind, they have some reasonably priced homes (<500k, and some very expensive ones >500k). I'm not sure about the school situation, the neighborhoods have a Chapel Hill address (which is in Orange County), but I'm not sure if you would use chapel hill schools or Chatham County schools. But I think that area of the triangle has a lot of the qualities you might be looking for. These neighborhoods might also have more land per house than areas in Cary or Apex.

You might also consider North Raleigh/Wake Forest. IMP the town of Wake Forest is a great community, and they have decent schools, and new neighborhoods, it is one of the fastest growing areas however, so there are some growing pains. I don't know many neighborhood names (except for Wakefield Plantation, a huge neighborhood with a wide range of homes).

Chapel Hill is also a really nice place, it might be busier than you like with the University, etc. but to me it retains a lot of its small town characteristics and there are a ton of activities. Chapel Hill schools are excellent and there are plenty of great neighborhoods. If you like 'new urbanism' so they claim, then Southern Village or Meadowmont in Chapel Hill might be good choices, but there homes can be on the more expensive side (> 500k, especially in Meadowmont, not sure about Southern Village) and you wouldn't have a lot of land.

There are tons of other places, I'll try to come back with more later. In the meantime there is a free relocation guide that you can send off for that should tell you about all the communities to at least give you a feel for the area.

1. Triangle Relocation Guide

So here are my first suggestions

1. Hillsborough (Orange County) - Small Town/Decent Schools/Less Traffic/Larger House Lots

2. NE Chatham County (Chatham County) - Fairly Rural/Convenient/Good Schools/Some Traffic/Larger Lots

3. Wake Forest (Wake County) - Great Schools/More Traffic/Smaller Lots/Small Town/Convenient

4. Chapel Hill/Carrboro (Orange County) - Excellent Schools/Convenient/More Traffic/Lots of Activities/Good Neighborhoods, but smaller lots

All of these places have low crime, and many of them (especially Orange/Chatham County) you can find neighborhoods not very close to major highways or shopping meccas (although they do exist)

These are just my opinions, others may disagree. Hope this helps!

- Eric

[Tayfromcarolina]

Wake Forest/North Raleigh Would probably be a good choice, they have lots of brand new homes with lots of land. Also it's fairly Affluent, right behind cary I would guess. See Wakefield Plantation New Falls of News Road.

In fact when I buy a house this is the area I would pick. You can't go wrong with schools in the county 2nd best in the south after Austin, TX.

[NCMike1981]

I lived in Hillsborough during my high school years (1995-1999) and I've noticed it's changed alot since then. There are several new developments sprouting up such as Churton Grove, Fox Hill Farms, Beckett's Ridge and Waterstone, as well as a few others. Waterstone is a recently approved 337 acre development that, once built out, will contain a community college, over 1.1 million sq ft of commercial uses, 813 new homes/apartments, three community parks, a day-care center, a hotel and a continuing care retirement center . I wouldn't say that the town has an upscale feel to it, yet, it's mainly just pleasant and small towny. It also is convenient to both Greensboro/Burlington and Raleigh/Durham...I just think it has a few years left before it really booms.

Since this is sort of the ignored corner of the Triangle I'll share a little info about it:

Population: 5,535 (2002 est)

Location: Intersection of I-85 and I-40 in north central Orange County

Median Family Income: $46,793

Schools: 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 2 high schools

Elevation: 624 ft

Avg new home price: $217,000 sq ft: 2,115

Mean travel time to work: 26.2 minutes

Nearby Triangle Cities: Carrboro 10.8 miles, Chapel Hill 11.2 miles, Durham 14.8 miles, and Raleigh 36.2 miles

Avg snowfall: 7.6 inches

[urbanesq]

Agreed about Hillsborough. We moved to a new development here (just outside the corporate limits on the north side of town) from a historic house in downtown Durham a couple of years ago, and really love it. Our wooded lot is just shy of an acre. H'boro is a really nice community in and of itself, but it's also really close to everything else-- Duke U. is about 15 minutes from our house, UNC-CH campus is around 20-25. The airport and most major RTP destinations are about 20 minutes, downtown Raleigh is about 35-40. People who live here also commute to Burlington (15-20 mins) and Greensboro (45-50).

Its quaint and quiet, although it is becoming a hot spot. (Our plan is to find a house in the historic district at some point in the future, but those prices are climbing.) Our kids are go to an independent school, but I understand the Orange schools are decent; not nearly as good as Chapel Hill's because there is much rural influence and considerably less affluence on balance. There is talk of merging the systems, but that does not seem to be well-received.

