Anyone from Greensboro/Summerfield?? (Charlotte, Raleigh: transplants, buying a home, buying)

[jackie1014]

Hello everyone. We are relocating to Greensboro/Summerfield area next month and was hoping some of you could pass on some info for us. We went to visit the area last month and fell in love with it, but was only there for 4 days. We heard great things from the locals, it all sounds too good to be true, was wondering what the downfalls are, if any.

Thanks.

[JAS]

I live in neighboring Oak Ridge and am quite familiar with Summerfield. Many newcomers in the NW part of Guilford County view Oak Ridge, Summerfield, and Stokesdale as one area, although each is separately incorporated as a town.

Good school zone, a very short drive into GSO for shopping, jobs, etc., beautiful land.

We just got home this evening from our daughter's swimming lessons at the Bur-Mil Park pool, where we also have a summer membership (it is technically a GSO park, but is across the lake from Summerfield).

The only negative I can think of right now is that traffic may back up on Hwy 220 in the mornings, but nothing to be too concerned about.

It's a great place to live.

[jackie1014]

Hi Jas, thanks for the feedback. How long have you lived in Oak Ridge?
We looked there also and actually found a house we fell in love with, in Fox Ridge right near the shopping center and pool. We ate lunch at Elizabeths almost everyday we were there , but the house wasn't a perfect fit for us and the one in Summerfield was so we bought that. We loved the location of the house in Oak Ridge, and I'm sorry it didn't suit us because we fell in love with the area.
My brother is buying a home in Stokesdale. Near Arbor Run I think it was called.
We are very excited to be moving there and hope all the people are just as nice as when we visited . Do you have kids in school?

[JAS]

Elizabeth's at Oak Ridge is operated by a couple of guys from Italy via Jersey. I could eat there every day, but I would weigh about 400 lbs if I did. One of the guys, I believe, married the daughter of the family that owns the Elizabeth's chain - she met him in Italy, I think - I don't know the full story. There are several Elizabeth's in the Triad, but the one in Oak Ridge is the best (my opinion, as well as others). Most of the staff there knows me since I'm a frequent patron.

There is also a very good Chinese take-out place in that shopping center, a French pastry restaurant/cafe, a Mexican Restaurant, and Japanese restaurant (in addition to the Wendy's and Subway). Not bad for what was a cow pasture only 5 years ago.

I've lived in the Oak Ridge/Stokesdale community since April 2001, and in Greensboro for a while before that (I'm a native Floridian). I'm techincally in Stokesdale, although my address is Oak Ridge. I have a child starting at Stokesdale Elementary this fall.

You will run into some "transplants" in this area, but there are still a LOT of locals who have lived here for a long time. You will find some locals who would rather have it turned back 20 years ago when there was nothing out here but farms and the military academy, but the people are by and large extremely friendly. I think this is the "North Carolina" that many people are seeking - but aren't necessarily finding - in the more congested Raleigh and Charlotte areas.

Summerfield is more convenient to GSO than Oak Ridge and Stokesdale - but we're closer to Elizabeth's, so it all evens out. We're planning to buy a new house next summer (upgrade to a larger place), but we will most likely stay in this part of the county since we enjoy it so much.

One other problem that I forgot to mention earlier - some of the schools are overcrowded in NW Guilford, but a new high school, middle school, and elementary school will open up next year that will help solve this problem. The worst are probably NW Guilford Middle School and NW Guilford High School. Recent renovations to a couple of the elementary schools eased some of the burden at that level.

By the way, I live maybe a half-mile from Arbor Run and am very familiar with that subdivision.