Wake Forest is also nice. We lived (and worked) there several years ago. It still has that small-town feel, although all the new development has eroded it some. The commute into RTP from there is a breeze on I-540. The communte into downtown Raleigh is at least 30 mins, and is getting pretty tough traffic-wise. I don't know how many acre-ish lots you'll find there in that price range, though. The housing market here, while not as inflated as the Northeast, is still inflated.

We've also lived in Chapel Hill (yes, we've lived just about everywhere you can live in the Triangle....), and while I like it a lot, and the public schools are tops, there is very little new developement in town other than the "new urbanist" meccas of Southern Village and Meadowmont, both of which are really neat places, but you won't get anywhere near half an acre of land in either of them. Because of extreme limitations on development and a "rural buffer" district that surrounds Chapel Hill and Carrboro, prices are even more exaggerated there than in other places in the Triangle.

Brier Creek is a central location, but I don't think you'll find half an acre for under 500K, and its central location makes it a shopping destination. There are already two "lifestyle" retail centers there, and more retail and office development is planned.

Good luck, and welcome to the Triangle in advance.

[orulz]

Sounds to me like you're looking for an exurban area. Although there are certainly reasons to go out into the countryside on large lots, I just thought I'd point out that the "quiet life" is no panacea. While it is nice to have a big yard so your kids can play it, there's a flipside to that coin: If you live out there, your kids will be 100% dependent on you to go anywhere. Kids in the exurbs know no freedom until they get their drivers license at age 16. You may think that's a good thing because you can keep tabs on 'em, but in my opinion, gradually "phasing in" independence is a much better idea (ie let them walk to stores/restaurants/school on their own) so they're more used to it by the time they get a drivers license.

I'm not saying that this necessarily applies to you, but there are many people who move to the triangle to escape the hubbub of the big city, and without even thinking twice go 180 degrees and find the hugest lot on the most isolated cul-de-sac they can find. It may turn out that such an environment is what you want, but anyway I encourage you to weigh the options carefully, objectively, and without prejudice. You might be surprised what you find, too; there's actually MORE congestion and MORE noise outside the 440 Beltline in Raleigh. No matter the time of day, it's always easy and pleasant to get around the inner parts of Raleigh, for several reasons: the distances are shorter, there is an interconnected grid of streets, and the fact that many suburbanites never even venture inside the beltline because there aren't any familiar "big box" chain retailers there. Outside the beltline, the larger distances and thoroughfare/cul-de-sac development pattern makes driving around a real pain in the ass, particularly at rush hour.

You'll probably be surprised how far money can go in the triangle. You might be able to get a large home on a fairly large lot somewhere in a quiet neighborhood inside the Raleigh beltline, or inside the Maynard Rd loop in Cary.

$1.7 million will buy you darn near any home anywhere in the Triangle, for sale or not .

[cweb69]

Hi everyone! I just stumbled upon this board and thought I would pick your brains. My wife and I are thinking about relocating to Raleigh from Columbus, GA. We are looking to start a family soon and would like some input on the best areas in which to buy a home. We want the basics, nice neighborhood, good schools, low crime, decent commute time. Nothing too high class, definitely middle class. Thanks for any input.

[Tayfromcarolina]

Congratulations, as you probably know Wake County has one of the best schools districts in the Southeast. Also crime is low and there are plenty of amenities no matter where you move in the city or surrounding suburbs. We have several great museums (Natural Science, History, NC Museum of Art) and a great performing arts Theater. Also there is a huge Revitalization downtown most notable construction of our new Convention Center to be complete in 2008. Great College Sports NC State/UNC/Duke and Carolina Hurricane Professional Hockey.

As far as a home here I suggest you look in the Brier Creek area in NW wake county, or North Raleigh between Creedmoor and Capital Boulevards there are some really nice new neighborhoods there. Then you could want to live in a more established neighborhood which there are a ton of all over the city. The town of WakeForest is nice also as the city of Cary.(Safest City in America 2005) Apex or Garner.

Here are some informative links.

City of Raleigh

Visit Raleigh.com

Progress Center for the Performing ArtsNew Convention Center

Progress Energy Center

Downtown Raleigh w/ new convention Center eta. 2008

[Jones_]

North Raleigh

I prefer downtown living myself, but then again I am 30 years and single. The above link is the area referenced by Tay. Capital Blvd is the big concrete strip on the right, US 70/Glenwood Ave radiates out at 45 degrees to the left. RDU airport is on the far left. Interstate 440 (The Beltline) is visible as the arcing road on the bottom. The Town of Wake Forest is visible in the upper right corner. This entire map is dominated by middle class to upper middle class people, schools are good, typical Americana with several movie theaters a grocery store at every major intersection and plenty of city parks, YMCA's and other family type activities. Home prices are solidly in the 150-300k range with some townhomes in the 80-160 range and some country club areas with homes one million and up. Zip codes in this area (for MLS) would be 27609, 27613, 27614 and 27615 for Raleigh and 27587 for Wake Forest. Southern Wake County is even more affordable around the towns of Garner, Fuquay Varina, and Holly Springs with homes solidly in the 100-200 range and some newer neighborhoods ranging up to 300 now, and plenty of good but older homes as low as around 80.

[orulz]

Welcome to the forum, cweb69. Glad to hear that you are interested in Raleigh/the Triangle region. There is no specific prohibition at Urban Planet against asking for relocation advice, so I will let this stand for a while, but I must also say that it's a bit off-topic for this forum.

Besides, I wouldn't expect to get many recommendations for typical suburban neighborhoods out of this group, since (correct me if I'm wrong folks) most of us find them to be boring. Most of us would prefer a downtown condo or a home in a walkable, established, in-town neighborhood, which may or may not be your cup of tea. Most relocatees to this area seem to want a cul-de-sac buried miles deep within suburbia, and Lord knows we have plenty of that around here, but quite frankly I don't understand the appeal of "isolation at all costs."

Regarding schools, if you believe the "buzz" in the New York Times and such, you'll have a decent school no matter what neighborhood you choose, and you'll also have a dizzying array of "magnet" schools with various special programs to select from. The Wake County public school system is different from most other places, and that's supposedly what makes it among the best in the nation.

Even if you choose an un-gentrified, predominantly minority, in-town neighborhood, your kids won't end up in a run-down, underfunded school with a poor academic record. There may be other concerns and considerations about living in a place like that, but schools are not supposedly among them - and an in-town neighborhood would make a great investment with far more potential for appreciation than your average suburban cookie cutter on a cul-de-sac.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

[plus2]

The best place probably depends on where you work.

Another suggestion, if you want to get a good home a little cheaper than the average North Raleigh home, there are nice new neighborhoods in Southwest Raleigh off of Tryon Road and in Garner. These neighborhoods are closer to downtown, have lots of shopping nearby at Cary Crossroads shopping center and are also near NC State's Centennial Campus (hi-tech research center).

[avery]

Welcome cweb69. There are many areas that fit what you are looking for, so choosing one may be difficult unless you know a little more about what you are looking for. The Triangle is spread out, so depending on where your job/s will be and what amenities you are looking, this will help narrow down your search. Each part of the Triangle offers different flavors IMO. My suggestion, spend a few days in the area as a sightseer to get a better feel and continue to ask people on the forum. Without getting into real-estate, which this forum prohibits, opinions on areas shouldn't be limited to that of your real-estate agent if you get one.

[orulz]

The best place probably depends on where you work.

Another suggestion, if you want to get a good home a little cheaper than the average North Raleigh home, there are nice new neighborhoods in Southwest Raleigh off of Tryon Road

Agreed, southwest Raleigh near Centennial gets you closer to the real city and further from all the sprawl - and it costs less than N Raleigh to boot. It's a decent and safe area, there's a good mix of newer and older homes, and more of a working-class atmosphere than N Raleigh. Traffic on Tryon Road is getting worse by the minute, but it's still no big deal compared to most of the North Raleigh thoroughfares.

I wouldn't touch that bloated, crowded strip mall Crossroads with a 10 foot pole, though. The congestion around there can be so bad that it can sometimes be faster to drive straight through downtown to North Hills. Crossroads is doomed to fail eventually, due to its traffic problems and horrible layout.

[dmccall]

The most "sought after" area in Raleigh housing begins with Hayes Barton (in the Glenwood/St. Mary's/Wade triangle). Good houses are $250/sq ft and up) To the east to Captial Blvd, there is small former mill worker type housing that goes for around $200 and to the west is ranch housing that also is in the $200/ft range). To the north things stay above $200/ft until you get to the Beltline (I-440 at North Hills). North of the beltline houses are in the $150/ft range and descend quickly as you get farther from the beltline. Housing prices rise, however, as you get out toward I- 540 where the houses are newer and the convenience of 540 makes living much better.

Of course, it depends on what you want, but I personally would shoot for being near the 440 Beltline foremost. Probably the best value/quality of life/schools is found in the Ridge Rd. Glen Eden Rd. area. Martin is a great middle school and Broughton is a great High school. Here are some areas that I would investigate:

4000 sq ft+ - Look around Lassiter Mill Rd/Marlowe Rd intersection and work your way out.

3000 sq. ft range - Look around Glen Eden Rd/Ridge Rd./Blenheim area. Also consider Kershaw Hills (Kershaw Dr area) for a great location with more modest pricing.

2000 sq ft range - 4 main areas:

1) North Hills (Yadkin/Northbrook Rds),

2) Hickory Hills (North of North Hills at Six Forks Rd all the way north to Eastgate Rd, south of Millbrook),

3) Meredith College area (Brooks/Wade/Dixie/Faircloth) - houses are older and more expensive than the others, but neighborhood has much charm and is pretty quiet).

4) The most untapped resource in Raleigh, now, is probably Meredith Woods. This area's spine is Nancy Ann Dr. and is bounded by Lake Boone, Blue Ridge and the Beltline. The location is incredible and the houses are dirt cheap fixer uppers.

All of these neighborhoods in this section except for #3 (brooks/wake/faircloth area) were built in the early 60's due to an influx of IBM geeks. There are many fantastic ranch houses, but there are also several split levels and split foyers. So you kind of have to pick and choose.

If you are looking for new construction with the cookie cutter type thing, I'd look at N. Raleigh near 540 and Carpenter Village in Morrisville.

There are a ton of good places to live, but these that I mentioned are the best real estate investment bets that offer the easiest way of life. Considering commute times, access to good mundane shopping as well as specialty shopping, and access to entertainment venues, these areas mentioned offer the best balance.

But these are just my opinions!!

[Tennisplyr001]

I am a recent college grad/young professional relocating to the Triangle area. I will be working in RTP. Does anyone have suggestions for neighborhoods/apartment complexes since there are so many choices. As far as area, I'm pretty much open to everything. I prefer somewhere that is close to movies, restaurant, bars, and entertainment. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[ChiefJoJo]

I am a recent college grad/young professional relocating to the Triangle area. I will be working in RTP. Does anyone have suggestions for neighborhoods/apartment complexes since there are so many choices. As far as area, I'm pretty much open to everything. I prefer somewhere that is close to movies, restaurant, bars, and entertainment. Any ideas would be appreciated.

If you ask me, I'd live DT, as a lot is going on now and there are plenty of bars, etc., but you may want to look at Briar Creek (near RDU airport) if you want a shorter commute.

[urbanesq]

If you ask me, I'd live DT, as a lot is going on now and there are plenty of bars, etc., but you may want to look at Briar Creek (near RDU airport) if you want a shorter commute.

I was about to post the exect same recommendation.

[orulz]

If you're okay with something that's older and not in the greatest shape but is inexpensive, close to Glenwood South, and has plenty of personality, take a look at Cameron Court on Hillsborough Street in downtown Raleigh. It was built in the 1920s and has never been extensively restored per se, but some of the units have central air conditioning.

In downtown Durham, there's West Village, which is a tobacco warehouse/factory complex that has recently been converted to apartments and retail. It's more expensive than Cameron Court, but then again it's a bit nicer place overall.

There are also a few interesting places near Cameron Village as well. Raleigh Apartments is similar to Cameron Court on Hillsborough, and was also built in the 1920s, but the interiors are a bit nicer. Wedgewood is a 1940s era mid-rise that is a little more upscale, but the rents are fairly reasonable for what you get.

None of these places are right for everyone. Some might find them repulsive, but others might love them since they're more urban than the standard schlock that saturates the market. I visited all of them, and I know people who have lived in all of them (except West Village) - and they all had good experiences. But I'm experimenting with going carless, so I decided to live in a cookie-cutter apartment complex in Morrisville where I can bike to work in 10 minutes rather than riding the bus for 45.

That was a mistake. It's really, really boring out here without a car. I'm counting the days until my lease expires. If I had a car like a normal person, I guess I'd be fine, since it only takes maybe 15 minutes to drive to Southpoint from here, but that would mean giving up and I'm not ready to do that just yet.

[JDC]

If you're young and don't mind having Duke kids around, the Trinity Park neighborhood just north of DT Durham has places with apartments to rent. Most of them are in older houses and right on the street as opposed to the 'cookie-cutter' townhouse complexes I see all the place.

[Raleighsfinest]

Cosign.